Please excuse my ignorance would the ability to use WASPAI help with my latency issues? I am running Windows 10, Focusrite 18i8 and still have more latency than I care for, and I really don't like ASIO4ALL, it seems to cause so many glitches in my setup.

stm113cw
Please excuse my ignorance would the ability to use WASPAI help with my latency issues? I am running Windows 10, Focusrite 18i8 and still have more latency than I care for, and I really don't like ASIO4ALL, it seems to cause so many glitches in my setup.

 
No ASIO will always outperform a native driver like WASAPI.  Asio4all is not ASIO. it is a wrapper to use for WDM mode. You need to keep it well away from a system that uses proper ASIO drivers or it will interfere. You need to get rid of ALL traces including using REG EDIT.  You should not have trouble with a Focusrite driver. If so contact them, they are very good at answering. 

+1 to what Cactus said!
 
WASAPI is for use with your on-board PC sound chip.  Same for ASIO4ALL.  They are useful if you do not have an external audio interface, as they can provide lower latency for the Windows drivers.
 
But in the case that you already have a Focusrite, definitely use their supplied drivers in ASIO mode only, to get the lowest latency that device is capable of!

Ok...I'm poking at an old thread...but I just want to add to the chorus who say that the "new" WASAPI support is "pretty darned spiffy".  Being able to run SPlat on my laptop (for non-critical tasks) without all the extra boxes and wires that make it look like it's on life support is just plain wonderful!
 
Yay!

Agreed, as long as you don't need to input external audio.  But for playing back audio and working in the box with virtual instruments, it's smooth sailing!
 
Something else I discovered recently is that Windows 10 provides a recording option with WASAPI that you don't see with MME or Directsound.  In my system it's "RealTek High Definition Audio (loopback)".
 
For example, with that enabled as the recording source in Audacity, I can directly record a WAV file of any audio playback on my computer, such as from a media player or web browser.  It's like the old sound blaster record "what you hear" source from back in the day 

( shhhh, keep that quiet! no ones supposed to know you can do that :) 
 
I used to do that trick and record into Wave Lab. I found an easier way for utubes. 
http://en.savefrom.net/1-how-to-download-youtube-video/   
 
It has options for downloading just the audio if you like. 
Quality is not always the greatest but I find it handy when I want the original version of a cover tune while working it out. Great for old obscure material not found on iTunes. 

Here how I configured WASAPI for 24/96, shared mode and surround output with my Realtek (ALC892) onboard sound chip:
Windows: set standard format to 24 bit/96kHz (speaker-properties-extended)
Sonar: Audio/Driver mode "WASAPI Shared",
 disable "share with other programs" (that means enable background audio)
 set format to 24 bit, 96000.

I have 4.0 Speakers, configured as QUAD-Surround (green and black plugs, outs 1/2 and 5/6),
and use the blue and orange plug as line in.

Sound output is shared with all other programs, what means I can hear winamp, audacity or even a game simultaneous while playing a sonar VST instrument panned in 4.0.
10 ms latency is still acceptable low.

Win7-64,
sonar professional (2016.12)
realtek driver V 6.0.1.7200 14.3.2014

Pro tip in case it helps:
The Realtek drivers su ck donkey balls...uninstall them / block them / do whatever it takes to have Microsoft's generic drivers instead for your realtek chip (on my Lenovo Y50 it is called "High Definition Audio Device".
With that driver, I can go as low as 2/3ms with no crackle when using The Grandeur (live piano by Native Instrument) - absolutely amazing from such a cheap chip! (don't forget to use 192Khz)
Thanks Sonar, You RAWK! :)
(on a sidenote, the generic driver also removes a hissing sound / interference from my jack output - yay).