I received my BiaB 2019 Hard Drive yesterday, Tues 12-11-19... I had already downloaded, & installed the files and updated to builds 603, 604 & 605. I've been playing with it for several days now, and besides a few issues, I'm very happy with the new 64 bit version... Thanks PG Music… Generally the program performs great on my Studio Desktop, and my slower, less-capable Laptop... I have gained a lot of valuable knowledge, and much help from following this wonderful forum... but it pains me, somewhat, to read so much negativity, even though I do understand some of the frustration expressed... I'm confident the good folks at PGMusic, with the help of this great Forum, will in time, iron out all the kinks...
I am using Focusrite USB ASIO along with my Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 interface... works ok, but I still get pops & crackle noise when using Cakewalk Sonar with BiaB open in background, or vice-versa... If I close either program, the noise goes away... I also had this problem earlier, back when I was using an M-Audio pci interface, and previous versions of BiaB...
And I have the same equipment as you. Is your Scarlett 18i20 a first or second generation? Mine is a second and I hope these instructions will work if you have a first.
I don't get the pops and crackles, so let's explore:
1) In Focusrite Control, Device Settings tab, is your Sample Rate set to 44.1?
2) In BIAB, Options, Preferences, Audio go to Audio Drivers. What is your selection for Resampler quality? Then, right above that, click on ASIO Driver Control Panel. What is the buffer size? (You'll also see sample rate there and it should be 44.1).
Finally, since you've discovered running two programs with ASIO gives crackling, try using MME for BIAB. Any improvement?
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Pipeline mentioned something in another thread that would also be worth trying in relation to extraneous noises. Try deactivating "ASIO Always On".
If other programs are open that require the audio driver, this setting in BIAB can override other settings.
Given that ASIO is pretty much unique for each device, and this adds an element of unpredictability to these drivers, I personally don't know if this setting will impact sound quality when multiple music software programs run for the Focusrite. I'm passing this thought on as just "something to keep in mind".
And I have the same equipment as you. Is your Scarlett 18i20 a first or second generation? Mine is a second and I hope these instructions will work if you have a first.
I don't get the pops and crackles, so let's explore:
1) In Focusrite Control, Device Settings tab, is your Sample Rate set to 44.1?
2) In BIAB, Options, Preferences, Audio go to Audio Drivers. What is your selection for Resampler quality? Then, right above that, click on ASIO Driver Control Panel. What is the buffer size? (You'll also see sample rate there and it should be 44.1).
Finally, since you've discovered running two programs with ASIO gives crackling, try using MME for BIAB. Any improvement?
I still have my noise. Tried all types of combinations and no luck.
Desktop HP: Windows 10 Presonus AudioBox 22 VSL - updated drivers 1.2TB available on HD; 794GB used 8G of RAM BIAB 32 works fine; 605 update BIAB 64 is noisy; 605 update
Sampling is set exactly is noted in the above post about the Scarlett.
Oddity is that I also have a Dell Laptop with the same problems minus the Personus. The Dell has never seen the Presonus.
I am using Focusrite USB ASIO along with my Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 interface... works ok, but I still get pops & crackle noise when using Cakewalk Sonar with BiaB open in background, or vice-versa... If I close either program, the noise goes away... I also had this problem earlier, back when I was using an M-Audio pci interface, and previous versions of BiaB...
Sonar has a little box (Performance) in the Control Bar that shows the CPU utilisation. If you don’t see it right click in the control bar and select it. If this gets a bit high you will get pops and crackle (static) when using ASIO. The PG VST will lift the CPU rate a bit. In the preferences you can change the ASIO buffers or under Sync and Caching up the playback I/O buffer size. Lift it to 2048 or higher (4096 but it might effect your timing if playing into Sonar with a MIDI keyboard. You can leave the record at 1024.
This might help
Tony
HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home, Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612 BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
Good suggestions above by Tony to check the CPU meter. You may be able to see the same effect in Task Manager.
And he’s right, larger playback buffers may help. The values that are right for you are relative to your computer as well as the sound card. For example, I use 256 for recording, but bump up to 512 for general playback. Too high can actually cause problems, too, so experiment.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Mine arrived too, and on the back there's a sticker saying it's produced in the Netherlands. About 30 km from here ... Why do i have to pay import taxes then beats me ...!
I received my BiaB 2019 Hard Drive yesterday, Tues 12-11-19... I had already downloaded, & installed the files and updated to builds 603, 604 & 605. I've been playing with it for several days now, and besides a few issues, I'm very happy with the new 64 bit version... Thanks PG Music … I'm confident the good folks at PGMusic, with the help of this great Forum, will in time, iron out all the kinks ...
Just moved back to 2018 for now ... the audio handling doesn't work, it seems you can import only one chunk in both 32bit and 64bit BIAB 605. BIAB 2018: no problems, even 24bit files survive, not with 2019 64bit ...
Originally Posted By: bloc-head
.... I did try Noel's above suggestion with inconclusive results... I will try again & experiment more...
Mine arrived too, and on the back there's a sticker saying it's produced in the Netherlands. About 30 km from here ... Why do i have to pay import taxes then beats me ...!
My Hard Drive does not have that sticker, but the box does have a sticker that reads "Made In Canada"
I still have my noise. Tried all types of combinations and no luck.
With windows 10 and USB audio a lot has to be set up right. VCbasics, DotNet, power handling, CPU tuning, AND Graphics drivers tuning (turn hardware acceleration off if possible) are important too. You have all kinds of (digital) noises, spikes, stutters, pinknoise; not clear what's up on your system. If you have an external USB interface and other programs work OK, than it has to to with BIAB. try ASIO, MME or WAS, and buffersize tuning. with ASIO and my RME UFX i can get as low as 128 samples no sweat ....
New Question... I need to free up space on my Laptop's HD, I've decided to remove BB from the Laptop & run BIAB/RealBand2019 from the new USB Harddrive… Should I just Delete the C:\BB folder..?
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
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)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.