Recording/latency issues...

The speeding up is usually a symptom of sample rate mismatch. Check that your Realtek and MC5 are using the same sample rate.

Onboard cards often require MME drivers, which are the worst. ASIO4ALL (free download) or WDM drivers might also bring some light to the darkness.

The onboard cards are not capable of low latency audio work. Often you can manage with them somehow, often the only way to proper sound and fluent workflow is to buy a decent soundcard.

O-oh. USB mic. It would be SO useful to have your specs in the signature. Using a USB mic is one more obstacle. Your computer sees the USB mic as another soundcard, so you can expect troubles with it. There's sticky about it in the SONAR LE forum.

You choose the drivers in the Options-dialogue. I've never used MC so I don't know the details of the prompts and dropdowns in it.

MC is much more capable than Audacity. Audacity doesn't even support VSTs, does it?

I havent had time to check those other forums you suggested, but I'll get to it.

 I dont see how my USB mic would mess anything up. It actually records, and my test yesterday it was fine on playback too. It's the guitar now thats chipping and cracking. And I unplug the USB, so the computer doesnt even know it's there. I was recording with audacity just fine with it(guitar). Thats why I think its gotta have something to do with cakewalk.

 You ARE right tho, I get alot of drop outs too. So it may very well be my sound card. But how was it fine with audacity...and fine with Pro Tools SE(sort of). 

 I'm sorry, I dont know my exact specs. I'd have to find my computers box or manual. I can tell you what I do know.

Mic- Avid M-Audio (came with pro tools SE)
Guitar, I plug straight into the 1/8th mic input of my laptop(I have no amp).
Windows Vista
Realtech
umm...it's a pretty standard laptop as far as I know. Bought it about a year ago, or year and half ago.

You probably need more info then that, i'll have to find it, if you really need it.

Otherwise, your saying i'm pretty much screwed and should have just stuck with my 20 dollar radioshack mic?

CasperKincaid


I havent had time to check those other forums you suggested, but I'll get to it.

 I dont see how my USB mic would mess anything up. It actually records, and my test yesterday it was fine on playback too. It's the guitar now thats chipping and cracking. And I unplug the USB, so the computer doesnt even know it's there. I was recording with audacity just fine with it(guitar). Thats why I think its gotta have something to do with cakewalk.

 You ARE right tho, I get alot of drop outs too. So it may very well be my sound card. But how was it fine with audacity...and fine with Pro Tools SE(sort of). 

 I'm sorry, I dont know my exact specs. I'd have to find my computers box or manual. I can tell you what I do know.

Mic- Avid M-Audio (came with pro tools SE)
Guitar, I plug straight into the 1/8th mic input of my laptop(I have no amp).
Windows Vista
Realtech
umm...it's a pretty standard laptop as far as I know. Bought it about a year ago, or year and half ago.

You probably need more info then that, i'll have to find it, if you really need it.

Otherwise, your saying i'm pretty much screwed and should have just stuck with my 20 dollar radioshack mic?

I know these guys have already tried explaining, but maybe I can explain a little more.  a USB mic is a soundcard.  yes, it's only one way - input, but it's still considered a soundcard to windows and MC.  since you have to use the onboard soundcard for OUTPUT and the USB mic for INPUT, that means you're using TWO soundcards at the same time.  digital processing requires the soundcards to have clocks.  each of these two soundcards have their own clocks, but one of them has to be the master.  the other one doesn't match the master's clock for digital processing.
 
so since you're using 2 soundcards with 2 separate clocks but one of them has to be the master - that means you will have stuttering, dropout, and most importantly sync problems even if you resolve the other problems.  whenever you record longer clips you'll notice the tracks moving away from each other in time.  that's due to the 2 clocks problem.
 
Now - when you unplug the USB mic and still have stuttering and dropout, that's because the onboard soundcard and its drivers are very inefficient.  you can move the latency slider to the SAFE side and try to reduce the stuttering and dropout, but that will increase latency.
 
you can try ASIO4ALL like was mentioned above, but that will cause a problem with you using the USB mic because ASIO allows only 1 soundcard at a time.
 
the best solution is to get a "recording" soundcard with quality efficient drivers and a traditional mic.  I have recommendations for both on my website.

I put together a PC for my one niece to use though I haven't delivered it yet.  I put the Audacity program on it for her kids to play with.  In case they had any questions I took Audacity for a "test drive" as that was my first experience with it.  Recorded 6 mono tracks of the first two verses of Neverending Love (Delaney and Bonnie) a whole 40 seconds worth with one of those cheap Labtec microphones that you plug into the PC mic input.  The results, while not stellar were reasonably impressive.  I played every track along to the click track and didn't have to worry about latency because of the shortness and simplicity of the song.  Delete the click track and export as mp3 and it was a nice little mix.  Didn't mess with the effects much.  It was a fun afternoon project that I think the kids could learn to handle.  MC is nice for me but free is good.
 
And I put the 40 second song on my wifes mp3 player for an anniversary "present" and she was just tickled pink and went around playing it for everyone.