"record" metronome not in sync with "playback" metronome.

Folks, I'm new to HS7xl, but have been using Roland VS Daws for years so I'm not new to recording. 
 
I'm trying to get my feet wet with the PC based recording by recording my MIDI instruments (keys and Vdrums) and then using the sequencer to play them back while mastering my material in my Roland Daw.   Just to repeat, I am currently only using Cakewalk only as a MIDI recorder, editing platform and MIDI playback sequencer -- no audio at this point.
 
I'm on a rather new, rather well equipped ThinkPad and using a Cakewalk UM-G1 MIDI interface.
 
I'm an excellent reader of documentation, but am finding that there is much lacking in that regard with Cakewalk and have already had to utilized this forum.  Thanks in advance. 
 
Across the top of the 'track view' is what I call a "timeline" (not sure if that's the proper Cakewalk term).  It's got the measure numbers and the beat marks and when you hit Record or Play a "Now Line" (again my term) moves from left to right across your tracks and this timeline.  Additionally there is the MBT readout up higher which counts out the project.
 
If I hit "Play" (with metronome on), the clicks are both in time with the MBT readout and the occur where the Now Line crosses the Beat Markers on the Timeline.  All is as expected.
 
When I hit "Record" however, I get the requested countdown, but then as the Now Line starts moving, the metronome clicks are almost exactly in the middle of the Timeline Beat Marks and also the same offset from the MBT readout. 
 
I'm lost as to the cause of this, but it is sure putting a damper on any thoughts I currently have of recording.  How do I get the metromone clicks to go off where they should when recording?
 
Thanks
JB
 
 
 
 

you're probably experiencing latency.  I understand you said you are not using AUDIO at all, but the soundcard and its drivers are the top reason for latency. 

what soundcard are you using?  if you're using the onboard soundcard then that will very likely be the reason you're experiencing this problem.

give us the info greg and I are asking for and we'll try to help from there.

well JB, as I said:  it's the soundcard and its drivers.  your $2800 laptop didn't come with a soundcard that was written for low latency recording. 

you can try to get the onboard soundcard to work better a couple of ways.  I did say we needed to know what you were using before we continued - IF you had a recording soundcard I'd give you different advice than if you had an onboard soundcard.  sometimes there are some things you can adjust or do to reduce the latency of the onboard soundcard.  but we have to know which way to answer you.

first, go to OPTION>AUDIO and see if you have a DRIVER MODE of WASAPI available.  if WASAPI is available, choose that one.  click APPLY.  that will likely reduce your latency with the onboard soundcard to an acceptable level.

if you don't have WASAPI available, then I suggest you download and install ASIO4ALL (google it) and then change to ASIO driver mode.  that will also likely reduce your latency.

if neither of those options work then you probably would have to buy a recording soundcard (regardless of the fact that you aren't recording audio) in order to reduce the latency.

to try the MIDI metronome, go to OPTIONS>PROJECT>METRONOME and change the output from AUDIO to MIDI.  but you have to set up the MIDI metronome for MIDI hardware output on the port and channel specified in that window.

are you saying you set it to MIDI metronome and you ARE getting a click?  if so, then it's probably routing the MIDI output to the MS GS Wavetable.  look at OPTIONS>MIDI DEVICES and see what you have selected for OUTPUT.  if you have MS GS Wavetable selected there, then that's what the MIDI metronome output is.

MS GS Wavetable is a "softsynth" that came with windows for playing MIDI files.  it still uses your onboard soundcard as its audio output and is probably still a problem for latency.

the MIDI metronome settings are for routing your metronome out to the specified port and channel.  if you have a device specified in the MIDI DEVICES then whichever one you specify as the port which you set in the metronome parameters is where the midi data is sent for the metronome.  for example, if you set up the MIDI DEVICES (using the INSTRUMENT routing) for MS GS Wavetable to be port 1 and set the metronome output parameters as port 1, channel 1 then it will send those midi messages to the ms gs wavetable.

if you set up the INSTRUEMNT routing for an external keyboard for port 1, then it would send those midi messages to your keyboard.

oh, ok.

yes, normally that's what the MIDI metronome is for - for an external hardware synth to produce the sound.

good luck