New computer.... Sonar x3 and Tascam us-144mkII

Welcome to Sonar, you have made a very good choice. 
But take a deep breath and plan on spending time learning. It's as easy as any software to learn, but because it does so much it can be overwhelming at first. 
 
At first setting up a midi soft synth and using it to trigger the sounds as you play a midi controller( keyboard or drums) is a little mind boggling. It would take me too long to type it all out, so please take the time and read the help files and the tutorials on inserting and using soft synths. When you get stuck come on back. 
And make sure your using the Tascams ASIO drivers . 
 
Sonar is not the kind of software you can just open and poke around with. You really need to go slow step by step and read  and watch, read and watch. The help files are searchable. There are tutorials galore. There is a great book called Sonar x3 Power available. 
 
http://www.amazon.ca/SONA...ve-Guide/dp/1305090195
 
 
 

Is the "echo input" button on the MIDI track blue?  Is the output for that track (or its corresponding audio track which should be set with your MIDI track as the input) set to a bus (preferably the Master bus)?  Is the Master bus' output set to your sound cards' monitor output?  If "No" is the answer to any of the above, change the output accordingly.
 
About the latency issue and the "gs wavetable," are you referring to the Windows Audio output/input or is that a setting in SONAR's audio preferences?  Where do you find the "gs wavetable" setting, in Playback Timing Master?  Also, how are you disabling your internal sound card, through the device manager?
 
Although the above is rudimentary, sometimes we forget a detail or two.  Please let us know if you need additional help if the above does not apply.
 
Kind regards,
 
tecknot

Thank you.  I will follow advice from both of you.  Tecknot, the setting to gs wavetable as output is within Sonar.  The Tascam interface is listed but I don't hear anything during recording if I use it.  The only way I get sound through my headphones (plugged into the phones outlet on the Tascam) is by using the wavetable, which has the latency.  I switched driver from ASIO to the other options but with no luck, so put it back to ASIO.
 
Thanks again for trying to help.

Johnny V, thank you.  The answer was that I was not inserting a soft synth, though I thought that I was by selecting midi and patch from the track vertical.  After inserting the soft synth and playing a bit with settings, I am where I need to be.  Thank you both.

I do have one more small issue.  Some crackling noise as I record.  Quick fix?