I'm finding that I'm getting lots of dropouts when playing audio. I'm using ASIO, 384 sample buffer size (which is higher than I would like), it's a PCI card and an i7 processor. DPC latency checker is not reporting anything out of the ordinary. CPU readings are all in the single digits or zero for all 8 (virtual) processors during playback.
 
Often it's worse at the start of playback, in the first second. It's as if it's taking time to catch up. But there's very little to read from disk (maybe 2 or 3 audio tracks) and no disk-based samplers running (I have Superior Drummer going, but everything's in RAM).
 
Any suggestions?
 
(Back on 8.5, when there was an audio dropout, usually it would say DROPOUT at the bottom of the screen and stop playback. Now, it just seems to produce stuttering audio and continue. Is there now no way to see if the system is struggling apart from to listen very carefully?)

here is a response I gave to someone 2 days ago, I think it could help you.
 
one thing that I have noticed in x1, x2 , and now x3 is that dpc latency will run just fine, but what I ve learned in sonar is that you've got to click  "p", then  config file, the very last line reads
dropoutmsec.... all three come with a setting of 250, and they don't make many computers that will not drop out at that setting with all the real time f/x going on .     750 is where I keep it and the drop outs and crashes have stopped with this one setting.
 
once in a blue moon I ll add 512 to the already 1024  playback buffer when mixing like 60 some tracks
 
another thing I do is set my computer up for best performance when mixing and mastering. no problems with the record buffer using studio capture (also 1024)  and asio reported latency of 921. I do not check enable read caching or enable write caching.
 
recorded bit depth and render bit depth stay at 32 as they have no baring on the fact that I usually record at 24-4800.
 
but sense sonar 8.1 these basic settings haven't changed much and are usually  the basses for toggling a new install into high performance gear.
 
I have i7,win 64 bit, 16 gig , sp1, studio capture, sonar x3, bluecat,blue tubes, pro channel add ons. using run between 25 and 70 tracks with bus count, all running with pc galore.

I changed that value from 250 to 750 but it's had no effect.

In fact it seems to be a lot worse when I am moving the mouse around over the Sonar window or performing actions within Sonar such as minimizing plugins etc. In fact I remember having similar problems with 8.5 but don't remember how they were fixed.
 
EDIT: In fact, it's not just encountering dropouts, it's failing to keep time. I can set it recording to the metronome and some beats are getting massively delayed compared to others. Any ideas?

check everything in the background that's running? no virus programs and don't be online. what type of card or recording device do you use? is it usb? I know asio doesn't run 2 usb devices very well at all.what sample rate?
 
I am using roland studio capture. here are some of my settings.
audio bit. 24
sampling rate 4800
buffers in playback queue 2
buffer size FAST : 5.3 msec, 256 samples
asio reported latencies
input . 6.4 msec. 307
output 12.8 614 samples
totoal round trip. 19.2 921 samples
 
asio driver, tri
check marks on . multiprocess engine, use mmcss, and always streat sudio through fx
command audition length 3
     CONFIG FILE
GAP 500
WAVES IN BUFFERS 8
METERFRAME SIZE 40
USE MDWDM   TRUE
LINKPFSENDMUTE  FALSE
KSUSE INPUT       FALSE
AUTOMATICDECIM    50
ENABLE SSEMIXING  TRUE
THUMB                100
PAN LAW COMP   FALSE
SHOWMULTICHANNEL   TRUE
PCCACHEMB       500
DEFALTEQ          0
ALLOW ONLINE           TRUE
THREAD SCHEDULING     1
MINIMIZEDRIVER             1
EXTRA PLUG                      0
DROPOUTMSEC                   750
 
SYNC AND CACHING           
 
FULL CHASELOCK
ASK FIRST THEN SWITCH CLOCK SOURCE
SWITCH CURRENT CLOCK SOURCE AND START PLAYBACK
 
NO CHECKS ON ENABLE READ OR WRITE
PLAYBACK 1024            
RECORD     1024
ASIO REPORTED 921
NO OFFSET
 
AUIO DATA PAGE
 
file bit depths 32
record            32
import              original
use project audio folders
 
PROJECT
    RECORD
SOUND ON SOUND
STORE TAKES IN SINGLE TRACK
CREATE NEW LANES ON OVERLAP
DO NOT GROUP TRACKS
 
 
my hope is that maybe you see some differences and it works for ya. sorry so long couldn't get it to paste the pages.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dude, you don't happen to use the latest Arturia synths? I've gotten tons of dropouts since I upgraded to the latest version of their plugins. I have a hexacore i7 with 12gb of ram so don't usually suffer from dropouts. But since the latest upgrade I do.

 
First question:  Has this setup ever run without dropouts?  Also, you don't mention how much ram you have (4GB is absolute minimum - more is better).
 
Mousing causing graphics glitch could be a clue... Do you have another USB mouse you could switch out?  How about graphics card?  (Alternatively, try other drivers for both of these).

16GB RAM. Audiophile 2496 PCI card. This setup has mostly been fine for the last 3 years, but not today. And yet I haven't changed any significant software or hardware in months.

OK then how about...
 
Windows updates on automatic?  Check the history, any run since you started having problems?
 
Is it possible malware has infected your system?  Or put a task running in the background?
 
Might be hardware related.  System overheating?  Hardware could be dying.  Any errors being logged in your system Event viewer?

Yes, there have been plenty of Windows Updates. Nothing I'd consider reverting though, for security reasons.
 
No malware. There are plenty of tasks in the background but nothing that didn't cooperate ok before.
 
Hardware is probably fine. Hard to tell though.
 
Event Log shows nothing out of the usual.