Possible Key to SONAR Performance Breakthrough? Check this Out!

The backstory: With sample buffers below 256 samples, regardless of the interface I would often get the dreaded audio system motorboating where Sonar would lock up, not be stoppable from the Task Manager, and require a reboot to get working again. Recently, there was a thread here about latencies and I thought I would try using lower latencies again. The problem persisted. I just assumed that the V-Studio drivers were kinda old, that my projects were getting more complex, maybe I needed a faster processor, etc. 
 
Then I thought maybe some  Device Manager process was causing a problem (someone had mentioned improved performance by disabling the network card), so I started experimenting. Of course I had already disabled the Realtek High Definition Audio driver but there was also another audio device under Sound, Video, and Game Controllers called AMD High Definition Audio Device. It didn't have an option to disable, only uninstall, so I never messed with it.
 
The fix: In my computer's Device Manager under System Devices, there's an entry titled High Definition Audio Controller. I was able to disable it, and poof - the AMD High Definition Audio Device disappeared from Sound, Video, and Game Controllers. Since disabling this, Sonar has run flawlessly for two days straight on two different CPU-heavy projects with a 48 sample buffer!
 
A possibly related issue: It's been noted several times in these forums that the choice of graphics boards can have a huge impact on Sonar's performance. Maybe it's not the graphics card itself, but the audio driver installed with a board. I'm pretty sure nVidia boards install some kind of audio driver as well.
 
I am one effing happy camper right now. 48 samples!! If anyone looks into this on their system, please report back and let us know if it helps. I can't believe the difference.
 
 

Do you have to disable it under System Devices or could you disable under Sound, Video, and Game Controllers? Did you notice a performance hit when it was enabled? I'm curious whether this is AMD-specific or has broader implications.

Anderton
...but there was also another audio device under Sound, Video, and Game Controllers called AMD High Definition Audio Device. It didn't have an option to disable, only uninstall, so I never messed with it.
 
The fix: In my computer's Device Manager under System Devices, there's an entry titled High Definition Audio Controller. I was able to disable it, and poof - the AMD High Definition Audio Device disappeared from Sound, Video, and Game Controllers.

Thanks for this !
 
I also have the AMD HDA-device.  However, I can disable it, and just did as I don't need it.
I don't have it appearing under System Devices.
 
 

Wow a useable 48 sample buffer size  , that is fantastic news . I need to check my system out ...
 
thanks for the heads up 
 
Kenny

Hope it works as well for others as it has for me. Of course I assume this is not a universal answer but it would be interesting which, if any, setups benefit from this change. I can't believe the difference it made in mine.

hI
 
I Totally agree with the Grumbleweed 
I have a Focusrite Scarlet 6i6  at 6ms   and It It totally flawless
 
Everything now Is rosy in the garden
 
all the best
john
 
Ps make sure you have quality USB leads and right spec!!

A few months ago I had to replace some capacitors in the external audio dock. So I enabled, in BIOS, the on-board audio device for temp use.  After the repair I had not disabled it. It has seemed not to interfere, but,... whose nose?
 
Device manager:
Sound
HD audio device
 ms audio device
 
System
 HD audio device
 HD audio device
 
I did not disable in device manager. I restarted the comp and disabled the on-board audio device in BIOS.
 
And:
Device manager:
Sound
(gone)
 
System
 HD audio device   (only one)
 
 
I disabled this and rebooted. 
 
Now let the cartoons begin.
 
 

I disabled the exact component in device manager and a few things got better immediately. My meters resumed working when Pro Channel was engaged, and I can go down to 64 samples now with no crackling.

Thedoccal
I disabled the exact component in device manager and a few things got better immediately. My meters resumed working when Pro Channel was engaged, and I can go down to 64 samples now with no crackling.

It's very cool other people are noticing a difference. Let me re-iterate this isn't about the interface, I had similarly sluggish results with all the audio interfaces I've tested with this particular system (yes, including Focusrite). This is apparently about some negative AMD graphics card audio driver mojo that, once disabled, gave rock-solid stability and cut latency by over 90% (projects I used to have to run at 512 now run at 48 samples). Here's what I'm mostly curious about now:
 
1. Do drivers that come with other brands of graphics cards, if disabled, provide an improvement?
2. Do the people who have the same stability symptoms - Sonar freezes, can't turn it off in Task Manager, reboot required - have those problems go away if an identical or similar driver is disabled?
 
