Two Sound Cards with Sonar 6

I've been using my MOTU 828 mkII with Sonar for a while. Just about the same time that I got the Sonar 6 upgrade, I decided to add a Saffire to get the DSP based channel strip and reverb for monitoring the vocal tracks. My MOTU's maxed out, so I also pick up a couple of inputs and mic pres in the process; or so I thought.

I'm using WDM drivers and working at 44.1 with giant [2048] buffers to eliminate that variable.

However, it doesn't work. I've got the latest drivers for both and Sonar recognizes both; but when both are powered up Sonar 6 is pretty much non-functional [locks up or doesn't interact with the I/O]. Sonar 5.2 is a little better; it tends to interact with the first one installed pretty well but the other one pops and clicks. Though 5.2 will sometimes lockup also.

If only the MOTU or the Saffire is powered up, Sonar 6 seems to work fine. Sonar 5.2 only wants to work with the last one installed even when the second one installed is the only one powered up.

Any suggestons?

Thanks.

Bill Phillips

ORIGINAL: phil5633

I've been using my MOTU 828 mkII with Sonar for a while. Just about the same time that I got the Sonar 6 upgrade, I decided to add a Saffire to get the DSP based channel strip and reverb for monitoring the vocal tracks. My MOTU's maxed out, so I also pick up a couple of inputs and mic pres in the process; or so I thought.

I'm using WDM drivers and working at 44.1 with giant [2048] buffers to eliminate that variable.

However, it doesn't work. I've got the latest drivers for both and Sonar recognizes both; but when both are powered up Sonar 6 is pretty much non-functional [locks up or doesn't interact with the I/O]. Sonar 5.2 is a little better; it tends to interact with the first one installed pretty well but the other one pops and clicks. Though 5.2 will sometimes lockup also.

If only the MOTU or the Saffire is powered up, Sonar 6 seems to work fine. Sonar 5.2 only wants to work with the last one installed even when the second one installed is the only one powered up.

Any suggestons?

Thanks.

Bill Phillips

Hi Bill, there are two issues here you need to be aware of. First, you will need to use WDM drivers if you want to use more then one card. ASIO has a limit of only one driver.

Second the pops and clicks happen when each interface is using it's own internal sample rate clock, they drift off from each other. The correct way to use two digital devcies in the same system is to set one as the sample rate clock and make the other one use that clock also. To do this you must have matching digital connections on each unit and in your case SPDIF is it. SPDIF carries digital audio but it can also carry the sample rate clock, however, it's a one direction only interface so that affects how you would hook it up. Either inteface can be the sample rate clock so you might want to try it both ways to see if one is a higher quality clock then the other. This can also complicate things like swtiching sample rates so it's best to use the first interface if you switch often. If you work at 44.1 all the time it doesn't matter.

So to use the sample rate clock in the MOTU just connect the SPDIF out of the MOTU to the SPDIF in on the Saffire. Then go to the control panel of the Saffire and set it to get clock from the SPDIF in. That should do it. If you ever use the Saffire only then you would have to switch it back to internal. This also gives you an audio patch between the two devices so you could monitor the SPDIF outputs of the MOTU on the Saffire along with the inputs on the Saffire... very handy. Just set the bus you want to use from Sonar to the SPDIF out of the MOTU or use it's montior mixer to set up a "copy" of the outputs you use to go to the SPDIF out. You could even hook up the other SPDIF cable and have audio going both ways, just be careful not to create a feedback loop.

You can also go the other way with the clock if you need to. Connect the SPDIF out of the Saffire to the SPDIF in of the MOTU and use the MOTU control panel to set it to get clock from the Saffire. Just remember you then set your sample rate from the one that is the clock and the other one will lock to it automatically.

With both interfaces using the sample clock to control the ins and outs of the converters you should have no clicks or pops.