Steve, as you said, this is not even beginning to strain the computer resources shown.
There are tons of things, such as DPC Latency, wireless networking, bad cables etc. but since you mention the combination of adding a VST causes the trouble, I'm first thinking drivers.
What are you using for the audio driver in BIAB? ASIO, MME or WAS? What is your audio output device? Can you snap a picture of the Options, Preferences, MIDI Driver screen, and then also click the button for Audio Settings and get a pic of that?
Can you record a snippet so we can hear the noise?
Another possibility: in Preferences, RealTracks, there is a checkbox for This Song Has Problems. Try that.
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.
Just to clarify, are you using the piano VST to play a melody on the melody track,etc., or are you using it to give a sound to a midi controller keyboard?
1) the VST is on the Thru track, being driven by my keyboard. 2) here is the MIDI options screen: https://ibb.co/nhCQRL 3) I'm using ASIO through my AudioBox 96 interface. here is the audio setup screen: https://ibb.co/fUXmY0 4) here is the screen from the AudioBox 96 driver: https://ibb.co/eXavRL 5) here is my RealTracks preferences screen and mixer showing the tracks i am using. I don't see a "This song has problems" checkbox https://ibb.co/gdHmY0 6) the "audio breakup" sounds like crackling, like there is lost audio signal 7) the backing track plays fine by itself. the problem happens when start playing notes/chords on the keyboard. 8) i take that back. the degeneration gets worse over the course of the song, such that after a few minutes even the backing track is crackling 9) holding the sustain pedal seems to make it worse 10) another thing i've noticed is that BIAB won't let me run the driver at 48mhz. it is stuck at 41, even though my other audio applications can run at 48.
For your MIDI output driver, try setting it to Microsoft GS Wavetable (rather than "No Midi Sound Output") and see if that makes a difference. Even though BIAB won't be using it, when a VSTi/DXi soft synth is selected, the Microsfoft GS Wavetable output adds stability.
Hi It seems to me, that as you say it gets worse when you hold down the sustain pedal and engage in other midi activity , that your pc is getting short of resources , for processing the audio as well. This is why it gradually gets worse sounds like buffer overflow. You could try adjusting you audio buffer sizes And stopping other activity like AV and any other background programs running,
If W10 check that windows update has not changed your minimum processor state to less than 100% IN YOUR ADAVANCED POWER OPTIONS SCREEN Mike
Sounds a bit like some midi data loop is feedbacking where it shouldn't. Turned midi thru off in your keyboards settings?
If it's an USB audio device you're using; hickup stutters sound familiar to me, see picture below for adjustments, power management should be off in all USB hub drivers, and windows updates usually screws up these settings. Disable latter with something like Win Update Stop.
... static and crackling usually has to do with buffers, and if all USB data are running via just one controller chip can be a problem too ... F
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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!
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Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
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Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
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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
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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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With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
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Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
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