Hey all
 
So for the past few hours I've been trying to figure out why Sonar is acting so strange. At least once every minute the Audio Engine will drop out, CPU usage will spike, and all those nasty clicks that are associated with overactive CPU usage will come in. There is MIDI dropout on my keyboard track, and even with with almost everything on the computer closed (save Sonar of course), it still continues to drop out, click, and crash. Please help! Thanks!
 
Specs:
Intel Core i7 3517U 1.9 GHz (2.4 GHz)
10 GB RAM
nVidia GeForce GT 620M
Windows 8
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (Used as audio interface)
 

For the audio issues start by checking for background process and run latencymon. It may be helpful to report what sample rate is being used.
 
Dropping MIDI notes is usually to small a "Prepare Using nnn Milliseconds Buffer" setting in Preferences > MIDI > Playback and Recording. The default is 250, try increasing to 500 or 750.

First thing to do when you see SONAR acting weird is to restart the PC, turn off and back on your audio interface and try again. When do you experience the dropouts during recording/playback or both? What driver mode are you using?
 
What size load of a project is it? How many Softsynths, plug in effects, and Prochannel effects are you using? Make sure you're not using any effects that are too resource hungry for tracking purposes, if you experience these dropouts during recording. Press Shift while opening a project to bypass all effects and see if the dropouts stop. If the dropouts stop, you know it's plug in related. What WDM or ASIO buffer size are you using? Generally, buffer sizes of 32 samples - 128 samples are good for recording and 256 samples-1024 or so are good for playback. Are you only using one hard drive or do you have a separate HDD for your project audio and samples and a separate hard drive that Windows and SONAR is installed on, and is the speed of any hard drive/s you have at least 7200rpm?
 
Your CPU is on the not so powerful side, as far as CPUs go. The CPU turbo function is probably pushing that CPU to hard, and that's why you're getting the dropouts. How does the performance module read for CPU, hard disc and memory usage during recording/playback? If they reflect high usage, maybe you need to freeze some synths and effects. There's a finite amount of power that CPU of your can put out, and it's probably too strained.
 
If you start a new project using few tracks, softsynths, and effects does everything run good again?
 
Hope that helps. 

Just raise the buffers. 
Raise your ASIO buffer or WDM slider and raise the MIDI buffers in the Preference menu to 500 or 750. Its all this is as your PC cannot handle the current project with its current settings. all projects will need different resources, that is all this is. Its nothing else.
 
CJ

So the problems just suddenly started, and earlier everything was ok? If so, the following is irrelevant, but anyways:
As we are in the transfer period from 32 bit systems to 64 bit systems, and you don't tell about your OS or SONAR bits and pieces, I ask is everything in order on that front? 64/32 bit Windows, 64/32 bit SONAR, respective Focusrite ASIO drivers etc. ??

1.  Do these problems occur in just one project, or in all projects?
2.  If you start a NEW project, does this occur - with NO effects loaded?
3.  For the problem project, do the problems go away when you hit 'E' on your computer keyboard and then hit Play?
4.  What are your Sample Rate, Driver Mode, ASIO Buffer Size, record bit-depth, and Total Roundtrip Latency values?
 
Bob Bone