Unable to open audio playback device.

"Unable to open audio playback device. Device may not support the current project's audio format or may be in use."
 
 
1. I open Sonar and I can play a project fine. Close Sonar.
2. Play a wav or mp3 on Windows Media Player fine. Close Windows Media Player.
3. Open Sonar and push play and the above message appears. Close Sonar.
4. Open Sonar again and the project plays fine.
 
Anyone know why this happens? Kinda of a pain in the ass.
 
I am using the ASIO driver for my RME Multiface II PCI-e card.
Win7 64 and Sonar 8.5 64 bit.
 
Global Options /Audio Data /File bit depths are
Record 24
Render 64
Import Original
 
Options /Audio Options /Sampling Rate is 96000
 
Thanks!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks CJ, I didn't have that box checked, it is now. I also changed the render rate to 32. Onboard audio is already off. Didn't make any difference.
 
 

I can still listen to Windows programs in my monitors

I do that with just my audio interface. It works both ways.
I asked him to disable the onboard card because sometimes, it causes that error that he has
 
to the poster, if its still not working, change it to wdm driver mode and run your wave profiler
Cj

An open browser with some kind of mediaplayer could also interfere. 
  
With a FireFace unit Sonar 8 (and 8.5) is NOT able to set the samplerate from the loaded project. Sonar 7 does set the samplerate when loading.
 
In your case the mediaplayer sets the samplerate to 44100. Sonar does not notice this and does not set the samplerate when loading a project so when you hit Play Sonar tries to play 96k on a soundcard that has been set to 44 by the mediaplayer. When you close Sonar with the setting on 96 this is (mostly) what is being remembered next time Sonar opens. And so it often works the second time Sonar is loaded.
 

The problem is described here: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?&m=1719612&mpage=1

And a related one here: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?high=&m=1812323&mpage=1#1909495 

Cakewalk has dec. 02 2009 isolated a case were they were able to reproduce this error message using RME FireFace800 which is almost identical to the MultiFace. They dont know what causes the problem but they know that something is wrong.

If you have tried everything and it still doesnt work then report it to CW.

I fully agree with WDI. I have always had an audio device of some sort for Windows to use. Sonar and any other audio app gets exclusive use of my preferred audio device for them. I have never had a problem doing this for all these years. Now I use the onboard sound chip for Windows and the Edirol for Sonar. I am not convinced that disabling the onboard audio or not using a separate device for Windows alone to use is a good idea. I think those that have had problems had IRQ problems outside of that I can see no reason why two or even more devices are not used. It may take a little extra to set up, however, it is not something that ought to be given as a standard answer to disable just because its simple to do that.

your audio interface must be set to the same  sample rate as sonar. i work a lot with sony vegas, and video is usually 48, not 44. when i close vegas and open sonar, if i haven't reset my m-audio firewire 1814 back to 44, i get that message.