WAIT!
This is NOT what you asked about originally!
If I understand you correctly each "take" is being offset more and more?

I'll have to test and get back.

You need to put some system specs in your signature or at least post your specs.

T

I was trying to get you to pay attention to what multiple folks had posted.

What you are saying now does not seem to be what you posed as your original situation.  We are not in front of you, and you did not post your system specs - so all we have to go on is what you include in your posts.

I am happy to help, if I can.  Please elaborate.  Is this an import issue?  A playback issue?  A recording issue?

Bob Bone

Okay, now this sounds like the exact same problem I'm having with X1.
DZarob - Take a look at my post, pull up those same screens and let us know what you're seeing for settings (ASIO Reported Latency and then from the other screen Input, Output and Total Roundtrip Latency).  

Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to fix this problem (thinking about re-installing X1 in Safe Mode).

http://forum.cakewalk.com/fb.ashx?m=2744100


{edited to be more specific about the parameters}

@ DZ and j,
If you are using ASIO drivers, and letting Sonar X1 or X2 set the "offset" (use ASIO reported Latency),
your timing is spot on.
j, I know 8.5.3 shows the "input" number and X1 & X2 show the "roundtrip".
It doesn't matter because all three are placing the recorded file in the "right" place.
Sync is an easy thing to test. Loop a drum track and send it back into your interface.
Sonar is sample accurate.
Trust me...

T

Tom and All - Thanks for your patience on this.  What DZarob and I are experiencing is an anomaly.   (Although I can't claim mastery, I've worked with Cakewalk software since the Home Studio 2 days and have never had this problem.)

Tom - Thanks for your excellent suggestion on how to show the problem.  I set up a drum track with a snare hit at every measure, left the metronome on, and then patched a loop-around on the sound card to feed that back into an audio channel.

For this first demo, I left the "Use ASIO Reported Latency" checked (so 'on'):


Here's the result.  You can see the audio drifting later and later with each take.  Also, a short "tail" track is stuck onto the end (I stopped recording before starting another loop).



I ran the same test with a second track and Use Reported ASIO Latency unchecked and then the audio lines up fine.

(So in this shot "Latency On" track = "Use Reported ASIO Latency" is checked; "Latency Off" = unchecked.)

I admit this seems counter-intuitive, but there it is.


Lacking a better idea, my next move is to re-install X1, but since I have a work-around and am in the middle of a project I'll wait until later.


I'm still open to suggestions, but meanwhile, DZarob, at least you know you're not alone with this issue.

I will caution you that if you are importing mp3 files, I have seen the files have an extra 0.055 seconds or so at the the begining of the file.  If a WAV file starts exactly on the first click of a click track.  Convert that file to mp3 and zoom way up on the start of audio and you might find that blank audio has been added prior to that first click.  Has nothing to do with any Sonar settings but can cause an offset.

j,
I just looked at your referenced thread.
Try setting the TonePort, Playback and Record to the "same" channel.
You've got some kind of external hardware compensation going on me thinks.
You've got Playback set to channel 1-2 and Record set to the Send.
Set those the same and report back...

T

Thanks Tom.
Good eye, but those are my only choices (I'd checked those pull-downs earlier).

DZarob - Any luck on your side?

j,
Are those your only choices because Windows has grabbed something for itself?
You maybe should go into Control Panel>Sounds and make sure the greedy b****h,
excuse me, Windows hasn't misappropriated something.

Worse case scenario, uncheck Use ASIO reported latency.
It looks "close" on your screen shots, is it "spot on"?
You can always use "Manual Offset", the problem there, if you change latency your "offset" is wrong.

T

I'll shed a little light on this subject as far as the latency adjustment goes. In my opinion, everyone should do a manual adjustment because if you do an actual test, you WILL indeed find out that your soundcard SHOULD be aligned to Sonar but isn't.

There was a member on this forum...Eric Beam (RhythmnMind or something) that created a test file showing us how to test our soundcards as well as how to tweak them to work in Sonar. Every machine I have tested this on that I use here, has needed a manual offset adjustment. I would always wonder why some of my tracks weren't quite right over the years.

One thing I pride myself on, is my timing. I'd put myself up against a metronome anyday and come so close, no one would be able to tell. The day I learned about this test from Eric and actually did it, was the day I never had an issue with my files being messed up again. Trust me...those that think you don't need to do this test, will be astounded when you find out how much you need to adjust your cards.

The key is to run a test file in Sonar. I do not believe the test file you use matters, but preferably a mono test file. Actually, here is the one Eric gave us...so use this. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4909348/interface%20timing%20test%20file%20%40%2048k.wav

Set your latency for as low as you normally do to record. Then, take that file that you've imported, and record it into itself. Meaning, take the out of that track where the imported wave is, and run it into the in. So if you use 1/2 for your main outs, run one of them into INPUT 1. Arm the track, and record it. Do a few test runs to try and get the levels of your recording the same as the test file you use. If you zoom in, you will see just how off Sonar is from your soundcard. As I said, not a single machine I own running Sonar has passed this test without a tweak.

From there, go into your nudge settings and set it for "Samples". Hi-lite the track you recorded, zoom in tight and nudge it in the direction you need to go to make it be perfectly in line with the imported wave file. As you do this, count each time you press a nudge direction. When you are done nudging, take the number you come up with and input it into Sonar's manual latency adjustment. If you had to move your clip to the right, input a negative number. If you had to move your clip to the left because it was recording late, input a positive number. Still allow the check-box to remain for Sonar to take care of it for you, but put your number in.

Then, delete the wave file you recorded and record another one now that you have put that number in your manual latency box. The wave file, when zoomed in, should be identical to the test file you used timing wise. That's all there is to it. Try it, you'll see how off your stuff really is.

-Danny
 
Edited due to positive and negative advice being backwards....fixed!