As long as I don't insert certain plugs and/or try to manipulate clips (audio or MIDI) while the song is running, I pretty much run crash/dropout free.
 
Disclaimer: I am not a heavy MIDI user. 3 to four MIDI tracks per song, typically.
 
Maybe I'm just a simpleton in my use of X2a but it's get my job done.

No dropouts. On occasion I have seen the interface have a sample rate switch to 44.1kHz from 48kHz and this can result in low volume static type sound (similar to a vinyl record). I believe this to be a result of watching training videos prior to opening a DAW, though I have yet to explicitly track it.  Very rarely the computer will lock up but it doesn't appear related to Sonar as it happens in other applications. A pretty fair mix of audio and MIDI.
 
Regards,

@scook - correct - the key combinations cause the same update to the registry key to take place, and can be done outside of regedit.  I was just happy to get the change to work - I did see the registry edit to do it, but thought I would try the key combination first, and it worked.
 
Thanks, 

Bob Bone
 

I learned about the Registry first. Rather than keep anyone else in the dark about the keyboard shortcuts. Here is the list of Minihost keyboard shortcuts:
ESC: All Notes Off
F1/F2: Open/Close z3ta+ Editor (mainly for testing purposes)
F3: Set to 44100
F4: Set to 48000
Shift+F3: Set to 88200
Shift+F4: Set to 96000
F5: Transpose -12
F6: Transpose -1
F7: Transpose +1
F8: Transpose +12
F11/F12: Previous/Next Program
Left/Right arrows: Bend down/up
Up arrow: CC1
Down arrow: CC2
Space bar: Aftertouch


(MIDI) Notes:
ZSXDCVGBHNJM,L.;/Q2W3E4RT6Y7UI9O0P-[
 
 
Back to the original post. I can make X2 crash on demand but also find that I can work without having SONAR crash or dropout on me. Most projects evenly split between audio and MIDI.

I have very few problems with X2a. The one that is a problem is the crash when clicking on the buss in the CV when it is floated on to the other monitor. I avoid this and no crash. I also always have a saved version of the project
 
I also have the built in audio chip operative and use as the general media device. All Windows sound go through it including multimedia movies and such. I have a separate audio system for DAW use. It stays setup for Sonar and other DAW software. I do not use it for daily general use.
 
I run Windows 8 Pro 64 with no problems at all.
 
For me X2a and Windows 8 are working well. Of the two Windows 8 is solid as a rock. X2a is almost as solid but not quite there. 
 
My point here is that the first thing is to be absolutely sure you have a solid system to begin with. This includes memory and enough of it, graphics cards that have quality hardware components fast enough hard drives with enough free space and a well installed OS with all its updates. Then use your DAW separately for normal or general computing.
 
Ideally a dedicated DAW computer is the preferred way to go. If you are not handy with the ends and outs of computer hardware let an expert help in choosing an appropriate model or better, let a system builder like Jim Roseberry build you one. 
 
Over the years I have come to respect Jim to the point I feel completely safe in recommending him at any time. 
 
   
 
 

Like John, I use internal sound card for windows, etc.

No problems with X2a here, and I use Pro Channel to some exent on pretty much every track and bus.   I'm running Win7 x64 on an older Q9300 w/ 8GB RAM, a Focusrite 18i6 and a BCF2000.  I use mostly 64bit plugins but still have a place for the occasional 32bit plugin as well.
 
 
 

The things that will always crash Sonar X2 for me are Vvocal and Rmix.  If I stay away from either of those, I can work for hours without a problem.  Interesting that it's the Roland add-ons that give me the most grief.  Just having Rmix in a project will make Sonar crash randomly - I don't need to be working in its UI.

aixmusique Who works with Sonar X2 Producer without crashes and dropouts on PC?

Me! 

specs below

There are certain synths and effects that I just can't run without dropouts.  My hardware was pretty fast 4 years ago, so it is far from the state of the art today.
 
Most of what I do is MIDI to soft synths.  I find myself freezing synths a lot, and that is a bit of a pain because it can take a long time if I have 6 or 8 tracks going through one synth.
 
If I am recording an audio track, I usually hit the button to disable all effects.
 
