35mm
If Sonar is crashing when you add an instance of an LP plugin, it's unlikely to be caused by a 3rd party plugin. It maybe that the LP plugins are asking your graphics card to render it in a way your graphics card is not currently capable of so updating the drivers may well fix the issue. I guess it was a mistake when you said you think your graphics card is an Intel i5? That would be your CPU. Your graphics card is more likely to be an Nvida or ATI chip set. The best way to find out is to right click on My Computer, click properties then click on Device Manager. In Device Manager look for Display Adaptors and click on it to expand it. Your graphics card should be listed there.

I did as you describe, and what it says is "Intel(R) HD Graphics" as my display adapter driver.
 
 

Wibbles
As mentioned above, it is very important when updating graphics drivers to only use those provided by the manufacturer. If you are using an on board Intel graphics chip, say in a laptop, then the manufacturer may have made customizations to it and so the generic Intel driver will not work correctly.

This computer was built by Sweetwater specifically for audio recording.  I haven't changed the driver at all, only let Windows update as usual, which I assume looks for drivers.  I haven't been able to find an exact driver because of the generic description in my device manager ("Intel(R) HD Graphics")

scook

ben1973
I doubt it's a 3rd party plug-in issue, because I've been using mostly Sonar stuff lately.  I do use the UBK-1, but I haven't had any trouble with it before.

Crash on exit still could be a plug-in issue. Any plug-in could be the culprit.
 
There is a way to alter the behavior of the L-Phase plug-ins. While it is a solution for a different issue, it might prevent them from crashing in this case. From http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3555087

Logan Thomas [Cakewalk]
1. Go to C:\Cakewalk Content\LP EQ\Settings
2. open LPEQ.cws in notepad
3. somewhere in that string you will see the words EnableOpenGL="1"
4. change that to EnableOpenGL="0" (make sure not to change any other things)
5. save the file and do the same in C:\Cakewalk Content\LP MB\Settings

 
THIS WORKED!!  I now have both the LP MB and the LP EQ working perfectly.  You don't know how nice it feels to see those colorful bands finally working in Sonar.  Now I just have to learn how to use them.  :)
 
Thanks everyone for the help.  I love this community.
 
Ben

I'm glad to see you've sorted out the problem.
 
As an aside, another approach to finding out your graphics adapter is:

1. Right click on your desktop and select "Graphics Properties".
2. If it comes up with a security warning click run. This opens the "Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel".
3. Select "Options and Support" at the bottom of the menu on the left hand side.
4. Select "Information Center".  This might give more information.

 
 

Wibbles
I'm glad to see you've sorted out the problem.
 
As an aside, another approach to finding out your graphics adapter is:

1. Right click on your desktop and select "Graphics Properties".
2. If it comes up with a security warning click run. This opens the "Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel".
3. Select "Options and Support" at the bottom of the menu on the left hand side.
4. Select "Information Center".  This might give more information.

 

 
Thanks!  I'm going to try this.  Even though the LP MB and LP EQ are now working, Sonar is still fatally crashing every time I close it.  It hasn't been a major issue, because it usually lets me open it right up again when I'm ready and keep working, but it still feels like some kind of driver issue.
 
Thanks,
Ben

this (open gl compatibility and/or lack thereof, and the setting to change) should be clearly documented by cakewalk! not relying on users to figure it out themselves...

Ben, you could also try the Intel Driver Update Utility: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/detect.html

Hey guys, 
 
Sorry about the opengl confusion / issues with certain graphics cards. We will definitely get this into a more accessible spot. The reason it was not documented is because we didn't realize that it would be an issue that very many people would run into.
 
The problem is that the graphics card is misreporting the supported opengl version. The L-Phase plugins take that to mean they can use opengl, when actually the graphics card cannot support it. This has turned into a rare issue but I completely understand users confusion when they do run into it.
 
I had added this workaround as a backdoor just in case it turned out to be an issue.
 
Sorry for any confusion but I'll definitely work on getting this to a more accessible location, and I'll also investigate and see if there is anything we can do to prevent issues like this from occurring. 

Btw many Intel i5 CPUs have integrated graphics so it's not at all strange that you can't find anything by ATI or NVidia on your system. You probably don't have a dedicated video card.

thanks for the update logan!