Can't use my soundcard

[jpdubay]

I am running Sonar 2 XL and using an Audiophile 2496 for input and my computers soundcard for the output. When I start Sonar, I get error messages saying that my card is being used by another application. It is my primary soundcard- I use it for listening to Winamp, Media Player, etc...
How do I set it up so that I can use this for Sonar as well?

[James Argo]

Well, Audiophile and onboard soundcard don't make it together in Sonar on particular driver mode. And when you find they work on MME mode, the result is bad. I suggest, don't use your onboard soundcard in Sonar. It's worth for listening winamp, etc. But don't work in Sonar using onboard soundcard. Use only the Audiophile in either ASIO or WDM driver. Save your time tweaking these things...


Jaymz

[Porter]

jpdubay,

Listen to what Jaymz says... personally, I wouldn't even worry about the secondary sound card. I'll put it this way, you have a Rolls Royce and a shitty Ford sitting beside each other, just choose the Rolls Royce and sell the Ford, ie, use the Audiophile for everything (including WinAmp). I tried what you are trying to do once.. took the old sound card out of the picture and all the problems disappeared, plus your Winamp will sound better through the Audiophile. .

Porter

[jpdubay]

I agree that would be the best thing but I tried it before and every time I recorded something, the previous tracks would be recorded and everything bled together. I couldn't remedy that but if you have any suggestions it would help out. Maybe I should start another thread...

[Porter]

That sounds something like what happens with the old Sound Blaster cards which have an option to record 'What U Hear' in the Audio control panel. You might have the output set to an input or something similar.

So we can help, you might want to give some more info, what driver are you running (ASIO vs WDM vs MME) etc.

Porter

[Jim Y]

There seems to be a mini-epidemic of this kind of problem.
Someone suggested in another forum that for Cakewalk sequencers to work, you must install the software with the same user name that you log in to Windows with. I'm not sure about that at all - seems like Snake-oil, but you never know. I use the same name and have never had the problem.

However, what I suggest, if you really want to use your Windows card in Sonar is this.
Start Sonar
Continue past the error message.
Sonar menu Options/Audio
Advanced Tab
Check "Share Drivers with other Programs".
Close Sonar and then Reopen it for the change to take effect.

To remove the Windows Soundcard from Sonar - which is recommended, it will reduce your audio performance.
That Options/Audio Menu again.
Drivers Tab
Click a channel name to turn it Blue background (enabled, Sonar will use it)
Or click until it turns White background (disabled, Sonar will not use it).
Once that's settled, I recommend you run the Wave Profiler again. At the Bottom of Options/ Audio/ General tab, pull the latency slider all the way to the left and click the Wave Profiler button.

Disabling Audio drivers does not prevent you using any midi synth or midi i/o port the card has. You select midi in the Options/ Midi Devices menu in the same way.

BTW, If Share Drivers does not work - there is something badly wrong with the drivers for your old soundcard (they may be working, but they are not "multiclient") and you will have to deselect them in Sonar anyway.