Playback hiccups! HELP!!

I need help! I am working on taking an audio file and then adding midi files that control an outside instrument (a water fountain that we make 'dance' to the music). Each aspect of the fountain is an instrument and I program notes into midi files that play the fountain's different aspects. My problem is that it seems when I add over a certain amount of notes, Music Creator 6 will start 'hiccuping' during playback. The audio continues to play, but all the other instruments stop and then start again and continue to play... going well after the audio has finished. This is sometimes rectified by removing middle notes that don't affect the performance but become programmed in when using my sound board. I am using KORG nanoKONTROL 2. Has anyone had this problem? I feel like I have tried everything and so I need help.

Yeah... that sounds like a really cool thing you're doing there..... 

Normally, this is a classic symptom of using a factory sound card for MC6. The factory cards can not handle the data load in real time. The addition of a USB based music interface (fancy name for an external sound card) which runs using ASIO drivers is the normal fix for this issue.

Anyone here who is doing this music hobby thing on a serious level, has one. It makes things work and play correctly and in time with no clicks, pops, stutters, or.... hiccups.

When you say upgrade the sound card.... you can not go to a computer store generally and buy an upgraded sound card and expect it to work..... 

What "WE" mean when we say an upgraded sound card is the kind of sound card (interface) that is sold in music stores which have Music Recording departments. 

M-Audio, Presonus, Focusrite are some of the many interface manufacturers who make decent USB interfaces that will work well.   The nice thing about the external interfaces is that once you install the drivers and set up the DAW software to recognize it and use it as the default sound card, you can swap it back and forth between a desk top and a lappy as often as you need. 

I use a Focusrite interface and it moves between my lappy (when I need it) to my custom build desktop DAW where it mostly stays these days. 

You can pick up a nice Audio/midi interface for between $100 to $300 depending on the features and the bells and whistles. The number of outputs, inputs, pre-amps on the audio inputs will determine the price. In the Cakewalk store, they have some interfaces as well that will work fine. 

http://www.cakewalk.com/P...aspx/Cakewalk-Hardware

look around since they are available in many budget ranges.