Just out of curiousity...

Processor AMD C-50 = 1GHz?  you sure about that?  we haven't been at that low of a speed in quite a while.

If WASAPI is available for your onboard soundcard then I'd try that it might help reduce your stuttering and dropout.  also increase your latency using the latency slider, move it to the SAFE side will also reduce stuttering and dropout.

you can install both MC4 & MC5 on the machine and you can use either one of them with full benefit of using all plugins and softsynths from either one. but I don't know anything about KarmaFX.  MC4 & MC5 both should run in 32bit mode on the 64 bit machine, tho as well as all the plugins that came with each.

there should be a what you hear option in the windows sound mixer, but if not, there's nothing you can do except what you're doing.

I'd suggest you get a USB soundcard and that will solve a lot of the problems you're having with latency (stuttering and dropout) as well as give you the ability to do what you hear.  not all soundcards have this feature - I've yet to find one on my $550 soundcard software, but a lot of them do.  check my website for some USB soundcard recommendations.

What do you mean by "WASAPI lacks the full range of frequencies that MME supports"?
Surely you can't mean actual audio frequencies???

MME is anyways the weakest driver there is. Using that many get dropouts and crackling even with powerfull PCs. If you mean WASAPI/WDM have less sample rate/ bit depth options, then don't care. 44,1 kHz/16 bits is all you can expect to use fluently with your rig, and it's also sufficient qualitywise. The underpowered CPU and soundcard will give you headaches, no doubt, but you'll be able to create workarounds that makes multitrack recording possible.

No integrated soundcards support ASIO, AFAIK, but some work nicely with ASIO4ALL (free download).

I doubt if upgrading the processor of a laptop is that easy...?

The FX and VST's from MC4 should be available in MC5.....and vice versa..... simply run the plug in manager and add the folders in MC4 to it's scan list, then run the scan. I have both MC4&5 and the stuff in each is available in both. I run MC5 stuff in MC4 all the time.

I'm having issues getting MC5 to recognise VST effects. I got it to recognise my w1 limiter and EQ31, but I have a variety of other effects that it simply won't recognise. I've made sure that Cakewalk is pointing to the correct plugin folders, and they are indeed VST effects that are (supposedly) Win 7, 64 Bit compatible. I've already done a clean uninstall/reinstall of MC5, and I've tried putting them in both the regular program files and also in the x86 program files, to no avail. So, uh, yea. Help. Lol.

 
But MC (all versions) is not 64-bit compatible. Try running MC in 32-bit compatibility mode. That might help.
 
Also, after switching to WASAPI, MC quit playing back MIDI sounds.  I switched back to MME, and I got MIDI sound back.  So, um, yea?  Not sure what's going on there....do the WASAPI drivers not support MIDI or what?

I assume then that you are using the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synthesizer to hear MIDI. On most systems, it will only work in MME driver mode. But I think the software synthesizers included with MC sound better then the Wavetable synth.
 
And on one final note, how do i get the meters in Mc5 to show exactly where the signal is peaking at (numerically and in real time)?  I thought it did it by default in MC4 (console view), but I'm not seeing it in MC5 and I'm not seeing any options other than expanding/shrinking the overall range of the meter.

In my programs, there is a peak meter that sort of hangs there until a new peak is reached and a numerical value for that peak. Are you not seeing that?
From SONAR Home Studio 6:
Peak Hold

Decay Rate (msec/dB)--When Hold Peaks is enabled (see Changing the Meters' Display), this setting describes how fast the peaks fall after the established Hold Time. Hold Time (msecec)--When Hold Peaks is enabled (see Changing the Meters' Display), this setting describes for how long peaks will sit still before dropping

Sorry I don't have any MCs to paste from on this computer, but it should be similar.

1a) How do you run MC5 in 32 bit mode?  I see options to run in in compatibility mode for previous versions of Windows (Vista SP2, XP SP3, etc. etc.) but not an option to run it in 32 bit mode.  Also, will it run in 32 bit mode okay on a 64 bit machine??

1b) Just for giggles, I ran MC5 in compatibility mode for a couple of different versions of Windows and tried to rescan, but they either a) still won't show up, or b) show up, but in the DirectX Media Objects folder...and they still don't show up so I can access them via right clicking in the effects bin on the track.  Do I need to go back and download the 32 Bit versions of the effects? (Because remember, I downloaded the 64 bit versions of the VSTs, because I was running in 64 bit, which is what my OS is).

Just to clarify, yes, they are VST effects, yes, I have MC pointing to the correct folder, and yes, they are the .dll files.

