Fabio Rubato
I have submitted a tech support request over a week ago...I have sent numerable dump files when Sonar crashes...sometimes there's a connection error.
 

 
If you have bug numbers for what you submitted please list them and I can take a look. Otherwise upload a minidump somewhere and PM me the link. If this is a recurring problem there is probably a very obvious cause.

Okay thanks. 
 
1. Where are these minidumps normally stored/located?
2. What's the process to PM you?

To PM Noel you just move the mouse to his name above his photo . There you can choose to private message him. I havent got a clue where the minidumps are stored.
 

The minidump folder is %appdata%\Cakewalk\Minidumps
You can type that into file explorer to go there. Plugin crashes are stored inside the Plugins sub folder.
To find a dump first reproduce your crash and then look for the file with the newest date and time in that folder as well as the Plugins folder.

Hi Noel. I cut and paste - %appdata%\Cakewalk\Minidumps - and explorer could not find anything. However I did find a sonarpdr.exe dump in appdaa, local, crashdumps. 
 
These crashes are random and sometimes don't create a dump file. It'll just crash to the desktop without any info. I re-install Roland drivers. Plt is slow to start up and highly unstable. X3 is a bit quicker to load but is unstable as well...don't know what has happened here.
 
I will try to upload the crash dump to you...the only one I've found so far.

Tried wdm drivers in Plt...seemed stable, recorded a line and then tried to save...crash. Mini dump, but don't know how to upload it.

Okay tried this in x3 and changed drivers to wdm...saved okay and sounding good. Project for track 10 hardly using any resources. Saved when closing...crashed to desktop.
 
Also, disabled maleware protection and real time protection as when installing Plt, can only do in safe mode. Caused blue screen with bdfsfltr identified - to do with iobit's bitdefender virus protection program...sent to iobit for support.

Hello Fabio,
 
The minidump file you sent me reports that the crash is in Kontakt 5.
I have bolded the relevant information in the dump below. You have a lot of plugins and synths loaded so its hard to say if one of them is causing the problem but in this case the crash occured inside Kontakt 5.
 
Based on your general instability however there could be other causes of your problems. Especially if you are seeing problems on other project files that do not contain Kontakt 5. Try recording and doing similar operations in projects that do not contain Kontakt and see if you still have issues.
 
One thing you should eliminate is a memory problem or a hard disk problem. Both the above can cause very mysterious and random crashes. Do a memory test as well as some hard disk diagnostics.
I had a failing hard disk that would lead to blue screens and other random crashes in SONAR and other applications before I found out what it was.
 
=======================================================


Loading Dump File [F:\MiniDumpDebug\Platinum\build 254\Track 10 - 12 bar verse no BT_02022015_121346.dmp]
Comment: 'SONAR Platinum Created Dump
--------------------------------
Total Phys Mem 16759872 KB
Avail Phys Mem 8247240 KB
Play Timing Master 1-2 (QUAD-CAPTURE)
Record Timing Master 3-4 (QUAD-CAPTURE)
'
User Mini Dump File: Only registers, stack and portions of memory are available

