Frustrating sync problem (converting midi to audio)

Hi gang--tech support can't seem to help me, at least not yet. I am capable of really basic blunders such as not having NOW marker at 0, importing a MIDI sequence and complaining it doesn't play in time! (that's not the case here, read on please)
 
Laptop = i5, 8gRAM Win 8.1, SONAR X3, focusrite 2i2, only MS GW Wavetable thingie
 
When I import a MIDI sequence, it plays fine, in time, I record my audio tracks along with it on other tracks, now I wish to make the whole thing an audio thing--mp3, wav, etc.
 
So I insert a soft synth, and for example, on the MIDI bass track, I choose the SI bass guitar, and it plays back late, very late.
I then try the Cakewalk TTS-1 and that plays back EARLY!! In the piano roll view, the first bass note is bar 2 beat 1 exactly, there's a pick-up drum lick in the first bar, so it's obvious if it's in time or not.
 
This same thing happens when I open the Cakewalk tutorial sample "Latin" (I tried with the piano, and the TTS-1 plays back early I think)
 
A month back or so, I made my own MIDI tracks in the Piano Roll, did it for bass and drums, then inserted soft-synths when I went to prepare for mixdown. I used the SI bass guitar for the bass, and the TTS-1 for the drums. Worked like a charm. 
 
I haven't gone back to that project and to check if it still plays right, because I've already mixed it. I will do that, but in the meantime, does anyone have any clue as to what setting needs to be tweaked?
 
I'm already at lowest latency on ASIO and don't experience dropouts, hitches, etc.
 
Stumped...
 
 
 

I had a similar problem recently, changing my audio driver to ASIO fixed it for me. You might want to check your audio driver settings and make sure you're using ASIO.

I am using ASIO and it runs fine on the lowest latency. I am not using a MIDI controller, I just use the computer's MS Wavetable thingie. I've tried unsuccessfully to do it with a hex pickup and gtr synth (had a roland GR unit, and I couldn't get it to track very well, I now have a Godin classical w/13-pin deal, and there's a new BOSS pedal that will do synth and MIDI-thru but that's for much later).
 
So my MIDI is just the computer on-board Wavetable synth, and my audio interface is the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and that allows me to use ASIO drivers.

I am using the Focusrite drivers. 
 
As I said, a month back, I made my own drum and bass tracks via the piano roll view, and then inserted a soft synth to convert them to audio, no fuss, no muss.
 
My problem seems to be when I import a MIDI sequence, one came from a website, but I also tried it with the "Latin" tune from the sample Sonar folder, and it did the same things.
 
Tech support said one option would be to run the outputs of the Focusrite back into the Focusrite and record the tracks manually. I'd be willing to do that as a last resort, but I bought this laptop in May, and upgraded to X3 shortly thereafter, this is way too new for workarounds.

We are talking past each other, and I'm sure it's my fault.
 
I don't have a MIDI controller of any kind. On my previous tune, I manually entered drum and bass lines on the piano roll view, I think I started with just a drum beat for more measures than I needed, then I played the guitar parts to that, vocals, then I made the bass line. I later inserted the SI bass guitar for the bass and the TTS for the drums, and I somehow made those midi tracks audio, probably using the bounce tracks feature. All audio was recorded through the Focusrite unit. I had no timing issues whatsoever. I played to the drums and bass before I made 'em audio tracks, and there were no issues.
 
Now on this tune, I can listen to my imported tracks, and I played guitar over them, but when I try to run 'em through synths the timing goes wacky. 
 
I just put the drums, bass, and piano through synths, and I switched the metronome over to audio and now THEY play in time, but the guitar track is out, which means I'll have to move it. I may have to change the outputs of the MIDI tracks back so I can see how the guitar track lines up (how tedious), or I can try different placements (how tedious!). 
 
I guess if I'm building the tracks I can do as I've been doing, but if I'm importing a sequence, I'll have to run everything through synths first, and use an Audio metronome (which I've never ever done before, btw) and THEN record guitar, vocals, any non-MIDI instruments. 
 
I'm much more a player than DAW engineer (used to engineer on boards and tape machines many moons ago) but I am using recording with my guitar students so they do a take, and next week's will be better after studying applicable concepts. It's no problem if I find an audio backing track to import, but sometimes all you can find are MIDI sequences, which should work equally well in spite of the sonic idiosyncrasies of MIDI instruments.
 
I don't know what I may have messed with, perhaps accidentally, to cause what's happening, or maybe it's just different when rolling your own vs. importing a sequence. Anyone?
 
 
 

ASIO4ALL is a valiant attempt to make Windows do something it doesn't want to do, but I have found in a few cases that just having it installed messes up other drivers even if ASIO4ALL isn't selected in any way. 
 
What you're experiencing is something I've never seen mentioned in these forums, and that goes back years. I don't think you'll find a solution within Sonar, although you may find settings within Sonar that allow it to cope with the unique elements of your setup.

One more try for screenshots...ugh 

last one, unless more are requested. I'm getting the hang of it now! (Jeopardy theme plays)

 

Standby for more screenshot madness. I can't thank you guys enough for taking a look. And I got 'em all on in one post!


 

Robert has the right answer, disable the MS Wavetable synth and things should work. You might want to invest in a midi controller, you can get a little one with a usb interface pretty cheap. They make life easier if you're doing things with soft synths.

tyroneshuz1
DON'T RECORD ANY AUDIO till this is done or I'll have to slide it over. I managed to get that done, so I got my project done, but it was a PITA to get it where it was. Zooming in helped but it was still a bit tedious, you can't really snap audio to a grid!

 
I do concurrent MIDI and audio recordings all the time so that shouldn't be an issue. I suspect once you disable and stop using the MS synth things will work as expected. I have never had to slide audio to match up with MIDI parts.

OK I think I get it now.
As long as I use the AUDIO metronome, and play to that click, I can add Midi tracks later.
I disabled the MS Wavetable as my MIDI OUT and get brow-beaten about having no MIDI outputs, but I went back to my project and could still hear the tracks, I'm assuming due to the soft synth that's running.
 
Here's the tune, it's just one take, all improv, a couple flubs just demo-ing the clean tone on this particular guitar.  I managed to get it pretty loud, probably a hair over-compressed. 
 
OK, never mind about the tune, won't let me post the link. Soundcloud Tyrone Shuz "clean PRS demo" but I don't expect any of y'all to go through all the trouble. I'll be buggin' y'all again in a hurry I'm sure!

I couldn't get my old membership to work, I'm sure it's my fault, but I'm better at computers than I appear in this thread, I'm not a complete Luddite. Yes, I saw the "don't show again" message, and I will avail myself of it next time I open X3.
 
The language changes, understandably, with time--Cakewalk 6, SONAR 2.2, X1 Essential, and now X3 for me. The latter two aren't very different, but I am a long-time but infrequent user of the product. That's now changing as I use it in my teaching studio with intermediate and advanced students. 
 
This seems to me much like advanced math--no single operation is difficult, but if you don't remember the order of the process you're sunk! I didn't have a math teacher tell me that till I was about done with math! 
 
As a denizen of the Bronze Age, I can see how this is a better way of doing things, I just have to forget some of what I had previously practiced. For someone who the IRS believes to be a working musician, this has been a completely humbling, yet educational experience.