I keep getting the "Audio/MIDI device disconnected" alert, for the device "High Definition Audio Device". Regardless of whether I click Yes or No to the prompt, the alert comes back after a few minutes. The thing is, X3 isn't routed to "High Definition Audio Device" at all.

All playback/recording is configured through ASIO to the PreSonus Firestudio.

I even went into my sound device settings in Windows and disabled everything except for the Firestudio. No difference.

What am I missing? Is this a bug? If so, it's extremely annoying.

wayofmind
I even went into my sound device settings in Windows and disabled everything except for the Firestudio...

If you never use the onboard audio, then you should disable it in the BIOS too. I'm not sure whether that will stop the error messages though.

I always keep my Windows default audio device as the on-board sound, rather than my audio interface.
 
ONLY Sonar and other stand-alone music applications use the audio interface.  All else uses the on-board sound.
 
I never have any issues with sound, 
 
Bob Bone

Disabling the onboard audio via the BIOS (Sabertooth 990FX ver. 1) fixed the problem.
To my knowledge, this never occurred for me with Sonar X1 or with Nuendo 4 - both of which were around when I had this same motherboard.

I understand this issue isn't surprising, considering audio interfaces are infamous for clashing with onboard audio, but it would be awesome if this was somehow worked out. I do use my onboard audio sometimes, which feeds to the audio jacks on the front of my case. I use it for Skype calls and occasional gaming. I've tried chatting using my interface and it's a nightmare, since I have to set up a freakin' mic on a mic stand, haha.

Thanks though!

As Bob said,

Keep the onboard sound for Windows and give your Fireface card to Sonar exclusively. Windows can't use ASIO drivers so it won't interfere with your Fireface which should be using ASIO drivers

Well, Windows COULD be told to use the audio interface for its default audio device.  I just have found that approach too problematic for my liking.
 
I much prefer to set the Windows Default Audio Device to the on-board sound, and that way Windows Media, Chrome/IE (YouTube song playing, etc.), or even Windows sounds are all handled by the on-board sound - and NOT competing to use the audio interface drivers.  (By the way, after playing the Windows boot up sounds live to a packed house of folks who laughed at hearing them that loud, I forever more turned all Windows sounds off).
 
I then have Sonar, and then the stand-alone versions of my synths (Kontakt, Dim Pro, etc.) set to use the ASIO drivers of the audio interface.  I don't run Sonar at the same time as the stand-alone version of Kontakt, so there is never more than a single audio-intensive application like Sonar running at the same time - meaning I never then have 2 applications competing for the audio interface.
 
Running in the above manner means that there are 2 needs for speakers - 1 set for the output from the audio interface, and another set for the output from the speaker jack in the back of the computer.
 
I solve this with 2 different methods, and flip between them as needed.  Both methods have the audio interface connected to my nice reference monitor speakers, and it is the connection/routing of the computer speaker jack to speakers that differs.
 
Option 1 - usual method of running.  I bought a cheap splitter jack from Radio Shack for like $2, that plugs into the computer speaker jack, and splits the stereo signal into two separate 1/4" jacks.  I then simply connect those (left and right) to two inputs on my audio interface.  Running this way, everything still ends up coming out of the reference monitors.
 
Option 2 - I use this approach if I need the input jacks from the audio interface, or if I need a cable and am too lazy to get up and get one.  In MY setup, my display monitors are 2 HDTV's, which have their own speakers and the primary display is connected to my computer with an HDMI cable.  I simply change the Windows Default Audio Device from the on-board sound to HDMI.  This then routes the computer's audio output to the speakers of the HDTV that serves as my primary display monitor.  It's not split as nicely as the reference monitors I usually use (they are spaced much farther apart), but it DOES give me an easy 2nd set of speakers, and is trouble-free to use.
 
SOOOOOOO, I hope the above makes any sort of sense - it works WELL for me, and will likely be my methods for running with both the audio interface and the on-board sound at the same time, allowing me to keep the audio driver demands separate, based on the type of application.
 
Bob Bone
 

wayofmind
I understand this issue isn't surprising, considering audio interfaces are infamous for clashing with onboard audio, but it would be awesome if this was somehow worked out.

I think something must be going on with the drivers for your onboard sound. I also leave mine active for use by browsers and other multimedia apps, and I've never had a problem with SONAR seeing this non-ASIO device. Do you possibly have ASIO4ALL installed?
 
If not that, you might try renaming your AUD.INI file and letting SONAR build a new one that doesn't have a WDM profile in it due to previously enabling WDM driver mode and allowing SONAR to profile the device.
 
 

Hi guys, thank you all very much for your input!

I had tried setting Windows to on-board audio and leaving ASIO for the DAW only. This didn't fix the issue.

brundlefly: No, I don't have ASIO4ALL installed. As for your suggestion to make Sonar build a new AUD.INI, are you saying I should try leaving on-board disabled, build the new INI, and then try re-enabling on-board to see if Sonar now ignores it?

robert_e_bone: I should try a routing method like you've mentioned some time. I've had Windows using the interface for its audio for years, and it's extremely buggy... Though the fix is very quick and easy for me (When the driver "breaks", and sound starts popping & buzzing, I just juggle between buffer sizes until everything behaves again. Usually takes 10 seconds.)

wayofmind
 As for your suggestion to make Sonar build a new AUD.INI, are you saying I should try leaving on-board disabled, build the new INI, and then try re-enabling on-board to see if Sonar now ignores it?

 
It shouldn't really make a difference when you re-enable the onboard sound, but certainly creating a new AUD.INI when the hardware's not even in the system should completely preclude any evidence of it appearing in the INI file. Just make sure that the driver mode is set to ASIO in SONAR before you enable the onboard sound.
 
 
 

I have the internal sound device disabled and all sounds routed through the patchmix software for the emu 1820m.
 
This way I can record direct to sonar from any program as they use the "wave" device strip.
 
The problem I had in the beginning was to learn to uncheck the exclusive use option in the windows audio interface, and set the proper rates for playback and recording to match the interface and sonar.
 
(System sounds are set to none.)
 
Using w8.1.1.