"I assume then that you are using the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synthesizer to hear MIDI. On most systems, it will only work in MME driver mode. But I think the software synthesizers included with MC sound better then the Wavetable synth. "

Yea, I am.  I do my drum mapping manually, note for note, in the piano roll view, and don't know how to do that with any other synth.  The reason I do that is because I largely play technical death metal, and therefore HATE using loops because I build rather complex drumlines with tons of transitions and random parts...and usually using loops from other programs is a pain in the ass....and that's if I can even find loops that I can use/want to use. So I would rather take the time to build my own songs hit for hit. It's actually easier for me.  So if I can still map drums out using the PRV but with other synth sounds in cakewalk (and thus have better sounds and have it work in other driver modes), and you can tell me how to do it, you would be my HERO for life.

Also, about the metering thing, what I was saying is that in the console view, MC would actually show, numerically, where the highest peak so far has been ( -1.3, - .03, 1.0, etc.) on the meter, in addition to the meter itself.  That way you didn't have to guess by visual judgement where the meter itself was at in relation to the scale on it.  It would actually say "-.3" on it, until you cleared the peak or the peak changed.  In MC5, at least by default, I don't have that....I just have the meter itself.  Sorry I don't have MC4 installed anymore on my other comp or I would post screenshots of what I'm talking about, lol.


I'm sorry I'm such a pain guys...I know I ask a lot of dumb questions, but it seems that I have the most constant, stupid problems lol.  The dumb thing is, I'm ProTools and Logic certified, I went to school for this ****, but Cakewalk products give me the smallest, stupidest problems and make me feel like an idiot. Lol.  And I know half of you guys are laughing at me :P

Thanks so much for your help guys.

Yea, apparently MC5 only recognises 32 bit VSTs, even on a 64 bit system....because that worked for me. Problem solved.

Also, that's what I was thinking, just using MME mode for building my drum tracks and switching to Wasapi/WDM/Whatever for everything else.

And yea, MC seems to be running fine and is fairly stable on my 64 bit system....was just having issues with the compatibility of the VSTs apparently.

And, something that just made my day entirely better, my loving fiance bought me a new laptop today, with a much better processor....new specs in signature :) Still completely stock, but a lot better than what I had, haha.

Related question: Anybody have any objection to Lexicon USB interfaces?  The Omega, Lambda, etc?

By the way, thanks so much for the help and input guys.

Yea, I've been eyeballing some of M-Audios stuff...the relationship between Digidesign and M-Audio has always spoken for itself in my eyes, especially with the professional versions of ProTools...I just wasn't sure how well they worked with Cakewalk software.

And yea, I'm well aware of the disasters of most "plug and play" so-called recording interfaces.  Lol.  However, I'm not exactly knowledgeable as to the differences between different drivers, including ASIO.  I now know that MME is cheaper and slightly more instable, and that you guys tend to prefer WDM/KS, WASAPI, and ASIO, but I'm not really privy to the differences between the latter three....maybe you could elabourate?

I'll keep that in mind as far as Lexicon goes; it just seemed the Omega specifically was exactly what I am looking for at this point in time.  I'll have to research M-Audio's interfaces and see if they have something similar.

"Regardless, MC will only record 2 tracks simultaneously even if the interface is capable of outputting 40 tracks."

This I did not know; thanks.  It's not of huge consequence to me right now, as I'm only recording my own stuff and I usually only record a single track at a time (if I need to, I simply duplicate the track and use different effects and such for a fuller effect, or to emulate different mic placements and such).  But in the future, I will definitely need that for recording other people's stuff as I have in the past...which, I'm assuming, X1 has more of a multitrack capacity (something like 64 tracks?)  I haven't looked into it too much yet, though I do see myself upgrading here in a month or two after we move into our new house (priorities, you know. Lol).

Ah, gotcha.  Either way, the immediate consequence to me is the same, haha.

I'm assuming ASIO4ALL will work with my soundcard (stock Realtek HDD card, supports WDM, which I noticed is a requirement to run ASIO4All)...and I'm assuming ASIO4ALL is similar enough to actual dedicated ASIO drivers to be worth trying?

I'll give ASIO4All a whirl and see how it does.

As far as the eLicenser issue goes, from what I can tell, it's mainly a problem with Cubase software that comes with Lexicon products, or Cubase software that people use with Lexicon.  Not really seeing that it's an issue with the hardware itself.  I'll look into it more before I buy though.  Definitely thanks for the heads up :)

Yea, I noticed Cakewalk had an interface that I glanced over; I may take another look at that.

I did not know that the Lexicon units are USB 1 though; that in and of itself may actually deter me from using them....plus, like you, I don't necessarily need 2ms latency, but at least sub-20 would be necessary for me (in part because I'm a picky vocalist/lead guitarist when it comes to recording).

Well, I've been messing around with ASIO4All for about ten minutes, and so far the only objection I have with it is that I couldn't hear any sound originally, and after some research I found someone that had a similar issue using it with Reason...he solved it (and so did I) by actually disabling the speakers in playback devices.  The drawback is that I have to do that every time I use MC, and then I have to re-enable it every time I exit so that everything else using sound on my computer works properly.  Lol.