For me, I can still get the crackly recordings with MMCSS on or off... Restarting Sonar a couple of times always makes it go away.  I don't get many random playback glitches, unless I run the buffer setting way too low.  A buffer of 256 samples seems to be the magic number for me for playback stability under any circumstance.   This happens when I run the MOTU 828x with USB or with a Thunderbolt connection (using a Kanex Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter).  My old Cakewalk UA25-EX USB interface still does not have this problem and the MOTU 828x works with other software just fine... I think the MOTU and Cakewalk Sonar guys need to have a talk with each other.  I think I have tried every combination of settings in Sonar and MOTU and can't get full stability.  I have also done everything suggested to optimize the computer itself for audio.  I am seriously thinking of getting a RME interface, just to see if it gets along with Sonar better.  Recently, I almost switched to Mac with Logic, but decided to stay with PC specifically to use Sonar, so the whole MOTU thing is becoming a real issue.  I go out on location to record hired musicians... it gets a little embarrassing when I have to do multiple restarts and can't count on a clean recording.
Mark.

gmp
Can you tell me what MMCSS is? I'd certainly like to try it. MOTU has been horrible about addressing this. When I talk to them them seem like they're more into Mac and Logic and don't;' have a clue about why I've having this problem and that I'm the only one who has this happen. I gave up dealing with their lame support on this issue.

it's in preferences / audio / playback and recording ... "Use MMCSS" ... manual says "This option gives real-time applications such as SONAR higher priority for resource scheduling (thread scheduling) under Windows 7 and later (leave it checked)." which is counter-intuitive that this actually improves things, but indicative that under the hood something is going on that is not quite right.
 
don't know who is to blame ... Sonar, Motu or even win10 ... I only got these interfaces like 4 months ago and back then I tested a lot of things with them and don't recall anything like this ... what has changed meanwhile? well everything: Motu driver 3x, Sonar 4x, win10 several times (first 1607 applied, then all the weekly updates) ...
 
seriously thinking about rolling back to August, but that will be a major hassle ...

Hi Again,
 
My computer did another Windows 10 update last night... it caused a nasty crash when changing a setting on the MOTU audio console.  After the computer eventually came back to life, I ran Sonar again with MMCSS un-checked.... same crackling problem when recording.  This time restarting Sonar didn't fix the problem.  I restarted the MOTU, then Sonar recorded fine again.  I closed Sonar and opened MOTU CueMix and un-muted and re-muted my input channel, then closed CueMix.  I went back to Sonar (which had been working) and it started recording crackles/snaps/static again.  All this time, the MOTU 828x works perfectly with other software and Windows.  I even tried totally disabling all MOTU ins and outs in Windows and only used the ASIO drivers in Sonar... it didn't help the problem.  I think I am going to get a RME Babyface Pro and see if that can run more stable.
Mark.

Here the latest win10 update did not change anything ...
I did some more tests:

• when using the MOTU AVB web UI (launching, changing between pages) while playback at heavy load I do get bursts of audio dropouts; this is most extreme with web UI open in Microsoft Edge (but to a lesser degree in Firefox); it's worse with MMCSS checked, but does not fully disappear when unchecked. to some (but much lesser) extend I could also get this with the same tracks/same plugs in a mixbus project (looks like a MOTU issue)
• however, with the AVB web UI closed, I only get glitches in Sonar, the "same tracks/same plugs" mixbus project plays fine, even when using small buffers to push mixbus reported CPU% to 98% ... on the contrary Sonar produces buzz like glitches with MMCSS on (irrespective of buffer size and CPU use) and occasional crackles with MMCSS off (looks very much like a Sonar issue)

All of this makes me wonder how much heavy load testing either company does despite claiming to provide "pro" tools (ouch, that last line kicked a bit too low ...)

Rob[atSound-Rehab]

• however, with the AVB web UI closed, I only get glitches in Sonar, the "same tracks/same plugs" mixbus project plays fine, even when using small buffers to push mixbus reported CPU% to 98% ... on the contrary Sonar produces buzz like glitches with MMCSS on (irrespective of buffer size and CPU use) and occasional crackles with MMCSS off (looks very much like a Sonar issue)

 

Do you get occasional crackles with MMCSS off also irrespective of buffer size and CPU use?
I.e. do you still get the crackles if you use a buffer size of 1024 samples or even more?
 
If you rule out the influence of MMCSS (keep it off) which made the problem worse as you said, couldn't be the occasional crackles while playback at heavy loads be the result of the usual suspects CPU load, AI Driver Buffer Size, Playback I/O Buffer Size?
 
I'm a bit skeptical about comparing different DAWs when it comes to efficiency under heavy load - only if I'd know the Audio Engine of both programs is the same...
 
