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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 49
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OP
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 49 |
Zacworld, some really good comments here. I remember when I was first getting into all of this.
The 2 biggest things I did, after upgrading my computer and memory, were to setup my AV so it didn't scan my BIAB and RB folders and got a wired rather than wireless mouse. Those helped but didn't completely get me to where I wanted to be.
I started playing around with 2 latency monitors (DPC Latency Checker and LatencyMon...both available free...just Google). Note LatencyMon will not give exact accurate readings on Win10 but will show relative areas of concern.
What these two showed me was that leaving BlueTooth on was causing a problem for my system i.e. it was constantly scanning for available devices. Shutting this off using the Win10 Control Panel helped a bunch.
YMMV
Jeff Hi Jeff, thanks, I might check out those latency checkers. What I've been doing is running BIAB while looking at task manager to see the CPU and RAM usage. Thanks to all the great suggestions here & some tweaks I found by Google searches the problem is not nearly as bad as it was. One thing that messed me up a couple days ago was, after removing many things which were unnecessary, Windows detected them being gone & forced an update on me. After doing the update I was back to square one, the update added a ton of background processes I didn't need, so I had to go through it all over again. I found a way to delay Windows updating for 35 days, but I hope to find a way to eliminate it completely. Another user suggested the AV scanning idea you mentioned, so I did that too. This is an old laptop (no bluetooth on it) so I really want to keep it the way it is without Windows constantly trying to update it. Thanks, Zac
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 49
Enthusiast
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OP
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 49 |
Zac, I haven’t seen it mentioned here, but have you “frozen” the tracks?
That usually greatly speeds up the loading time.
Also, if you are looking to replace your computer check out the recent
posts by Notes Norton on his recent purchase. Hi, thanks for the suggestion. I tried freezing the tracks. Strangely though, doing so actually increased the loading time bit. Very odd...
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 49
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 49 |
At the moment the CPU is varying between about 62-70% during playback, memory is 61%. All of the suggestions & tweaks seem to be paying off though, I'm hearing no distortion (unless I start moving the mouse around, which makes it distort immediately). If the CPU is running 70%, consider it as being "maxed-out" for the purpose of anything requiring real-time processing. Clearly, there's not enough spare capacity to move the mouse  I really think that replacing that laptop with a more powerful unit is going to be the direction you will ultimately need to take. I feel you also agree. Yep! Ordered a better system!
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Oct 2019
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Is it just one style or anything you play back? Could be many things, your computer vol is up too high, sound card issues. I would start with the cheapest things like cables.
Military musician for 20 years playing sax, oboe, and clarinet. Used to gig 6 nights a week traded that in for a day job and gigging on the weekend. I like composing WWQ music. My equipment: i7 16gb laptop. I use BIAB, Reaper, Pro Tools, and Sibelius.
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 49
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OP
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 49 |
Thanks, I think the primary cause is a slow processor (1.4) that just can't handle any uptempo styles that use 4 or more realtracks. I've done a ton of tweaking on it the last 4 or 5 days and it's helped, but didn't fix the problem completely. Now waiting on my new bigger laptop to arrive.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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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.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
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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
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- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
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