It sounds to me like your present system was doomed from the start and what you've been doing, and will continue to do, is limp along until things finally collapse.  Two weeks ago I had a catastrophic HD crash and decided to go ahead and get a whole new system.  I'm now on W10 with SPLAT humming like never before.  Why not go ahead and upgrade everything?  Installing everything again took about 3 days (lots of time down-loading), but other than the time invested, it wasn't that bad an experience.  Even if you lost your passwords it's easy enough to get new ones, and if your old email is kaput I'm betting a reputable software vendor will find a way to work with you.  I'm thinking that's not a terribly unusual situation.  You're going to have to do it at some point anyway so why not do it now?  In two weeks you'll be happy you did.   Just my .02.
 
I do hope you get everything worked out, and if you leave SONAR I truly hope you find what works for you.

Konrad runs things like Vienna which is very disc and memory intensive. I would recommend giving Jim Rosebery a call and asking for his advice.
My opinion about Sonar X1 is that it was Cakewalks worst product ever. Sonar Platinum is a completely different beast. And it is a real beast of a DAW. You should be able to use it for anything you want on a Jim built PC.

mudgel
Konrad runs things like Vienna which is very disc and memory intensive. I would recommend giving Jim Rosebery a call and asking for his advice.

 
Jim is great. I don't know if he works on computers he didn't make, but if so, that's another option.
 

My opinion about Sonar X1 is that it was Cakewalks worst product ever. Sonar Platinum is a completely different beast. And it is a real beast of a DAW. You should be able to use it for anything you want on a Jim built PC.

Sweetwater is a great company and I've always known them to go the extra mile with their customers. But for many years it was a Mac house, and it sounds like you got in on the ground floor of their starting to get involved with Windows.
 
I can tell you from personal experience that Chuck Surack cares about every single Sweetwater customer. This is not hyperbole. Consider getting in touch with him directly, he will listen.

Konrad, 
I'm sorry you are having problems. I really would love to get this going for you. If you wouldn't mind, please send some details of what is going on and how to reach you and I will put my best people on it tomorrow. I am not usually on this forum, so if you would please email it to me, I would appreciate it.
 
Thanks
Chuck Surack
Chuck_Surack@sweetwater.com
Sweetwater

Hi Konradh,
 
If you are using the VS-700R as your audio interface that may actually be the reason for your frequent crashes and required reboots. I'm talking from experience here because I was in a similar boat until I swapped it for a MOTU but kept using the VS-700C as a control surface. Since then the random problems e.g. like not being able to open a project which Kontakt, crashes when using some VIs, silent master bus, meters moving but no sound, etc. have completely vanished.
 
What you could try (without breaking anything and investing up front):

1. full backup (which have anyway, right?)
2. install VS-700C driver, connect it via USB, flip the dip #1 switch in the back and the VS-700C control surface will work as before (except headphone out and aux in on the VS-700C)
3. borrow a top notch interface (either RME or latest MOTU, nothing else IMHO), install and use for test period ... maybe even sweetware can provide you one for a test ...
4. it that works, decide on I/O and get an RME/MOTU interface fits your needs
5. if it does not change anything, flip the dip switch back and you are at least back at your current system

 
Alternative, you could ...

1. do the full backup
2. have someone install win10 in-place (!!!), which effectively wipes out your old windows but should keep your software (some plugs may need to be re-authorized), then ...
3. install the VS-700 as documented in the Cakewalk hardware forum (it will definitely work on win10, but unfortunately not change the Roland driver vs VIs performance problems, hence I still recommend swapping the audio interface first) ... so personally, I'd only install the VS-700C driver and also try with an RME or MOTU interface
4. optionally go for Sonar Platinum, which will be much better from a usability perspective, but I would not expect any significant improvements as regards stability with 3rd party plugs (as this is 99.99% driven by audio driver stability)

 
In either approach it comes down to taking out the VS-700R as the audio interface from the equation first, because these Roland drivers never were as good as they claimed them to be ...
 
Feel free to PM me if you have questons that don't fit this thread.
 
Cheers,
 
Rob

Chucksweet
Konrad, 
I'm sorry you are having problems. I really would love to get this going for you. If you wouldn't mind, please send some details of what is going on and how to reach you and I will put my best people on it tomorrow. I am not usually on this forum, so if you would please email it to me, I would appreciate it.
 
Thanks
Chuck Surack
Sweetwater

If this is truly Chuck Surack, here is your answer right here. Take him up on his offer. Sweetwater is a good company. If, on the other hand, this is NOT truly Chuck Surack...............................

Anderton

telecharge

chuckebaby
Did you try the sonar Platinum Demo ?

Any chance of that hosing his X1 installation?

No, they can live side by side.
 

except for the shared components, of which there can be only one

I can't really do much about stability but I think you've had some great suggestions and offers. As for usability, I'll concur that I didn't like X1 much at all. It was their first "redesign" effort and it took a few tries to smooth it over. X3 and onwards have been great to me.

I also like Logic but hate the Apple ecosystem.

Anderton
Sweetwater is a great company and I've always known them to go the extra mile with their customers.

+1 for Sweetwater my guy Alan Carter is always there for me and gives me great advice!

First of all, I don't want any of this to reflect poorly on Sweetwater.  There was a problem with the set-up but Sweetwater spent more money than they ever got from me trying to help.  I just did not think they would wish to get involved any further.  I am actually embarrassed to call them back, but will respond to Chuck's kind offer to help.  I am happy to pay for any services going forward--just need a level of confidence I can get all this expensive software running: VSL Special Edition, VSL Dimension Strings, Hollywood Strings, Ivory II Grands, RealGuitar, RealStrat, RealLPC, Real Rick, Scarbee Jay Bass, Scarbee P-Bass, Scarbee Rick Bass, Fab Four, Vir 2 Acoustic Legends, Kontakt 5, Guitar Rig, Lexicon Pantheon, plus lots of Kontakt instruments and smaller libraries.
 
Suggestions here are all great.  For the record, I am not an Apple fan and not anxious to change platforms, although I do think Logic Pro is a fine product.
 
Money is not abundant but more so than time.  Setting up a second computer and using my current one as a backup is definitely a possibility.
 
Regarding the VS-700, I hate too give up the console, but that is not the most important thing in the world. If it can work on Win 10, that would be great.  I already have a brand new MOTU interface that has never been used so changing off the VS-700 is just a matter of plugging and unplugging.