Best,
Klaus

My random crackly recording problem with the MOTU 828x (USB or TB) happens with basically no load on the system... New session with one track and no plugins with buffer at 256 samples. The problem doesn't happen with a Cakewalk U25-EX at an even lower buffer size. You would think the Thunderbolt connection would allow me an even smaller buffer size. I will try testing the 828x with Hyperthreading off, as well as completely disabling my wifi adapter. Mark.

Rob[atSound-Rehab]

• when using the MOTU AVB web UI (launching, changing between pages) while playback at heavy load I do get bursts of audio dropouts; this is most extreme with web UI open in Microsoft Edge (but to a lesser degree in Firefox); it's worse with MMCSS checked, but does not fully disappear when unchecked. to some (but much lesser) extend I could also get this with the same tracks/same plugs in a mixbus project (looks like a MOTU issue

Over a year ago, when I was having some trouble with the web UI, a MOTU phone tech support guy told me to use Chrome. He said it was the best for MOTU products. Since then I've used it and it's been good.
 
Since I've finally found some users that are interested in this glitch problem, I'll keep a daily log again on this and report back here and see if we can unite to get Cakewalk and MOTU to figure this one out.

Klaus
If you rule out the influence of MMCSS (keep it off) which made the problem worse as you said, couldn't be the occasional crackles while playback at heavy loads be the result of the usual suspects CPU load, AI Driver Buffer Size, Playback I/O Buffer Size?

 
of course, I did test the usual suspects with MMCSS off, but for both ASIO and IO buffers it's the same i.e. if too small you notice immediately (playback won't start or stops in first few seconds), but once it plays OK, going larger with buffers does not change the random crackling situation.
 

Klaus
I'm a bit skeptical about comparing different DAWs when it comes to efficiency under heavy load - only if I'd know the Audio Engine of both programs is the same...

well, the intention was to check with an audio engine that is not the same to see whether same tracks, same plugs, same ASIO buffers, same load cause the same issues (as this would get Sonar off the hook)
 
 

gmp
Over a year ago, when I was having some trouble with the web UI, a MOTU phone tech support guy told me to use Chrome. He said it was the best for MOTU products. Since then I've used it and it's been good.

 
thanks for letting us know. they should put something like this into a support document / page.
 
having suspected the webUI for adding extra interference, I keep it closed unless I have to change something ...
 

gmp 
Since I've finally found some users that are interested in this glitch problem, I'll keep a daily log again on this and report back here and see if we can unite to get Cakewalk and MOTU to figure this one out.

yes, please do so. when we had some other issues with MOTU driver not being recognized after reboot, it took several of us from the forum here to alert them that this is not a "single user hardware setup issue". eventually they decided to dig in and fixed it within 2 weeks.

I've always kept the the webUI closed while using Sonar, except in the last few months, since I've changed the way I mix on some songs, now I occasionally leave it open. I'll need to start logging the glitches and see if there's a pattern.
 
With the newest 4.0 software I notice more times the MOTU driver not being recognized after reboot. It may be caused by me shutting down too quickly after I close Plat. When I'm paying attention, I tend to wait about 5-10 to shut down. I've done this over the years even with another interface, just as a safeguard.
 
Lately since I've done sooo much testing where I reboot the computer to then open a CWP to see if it gets a runtime error, I've been distracted by other work I'm doing on my other computer and sometimes I've not paused as long before rebooting, so I've noticed more times when I open Sonar and I get a message saying there's no audio interface.
 
 IN the past when that has happened a reboot won't fix it, I need to reboot the AVB box with my computer totally shut down. Next time this happens I'll hold off rebooting the AVB box and see if it's just the driver not being recognized for that onetime or if it requires the box rebooting.

Hello again, here is another update...

I can re-create the static recording problem through Thunderbolt by using MOTU Audio Console or CueMix and then going back to Sonar to record.

BUT, when I totally disabled my laptop's WiFi in device manager, The 828x with Thunderbolt seemed to work perfectly fine... even when monitoring and recording at a 64 sample buffer size.  When I re-enabled WiFi, the problem came back.

The problem is that I need to be connected to WiFi for my Waves Plugins license to work (and you may need to be on WiFi if your audio console is using a web browser???).

So, I tried USB again after disconnecting the Thunderbolt cable... this time the USB connection seems to be running really stable, even at a 64 sample buffer size.  The USB connection WAS giving me random problems before... maybe recent Windows 10 or Sonar updates fixed it?

Is there any way I can have WiFi and the 828x using Thunderbolt get along with each other?

I will let you know after I have a chance to use the system more, whether or not it stays stable with USB.

Thanks,
Mark