I just mean as far as I know IR Live is simply a low latency higher CPU version of IR-L/IR1, intended mainly for the live sound engineer. I wonder if it may help to switch it out for IR-L. Soundwise it shouldn't make a difference.

Yes, some plug-ins can cause severe latency, such as the Transient-Shaper 64. I will routinely disable that until the mix is ready for it. There's not much of a way that I'm aware of to determine whether the clicks and pops are from MIDI or from audio.
 
After setting your input and output buffers in your RME settings to 512 or 1024 samples/buffer (1sec), in Sonar, go to Edit=>Preferences=>Audio=>Sync and Caching (Advanced setting at the bottom to see this one), set File System caching to 512KB or 1024KB for both, or at least Playback I/O. You may need to uncheck the Enable Read Caching and uncheck Enable Write Caching to set these.
 
Your ASIO driver is going to test for latency, but caching (buffering) is different. Sidenote: I never trust the ASIO driver to be sample-perfect on latency-measurements. Never met one that was.
 
With both your RME and Sonar Caching/buffering set higher, you should be able to avoid the clicks and pops. If you're still experiencing these issues, you may possibly have a Bridging issue for 32-bit plug-ins, or there could be something else not working right, requiring a support call. And, yeah, I'm in the same boat with the daytime-only support hours.
 

Thanks for the reply Brian, I am very familiar with the read and write cache settings. They are not checked.
 
I am not using any 32-bit plugs. All of them are 64-bit.
 
As I mentioned earlier, I have never had to have the buffer settings set to 1024 in the past versions of SONAR and if I have to now or in the future with my computer and interface setup, I would definitely not be a happy camper.
 
I appreciate your time and reply. This is also good info. 

I've had to mess around with different settings on mine, but right now, I'm running a project that has at least 45 Waves plug-ins going, with 512KB buffers, and no issues. All 64-bit, VST2, and another project in VST3's (even some  VST2/3's mixed in the same ProChannel FX Chain.)
 
I couldn't tell you if anything's changed in this area. I know the Video capabilities in X3d have been really reworked. Maybe a totally fresh install of X2a, followed by X3d directly, if you haven't tried that. And then a full re-install of your RME solution with the very latest drivers. Windows...

This is a 2 week old install. I had uninstalled and reinstalled to remove X3D. Now I am back at X3d and a little better after that prepare setting Alex had mentioned. I could use some more suggestions.
 
Some of the clicks and pops were recorded on the track in the takes. I have went through all of the tracks and edited them out. The project is playing better, but not without the occasional burp..  :(

They were in the actual files on disk? That sounds more like a hardware or firmware issue with your RME to be honest. I've never had any clicks and pops written to my recorded files, even if my system was completely taxed at playback.

Do you have any other audio drivers inactive but installed? ASIO4ALL has interfered with proper drivers for me before, just by being installed (even if I wasn't using it I mean).

Sanderxpander
They were in the actual files on disk? That sounds more like a hardware or firmware issue with your RME to be honest. I've never had any clicks and pops written to my recorded files, even if my system was completely taxed at playback.

Agreed, and of course hardware can also equal drivers.
Normally I would just expect it to stop not produce clicks and pops. Electricity nice and clean? Cables nice and secure?

Are you using TOS-link or other optical connections between the RME and A/D conversion? I'm not familiar with the RME. My question is regarding clocking between devices.

No optical interface is used in these recordings. I don't know that the ASIO4ALL drivers would really utilize the RME components.
 
There were only a couple millisecond artifacts in the wave files. I am using a Monster Power Pro3500 unit on the back end of a high caliber UPS. There is no dirty electricity. Most of the pops and clicks were during playback and not directly related to the recorded audio I fixed.
 
I just went through the hard drives and I am moving all of my projects to the 'black' edition hard drive. I know that will make things better with performance.