I discovered a  few things that seems to cause crashes and simply stopped doing them.  I can't even remember what they were now.  I don't think I have had a crash in 6 weeks, using SONAR daily.  And I might have one dropout an hour if I am not aggressive about freezing tracks.  I should mention my projects are smallish -- fewer than 20 tracks.

With my system (specs below), I experience dropouts only after loading a bunch of softsynths without raising the buffer. To keep latency in check, I like to record with buffers set to 64 samples, but as multiple softsynths are added, I have to raise the buffer in order to avoid dropouts.
 
I have experienced a crash now and then, but it seems to be related to certain plug-ins. I don't know if it's Sonar's fault or the plug-in's fault, but when I incorporate certain plug-in's, it ups the likelihood of trouble. For example, I operate a 64 bit system, and SampleTank (32 bit) doesn't always play nice with Sonar, so I generally avoid it. (Hopefully, someday IK Multimedia will live up to their promise of 64 bit Sampletank and that might solve the problem.)
 
Also, as BAPU noted, manipulating clips while Sonar is playing will sometimes cause crashes, so I resist the urge. 

Only Waves L2 causes crashes. I am working with X2a and Native Instrument Komplete 9.

mmorgan
Bob and scook: In this particular case Dim Pro is definitely not the issue. My recent, within the last 6 months, project do not load Dim Pro. OTH: yesterday I started up the DAW and immediately watch a training video on MacPro Video. Later in the day I heard the some background stat-icy type noise and when I opened the RME TotalMix it stated the sample rate as 44.1.
 
Reboot and everything was back to normal. I really have found that there are several ways that things go south and it takes a certain amount of vigilance to keep everything humming which is pretty much the way it is the vast majority of the time...I haven't found anything in X2a that I could specifically point to and say "Cakewalk screwed up." That is a good thing me thinks.
 
Thanks for the input though - it's all good.
 
Regards,

I have this issue with the static but its not Sonar related. Its Flash. Hence you getting the issues after a training video. I also get this with my MOTU USB card, the only way to get rid of it is to close down the browser and open up the MOTU config programme, close that programme then re-open the browser... Happens every time I flick about from one form of audio then into flash.
 
Very annoying.
 
As far as X2a. I have no crashes and thats running Midi and Audio.

I mostly track audio. I add Synths on occasion (usually not more than 4 or 5). I track projects as large as 16 concurrent tracks. I tend to track long live shows, but record in my home as well.
 
I don't get crackles and pops but I do sometimes crash Sonar. It's less than 1% of the sessions where I mix that I get a problem, but when I bump into one, I can bang my head on it several times in a row.
 
I can say it took me a long time to get to the place where I could confidently run sound for a show using my computer. By this, I mean years and generations of computers. My learning curve has probably been as significant as anything.
 
Key stages for me were...
1. Tracking on another device and then Mixing within Sonar. This is a great way to start because no problem you encounter is urgent to solve.
2. Tracking within Sonar where I just recorded myself or my friends where drop-outs were dealt with and we just re-recorded the takes. These were usually less than 4 tracks recorded at a time.
3. Tracking what were effectively gigs in my home or other peoples garages where drop-outs would cause the loss of the take, but they were rare enough that everyone rolled with it. In this case many tracks were being concurrently recorded and usually reliably.
4. Tracking in live venues where drop-outs were not acceptable.
 
I started with Cakewalk on Windows XP and have used it on every OS up to Windows 8. I prefer Windows 8 for Sonar.
 
I have used 4 different interfaces now. I started with an internal card. I have also used Line6 and M-Audio USB Interfaces. I now use an RME UCX.
 
I have used Sonar on 4 primary computers. 2 Desktops and two laptops. I still use the laptops for mobile recording, but I primarily use the computer in my signature.
 
I have tracked live shows since the 90s, and switched to Cakewalk slowly over the last 9 years. I'm very happy with the In-The-Box studio type recording and specifically Cakewalk's implementation.
 
Switching slowly to Cakewalk was nice. It gave me plenty of time to ramp up on the software without interrupting my ability to make live recordings using my old gear and mix it using the best of my skills and gear at any given point in time. I rarely felt panicked or freaked out the way some people who visit the forum clearly feel. I do remember one post I made where I was stuck and frustrated with Cakewalk. That was the point where I'd been mixing in Cakewalk for a year or two without busting through the constraint to start full on recording in the box. Breaking that boundary was the last time I felt anxiety around the software.