Hello,
 
I've been a loyal Sonar / Cakewalk user since Cakewalk Pro Audio times. But since X3 Producer I've had this strange problem when loading projects. I hoped upgrading to Platinum would solve it, but it did not.
 
So the problem is that when my project has several LP-64 EQs, the project won't usually open at all. Or they do open after 3-10 attempts. It varies randomly. So my usual procedure opening projects involves manual killing of SONARPLT.exe and multiple retries. As I wrote, it usually opens after 3-10 "kill/reopen" retries. In larger projects this is very annoying.
 
Observations:
- Sonar goes into "Not Responding" state and must be killed.
- This happens in larger and smaller projects.
- Windows event viewer shows event only after I kill the SONARPLT.exe process. After killing it the event viewer shows text SONARPLT.exe "deadlock" at hex/byte code dump.
- I isolated the problematic plugin by removing all plugins one by one and trying project loading max 10 times to ensure it would go into deadlock state. Finally I had only LP-64 EQs left. After removing them the project opened each time.
- After finding out LP-64 EQ was potential guilty I tried the same project by removing only LP-64 EQs and leaving everything else untouched. The project opened each time.
 
Has anyone else had similar problem and have you resolved it? I really like the LP-64 EQ and would like to continue using it.
 
I'm using Win 7 64-bit and have 16 GB of RAM.
 
 
 

Hi kimmo09, yes I'm having a similar problem. I'm using SONAR Professinal, windows 8.1 64 bit and also have 16 GB RAM. It seems as though something else is slowing mine down.  So I tried 'Msconfig' to disable unnecessary start ups, but if anything this made things worse. I'm also trying to use V-Vocal which I suspect may be part of my problem. I'm also getting midi hanging. 

Hi kimmo.
 
You must remember that the LP-64 is a mastering EQ and shouldn't be used on a per track basis - it extracts a huge CPU hit and will drag your project down, just like you're seeing.
 
IMO you should be using the built in Quad Curve EQ in the Pro Channel for general EQ needs.

Bristol_Jonesey
Hi kimmo.
 
You must remember that the LP-64 is a mastering EQ and shouldn't be used on a per track basis - it extracts a huge CPU hit and will drag your project down, just like you're seeing.
 
IMO you should be using the built in Quad Curve EQ in the Pro Channel for general EQ needs.

^^ THIS ^^

Exactly. It's like loading a pickup with a 14-ton rock and wondering why it won't accelerate 

still, sonar shouldn't hang like described by the op...

As noted it is a massive resource hog of a plug and best used sparingly... BUT maybe if you really want to use it in this manner I can think of a couple work arounds.
 
The simplest being crank your interface buffers way up. Might help. Disable your AV (or at least add any Cakewalk and audio related stuff to your white list). Actually I find my projects load way faster with less problems when I disable MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials).
 
So that might help. Of course though my system remains almost completely offline so I am not as prone to infections. If you use your DAW for other online stuff be careful.
 
However if that doesn't work just freeze all the tracks with the LP64 on them. You can't tweak them when they are frozen but you can unfreeze them whenever you want to perform tweaks. This will however freeze any other effects on the tracks as well. If you make any changes on a frozen track they will be lost so do your tweaks, freeze, don't do any more tweaks until you unfreeze.
 
You can really micro manage this type of thing. Also Archive any unneeded tracks in the project (like anything you don't need to hear like bed tracks/scratch takes). Freeze any synths unless you are using them.
 
The other thing that might work is open the project in Safe Mode which disables all plug ins then you can add them back in one at a time. Sounds like you are just SLAMMING your system on start up so this would allow you to get it open by disabling the offending plugs (in this case the LP64) then reintroducing them one at a time which is less drastic and sudden. That way once you have the project open you can go about freezing, archiving, bouncing, replacing the nasty plugs with less oppressive ones, etc.
 
Another real loooong way around thing I just thought of is once you get the project open create presets of the LP64 settings you have on your tracks (put the track name and date on them or project version or whatever). Then you can just delete them (or some of them) before saving and closing then reintroduce the presets for each track next time you open which would make opening easier. When you are done tweaking then freeze them to the track.
 
