Unable to open audio playback device.

since you're using an EMU0404USB, then you probably are having conflicts with your onboard sound card. change to ASIO driver mode in SHS:

OPTIONS>AUDIO>ADVANCED>DRIVER MODE = ASIO
close and restart SHS

if that doesn't help, come back and we'll try to help more

Dodsie,

The first thing you should do is disable your onboard "soundcard" completely. It's quite possibly causing conflicts and you don't need it since you have the E-MU.

Secondly, is the M-Audio keystation plugged in via USB, or are you using the MIDI Out to the E-MU's MIDI In via MIDI cable? This is important because some driver configurations are "glitchy" in that they will only recognize some USB devices if they are plugged into the same USB port that was used during the installation of the device. This is a Windows "bug", not a SONAR "bug" but it's important to be aware of it.

It is also important that you have the E-MU and your M-Audio keyboard connected and powered on before opening SONAR.

- - - - - - - -

Now then, let's try to get you back on "track" (pun intended ).

With SONAR closed, delete the AUD.INI and TTSSEQ.INI files from your computer. They are normally found in the following location:

C:\Documents and Settings\"Your Windows Login Name"\Application Data\Cakewalk\Sonar XXX (your version).

The "Application Data" folder is, by default, invisible. To make it visible go to "Tools"->"Folder Options"->"View". Look for the folder "Hidden Files & Folders" and enable the "Show hidden files and folders" option.

Reboot your computer (not a necessity but I like starting with a "clean slate") and open SONAR. You will be informed that you haven't selected any MIDI Output devices. Click on "Choose MIDI Outputs Now". You should check the boxes for M-Audio and E-MU in both the Input and Output windows of the dialog box. The only other option should be "Microsoft GS WaveTable..." which you should NOT select.

Open a "New" blank project using the template of your choice. Click on "Options"->"MIDI Devices" and you should see both devices selected as your option. Now click on "Options"->"Audio"->"Drivers" and you should see only the E-MU Analog ASIO and S/PDIF options. Make sure you've selected the E-MU options as the Input and Output. Unless you have any S/PDIF devices connected to the E-MU there's no need to select that option.

Click on the "Advanced" tab and make sure the E-MU shows up in the "Device" window for "Record Latency Adjustment" box. Set the "Driver Mode" for ASIO.

Click on the "General" tab and make sure the E-MU is selected as the Playback & Record "Timing Master".

My advice would be to try this first without using ASIO4ALL. The ASIO drivers included with the E-MU should work fine with SONAR.

Hope this helps!

ORIGINAL: Beagle

My advice would be to try this first without using ASIO4ALL. The ASIO drivers included with the E-MU should work fine with SONAR.

I second that! uninstall ASIO4ALL from your computer and use ASIO native drivers from your EMU0404.

Yeah...That's what I meant (uninstall) to say!

ORIGINAL: Dodsie

Wow. That's what I call accurate and detailed instuction. I did everything you guys said and it looks like I'm back in business. Thank you so much. This is a great forum and how anyone could get past square one without it is beyond me.

On to the tutorials!

TA-DAAAA! Congrats, Dodsie...Now then, get started having fun! The hardest part is over!!

I hope I didn't mislead anyone when I said "the hard part is over"...

Dear All,
              i have a problem with my sonar. actually m musician a guitarist. so m really new on this software just install dis software but facing a problem with its sound. i cant hear any sound in it. so plz help me plz. 
here`s my system configuration 
2.66 ghz , 
1 g ram 
intel 825 ,
Realtek ac 97 audio soundcard ,
please help me . m waiting.

Dear op system is windows xp, 32 bit . n sonar editoin is 8.0 producer edition
in PLAYBACK it was mentioned REALTEK AC 97. but now its none.
same in recording master its none. 
driver mode is ASIO. 

please help me bro
thnx 

bro. it was working ok. but now m facing the same problem. i recieved a meseg some kind of " engine stop working " i clicked on ok. but now its not giving me a sound . however i do the same thing which u told me. so what shud i do now :( ???

When the audio engine stops, that's usually a case of the Latency being too fast or a less-than-optimum Buffers setting.
Go to Options>Audio and reduce the Latency and or change the Buffers. What are they set at now? Your RAM is a little light, too. More is better and I don't remember the minimum required for SONAR 8, but I'll bet it's more than 1 GB.
There are also sections in the Help files about optimizing your PC and troubleshooting.
Most folks get better performance with audio interfaces designed for recording; the stock sound cards often aren't good enough and stumble with lots of sound going both ways (recording and playback) simultaneously.
You should stop all other programs while recording, too. Turn off or disable your modem, get off the internet and disable any virus scanners. Turn off Microsoft System Sounds.
Turn off the screen saver and wallpaper.
Disable any power-management schemes that may be running (Hibernate or Sleep).
Turn off automatic virus scanning and automatic disk defragmentation.

well bro here is the detail

plaback timing master : realtek ac 97 audio
recording time master   reltek ac 97 audio
audio driver bit depth 16
stereo planning law 0db 
dim solo gain -12db 
sampling rate 44100
buffers in playback queue 4
buffer size 50.0 msec
effective latency at 44k.hz/stereo 150.msec

Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to use SONAR. I barely graduated high school, never went to college and was fairly new to computers when I got started in computer recording in 2002, so it can't be too difficult if I can do it.
Start from the beginning.
What are you recording; Audio? MIDI?
What equipment are you using to get the sound into SONAR; Plug in microphone? USB microphone? Line in from an amplifier or mixer? Plugging a guitar straight into the sound card? Plugging a guitar into a guitar-to-USB converter?
Is any audio recording but you can't hear it, or is nothing recorded at all?
If MIDI, what synthesizer are you using to hear the MIDI? That could be a synth in a MIDI keyboard or MIDI sound module, the synth in your sound card (Microsoft GS Wavetable synthesizer), or a software synthesizer included with SONAR?
What is set as the output of your audio tracks?
What are the settings for the RealTek? Is anything muted or with the volume down too far? What's the input level set to?