drop outs when recording live tracks

Try rasing your ASIO buffers to 1536 or 2024. Have you tried adjusting the Audio INI file for the drop out setting? Try rasing that setting.
Also, try rasing your Recording I/O buffer to 256 or 512 or 1024. Also try WDM driver mode.

These are some of the things you can try

CJ

@DigitalBoston

Can you please tell me a bit more about your configuration?

What is the ASIO sample rate set to for the interface?

What is it set to in Sonar?

That is quite a high buffer setting - too high can also cause problems.

More questions

What is the bit-depth set to in Sonar for recording?

What audio effects do you have loaded up in your tracks?  Some effects, like Perfect Space - are not readily usable in real-time.

My suggestion would be to try the following configuration - just to see if you can get a stable drop-free place to start:

1.  Set the ASIO sample rate in the interface UI to 44.1
2.  Set the ASIO buffer size in the interface to 256
3.  Set the sample rate in Sonar to 44.1
4.  Set the bit-depth to 16 for recording in Sonar (just for this test).  This can get changed in Edit>Preferences>File>Audio Data - then change record bit-depth to 16
5.  Setup a new project and add an audio track, and make input assignment to whatever you are using for your source (mic, guitar, etc)
6.  Now, PRIOR to adding any effects, try out arming the track for record and record some signal for 20-30 seconds.
7.  Playback the captured audio - is it playing clean?  (no drops or crackles)
8.  If it is playing back clean, then you KNOW this set of settings is a baseline of working settings.  If not clean, then something else is amiss and you can stop these steps, otherwise if clean then continue.
9.  OK - so knowing that the above works so far, go back and change the record bit-depth in Sonar to 24, then record some more audio - another 20-30 seconds.
10.  Playback the new audio clip - still clean?  If not, then you can change the bit-depth back to 16 and you should be able to record, since you know that worked.  If it played back clean, then go back to your interface UI and change the ASIO buffer size from 256 down to 128, and repeat the record/playback to see if clean.

What you are doing with the above is trying to find a good starting point - a place where you can record without dropouts and crackles.  Once a good spot is reacjed, you then are going to adjust again, then record/playback, then if still clean adjust again, until you begin to experience dropouts and/or crackes, then back off the last adjustments to go back to settings that you know work.

So, the settings you will continue to adjust will be the ASIO buffer size, the record-bit depth, and the sample rates (sample rates must match between Sonar and the interface), until you find the best set of settings that work.

My recommendation is that you work with the above to get something that works comfortably.  I do not think that running on the edge is a good idea for live recordings - I would think that if you can get it to record at 24-bit depth, a sample rate of 44.1, and an ASIO buffer size of 128, that you should be in a good zone, balanced with reasonable latency and good sound quality.

Please post back with results for trying the above.

The other thing again is to be aware of how particular audio effects can jack up the sound if used in real-time, like Perfect Space.  AFTER you get a good record/playback without effects, try adding some effects, one at a time, and repeat the record/playback test to make sure you understand what you can and cannot sustain for doing your live recordings.

I hope ANY of the above makes sense, and I hope any of it helps you get this working like you need it to.

IF you continue to have trouble, try leaving the record bit-depth at 16 and continue to test and adjust the sample rates and the ASIO buffer size to reduce latency.  It may not be the best audio quality, but you will reduce the load on your system, and it may give you a good stable set of settings and still sound pretty good.

Also, try running DPC Latency Checker (free) and see if it thinks everything is ok to handle audio processing.  Sometimes, things like antivirus software and other background services can interfere with audio processing.

Bob Bone