Got a real problem here folks - Sonar X1 high pitched interference

OK folks, I've just run into my first real problem with Sonar X1.

I recently recorded the core bass, drums and guitar tracks for a 4 track EP. Drums sound great, guitar had some pedal noise but there you go, I can deal with that. What is completedly baking my noodle though is the bass tracks.

I did a big batch import of all the audio files...during comping I notice a very consistent high pitch noise on the bass, pulsing with the notes but not varying pitch. It seems to be across the frquency spectrum as low pass shelving is not getting rid of it. I thought it must me something I missed in the studio even though I took great care in my tone and am normally very fastidious about such things.

Well whaddya know I go back to the original files on my hard drive. No noise, clean bass. I import one file at a time into X1. Noise. I preview the files in the media browser. Same noise. I play same files from windows media player. No noise. I import at original bit depth, different bit depths into X1...same noise. Here's the kicker...I import the file sinto sonar 8.53, NO NOISE!

I haven't whinged about X1 before, but this this absolutely killing me. I have no choice but to revert to 8.53 for this EP, and I was really looking forward to using X1.

So far all I have done is imported and comped files onto my sonay vaio and onboard sound card.

I'm gonna try and import the same files into X1 using my motu 828 mk2 tomorrow but I'm not hopeful....in any case this problem shouldn't arise.

Any thoughts or suggestions?  I'm running X1a producer on windows 7.

Yes I have just done that. And there is no noise on the bass tracks! At least I can work...but until I figure this out, X1a is, I'm sorry to say, no go. Which is a huge shame. So it appears to be a playback issue. Does the x1 ausio engine have an issue with bass playback? I've emailed tech support. This is very weird.

I ran in to this one time. The tracks recorded fine, but when I went to mix everything there was this high pitched 1khz tone in the background.

I resolved it by increasing my ASIO buffers just for that project when mixing. I bumped them up from 128 to 1024. That's no good for recording, but should not matter at all when mixing/mastering.

Hope this helps.

Bub.

Edit: It only happened to me in one project. I don't know if it was a combo of plug-in's or what it was, but it only happened to me one time on one project and raising the ASIO buffers fixed it.

Hi guys thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, when I try to export the wav - it plays back fine! Only when playing within sonar does the issue arise and I currently am too tired to think of another way of capturing an example. I might try jing is this persist but now now! Sleeeeeep. Using the onboard card I am using MME drivers so I'm going to try asio and wdm tomorrow (about 5am here in Dublin and a good nights comping is complete). Increasing the buffers didn't help. There are no fx or plugins yet on this project. Gonna mix just volume and pan to get it 90% there then just subtle fx later on in the mix is the plan.

I'm having the exact same problem here. I only have this noise when I'm in SONAR X1. All other programs run noiseless. I am just wondering what, if any thing helped, did you do to eliminate the noise. VERY ANNOYING!!!

I'm using an ASIO driver with an outboard interface (USB Dual Tube Pre by ART). I only hear the noise running X1

@Reeks, greyzer - that sounds weird.

What is the simplest way to reproduce it, so we can try, too?

What does the tone sound like? Can you identify a specific frequency, or is it more broadband high hissing?

If only a single tone, can you tell whether it is a pure tone or can you tell whether it has harmonics (squarewave)

Is it a steady tone or does it vary in some way?

Yes, it is of course important to have the same settings, latency (buffer) etc. Still, I would expect crackling, dropouts, etc. But a high-pitched whine? Very strange...

I have two more questions:

Is the interference loud compared to the recorded sound? Can you see it if you zoom int?

and secondly, if you export the track on its own and then listen to it in, say, windows media player - do you still hear it?

Reeks


It's a steady high pitched whine. It's not a track that it does it on. I can open up blank project and still hear the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. It's not as loud as recorded material. It also came up when I go to the record panal in the control panal. Those are the only times I hear it. I don't know if it's some kind of weird feedback or what but it is ANNOYING. Oh yeah, Linear Phase,  I've done all the asio4all.com stuff about 5 times. No go. My next stop will be to go ART support for help.

You could have a bum interface.   I bought mine from sweetwater, didn't work, I sent it back, they sent me a replacement, I'm still not thrilled with it.  I can't record guitar without massive feedback, although..  I haven't even bothered checking Sonar yet..  my conclusions are based on Reaper, Ableton, Guitar Rig and Amplitube stand alone's, and finally Renoise...


So, just fyi, I am stuck with an ART too, I think they are ok, and certainly not, "great devices."   I most likely, will never purchase an ART anything again...


Certainly, I have to buy a new interface soon..  

This is common with onboard soundcards because they don't have the necessary shielding to prevent the RF interference. I suggest you use an outboard soundcard and the noise will go away. 

Except I'm using an external card in my BR800.
I don't think this sound was always there (during sound events). 
I now have better monitors (Rokit 6's) and perhaps they have made obvious the sound that was always there?
Your post does make me wonder if my on-board card does the same thing.

Update -Today, at this moment, my tone is not there unless I pull the volume fader right down.
The tone reminds me of the old radio beacon sounds of an ADF giving you the dot-dashes of the station when you get the frequency right. (Ex pilot)

zay2001
So the fix was to open control panel and I found a program called VIA HD Audio Deck.  In it I could control my pack panel and front inputs, so I took a hunch and clicked on expert mode and BAM.  Noise gone. 

 
Could this thread be another example of the dreaded HD Audio driver issue?
 
Also, FWIW last time I had a high-pitched whine in a laptop it's because the internal mic wasn't muted. Yes, I felt very stupid.