musec03
What happens?
After inserting the synth ...X2a goes into "mixdown" mode ...temporarily freezing the program.
After a brief but complete screen whiteout ...everything is fine...
 
Others have reported very closely matching circumstances.

 
I get this, although not a "complete screen" whiteout; the complete area inside the Sonar X2a application window goes white for a few seconds but the application window itself is still visible.  A bit unsettling.

I GOT IT!!! 
 
The delay occurs when you add an Instrument Track or a MIDI and/or Audio track or any of the options in the Insert-Softsynth dialog. If you want to get rid of that delay, don't have it insert any tracks when you insert a softsynth.
 
Still doesn't explain why some of you are getting a white screen, but that could just be the time it takes your computer to process inserting the new tracks. Try just inserting some tracks and see if you get the same effect. 

I have been seeing this since the last round of .net updates from the demons at Microsoft.  Not sure what parts of SONAR, if any. use use .net.
 
My windows rating is all above 7.1 apart from the graphics card.

Whitescreen normally means the ui is waiting for a response from something

Ok, I updated everything all drivers etc.  Still happening even in a blank project.  Inserting synth with or without tracks didn't make a difference.  Sometimes the delay time is long....1 minute +.   I called support and we tried deleting older midi drivers but it didnt help.  But I think I may have stumbled on a work around.
 
When the synth is loading and it says processing tracks click or right click on X2 in the task bar to minimize it.  Then click on it in the task bar to bring it up again.  I tested this and in 99% of the times when Sonar maximized the synth was loaded and I could move forward.
 
If you were having the problem.  See if this works for you.  Let me know.  Ok back to work....
 
System Specs  -  Lenovo Workstation Laptop.  12 gig ram.  2 SSD drives.  Win 7 64bit all latest drivers.  VS 100 System.

Weird symptoms. My gut feeling is this doesn't have anything to do with actually inserting a synth but something stealing away focus from the application and preventing the UI from running.


Can you try a few tests:
 
- Try inserting a small synth like one of the P5 synths or TTS1 and see if you see the same lag.
- Try picking insert synth and then immediately cancelling from the dialog without actually inserting a synth. Do you still see this lag?
 
When you get the lag try moving the cursor to the taskbar or clicking on a different app window and then click back to SONAR. Does this bring the UI back to life?

Hi Noel, I tried inserting TTS1 into an empty project and had the same lag.  I tried a few other synths all had the same issue.  Some lag more than others.  However in every case when I went to the task bar and clicked and right clicked to minimize Sonar when I maximized the synth was available immediately.
 
I did also try to insert and cancel and did notice a delay.  Maybe not as long but at least 10 - 20 seconds where I could not do anything.  Hope this helps.  I will almost always have to go through this min max process as the delay on my system is extensive but no other issues anywhere else......
 
Thanks,
John

THANKS EVERYBODY!!!!! ....I have called in a problem report in case it is available to Cakewalk personnel for review....
 
Noel ...I"m glad you stopped by ...that is a good sign things will pick up on this issue as more report the same circumstance...
...a recurring statement is "it began after installing X2a" ...which is my situation
 
If we could get Jim Roseberry in on this conversation it may help to highlight technical aspects I am unable to explain...
Jim consulted with me in this matter ...we spent quite a lot of time disabling many possible problems in software ...drivers, etc
Jim's tech fees are very reasonable and my rig does run more smoothly...
 
...daveny5 ...Thanks for the helpful interest. my rating for this computer is 5.9 ...that's based on the primary data disk transfer rate ...the lowest of all ratings ...the rest are all over 7.3 & go up to 7.8
 
I am scheduling a down time to have this computer "cleaned" by a tech. The guy is keyed into A/V machines, so he's prepared to hash out any "problems" after disabling the windows services he knows to be unnecessary.

*** Noel or anyone ...isn't there a Cakewalk bulletin describing (all) Windows services one can disable to improve SONAR"s performance?
 
IN SUMMARY ...I'm as sure as I can be this is a software / programming issue associated with a part of X2a as it works with all the MS updates we're confronted with in Win7 & Win8. I never leave out "operator error" but in this case ... a reputable, knowledgeable individual guided me through a comprehensive exam of my hardware and software ...but rates, drivers, etc...  

there are reports of the problem occurring after installation of X2a and there are reports of it "going away" after MS Windows "latest updates"
...it may be thin but one deduction could relate these two... NOTE ...I am not qualified to make a definitive statement to that effect...

Again ...Thanks Everyone                        

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
Can you try a few tests:
 
- Try inserting a small synth like one of the P5 synths or TTS1 and see if you see the same lag.
- Try picking insert synth and then immediately cancelling from the dialog without actually inserting a synth. Do you still see this lag?
 
When you get the lag try moving the cursor to the taskbar ....... Does this bring the UI back to life?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Yes, immediately (when I click the taskbar)

I read the post about windows update fixing the lag problem, so I decided to give it a test. After my last round of updates, something was borked, and I ended up rolling back. Decided to give it a try today, and all the windows updates installed smoothly with no problems.
 
I tested X2 with Omnisphere since that's the synth that gives me the most trouble. It can take anywhere from 10 seconds to a couple of minutes to load depending on how large the samples are with a particular patch. I will usually get the freezing UI, white screen, and it was a 50/50 chance that the synth would load or X2 would just freeze, and changing patches was just as problematic. It was one of the main issues that had me seeking out other hosts. In Reaper, Omnisphere would load immediately, never crashed, and switching the patches wasn't a problem. It behaved like I expected it to.
 
I've been testing/playing with X2 all morning after the updates, and now X2 is just as snappy as Reaper. It's really a night/day difference. What it changed I have no idea, but a definite improvement that builds my trust in the X series. Omnisphere now loads immediately without freezing, and so do all the patches. I also seem to have lost the glitches in the media browser where I'd have to click on a wave several times to get it to play. Fluid and plays back perfectly. Some of my earlier problems disappeared when I upgraded my Lynx drivers, and now the windows updates seem to have taken care of the rest. Makes me think that there was some kind of error that was preventing all my hardware from communicating with the software properly.
 
If this is the experience others have had since the start, no wonder this forum is so divided.