Audio Dropouts (The engine has been stopped unexpectedly)

I open Sonar Platinum, open a project, walk away, come back and there's the audio dropout toaster message waiting for me. I've tried the solutions offered by help, with no effect. The audio drop seems to happen after about a minute of playing the project or doing nothing at all.
Please, help. Thank you.
 
----------Specs--------------------------------------------
Sonar Platinum Version 23.30 Build 51 [2017.03] -x64
Sound Card: Roland Quad-Capture Driver Version 1.5.2.0 Asio 96000 Sample Rate
OS Name Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
Version 10.0.15063 Build 15063
CPU: Intel Core i7 7700K 4.2Ghz 8MB
MB: Asus Prime Z270-A ATX
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti SC2
Hard Drives: Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500GB, 120GB
 

I see in your specs that your ASIO drivers are set to 96000 sample rate. 
Do you always leave it at that rate?

Zargg
Hi. Do you have anything else running in the background?
Does it happen to all, or only one project?
Any particular fx / synths in common, if on several projects?
Did it happen recently? Perhaps afer the latest Win 10 update?
All the best.

I did have a problem with the software for my KB and mouse, "Razer Synapse". It was a confirmed problem, even when running Kontakt player standalone, it would disable my Asio drivers and force me to use another, MME? I don't remember.
I just found today that even though I uninstalled "Razer Synapse", it left a program on my computer called GameScannerService.exe that was still running in the background. I had to use "Wise Program Uninstaller" to get rid of it, then clean my registry because it wasn't showing up in "Add/Remove Programs".
 
Previously, GameScannerService.exe would restart itself even after I'd end its process in the Task Manager. 
     
After getting rid of GameScannerService.exe I was looping my project for at least 5 minutes, until I decided to respond to this thread, then I got another Audio Dropout message. So maybe Google Chrome is a problem?
 
I've only lately been using Sonar Platinum a lot with the latest windows. So not too many projects, but ya, audio dropouts in all of them.

slyman
I see in your specs that your ASIO drivers are set to 96000 sample rate. 
Do you always leave it at that rate?

Some of my VST's demand it.

Anderton
Are your USB ports in power-saving mode?

No. I checked that.

Thanks, guys.

dcumpian
I'd suggest running latencymon and seeing if there isn't an obvious culprit before going down a rabbit hole.
 
Regards,
Dan

 
Doesn't seem to find any problems. Can't really uninstall directx. The only thing I ever run at the same time as Sonar Platinum is Google Chrome. I'll have to play around in Sonar for a few hours tonight and try notice some more coincidences. 
 

CONCLUSION
________________________________________________________________________________
Your system appears to be suitable for handling real-time audio and other tasks
without dropouts. LatencyMon has been analyzing your system for 0:15:19 (h:mm:ss)
on all processors.
________________________________________________________________________________
SYSTEM INFORMATION
________________________________________________________________________________
Computer name:
OS version: Windows 10 , 10.0, build: 15063 (x64)
Hardware: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC., PRIME Z270-A
CPU: GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700K CPU @ 4.20GHz
Logical processors: 8
Processor groups: 1
RAM: 16314 MB total
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Reported CPU speed: 420 MHz
Measured CPU speed: 1 MHz (approx.)
Note: reported execution times may be calculated based on a fixed reported CPU speed.
Disable variable speed settings like Intel Speed Step and AMD Cool N Quiet in the BIOS
setup for more accurate results.
WARNING: the CPU speed that was measured is only a fraction of the CPU speed reported.
Your CPUs may be throttled back due to variable speed settings and thermal issues.
It is suggested that you run a utility which reports your actual CPU frequency
and temperature.
 
