Hey - just for grins, go to Preferences>Audio>Playback and Recording, and tell me if the box is checked that says: Share Drivers With Other Programs.

If it is not checked, try checking it, then give it a try and see if that has any bearing on your problem.

Bob Bone

Oh - Also, make SURE your sampling rates are both set to the same value - try 44.1 for now.

Bob Bone

Please go check exactly what the sampling rate is for your interface, AND tell me exactly what Sonar has the sampling rate set to.

Everything I read seems to point to a rate mismatch

Bob Bone

 Bob, I did everything you said.  I checked the box "Share drivers with other programs".  I matched the sample rate also. But it's a no go. Same error message. Really strange. I even tried to import it thinking it would convert the sample rate. That didn't work either.

Yeah, I was just grasping at straws there.

Do you have multiple interfaces or sound cards?

When I was helping someone else with their interface yesterday, we cut Sonar out of the loop, and it helped us isolate his problem to something with the drivers on his device.

That in mind - let's do that here.  What happens when you play a song through the Windows Media Player?  I am thinking if it also crackles on you that the issue is happening regardless of Sonar, and we could then focus on the interface itself.  Can you play something in WMP and post back?

Bob Bone

I continued looking - got to be something.

Do you have your computer set to optimize for background services?  This is a setting you can review/change in Control Panel>System>Advanced System Settings>Performance (hit Settings button under Performance)>Advanced.  The default is to set for programs, change that to Background Services.

What about interference from antivirus programs?  I had problems in the past with various antivirus programs being poorly written (Norton and Macafee come to mind).  I use Avast, and it allows me to temporarily disable it (I have to uncheck the self-defense option in trouble shooting or it won't let me).  Avast gives me the option for it to start back up on reboot, and I just avoid the Internet anytime I have it disabled.

Have you looked through the Black Viper WIndows 7 optimizations for Windows Services?  I know on my system there are a whole bunch of them that I ended up turning off.  Everything the CPU is doing contributes to latency.  These optimizations can be reviewed at: http://www.blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-7-service-pack-1-service-configurations/

Bob Bone

Just a wild guess here... the demo was a download, right? Maybe a corrupted download?

Maybe a corrupted download? Correct !!

Good point - what happens when you play other things?

A simple audio track with an imported MP3?

Just playing something in Windows Media Player outside of Sonar?

A simple instrument track playing some piano sound on the TTS-1?

Love to know, 

Bob Bone

Hey Guys!  Well I don't have multiple sound cards. Everything goes through the Focusrite. And I did all of the optimizations including background services. I have no problem playing anything. Just this demo. I opened windows media player and was even able to play the single files. I'm out of things to try.