Is it possible to install Sonar 8.5 after installing X1 without screwing anything up in my X1 installation?
 

Shouldn't be a problem.

Calkwalk is one of the few that each version is seperate and ignors all other version, only thing it seems to share are your plug ins. You can even install both the 32 bit and the 64 bit versions.

Thanks bitflipper and Cactus Music. It's the plugins I'm mostly after, so that's very good news.

All versions of SONAR have an advanced install option to select the components to install. IIRC, the only plug-in not included in X1 is the Lexicon Pantheon.  If you are missing any other plug-ins from X1 and you are running 64bit X1, there are quite a few plug-ins that do not install by default because they do not run in 64bit SONAR. If you need the 32bit DX plug-ins, you need to install 32bit SONAR.

scook
All versions of SONAR have an advanced install option to select the components to install. IIRC, the only plug-in not included in X1 is the Lexicon Pantheon.  If you are missing any other plug-ins from X1 and you are running 64bit X1, there are quite a few plug-ins that do not install by default because they do not run in 64bit SONAR. If you need the 32bit DX plug-ins, you need to install 32bit SONAR.

Aha! Thanks, scook. I'd only installed the 64-bit version.
 
Is there any real difference between running 32-bit and 64-bit (other than RAM advantages and perhaps a bit of a speed improvement in the latter)?
 
If memory serves, when I was running 8.5, I still had access to the 64-bit engine for things like bouncing.

rontarrant
 
Is there any real difference between running 32-bit and 64-bit (other than RAM advantages and perhaps a bit of a speed improvement in the latter)?
 

You have identified the major difference between 32 and 64bit, RAM. If you are transitioning from 32bit to 64bit SONAR you may want to install your 32bit 8.5 and/or X1. It will definitely help with running your older projects, especially when it comes to older 32bit plug-ins. The double precision engine has been around a while and has nothing to do with the 32bit/64bit version of the DAW. IIRC, CW now develops for the 64bit platform first while up to a year or so ago they developed the 32bit version first.

scook
You have identified the major difference between 32 and 64bit, RAM. If you are transitioning from 32bit to 64bit SONAR you may want to install your 32bit 8.5 and/or X1. It will definitely help with running your older projects, especially when it comes to older 32bit plug-ins. The double precision engine has been around a while and has nothing to do with the 32bit/64bit version of the DAW. IIRC, CW now develops for the 64bit platform first while up to a year or so ago they developed the 32bit version first.

Definitely giving it some thought and not just for the plugins or reworking old projects (which some of them desperately need). I've recently run into a nasty latency problem with my MIDI keyboard which I never had with 8.5 and I read (elsewhere, but can't remember where) that X1 has a problem dealing with some plugins which 8.5 never did.
 
So, as a result, I'm considering reverting to 8.5.3; big pain in the butt, that.

Got the latency issue sorted out. I had hidden a bunch of tracks, a lot of which had VSTs in the bins. Deleting all these went a long way toward solving the problem, but another glitch showed up. The USB MIDI keyboard would stop working after about 30 seconds. I unplugged all my other USB devices except the mouse and voila! No latency, no crapping out.
 
I spent most of yesterday trying to get my system latency down from ~1300us, did all the suggested tweaks by Black Viper and the single biggest tweak was disabling my second video card in Device Manager. All of a sudden, I'm getting a latency of ~38us. Thirty-frickin-eight! I'm still looking for my socks.

Yeh, if you're getting 38 microseconds that would indeed be sock-blowing.