I am using Sonar X2 Producer, with a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 Audio Interface.  I have a windows 7 64  BIT setup on my PC, with an Intel I-7, 2600 CPU @ 340ghz-340ghz chip and 16 gig of RAM. My problem is I constantly get pops and blips when recording which appear on my recorded track,  I turn off internet connection and AVG etc and this seems to help, I have monitored my chip and RAM when recording and very little is being used so this doesn't seem to be the problem. If I record a full track of guitar on average there will be two or three  pops and noises on the end result, which is annoying as they have to be done again. I have experimented with different buffering settings and it helped a bit. My hard drive is a solid state one and this is where Sonar is loaded on but writes to my other drive which isn't a solid state hard drive.
Also I have just bought a fantastic Warm Audio EQ, which I add to a sonar track using the external insert command, mostly after the track has been recorded and then record this using the EQ into a new track, when I do this the noises and jittering when trying to record are worse than ever and I just cant get a usable recording.

Has anyone any ideas on what is going on, this is doing my head in and I have tried everything I can think of to solve it but to no avail. I am no expert, but have been using Sonar and recording for a couple of years now. But I really want to get this problem with outboard effects sorted as I intend to use more in the future. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

You probably need to adjust the latency of your soundcard.  You can get to some settings from SONAR, but it is better to do it through the focusrite software that runs your interface.  ASIO is usually the best driver.  Then keep upping the latency time (or samples) until you get rid of the pops.  Hopefully it isn't too much of a choice between no pops and latency so high it interferes with playing - that can be a problem down to 5 ms or less, depending upon the song, tempo and instrument.  You can raise the latency even more when mixing, so there is even less CPU drain.
 
Check your focusrite software for update - my TC Konnket unit dropped down to acceptable w/ new drivers from just last year.  
 
You really shouldn't be having problems w/ your system - the insert shouldn't be that intensive to cause more breakups unless your latency is skimming right to the edge.
 
Finally, how do you like the Tone Beast?
 
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Hi @

Thanks for the reply I have experimented and its definitely improving, I thought you set the latency and that was it I didn't know you had to re-adjust it for different purposes. It was originally set at 20ms in my Interface software so have dropped to to 14ms and it seems to work a lot better.

The Tone Beast is a really awesome pre-amp, fantastic sound quality and really versatile what you can achieve with the saturation and gain knobs. Also the different settings on the Tone control are brilliant, best bit of kit I have ever bought. Warm Audio are knocking out some amazing gear, really high quality for really good moneys. I bought the EQ and from the little time I have used it, it seems really nice and has great reviews, most their stuff uses CineMag transformers so the quality is there. Also the stuff I have is built like a tank so impressed all around really. When I bought my Tone Beast it came with a damaged UK adapter, I contacted where I bought it and they were messing me about saying they would have to order one and it could take a couple of weeks (I would of just bought one) but I contacted Warm Audio direct in the states and they must of contacted the shop, because next day one was delivered by courier and I received an email from Warm apologising for the mix up and thanking me for the purchase. They didn't just send me the uk adapter, they sent me that with a complete spare power supply as well. I have posted 'The Journey' and it has been recorded just using the Tone Beast and a mic, all except drums which where just a midi drum loop that I used.
 
 
Warm Audio used it on their site, here is the link, its at the bottom end of the page on the left, click the Audio tab then look in the list of songs and sound files if you want a listen.

http://www.warmaudio.com/products/tb12-tone-shaping-microphone-preamp/

Have you run Lat Monitor? This will fish out issues with DPCL issues that can cause blips. 
http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon
 
 

You don't have to use different latency settings for different jobs, it is just that if you are running close to the edge w/ low latency to record, that will sometimes be too much when you start adding a lot of effects.
 
That is unexpected that the pops etc. clear up when you lower your latency - that should make them worse.  So there is some kind of gremlin in there, I would think.  But if it is working for you, I wouldn't upset the cart.
 
Yea, Bryce makes some good stuff and backs it up.  Cool that he used your song on his site.  The more I use the TB the more I use it cleaner - well maybe w/ the vintage cap in.  It is still fun to use the unit for distortion effects, but on the practical side not as much as I thought I would.  The fender my guitarist uses sounds better ;-) and distortion is really only for adding a little hair to ep emulations these days.  And yea, the WA Pultec is excellent too.  You should have fun with it.
 
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Cactus Music
Have you run Lat Monitor? This will fish out issues with DPCL issues that can cause blips. 
http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon
 
 

Cheers never heard of it but will give it a go

Thanks