************* Symbol Path validation summary **************
Response Time (ms) Location
OK F:\MiniDumpDebug\Platinum\build 254
Symbol search path is: F:\MiniDumpDebug\Platinum\build 254
Executable search path is:
Windows 7 Version 7601 (Service Pack 1) MP (8 procs) Free x64
Product: WinNt, suite: SingleUserTS
Machine Name:
Debug session time: Sun Feb 1 21:13:47.000 2015 (UTC - 5:00)
System Uptime: not available
Process Uptime: 0 days 0:13:32.000
................................................................
................................................................
................................................................
.........
Loading unloaded module list
...............................
This dump file has an exception of interest stored in it.
The stored exception information can be accessed via .ecxr.
(109c.1010): Access violation - code c0000005 (first/second chance not available)
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntdll.dll
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntdll.dll
ntdll+0x51f8a:
00000000`77751f8a c3 ret
0:000> !analyze -v
*******************************************************************************
* *
* Exception Analysis *
* *
FAULTING_IP: 
Kontakt_5+4e3797
000007fe`e3643797 80ba8c00000000 cmp byte ptr [rdx+8Ch],0
EXCEPTION_RECORD: ffffffffffffffff -- (.exr 0xffffffffffffffff)
ExceptionAddress: 000007fee3643797 (Kontakt_5+0x00000000004e3797)
ExceptionCode: c0000005 (Access violation)
ExceptionFlags: 00000000
NumberParameters: 2
Parameter[0]: 0000000000000000
Parameter[1]: ffffffffffffffff
Attempt to read from address ffffffffffffffff
CONTEXT: 0000000000000000 -- (.cxr 0x0;r)
rax=0000000000000424 rbx=00000000000004d0 rcx=0000000000128de0
rdx=0000000002ef362c rsi=0000000000000077 rdi=00000000030d52b8
rip=0000000077751f8a rsp=0000000000128828 rbp=0000000000129840
r8=000000000000001c r9=0000000000000003 r10=0000000000000000
r11=0000000000128de0 r12=00000000030d51f8 r13=00000000030e0080
r14=00000000800704c7 r15=0000000000100000
iopl=0 nv up ei pl nz na po nc
cs=0033 ss=002b ds=002b es=002b fs=0053 gs=002b efl=00000206
ntdll+0x51f8a:
00000000`77751f8a c3 ret
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: WRONG_SYMBOLS
PROCESS_NAME: SONARPLT.exe
ADDITIONAL_DEBUG_TEXT:
You can run '.symfix; .reload' to try to fix the symbol path and load symbols.
FAULTING_MODULE: 0000000077700000 ntdll
DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 54bcf2ef
ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%08lx referenced memory at 0x%08lx. The memory could not be %s.
EXCEPTION_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%08lx referenced memory at 0x%08lx. The memory could not be %s.
EXCEPTION_PARAMETER1: 0000000000000000
EXCEPTION_PARAMETER2: ffffffffffffffff
READ_ADDRESS: ffffffffffffffff
FOLLOWUP_IP:
Kontakt_5+4e3797
000007fe`e3643797 80ba8c00000000 cmp byte ptr [rdx+8Ch],0
APP: sonarplt.exe
ANALYSIS_VERSION: 6.3.9600.17298 (debuggers(dbg).141024-1500) amd64fre
PRIMARY_PROBLEM_CLASS: WRONG_SYMBOLS
BUGCHECK_STR: APPLICATION_FAULT_WRONG_SYMBOLS
LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from 000007fee34a482d to 000007fee3643797
STACK_TEXT:
00000000`0012ca88 000007fe`e34a482d : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`001e4990 : Kontakt_5+0x4e3797
00000000`0012ca90 00000000`00000000 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`001e4990 00000000`00000040 : Kontakt_5+0x34482d

STACK_COMMAND: ~0s; .ecxr ; kb
SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX: 0
SYMBOL_NAME: kontakt_5+4e3797
FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner
MODULE_NAME: Kontakt_5
IMAGE_NAME: Kontakt 5.dll
BUCKET_ID: WRONG_SYMBOLS
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: WRONG_SYMBOLS_c0000005_Kontakt_5.dll!Unknown
ANALYSIS_SOURCE: UM
FAILURE_ID_HASH_STRING: um:wrong_symbols_c0000005_kontakt_5.dll!unknown
FAILURE_ID_HASH: {e8f5a93b-444c-2dec-a151-683d382724b0}
Followup: MachineOwner
---------
0:000> kp
Child-SP RetAddr Call Site
00000000`00128828 00000000`0012ca88 ntdll+0x51f8a
00000000`00128830 00000000`00000001 0x12ca88
00000000`00128838 00000000`77545cc3 0x1
00000000`00128840 00000000`00000000 kernel32+0x65cc3
 
 
Unhandled exception at 0x000007FEE3643797 (Kontakt 5.dll) in Track 10 - 12 bar verse no BT_02022015_121346.dmp: 0xC0000005: Access violation reading location 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.
 
Stack:
 
[Frames may be missing, no binary loaded for Kontakt 5.dll]
> Kontakt 5.dll!000007fee3643797() Unknown
 
 

Okay thanks Noel
 
I'll keep pursuing this with NI and follow up with memory and HDD's diagnostics. I have another project in X3 that has K5 but not using the specific 'horns' module. Could be that particular module in K5 but it's hard to pinpoint.
 
Thanks for taking the time to have a look. I'll try another project in Plt without K5 and let you know if there are any issues.

If you get further crashes send me the dumps and I can look at them. If they all point to Kontakt then its likely to be an issue there. Especially if you are seeing similar crashes in SONAR X3.