________________________________________________________________________________
MEASURED INTERRUPT TO USER PROCESS LATENCIES
________________________________________________________________________________
The interrupt to process latency reflects the measured interval that a usermode process
needed to respond to a hardware request from the moment the interrupt service routine
started execution. This includes the scheduling and execution of a DPC routine, the signaling
of an event and the waking up of a usermode thread from an idle wait state in response to
that event.
Highest measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 157.501010
Average measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 1.774203
Highest measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 155.794343
Average measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 0.666561
________________________________________________________________________________
REPORTED ISRs
________________________________________________________________________________
Interrupt service routines are routines installed by the OS and device drivers that execute
in response to a hardware interrupt signal.
Highest ISR routine execution time (µs): 72.048095
Driver with highest ISR routine execution time: dxgkrnl.sys - DirectX Graphics Kernel,
Microsoft Corporation

 

Cactus Music
Try disabling your internet. I find this was the issue on one of my computers. Then I have another where it doesn't matter at all. Every machine and audio driver seems different. I do seem to remember people having drop out issues with Roland Quads, been a few threads you might try to find them using Google. try searching Roland Quad capture Sonar. 

Yes, this is exactly what I've been thinking. I will try disabling my internet later. My Roland Quad Capture is highly suspect as well. The drivers haven't been updated since 2015. I wonder if that's a thing people do if a company has abandoned their product, maybe one should switch to a more dedicated brand? Especially, since my computer's hardware, and OS so different from then.
 
Thanks for your input. 

I think that's just how latencymon tests the CPU to get consistency. Nothing to do with the actual 4.20GHz.
I don't think my PC would even turn on if that was the case. :D

The only problem I have with that statement, is that my computer is an absolute beast, and I shouldn't be experiencing these problems at all, as far CPU power is concerned. However, I did order a new external sound card, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd gen), which will reduce latency by 5 times, so they claim. Not only that, Focusrite regularly updates their drivers. It looks like my Roland Quad Capture has been totally abandoned. Roland doesn't own Cakewalk anymore, so maybe Gibson guitars is going to release something soon, if they haven't already. 

RME is too expensive.

You don't need a very expensive sound card to produce great music at broadcast quality. Also, this issue may not be soundcard related at all. All hardware manufacturers release new products, phase out old products and then stop supporting them completely. I've always used Focusrite over the years. They make some good gear. I have a Pro 40 which is pretty ancient now but still available new. There hasn't been a driver update for it for a while and that's probably because it works fine. I recently got an M-Audio Projectmix I/O for an absolute bargain on Ebay. No driver update for that since 2012 but works fine with Splat on windows 10 and gives me heaps of functionality with 8 decent mic pres. It also works as a makie controller in Premiere and After Effects too. It cost less than a new bottom of the range, single mic pre. Focusrite.
 
The moral of the story? Well, quite a few problems (especially crashes) are sound card related. But not all by any means. Some old, obsolete gear can be better than some new, up to date gear. You don't have to spend a fortune on gear to get the best results in the same way that you don't have to spend a fortune on hiring a top producer, engineer, and the best session musicians to crowd out your home studio and work on your track for you.

I bought Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd gen) specifically because I only ever record my guitars DI (apartment life), and out of the sound cards in the price range of 300 dollars, that one has the lowest latency. Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd gen) has 2ms roundtrip latency, whereas my Roland Quad Capture has 18ms, and cost twice as much. Half the price for a 10th of the latency, hopefully. Still waiting for them to send it. 
 
On topic: I completely disabled my internet, restarted my computer, opened up a project in Sonar Platinum, set it to loop, drove to Tim Hortons, ran through the grocery store, came back 25 minutes later and my audio had dropped out.
With my computer specs, playing projects only ever takes up 20% of my CPU usage, at most, so I don't understand how it could be a CPU interruption or something of that nature. I'm not lacking processing power. So, in my mind, it must be a driver.

I'm only going by what was said on Focusrite's website, and a few product reviews on youtube, people love it. However, I will report back here once the sound card is delivered with a screen shot bragging if the 2ms thing is true, but you're probably right.

The Focusrite Solo is not as good for low latency as the Scarlett 2i2 (2nd gen), so it says on their website. I'm glad to hear you're not having any problems.

So the solution to my problem was getting a new sound card, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd gen) is what I chose. The Roland Quad Capture was the problem and was the cause of the audio dropouts, which is too bad because it is a well built product. The outdated drivers make the card worthless with my current computer. 
 
The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 has approximately half the latency of the Roland Quad Capture, and cost approximately half as much.
11.9 msec round trip, 2.7 msec. @ 96k Hz.