Sonar X1 or 2 (running both) with PreSonus Audiobox USB

Hi - I have an Audiobox 1818VSL USB interface, and have worked with several others with that model and other Presonus ones - perhaps I can be of assistance.

It is quite late here this evening, and I just got back from an out of state trip to a basketball tournament my son played in, but first thing in the morning I can try to respond better.

In the meantime, please detail your system specs, Windows version, Windows maintenance level, 32/64?, Sonar Sample rate setting, Sonar Driver Mode, Sonar Record Bit-Depth, Sonar Total Round Trip Latency, as well as settings for your interface, including Sample Rate and ASIO Buffer Size - AND the firmware version and precise driver version you are using for it.

If you can provide the above, and please do so completely, I will do my very best to help you get these issues resolved.

Sound like a deal?

Bob Bone

Well, I survived the night well enough to wakt up fairly early today, and was hoping to be able to sip some coffee and lend some assistance based on a reply to the info I requested.  

No prob that the original poster has not yet responded, but it does mean that I will have to check back after I return from one last basketball game my son has today.  I will be leaving my place in about an hour, and returning home at around 4:00 PM this afternoon, Eastern Standard Time (Washington, DC area).

So, if the poster has a chance to post back a detailed response to my request for info, perhaps between us all we can get these issues resolved.

Once I got my Presonus AudioBox 1818VSL settings and such configured to work with Sonar, it has been incredibly stable, not having any issues whatsoever, so I am hopeful we can get this working.

I will certainly check back on this thread when I return from the basketball game.

Bob Bone

"Please detail your system specs, Windows version, Windows maintenance level, 32/64?, Sonar Sample rate setting, Sonar Driver Mode, Sonar Record Bit-Depth, Sonar Total Round Trip Latency, as well as settings for your interface, including Sample Rate and ASIO Buffer Size - AND the firmware version and precise driver version you are using for it. "


Computer is a homebuilt, running Windows 7 (service pack 1), 64 bit, using Intel i7-2600 (3.4 GHz), 16G RAM.  If you are to give the Windows rating system any credence, I'm almost maxed out except for disk drive speed, still using 7200 rpm.


Sonar Sample Rate -- 44.1 kHz
Sonar Driver Mode -- WDM/KS   (just changed this to ASIO, per the SONAR help...I'll smack myself around later)
Sonar Record Bit Depth -- 16
Sonar Total Round Trip Latency -- 31.6 msec, 1394 samples
Interface Sample Rate --  44.1kHz
ASIO Buffer Size  --   256
Buffers in playback queue --   2
Buffer size --  set to middle position (117.7 msec, 5192 samples)

In the near term, I will replace my FirePod, but that isn't doable right now...it's a small project for a friend so am stuck with my AudioBox or a Roland V-20.

Bob...thanks for the time, I appreciate it...

OK - thanks for the detailed reply to my initial request for info.

The Mixing Latency settings only apply if you are using WDM or MME drivers, and do NOT come into play for ASIO.  Also, the Mixing Latency is an override to what the Wave Profile process determines. And, the values for the total round trip latency you report are quite high.     

Here is a link to the appropriate doc from the manual:

http://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation/default.aspx?Doc=SONAR%20X2&Lang=EN&Req=Dialogs2.052.html

OK, so let's try the following:

1.  Let's start with the AudioBox USB, WITHOUT having Sonar running.  Make sure it is plugged into either a USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 port.  Do NOT use a USB 3.0 port.  The interface was designed for use with a 1.1 port, but you should still be OK with a USB 2.0 port, as far as I know.  IF you happen to have a USB 1.1 port on your computer, use that one as your FIRST choice for ports.

2.  The interface should have an icon that lives in the system tray (the icons down in the bottom right portion of your screen).  Open the audio interface software UI by double-clicking on the icon in the system tray.

3.  Set the audio interface to use as a starting point, a Sample Rate of 44.1, and an ASIO Buffer Size of 128.  Close user interface, and then power down and turn the power on again for the interface.

4.  OK, now for Sonar.  Fire up Sonar (have the icon for Sonar configured to Run As Administrator), then close the Quick Start dialog box that opens when you first get into Sonar.

5.  Now, hit 'P' on your computer keyboard, to open up Sonar Preferences, then click on Audio>Playback and Recording.  Make SURE you select ASIO for the Driver Mode, and then make sure to click Apply.

6.  Now, go to Preferences>Audio>Devices.  Make sure all available check boxes for your AudioBox are checked for both Input and Output Drivers.  Click on Apply.


7.  OK, now click on Preferences>Audio>Driver Settings.  Sonar should have already populated the Record and Playback Timing Master information to point to the appropriate settings for your AudioBox.  Make SURE you Sample Rate is set to 44100.  If you have to CHANGE the setting to get to that value, make sure you then click Apply.  Whatever settings are there for the Mixing latency will not matter, because they are not used for ASIO.  I do not remember if you have to click off and back on to this page to see the values for ASIO Reported Latencies, but these values should now be in pretty good shape.  On MY system, which again uses an AudioBox 1818VSL, my reported Total Roundtrip Latency is 9.8 milliseconds and 432 samples.  You should see values that are in the same ballpark, certainly less than what you originally reported in your earlier response to my request for information.

OK, so now try out the above settings and post back on how it sounds NOW, after having made the settings changes.

Bob Bone