I'm in BiaB 2022 recently upgraded from 2020. As a quick demo, I've recorded into the Macbook Pro going direct from a USB mic. The MacBook already has all high end sound cards inside from ProTools -
I've recorded 4 short vocal lines of just 4 bars each, on to 4 Utility tracks. The harmonies played back great and in synch on the playback from the recording work.

I've saved the song, and going back to opening the SGU, now upon playback the short vocal tracks are lagging behind time as out of synch by the 3rd and 4th bar. I might presume latency due to some audio file settings ie file driver settings ASIO, WDM, MME, but BiaB for Mac doesn't even give the choice as its geared for the Mac Platform drivers. Also the USB mic as recorded first off played back just fine without latency.

Any ideas as to why the 4 audio track vocals recorded on 4 utility tracks would have played back in synch and time on the recording with playback as A-OK, but then after saving, the 4 audio track recordings are now lagging? Seems there must be a throw off somewhere? (er uh - Operator error... )

maybe better to be asked in the
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh forum(?)
Just a thought, in case it helps
https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=39&page=1

Otherwise I'd guess drivers, drivers & possibly drivers

Ok. Will post there.
Thanks.

USB microphones are fine for podcasting but can be notoriously - um - problematic for multitrack recording.

Question I have is if you have, as you say, "high end sound cards inside from ProTools," why aren't you using real microphones?

Hi Byron:

Your question doesn't really address the technical issue. Being an engineer, I'm looking at the tech as to why the glitch.
Your answer however is that I'm on the road between Bangkok, Amsterdam and Mexico City - and this is a porta-rig that goes in my carry on. As quick rig demos or backing tracks with a USB mic, quickies and sketchbook production should be doable to catch and lock the takes without something like the Focusrite or my main full studio rig or my main mics.
As mentioned in the post, the takes went fine to the utility tracks and played back fine as well when done on the first production.

What is the sample rate you are recording the USB mic signal at?

Be sure it is the same exact sample rate as the rest of the recording tracks.

If it's off... the USB different sample rate will drift out of sync.

You said it used to play back totally in sync..... have you accidentally dragged the track?

EDIT: one other thing.... is this in a MAC or windows machine? You said Mac but then talked about windows drivers.... I'm confused. I didn't think Mac used drivers from windows..... A windows computer can have serious problems if you are using 2 sound cards at the same time. This is often the issue with using a USB mic. It appears as a sound card, the computer also has a sound card or interface and they both have clocks that are not capable of being synced.... hence, as you play, the audio can drift from being synced since they are not synced to a common clock.

You need to compensate for Latency — and you haven't.

I don't know if ProTools can properly compensate for a USB mic plugged in directly to Core Audio—which will bypass PT's Mac drivers. With an interface, it is handling the signal coming from the DAW as well as the signal from the mic.

CPU load, buffer size, sample rate and processor speed all factor in.

In short. You need to know more about what you are doing.