|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58 |
I have had this issue for a long time and a week of dedicating myself to solving the problem has not worked.
The issue: all BIAB playback has pops and clicks and artifacts. This happens regardless of which: audio drivers are used (ASIO, WAS or MME), what bit rate, sample rate, buffer size is selected. This happens regardless of track type (RT or MIDI), regardless of style, regardless of plug-ins used, and regardless of BIAB year (I've tried 2023 and 2024) or build (including 1109). I can confirm this issue is not present in any other audio application I have on my system. including Real Band. I can open a BIAB file in RealBand and everything plays perfectly with no noise.
Yes, I've returned to factory settings many times. No joy. Bought and returned a new audio interface thinking it might be my hardware. No joy there either.
I can confirm this issue is limited to playback from within Band In A Box. Tracks generated in BIAB are clean and there's no noise. Yes I can move tracks elsewhere and they are clean. However If I use BIAB to play anything, that anything plays back with clicks and pops.
One more data point: I was listening watching a speech on YouTube this morning and opened BIAB at the same time. Immediately I heard the same kind of noise now affecting the YouTube audio. When I closed BIAB the audio signal that was playing in my browser returned to a clean sound. Further testing with other apps confirms the following: Whenever BIAB is open on my desktop, ALL audio playback contains these pops and clicks. When BIAB is closed, there are no playback issues whatsoever.
Motherboard/Internal Sound Card Audio is turned off in my system BIOS, so the motherboard soundcard is not in play here.
In summary, I can't play BIAB with clean playback, and can't have BIAB open when using any other audio producing app.
Help! Why is this happening with BIAB but not with Real Band?
Bruce Hook - Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxes
BIAB 2023 UltraPak | Intel i7 | Mackie ProFX10v3 Audio Interface | 1TB SSD | Reaper DAW
| Akai EWI 5000 | M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110 |
"Motherboard/Internal Sound Card Audio is turned off in my system BIOS, so the motherboard soundcard is not in play here."
Does it do the same when the internal sound card enabled and in use ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58 |
Well...
when turned it on in the bios, and the Realtek drivers are installed for the internal audio, there's no noise when BIAB is set to use that output instead of my audio interface. Hooray I thought. I appeared to have a solution. However... the mini-jack in the back of the mb has only one channel working and the front header mini-jack works but emits a very low volume (but still audible) beep about once every second, when the signal is dormant. Can't make the beep go away, so I uninstalled the Realtek drivers and shut the mb audio off in the BIOS. This said, there may be some problem with the connectors and the onboard audio in general which is preventing me from using that as a workaround.
Again, that wouldn't explain why BIAB won't play cleanly - and Realband will - through all three external audio interfaces I've tried, would it? I'm assuming that while they're companion products (BIAB and RealBand), how they each talk to drivers may be quite different.
Bruce Hook - Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxes
BIAB 2023 UltraPak | Intel i7 | Mackie ProFX10v3 Audio Interface | 1TB SSD | Reaper DAW
| Akai EWI 5000 | M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,904
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,904 |
The issue: all BIAB playback has pops and clicks and artifacts. That is code for a mismatched sampling rate ( e.g., 48, 44.1 etc.). Look closer!
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58 |
That is code for a mismatched sampling rate ( e.g., 48, 44.1 etc.). Look closer! Thanks Dan. Yes that is what it sounds like, a mismatched sampling rate. Hours spent... I've tried them all (a closer look at my original post please), matched to what the interface is set at, and also intentionally different to test behavior. Does it get worse when I intentionally set a mismatched sampling rate? Not to my ears, it stays the same, as if my change didn't have an affect. Also tried two additional external interfaces with their respective drivers and nothing made a difference. If Biab is open on my desktop (it doesn't have to be the active window), the same "sounds like a sampling rate" thing is heard in any other audio currently playing. For example: I'm listening to spotify or playing an mp3 using Windows Media Player and as soon as I open BIAB I hear the clicks and pops and artifacts. Exit BIAB and the and signal is clean again. Is there something I should know or check when it comes to exclusivity of input and output drivers as set in windows sound control panel?
Bruce Hook - Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxes
BIAB 2023 UltraPak | Intel i7 | Mackie ProFX10v3 Audio Interface | 1TB SSD | Reaper DAW
| Akai EWI 5000 | M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110 |
Check what midi and audio input is set to that you are not getting some feedback, but I suppose if you did a factory reset many times.
What default midi output is.
And, you said the onboard sound worked but the front had noise ? the front goes from the motherboard through un shielded wires but if the back port sound was good but one channel.
With RealTek can't you set the port you plug in to what output you want ? speaker/line
Last edited by musocity; 02/25/24 03:55 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513 |
A couple of comments after reading "Why is this happening with BIAB and not RealBand"? and "Exit BIAB and the signal is clean again."
It appears you've tried different audio interfaces and drivers, but I didn't see a mention of buffers. For recording, I set that low, but for playback with no problems, I often raise it. This certainly applies to ASIO drivers; I'm not sure about WAS since that doesn't work on my system. And I agree you should stay away from the internal RealTek soundcard for any serious work.
I have occasionally read comments here that say, "My DAW works fine, so why doesn't BIAB"? BIAB can load and run on a modest machine, but even though I haven't read any statement from the company saying this, I think the most recent version does seem to demand a lot more in computer resources if you have many tracks regenerating. This is something DAWs do not do. On a computer without many cores in the CPU to share the load as they now do, I could anticipate a problem.
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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58 |
Thanks Matt, Dan, and Musocity. The feedback and suggestions you've made were tried before posting, but I still appreciate your replies. Matt, I tried every buffer setting my interface would allow. No joy. I have 8 cores and 32GB of ram, SSD disk. It's a mean and fast machine.
