I'm about to tear out my hair ... hard to know where to begin. Let me start with the fact that I'm no newcomer to DAWs, Midi or ASIO. I'm also using prosumer grade gear with RME Multiface II on my Desktop and Echo Indigo on my laptop. All my other gear and software is working fine and compatibly. Both PCs run XPsvc2 and one is dual dual Xeon server and other Duo2. Point being that the gear well exceeds any specs required for BIAB.

Installed 2010 on my desktop and on my laptop. The first thing I noted when it fired up the first time was that it said that the Windows Microsoft GS Synth was not available. Despite that message it played back through that device. For the moment I let it go, deciding to wait till I had more time to use a VSTi softsynth, specifically Hypersonic2.

I then installed the next day, today, on my laptop. Same thing on the message that it couldn't access the Microsoft GS because it was probably "in use" by another program ... even though no other audio program or web browsers were open ... but it worked. So I decided to install the VSTi, Hypersonic2. When I went to the list, after following the instructions in the NI Bandstand tutorial on this website, it had the VSC dxi selected, but when I went down to the drop down list it showed Hypersonic2. But when I selected it I got the "cannot connect with" message box. I then went to the "select vsti" box and went into the selection menu and again selected Hypersonic2. This time it asked me to provide the path for the content, which I did. It accepted the choice, I closed the options windows and hit play and I got "ASIO buffer error."

First questions:

!. Is BIAB 'fiddly' with most VSTis? Does this issue have to do with whether the softsynth is set to GM mode or not? What's the deal?
2. I've searched for info on "asio buffer error" here and found nothing. I know what it means, but I don't see any instructions about how to set or adjust it on the audio options page ... I just see the little blurb about dxi doing it automatically and then those numbers below. I do have the basic buffer size for the manufacturers driver set at a reasonble 512 samples.

So, I deselect the the dxi options and go back to using the midi ... and guess what, now it doesn't work, I just keep getting the little yellow box in the top right of the main window saying something about restarting the song. Do that and the message comes back.

Thinking it might be just something weird and funky with the laptop, I go to my desktop. Initially it's working with the identical settings that won't work on the laptop. I go to try out the VSC dxi. Initially it's working ... although there is obviously some buffer underrun causing a choppy sound, even though this device was set at 1028 samples. I try to load a VSTi, Hypersonic2. It doesn't work. I go back to the VSC, and now that doesn't work. I constantly get the 'ASIO buffer error' message ... without any direction about how to resolve or trouble shoot it. So I step all the way back to the Microsoft GS ... and, as you've probably already guessed, now it won't work and the friendly little yellow box ir running in the top right corner telling me to restart the song.

Can I really just be that unlucky? Can anyone give me a clue as to how to resolve the Microsoft GS "is unavailble" when nothing else is open; how to trouble shoot the "ASIO buffer error; or, if any other multitimbral GM VSTi will actually work with BIAB and why the VSC dxi no longer works?

Either a little help or where to find a blindfold and a firing squad would be greatly appreciated.

Prado

PS What a pathetic, "Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself" message! Sorry folks.