robert_e_bone
Thanks - It is not quite clear on your ASIO audio interface ASIO Buffer Size setting - I take it your comment meant that it being 'the same' meant that it is a sample rate of 44.1 k and 1024 for a buffer size.  PLEASE correct that if I am mistaken.

Hi Bob

Your assumption was correct, the ASIO settings were 44.1 and 1024.

I set up a new project in ASIO as per your suggested figures (round trip was 13.7ms) and set up a single midi track to record. Pre-record monitoring was all ok and on hitting record, the result was as follows:

1. Monitoring was fine, it felt/sounded like a normal recording.
2. The time line stopped at approx 250ms (done the procedure 3 times).
3. Past 250ms the monitoring and metronome functioned as normal.
4. Only the first 250ms of data was recorded.
5. On playback, the 250ms worth of data sounded fine - then nothing.

I wasn't sure if it was relevant but the 250ms corresponded with the value of the midi 'prepare using' field, so I changed it to 500, then 1000 but it resulted in the same 250ms being recorded.

Another point to note is that when pressing 'apply' after making changes in Prefs results in a delay of about 20 seconds (complete with spinning windows cursor) before being returned to the track view. This only happens in ASIO, not WDM.

I've also tried this same test with the FW card drivers changed to Legacy mode as I'd read somewhere that this may have an effect but there was no joy there either.

I also tried a buffer of 64 (10ms) but got the same results as above.

So frustrating. This doesn't look like it's going to have a happy ending!

Thanks again for your help Bob.

By chance, is your audio interface the default Windows audio device?
 
If so, this may be interfering with it working in ASIO in Sonar.
 
Just for a test, try setting your Windows default audio device to be your on-board sound chip, rather than the audio interface.
 
Then, try setting your audio interface back to the settings I suggested, and those in Sonar too (Sample Rate 44.1 k, ASIO Buffer Size of 128, Sonar Driver Mode of ASIO)
 
Then give that a quick test in a simple project with no effects loaded and post back.
 
Thanks, 
 
Bob Bone
 

In the sounds dialogue box, the only options were for the various digi I/O. I disabled all of them (the digi main outs had been selected when I went into the settings) and set up a project as per your post. There was no sign of any option for onboard sound.

On running a simple project, the outputs were the same as before i.e. Audio and midi start playing immediately, timeline stops after 250ms, audio continues to play as normal, midi instruments stop after a few seconds. The sound quality is all good throughout.

Switching back to WDM results in the same outputs as before i.e. 2 second delay then all audio and midi play perfectly.

It feels so close!

Also, you might try setting your Windows Default Audio Device to be that of your on-board sound, and only have Sonar point to ASIO4ALL, until you can get rid of it.
 
It has helped some others to run as above while they weighed options and planned for picking up a real interface for mobile work.
 
Lastly, I would suggest temporarily disabling your laptop's Wi-Fi adapter just prior to running Sonar, and enable it again after completing a given Sonar session.  Wi-Fi adapters are notorious for adding massive latency spikes when enabled to Windows.  Disabling it in Device Manager (or, turning off the switch if it has one, or using a function key to turn it off), does not remove the device from Windows, so you do not have to install it again - it will simply come back on when you enable it again in Windows.
 
Bob Bone
 

Apologies (especially to Bob) for not updating this thread - things have been kinda busy recently.

Anyway, having tried lots of different ideas, the problem remained, so I tried out a borrowed interface and it's worked flawlessly ever since.

I remain convinced that it's a driver issue with the digi but have resigned myself to getting a new interface.

It's been absolutely wonderful getting back into making music and, now that I've become much more familiar with Sonar, I really like it. Not mad about the midi editing but that's for another thread!

Thanks for your help Bob, I guess this thread is 'solved' to a certain extent!

Latest drivers here:
 
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/download/Digi-002-003-Drivers
 
 
Ta.