Dropouts adjusting Pro Channel EQ as well as other random dropouts (Engine Stops)

Hello all. Just got my Sonar X1 Production Suite earlier this week and am working through the tutorials. I am currently at the "Mixing > Add Effects" stage of the tuts. When I try to adjust settings in Pro Channel (particularly the graphic EQ) the playback stops and I get a message stating the engine has stopped. If I adjust the settings VEEERY slowly it seems to sometimes avoid this. I have tried some of the other EQ's and I don't seem to have the same problem. I have also had other seemingly random instances of the engine stopping. Just tonight I had one on start up but after reopening the program multiple times afterward everything was fine (until I started playing with ProChannel). The other night it was doing these dropout/engine stops when I undocked Session Drummer and tried to move it around the screen (strange). All the other dropouts appeared at random, as in I was even really doing anything specific or performing any functions. I am running an Intel i7 with 16GB of DDR3 RAM and 7200 RPM drives at 6mbs so the system shouldn't be the problem (I hope). This is a fresh out of the box version of X1 (Build 425) and I installed it exactly as stated in the manual using all default locations. I'm assuming this is one of the first versions of X1. I see there is a new update (X1 D). My question is if I install this X1 D version will it possibly solve my problem? Is there a possibility this new version may break something and if so can I still download the X1 C version? Thanks for any responses and sorry for my n00bishness. I am quite fond of this DAW even after a short period of time. Just want to make sure I'm up to date and doing things right. Also my apologies for the block of text. I guess FireFox and this forum style don't get along so I can't format my text into paragraphs. Cheers!!!

I am using an Echo Layla 3G and set the drivers or whatever to ASIO just so you know (sorry I forget the full procedure and setting names at the moment but I followed a specific Cakewalk tutorial to do all that stuff). Thanks.

Thanks. I saw a couple of references to adjusting the buffer rate (which I still need to learn more about) and that it can cause latency issues. I am, for now, just plugging directly into the Echo box for analog input and straight into the USB 2.0 ports of my system for my MIDI controller (Korg padKontrol) so hopefully that supersedes some latency issues. Eventually I will be hooking up my old Yamaha DX 7 through the MIDI i/o on the Layla for a keyboard controller though so hopefully that doesn't screw things up. I should also say I am running Win 7 Pro 64, all Echo and pK drivers are up to date. Thank you for your ear and advice but could you let me know whether I should install this X1 d update? I'm kind of done with the tuts for tonight and figure if I'm gonna update I might as well do it now. Any issues I should be aware of with this update? I am a little curious about what version I got in the box as well. At this point I'm assuming it's the initial product release which from what I've read was rather buggy. Again, my apologies on all the questions. I am in Canada and haven't figured out exactly where to get Cakewalk support for my country yet (gonna call the music shop tomorrow when they are open to find out). Absolutely stunning software though. I am extremely happy so far. Cheers!

And come to think of it I did build this system to more than compensate for the system requirements of X1 (swatting a fly with a Buick was what I was going for). Should I not be able to crank this software to it's full potential without worrying about latency or is this an issue that is persistent no matter what you are running PC wise?

I would go ahead and update it. I have X1 Producer Expanded at the D patch and have no problems.

One thing to keep in mind is CW wouldn't put out a patch if it wasn't useful. Its a lot of work for them so we can have things fixed and added features.

Don't underestimate USB 2. It is very capable for audio streaming multi ins and outs.

Noted. My next i/o will likely be 2.0 anyway as I wouldn't want to buy any fresh on the market 3.0 tech even if it was available. I like to let things settle into themselves for at least a few years before investing any significant coinage. I am however curious about the possibility of SATA based stuff as well. Not sure if anything like that exists yet either. My brain is too overloaded right now to research that kind of thing anyway. Thanks again.

Seems I'm having some formatting issues again with the forum. That last post was for John. @chuckebabay... I am indeed listening to his advice and will sort it out tomorrow. For now I'm scratching my head at the ridiculous update instructions for X1 d. What the hell is this crap? It seems I have to do some kind of registry surgery or something to make it work. Ugh. Maybe I'd better wait until I can get a Cakewalk rep on the phone before doing this.

Beepster


Seems I'm having some formatting issues again with the forum. That last post was for John. @chuckebabay... I am indeed listening to his advice and will sort it out tomorrow. For now I'm scratching my head at the ridiculous update instructions for X1 d. What the hell is this crap? It seems I have to do some kind of registry surgery or something to make it work. Ugh. Maybe I'd better wait until I can get a Cakewalk rep on the phone before doing this.

Its not as bad as it appears but if you feel even slightly uncomfortable doing the update now and want a CW rep to help, I sure wont stop you. Prudence is the better part of valor. As a matter of fact I think its a smart thing to do. Let me know how things turn out for you. And most important is have fun.

With your attitude and sense of humor you will be very appreciated here. I do already.

Please forgive me in not welcoming you to this forum. its nice to have you on-board.

So please consider you have been welcomed.

Aww... thanks, man. You're good peeps. I certainly will do my best to share what I learn and not be too much of a pest. Cheers!

@John... Well I appreciate the warm welcome. I personally believe in the free exchange of knowledge and although at one point years ago I was somewhat of a luddite I have found the internet to be an extremely useful tool in my quest to learn and hopefully one day teach. I know this particular forum shows up in google searches so even since this conversation began I did a bit of research on latency/buffer issues (due to your advice) and found a nice sound on sound article about it for those looking for answers such as myself. http://www.soundonsound.c...rticles/pcmusician.htm I haven't read the whole thing yet but I've gotten tons of useful info from that site in the past while building my system and researching the gear/software I wanted. Hopefully the formatting doesn't screw it up but I'll post it again if it does.

I don't want to keep you on here even though it is a pleasure. I just want to let you know that SOS is the best audio and DAW magazine around. Also doing research is a fundamental thing that often users here do not do and it shows. In your case it shows that you do do the research.

Now, as to formatting on this forum. I have found with the help of this forum that Firefox 5.01 works the best here. Any newer and formatting goes out the window.
This also applies to IE. It looses formatting too. 
Crome may also work but I haven't tried it.     

It seems that this forum software is behind the times or browsers are simply awful. Either way we are stuck with out of date browsers to work here.

and I like good music too. especially live stuff... Albert King live. http://www.youtube.com/wa...7lI700&feature=related

Ha! It won't even let me download those tuts. Oi vey! Definitely bedtime.