There's some good news:
The BIOS has three options for HD audio: Disabled, Enabled, and Auto. I set it to "Auto" and booted into Windows. I did not install the Realtek audio drivers this time. After telling BIAB to use the "Headphones" (front jack) and not the "Speakers" (back panel) which appeared in my sound control panel and plugging a headphone cable into the front panel connector, problem solved! BIAB playback is clean. ASIO, WAS, MME = clean. 41k or 44K = clean. Time to set this thread to resolved.
Going forward it seems there are two lessons learned: 1) still don't understand why BIAB expects the internal audio hardware to be present and corrupts the playback if it's not there. Has PG Music ever tried to recreate this issue? Does BIAB play cleanly on other PCs that have motherboard audio disabled? 2) Don't install the Realtek drivers that came with the MB, BIAB won't play cleanly if they're installed. Windows 11 uses it's own drivers and the Realtek drivers aren't needed.
Last edited by SaxaBruce; 02/25/24 10:10 PM. Reason: added more detail
Bruce Hook - Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxes
BIAB 2023 UltraPak | Intel i7 | Mackie ProFX10v3 Audio Interface | 1TB SSD | Reaper DAW
| Akai EWI 5000 | M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513 |
Good news you solved it. I’m fascinated by what you say about the RealTek driver needing to be present for BIAB. That makes no sense to me and I hope you can get an explanation.
About HD drivers in general, I always Disable them rather than Remove them. Otherwise Windows puts them back every time it updates! Very annoying. For others reading, I’m referring to drivers for devices we who have good audio interfaces never want to use, such as the internal sound chip or especially things like monitors (screens) that have their own sound. I learned from Noel Borthwick at Cakewalk SONAR that the existence of such drivers actually limited how many tracks SONAR could have. I would bet that most people here who have a monitor with its own speakers have an active HD driver visible in Device Manager.
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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,567
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,567 |
...................... 1) still don't understand why BIAB expects the internal audio hardware to be present and corrupts the playback if it's not there. Has PG Music ever tried to recreate this issue? Does BIAB play cleanly on other PCs that have motherboard audio disabled? ......................... FWIW - BiaB plays cleanly with my motherboard RealTek drivers disabled.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,567
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,567 |
............... I would bet that most people here who have a monitor with its own speakers have an active HD driver visible in Device Manager. The same is true with many Nvidia graphic cards. Every time my Nvidia card drivers update I have to disable the Nvidia audio drivers, otherwise I can not hear the BiaB style demos. BiaB plays fine, I just can't hear the demos when those drivers are active.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513 |
That’s even one more good reason, Mario, although I hadn’t heard that one before. I wonder if that’s unique to your system? Probably pretty widespread as Nvidia cards are ubiquitous.
There are so many vendors and driver choices that it’s hard to know anything for certain, just that this is an area to explore when having problems.
ps For quite a few years I have been using only the Intel chips with their own video, and I don’t have a separate (often noisy) graphics card. BIAB certainly doesn’t need a good graphics card, and neither do the DAW or other digital audio editing programs I use.
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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,567
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,567 |
That’s even one more good reason, Mario, although I hadn’t heard that one before. I wonder if that’s unique to your system? Probably pretty widespread as Nvidia cards are ubiquitous.
There are so many vendors and driver choices that it’s hard to know anything for certain, just that this is an area to explore when having problems.
ps For quite a few years I have been using only the Intel chips with their own video, and I don’t have a separate (often noisy) graphics card. BIAB certainly doesn’t need a good graphics card, and neither do the DAW or other digital audio editing programs I use. It may be unique to my music computer. I have BiaB on two computers, one for the Internet and my off-line music and photography computer. My Internet computer has both RealTek and Nvidia audio, however the Nvidia is a much less expensive card than on my music computer. BiaB works perfectly on it with both audio drivers active. My music computer has RealTek, Nvidia, and Win 10 Roland Octa-Capture, my audio interface, drivers. On it I have to deactivate the RealTek and Nvidia audio drivers for BiaB style demos to work. Note I need a better graphic card for my photographic work, one that is also quiet. You are correct in that music programs usually don't need super graphic card unless, maybe, they are also adding video: don't know that for sure.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513 |
Good point about the video that one may need to work with alongside audio.
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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58 |
Thank you Mario and Matt. Great points. I do indeed have a monitor with speakers and a high end AMD graphics card with audio. I've had those drivers disabled from the get go. A search through online reviews of my specific motherboard model this morning found several saying the internal audio has problems of various types. That, along with Mario's confirming he has no problems with using whatever he has (save for the playback of style demos) was enough for me to conclude this is not a BiaB problem, rather it's my motherboard.
Bruce Hook - Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxes
BIAB 2023 UltraPak | Intel i7 | Mackie ProFX10v3 Audio Interface | 1TB SSD | Reaper DAW
| Akai EWI 5000 | M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513 |
Unfortunately for you, that makes perfect sense.
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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58 |
A couple hours of work and a new motherboard is now installed and working well. No issues, BiaB sounds great through either the onboard sound or the external audio interface.
It's time to make some music!!
Bruce Hook - Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxes
BIAB 2023 UltraPak | Intel i7 | Mackie ProFX10v3 Audio Interface | 1TB SSD | Reaper DAW
| Akai EWI 5000 | M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,513 |
Cool. Congratulations on figuring it out.
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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 58 |
Thank you! Could not have figured it out without y'all.
Bruce Hook - Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxes
BIAB 2023 UltraPak | Intel i7 | Mackie ProFX10v3 Audio Interface | 1TB SSD | Reaper DAW
| Akai EWI 5000 | M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,085
Posts799,949
Members40,030
| |
Most Online44,367
Mar 4th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean