Hello bSharpCyclist,
Sound issues in Pianoteq tend to be related to CPU/system performance.
For live playing, using your internal sound card, it’s best to use Pianoteq in exclusive mode either native Windows or via an audio wrapper like ASIO4ALL.
Please check Sound Card options in Windows Control Panel (Win key + x), check Pianoteq Options and the current configuration in ASIO4ALL’s control panel.; see what changes when you switch from Windows to ASIO; confirm that the Sample Rate does not exceeds 48kHZ and try different polyphony settings.
If you want to record your sessions as sound files or your needs are more demanding in terms of sound quality, then yes, it is best to buy an external audio interface (the component/circuitry are usually much better than the chips from your motherboard). Just be sure that it has good ASIO drivers (check the brand support/user forums for complains). Also, the majority of audio interfaces that have midi ports have "zero latency" midi control which will improve/minimize the overall latency.
Last edited by mfiadeiro (02-05-2017 13:01)