Hi, this is my second attempt at getting SONAR to work for me. I am not very computer-savvy so I'm having some difficulty. I followed the user manual as best I could when first setting up and running Sonar X1, I'm pretty sure I did everything the manual said. I then tried to load the sample track to listen and familiarize myself with sonar. When I hit play on the track however, the sound quality is absolutely awful. Its hard to describe but none of the instruments are discernable and it kinda sounds blargey and just of a really low audio quality.  I am using Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 as my audio interface, and I am working on a 64bit windows 7 laptop. The driver was set at the default ASIO. All i did was set the master track's output to my focusrite interface and connected my headphones to it. I had a little mess around with the different settings within the preferences area but nothing seemed to work or even improve the audio even slightly. ASIO seems to be the only driver I am able to get any sound from at all.  I have spent quite a bit of money on the equipment and it is really infuriating that I can't get it to work correctly. Some please help. Thanks
 
D.

Please tell me:
 
1.  What Sample Rate and ASIO Buffer Size do you have set for your audio interface?
 
2.  What Sample Rate is set in Sonar (Preferences>Driver Settings)?
 
3.  What are the reported latency values in Sonar - Preferences>Driver Settings?
 
4.  What is the Driver Mode set to in Sonar - Preferences>Playback and Recording?
 
5.  What is the Record Bit-Depth in Sonar - Preferences>File>Audio Data?
 
My recommendation is that you first (With Sonar NOT running) set your audio interface Sample Rate to 44.1 or 48k and its ASIO Buffer Size to 128 (or if it has a slider set it to 11MS or slightly less), then after power cycling the audio interface, start Sonar and set your Driver Mode to ASIO in Sonar, click Apply, then set your Sample Rate to 44100 or 48000 (44.1k or 48k), so that is exactly matches the setting for your audio interface, and start with a Record Bit-Depth of 24.
 
After completing the above, try creating a new project in Sonar and load an empty audio track with a simple song file from your computer, such as WMA or MP3, and hit Play.  Does it play back properly through Sonar?  If so, then all is well, and if not, then something is not configured properly.  Either way, please post back with the results.
 
Bob Bone
 

Hey Bob, thanks for the quick response. Before I can answer your questions and try out your advice I need to clarify. How do I set my audio interface sample rate and ASIO buffer size without Sonar running? Do I do that through My Computer some how? Also, what is power cycling?
 
thanks, D

i imported an mp3 track as you suggested and when i played it back I was getting the same sound quality issue. However, as I could just about make out the singing it has become apparent that the sound is so bad because the track is being slowed down, its running at like 1/4 speed or something. Any idea why this is happening?
 
answers to your questions
1 - I don't know, how can I tell?
2 - 44100
3 - reported latency values
     input - 25.4 msec, 1118 samples
     output - 37.4 msec, 1648 samples
     total roundtrip - 62.7 msec, 2766 samples
4 - driver mode - ASIO   Dithering - Triangular
5 - record bit depth - 16
     render bit depth - 32
     import bit depth - original
 
 
thanks, D

Dermy, (make sure Sonar isn't running when you're doing this).
 
regarding question 1: when you installed the drivers for the Focusrite, you would have also installed the included software for your audio interface (this is where the settings for playback/recording parameters etc....reside). You'll need to open this software and set the Sample Rate / ASIO Buffer Size (possibly in the playback/recording setting). Once this is set, you can apply/save these settings and close the program.
 
 
Then, open Sonar and make sure the Sample Rate / ASIO Buffer Size matches what you set on the Focusrite.
 
Hopefully, that should work.
 
Good luck!!

Make sure the Scarlett's I/O are set as Playback and Record Timing Master in Preferences > Audio > Driver Settings. Also go into Sounds in the Windows Control Panel, and make sure your onboard soundcard is set as the default device for Windows playback and recording. This ensures that Windows, your browser and other multimedia apps will keep their mitts off your Focusrite which should be dedicated to SONAR. Some users will recommend disabling onboard sound, but I prefer to leave it available for use by the O/S and other apps (though I do turn off Windows sounds).

brundlefly
 Some users will recommend disabling onboard sound, but I prefer to leave it available for use by the O/S and other apps (though I do turn off Windows sounds).

Hi Brundlefly,
I also don't disable my onboard sound, but I've noticed that I have to regularly reinstall my driver for my Line6 Toneport DI box. When using other apps, I've changed the default playback (in Win8) to use the onboard sound, and then when switching back to Line6 DI (to use X2), the L6 drivers need to be reinstalled for Sonar to work.
Is this due to the changing of the default audio playback devices or???
 
(sorry, I don't mean to hijack the thread, but it is somewhat relevant.....)
 
 

hey guys, thanks to all for the help. I will try all these suggestions later on after dinner. I hope it works for me. I will post back with the results

Mesh
When using other apps, I've changed the default playback (in Win8) to use the onboard sound, and then when switching back to Line6 DI (to use X2), the L6 drivers need to be reinstalled for Sonar to work.
 

 
Dunno. Maybe a Win8-specific issue with the Line6 drivers. I'm not familiar with either. But you should not have to change the default device in Windows once you set it to your onboard sound. SONAR does not care what Windows is using for the default. That's the beauty of leaving onboard sound enabled, and setting it as the default for Windows. SONAR (and other "serious" audio apps) will use whatever you tell it to use, and everything else will use the Windows default device.

There are two ways of accessing one's audio interface, and usually only one of the two ways will work for a given interface.  (It varies from vendor to vendor, and possibly even within the product line of a given vendor).
 
One way that they provide access is through an icon that lives in the Windows System Tray - at the bottom right of your desktop in Windows.  You would usually have to expand the hidden icons, and then hover your mouse over each one to see what they are.  This is how I access the interface for my Presonus AudioBox 1818 VSL.  Double-clicking its icon brings up the settings screen and all that.
 
The other way is to give access to the host program, such as Sonar.  Sonar provides for this by including a button in Preferences to get to the ASIO Control Panel, which if that's how the interface vendor has it set up, would bring up the audio interface user interface settings screen.
 
If your particular interface is accessed through the Sonar Preference's ASIO Control Panel button, then yes, you would need to be in Sonar to get to the settings for the interface.  If so, then after making any settings changes to it, you would exit out of Sonar and then power cycle the interface.
 
What I meant by power cycling the audio interface is literally turning it off and then back on.  The recommended method of getting changes made to the interface to be properly recognized in Windows and applications, is to turn the audio interface physically off and then back on.  Doing so will completely reload the memory space is uses, and get the new settings in play.
 
Sometimes, if there is no power switch on the interface, one could disconnect it and reconnect it, if it uses a USB connection, or you can simply restart Windows.
 
If you HAVE made changes to the audio interface, it is best to power cycle it PRIOR to then making changes in Sonar that are based off of the new changes.
 
As for checking the Sample Rate and ASIO Buffer Size for your audio interface, get into the screen for its settings, using one of the two above methods, and then you will see them.  I recommend you start with either 44.1k or 48k as a starting point, and an ASIO Buffer Size of 128 (or if is uses a slider, shoot for something like 11ms or a little less).
 
62 milliseconds is WAY too high for latency.  Check the settings for your interface, set them to 44.1k or 48k, power cycle it, then go into Sonar and make sure the Sample Rate in Sonar EXACTLY matches what you have it set to for your interface.  Then click Apply, and again note the reported latency values, like you did before.
 
IF your interface uses a USB connection, make sure you are using the correct kind of USB port.  Plugging an interface designed to use USB 2.0 ports into a computer's USB 3.0 port is quite likely to jazz it all up.  My Presonus interface wigs out completely if I do that.
 
Bob Bone