Hi
Please forgive my ignorance
 
I used to do a bit of recording using HS9, a GM midi module, my PC soundcard and a hardware mixer. It was fine for me but when I upgraded my OS to Win7 I couldn't use HS9.
 
So, about 12 months ago I got MC6 but really made very little use of it. I was very impressed with the soft synths that are available (compared to GM sounds LOL).
 
I recently decided to spend more time on my music......and decided to go the whole hog. I got a Focusrite Saffire Pro 26 interface and upgraded the MC6 to Sonar x3 Studio. But I'm afraid that I'm really struggling with the whole setup. I've just about managed to get used to using the loopback feature so that I can listen to the PC sounds through the Saffire.....though I'm still unsure about the routing of most things especially all the DAW outputs, mixes etc?
 
So, tonight I thought I had better purchase an instruction video for Sonar. I downloaded it and thought, right, lets start at the beginning!  Now, whatever I play the video through (WMP, Real player or the player that came with the download), the sound is abysmal...it may start OK but then gradually deteriorates into an inaudible mess or its just a mess all the time!
 
Can anyone help before all this kit gets cast into my past!
 
 

Assuming you're playing the instructional video's audio through the Focusrite, it's possible that you simply have your buffers set too low. Open up the MixControl application and check the buffer size under settings (to the left of the big volume knob, IIRC). If it's set low, say 64, start by bumping it up to its maximum value (2048, I think) and see if that clears up the distortion. If it does, you can then gradually lower the buffer size until you find the lowest setting that doesn't have a problem.

Thanks, I'll give it a try and get back.
I don't really understand the buffer / latency thing (sorry). With my very old basic setup, I monitored everything through the hardware mixer i.e. sounds or recorded backing tracks coming from the PC or HS9 and new input from say guitar or vocals. There was absolutely no perceived latency problem. I have spent £300 on an audio interface and seem to have made a major step backwards?

Hi Steve, I think that your problem has to do with your driver type.  That is, the Saffire interfaces only work with ASIO driver in Windows.  It might be that your media player are not compatible with ASIO and only work with Windows driver, e.g. MME, WDM and WaveRT (or is that WASPI?).  I suggest you use your PC's internal sound card using media players and your Saffire 26 for your DAW (SONAR).
 
Hit back if you are still having this issue.
 
Kiind regards,
 
Living Room Rocker
 
 

So today I thought I would try out the buffer size or as a last resort plug headphones into the pc soundcard.
Booted up the PC, switched on the Saffire, tried a video (without any changes) and .........perfect. No issues at all!
I hate it when that happens.....because I have no idea what the problem was in the first place.

I'm still very confused about routing. With my old setup, all audio from the PC came out of the headphone output of the soundcard into my mixer. If I wanted to play guitar along with an mp3 backing track it was simple.....I heard the backing track in the mixer headphone output along with my guitar coming in on 2 channels (from Boss GT6). No software required, the output from the soundcard and the input from the guitar (via the mixer) into the soundcard
 
If I recorded the backing track into Cakewalk HS9 I could then listen to the recording (and not re-record it by switching it away from the main mixer output) and record the 'lead guitar'  onto another track.
 
With my new setup (Saffire Pro 26 audio interface) can I....
1) Listen to say an mp3 and play guitar WITHOUT latency on the guitar? (The only way I can hear my guitar without latency is by setting my headphone mix to Analogue Inputs 1 and 2 where my guitar comes into the Saffire). I have to use the loopback feature to hear the mp3 but my guitar signal also goes into the DAW.....and I hear the latency of the guitar.
 
2) What will happen if I record the mp3 backing track into SONAR? If I then monitor this through headphones and try to record lead guitar.....will I still get latency problems? From my limited trial I do get problems even if the Input Echo is Off and the guitar track Muted in the DAW.
 
For further info, the Firewire latency in the Saffire Mix software is 'greyed' out at 2ms (I think) and I can't find any way to change it, though I realise its probably at its minimum. The buffer is set at 256. If I change the buffer...up or down, the latency becomes horrendous and unuseable.
 
Sorry if this is confusing...but it is for me too!

I always monitor through Sonar, so whatever latency is there is in sync with itself.  My latency when recording is quite low - I use an ASIO Buffer Size of 128 and Driver Mode ASIO, and a Sample Size of 48 khz.
 
I could go with a smaller size 64 samples, but that makes me have to pay attention, so I just backed the buffer size back to 128 and I never have to worry about it - again this buffer size is for when I am recording.  
 
Once I switch to a mixing/mastering buffer size of 1024, and that gives certain CPU-intensive and look-ahead processing plugins much more 'room' to do their thing.  You will find it a common thing for the rest of time, to be switching between a low ASIO Buffer Size for recording, and a very 'high' value for mixing/mastering - it's just kind of the way it isl
 
Hope any of that helps, 
 
Bob Bone

Thanks Bob,,,I will persevere!

in the windows speaker icon go to Mixer option and select speakers Safire.
 
mp3's, youtube - any windows sound will play through the saffire.
 
All my sound runs through my saffire pro 24.

Thanks for that. I must have changed something in the Saffire Mix software. I reset it to the default settings....and yes I can now hear PC sounds without the loopback.