More often than not, when I drag and drop a BIAB song into my DAW - Cakewalk Platinum - the drum track starts with a pronounced "boom" for the first bar of the count in.
It doesn't occur with every song, but it does with most. I run in admin mode.
I fix it by cutting the first bar in the drum track.
I would appreciate any ideas on how I can stop this problem. I assume it is a problem with BIAB rather than the DAW, and it may be something in the settings which I can change.
I have seen this often and I didn’t know how to prevent it. I just drag the start of the drum track to the right in SONAR. It shouldn’t have to be this way.
I have a guess that it’s related to the CountIn/Metronome setting. Sometimes a few of us have a missing beat 1 on the count-in, and an added bang just before the start of the second time through the song. But I’m just guessing.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
This happens to me about 1/3 of the time and has been going on for a few years now... I'm almost getting to the point that it's part of my workflow - drag and drop, edit out the first bar on the drum track, etc. It will get your attention... usually sounds like the drummer has done a full-on header into his drum kit! (I have experienced that same event happening during live gigs too!) It's semi-annoying, but doesn't mess with my final BIAB product so I live with it...
just an old analog dog tryin' to learn new tricks...
Yes always Real Drums, whenever I choose a MIDI style the drum track seems to default to a Real Drum when I load it.
This is random when it occurs, but probably on a ratio of three bad to one good track. I put BIAB into the minimised DAW mode and drag the Master to the DAW. I use Cakewalk now but this also happened when I used Sonar.
I tried setting a two bar count in in Cakewalk preferences but this made no difference.
I am a persistent little fellow so I will keep trying to resolve this problem.
I might be stupid maybe, but call me curious: ... is this also with a 1 bar count-in included file? Also with other sequencers? PS i work with Cubase and there you'll always have to import via it's import routine, you can only drag from it's own media pool .. a little time consuming alas. F
Just a thought...this has happened to me in the past and the culprit was my sound card. It seemed to hold on to the sound from the last time it played the song (it didn't refresh and clear its resources)
I can't tell you which sound card as I have a new computer (a desktop, which doesn't exhibit the problem) my old computer was an Acer laptop with its on-board laptop.
Like George, I suspect a 'buffer dump'. Like the track hadn't finished playing when you stopped it, and the data left in the audio buffer unloads at startup instead of clearing.
At one point when I was having this issue (I haven't had it it in a long time) I learned through testing that letting the track finish playing and actually end before doing anything would fix it (the buffer gets emptied). Not sure if this is the same issue OP is having, but thought I'd mention. At the time I seemed to be the only one with the issue, and a couple versions/machines later I no longer experience this so it may be machine dependant.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
I haven't heard of this problem before, and it doesn't appear to be in the bug list yet.
If anyone has a song file that consistently exports with an extra noise at the start, please send the song file and the WAV file render of the Drums track with the extra noise to support@pgmusic.com.
Please include a brief description of the issue (and/or a link back to this post), and the exact version and build of Band-in-a-Box that was used, I'll see if I can replicate the issue and report it to the development team.
It happens to me now, it seems all of a sudden, a tom Realdrums sound, in my case with _BURDEN.STY. and a lot of bar beat count changes active. Activating the Chord output on ch9 makes that one join the fun. Weird ?? F
I don't know if you've tried this but I've read on the forums that if one uses a hold chord to end the song, then a 'rest' chord is best put at the end of the hold (4, 5, or 6 bars later).
For example:
If you have a 4-bar hold from bar 32 to end your song (in the key of C major), at bar 32 put C... and then at bar 36 put C. -- the chord will not play because the dot says to 'rest' (because of this, any chord at all with a dot after it will do the job).
I still haven't been able to replicate this issue, whether there's a held chord at the end of a song or not.
Is everybody with this problem using holds at the end of your songs? Does it happen if you drag Drums directly to the desktop, or do you need to export using the Drop station?
If anyone who has this problem can send an example song file and a description of how they're exporting their tracks to support@pgmusic.com, that would be great. I'd like to track down the cause of this bug so it can be fixed.
It's within playback in BIAB, and in the realdrums exported track. Seemingly only the Realdrums, and audio from Chord export #9 joining the fun. In my case a song with a lot of beat count switches between 3/4 and 4/4. Song file is a mainly 3/4, but the intro 4/4. The Eureka ?? :
Originally Posted By: Bunyip
When I reverted to a standard 2 bar ending the problem disappeared.
Set mine to 4/4, 'bang' is still there BTW.
Re-rendering doesn't solve it, Windows 10, 64 bit, Fall Creators (v1803?) BTW an external USB RME interface, HD audio disabled in Device manager. Anti virus with BIAB folder set to 'trusted'.
Switching off 'audible lead-in' and chord output on ch #9 does fix matters though, see below:
I've finally managed to replicate the issue. If the song contains at least one held chord, "Drag Master as separate tracks" is checked in DAW Plugin Settings, and I drag Master to a DAW or to Explorer (not individual tracks), then I get the weird shot at the beginning of the Drums track.
I'm filling out a bug report right away.
Until this gets fixed, if you drag the Drums track into your DAW by itself, you shouldn't get the noise.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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