That last one is super crazy and likely unnecessary in most situations with all the other options available to you but I don't know your needs so maybe it could be useful... really though the best recommendation would be STOP using the LP64 as a track by track plug (find a replacement EQ... Sonar ships with plenty like the Sonitus stuff), next up would be the tweak and freeze method, then after that you can start going apeballs with the wierdo solutions I mentioned.
 
Also consider you project. Maybe you don't need such an oppressive eq on the tracks. Maybe you could just route things to busses then use the LP64 on the busses. So instead of 12 instances of LP64 on tracks you only have 2 or 3 on busses that are being fed by the tracks you initially had the LP64 on.
 
Personally I mostly just use the Quadcurve on tracks these days and then do any wackiness on the busses. I do want to get into using Sonitus EQ more or some of the other ones but the LP64... honestly I think it's more of aPITA than it's worth unless doing something specific and not in a large project. Stereo file mastering project... it's fine. Just like the crazy multiband compressor and some of the other insane resource hogging plugs.
 
Full disclosure... I'm an idiot who really just rams through crap as needed. I am not a pro.

pwalpwal
still, sonar shouldn't hang like described by the op...

It's not Sonar. It's the freaking computer being overloaded.  It's like trying to run ten instances of Call of Duty or something. You just don't so it.

Beepster

pwalpwal
still, sonar shouldn't hang like described by the op...

It's not Sonar. It's the freaking computer being overloaded.  It's like trying to run ten instances of Call of Duty or something. You just don't so it.

it's not like running 10 instances of cod - it wouldn't let you ;-)
say for example, if i build a big multi-project solution in visual studio, it gives a little notice that the action is "taking longer than usual" so maybe something like that? it is the pc being overloaded, but overloaded by sonar, so maybe sonar could provide some feedback? whatever, it shouldn't just hang as described... could be a feature, "project feedback", including cpu usage per plug, ram usage etc, some "sonar self-awareness"? :-)

As nice as it would be to have Sonar giving me feedback as to why I'm hurting it or my system (and believe me... it happens quite often, or at least it used to) it's just such a massive program that coding in something like that would be a little nuts. The crash dump thingie would probably be the best path to maybe integrate something like that (like a PRE crash dump that instead of telling you what happened stops everything then tells you what is ABOUT to happen).
 
That would be a massive drag on the development team though and I don't think I've ever seen that in any other programs (I don't use many programs though).
 
Thing about all this is, and it does indeed suck that it is such a huge learning curve, that you just gotta get used to what you can get away with on your own system and what you can't and what plugins, actions, processes are more intensive than others.
 
When I first started using Sonar I tried using the LP64 and some of the other crazier "mastering" plugs as if they were intended for track by track use (just like OP). I got a little ragey and freaked that it caused porblems but now I know that "lookahead" plugs and "linear phase" this and thats are just too intense for a consumer (or even prosumer) system.
 
Sometimes I get angry about the fact that something that seems like it SHOULD work or be simple to ME doesn't but then I realize that we are only a couple generations of from computers that filled entire rooms, ran on actually incandescent lightbulbs and could barely semi complex mathematical equations.
 
You know the days when a "bug" literally meant an actual insect wandered in to its crispy fate amongst the bulbs and wires causing a short circuit.
 
Then I calm myself a bit, sit agape in wonder at the things we actually CAN accomplish today and pontificate what advancements will be made in the remaining time I will be on this planet that I will actually see (and hopefully be able to use) and then what might be happening 20/50/100/1000 years after I have turned to dust.
 
So yeah... it would be great I guess to load up every track with whatever I want but the LP64 isn't really something I'd want on every track anyway (as I said... kind of a pain in the balls and more trad EQs work better IMO).
 
THe thing I really get pumped about is that maybe Quantum computing will become a practical reality and that I might get to own something crazy like that in my lifetime.
 
If that DID happen though I don't think I'd waste time buggering around with LP64. I'd be pressuring Cakewalk to perfect an Infinite Probability Drive or some such which to me is much more desirable than a stinky old hover car.