Hello, I hope I am posting this in the right place - please excuse me if not and point me in the right direction?
 
I wonder if I could get some help and advice. I wish to update my home recording studio. This is what I currently have: My PC is running windows 7 and I use Cakewalk Sonar for composing (as I can't play or read a note I use the piano roll) I attach my
Microphone (MXL990) to an M-audio fast track pro and record directly into Sonar and listen to output via an old pair of speakers
(Edirol MA-20D) which are connected to the back of the fast track machine.
 
The problems/bugs I have:
* When I record vocals I get lots of popping and clicking
* I quite often get notes with hang on forever
* When I mix I have to rely entirely on headphones as my speakers don't give me stereo.
 
I am a complete technophobe, so simple is best for me, especially when it comes to hardware ( I once had a Mackie 16 track and it nearly made me demented:-/).  I am very much a hobby composer but work with my local am-dram group to make original panto songs etc. so I would like to do the best I can.
 
Has anyone any experience of Sonar Platinum or any ideas to upgrade my Audio interface and speaker setup?
Is it, in fact time to get a new PC?
Any help greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance
 
 

Posting your PC specs will help - see my sig for what's needed.  As far as an interface is concerned, I know a lot of people have struggled with M-Audio products.  I have heard a lot of good things about Focusrite and recent TASCAM interfaces (although I own neither - I will likely be upgrading to one in the near future.)
 
Also, does your computer have WiFi enabled?  If it does, try disabling it.  WiFi has been known to cause a lot of clicks and pops on some systems.

Tips... it's like monopoly, spread money evenly to get all of one color. Better a monopoly of cheap than one property of expensive.

Focus close to the sound source. That means good instruments before good Mics. Good Mics before good converter.

We really need a few pieces of relevant information to give you the best advice:
 

1. Your BUDGET
2. Intended USE (is it just you or do you want to track bands?)
3. Your SPACE - what type of room are you currently operating from, has it had any treatment?

I have a Fast Track Pro and have used it on Win7 with Sonar. It wasn't a great experience. It's an older interface and the latest driver was a bit flakey. The sound quality isn't great either. 
 
That said, if you don't have ASIO4ALL on your system and have no other audio or midi devices installed it should work. Try keeping a minimum buffer size of 256 samples. 
 
If you're looking to upgrade stability a new interface would be the first place I'd look. RME is a brand with a great reputation for driver stability and long-lasting support. It's on the pricier side but if you can afford a second hand Babyface or Fireface UC(X) that'd be a great investment.

Thank you so much  for your responses.
I think getting everything even is good advice gtzwitz but how do you know what that is?
As regards budget.... well, i guess £2000 ish, maybe a bit more if i have to change pc as well.
I don't need to record instruments or multiple voices and my studio is in a converted garage (which also doubles as my workspace / salon) only treatment it has had is cavity wall insulation, nothing special. but i have great neighbours (detached) who don't appear to hear me too much. As regards PC spec, I will have a look at how i find that out and report back (its about 6 years old now) thank you all.

Great stuff Molly.
 
When you've got your computer spec, go into your profile, edit it and put it in your signature like lots of us have done.
It saves us having to ask the same thing repeatedly and saves you from having to type it out all the time, just like Dave suggested above.

Also, be sure to include your hard drive setup - number, size, type, what they're used for etc.

Hi. If it was me, I would probably look into RME with regards to AI, as they have have great drivers. And the stability is just awesome. If I had the possibility to treat my room properly (it is to tiny, so I do not), I might have gone there first.. 
And welcome to this forum
All the best.

Ps. You do not include whether or not you "need" a new pc, if you have monitors to mix on, or if you will be using a headset... 
Enjoy the journey
All the best.