I really can't get over the difference, it's huge.
 
 

Anderton
The fix: In my computer's Device Manager under System Devices, there's an entry titled High Definition Audio Controller. I was able to disable it, and poof - the AMD High Definition Audio Device disappeared from Sound, Video, and Game Controllers. Since disabling this, Sonar has run flawlessly for two days straight on two different CPU-heavy projects with a 48 sample buffer!
 

I recently did a clean install of both Windows 7 and Sonar X3 after running into some weird latency issues. I discovered the initial problems were caused by some files that were restored from an earlier back up. Rather than continue to trouble shoot I decided to wipe everything clean and start over again. I too disabled both the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver and AMD High Definition Audio Device and Sonar X3 runs better than ever. Very happy here as well.

On my large project I usually play back with 512 samples. Yeah, I know. Anything less is potential drop-out risk.
 
So I went into System Devices in Device Manager and, yes, I have *two* High Definition Audio devices, and a bunch of audio-related NVidia devices under "Sound, Video, & Game controllers".
 
So I disabled all of them, and rebooted.
Confirmed - I still have 'normal' audio, i.e. WinAmp, and YouTube both produce sound.
In SONAR, I cranked the ASIO buffer down to 64 samples.
 
It played back... which is unusual... but I was hearing crackles/static. Not so good. So I reset it back to 128 samples. Smooth playback.
 
Tentative judgement: It's improved. I haven't tried recording yet, but so far this seems to be better.
 
THANKS CRAIG!
 
(NB: Sound card is PCI-bus Echo Layla3G)

I suggest disabling the onboard audio device in BIOS to remove the associated bits in the device manager before disabling anything else. I think it better to make to not exist rather than just disable.
 
And then follow THE CRAIG's advice to disable the audio device(s) (I had 2) found under the SYSTEM folder in the device manager. Restart again. Verify under SYSTEM, AUDIO devices, and at the top AUDIO INPUTS/OUTPUTS, that only the desired device is listed.  Disable any undesirable dudes. Restart again.
 
And then open the windows audio settings via the speaker control in the tray, and verify all settings for the playback and recording devices are correct: bit level,...
 
I always uncheck "Allow application to take exclusive control,..."  This may not be correct. But I "remember" audio not working unless an application had focus.
 
RJ
 
 

Under Sound Video and Game Controllers, I have "High Definition Audio Device." Under System Devices, I have "High Definition Audio Controller." I disabled both, but the change made no noticeable performance difference for my system. My graphics card is an ATI Radeon HD 5770.
 
I'm OK with my audio interfaces' latency performance. I can run most heavy projects such as the SONAR demo projects (Cori Yarckin, ShiftyAndTheBigShots, etc.) with an 8.2 ms latency setting at 96 samples with my UltraLite MK3, but I have to raise the setting to 128 samples with 10.4 ms roundtrip latency to playback These Arms without crackles, pops, or dropouts, and with my Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro using the kX Project Audio Driver version 3552, I can run all the SONAR Demo Projects at 11.6 ms roundtrip latency setting or lower depending on which demo project. These Arms is the heaviest so I have to use the 11.6 ms roundtrip latency setting with 256 samples for that one.
 
I would like to have the ultra low latency performance of a RME interface, but I get by with what I have, for now.

Ugh I really envy OSX people sometimes. I hate parts of it, and really wouldn't want to switch away from Sonar, but the whole audio/midi part is just soooooo much better done.

Thanks for this find, Craig. I don't really have issues on my desktop but it seems worth checking if it could get better. I will definitely also try it in my laptop!

Not to mention the ten MIDI devices limit, made worse by the fact that Windows sees the same device connected to a different bus as a new device. I've taken to uninstalling all drivers I'm not actually using and keeping a backup folder on my HD with device drivers I might need. On my laptop, I mean. If Windows 10 fixes this I'll be ecstatic, but I'm not holding my breath.