ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRgh!!!!!!!!!!!

[jlhiggs]

Actually, I am not entirely new to computer recording, but am new to Windows 7 and Sonar Home Studio 7. It is not going well. I can't get an interface/sound card to work.

I started with an older M audio I used on my old Mac. I updated the drivers, but Sonar give me a lot of dropout on playback. Tech support suspected an updated interface might be better.

I bought a Sapphire 6. It was cumbersome getting it set up, but it did work - for a day. Then, when I armed a track for recording the audio meter would jump to max and stay pinned there. Sonar tech support could not figure it out and blamed it on the Sapphire. No support # for Sapphire, so I returned it.

Now I have Mackie's Onyx Blackjack. This one doesn't work right, either. On playback, sometimes, along with the recording I get ticks (not a metronome) or else it gives distorted sound despite normal readings on Sonar's meters. Either way, payback is completely unacceptable.

I have an HP, Windows &, Athelon II, 4 gig of RAM and 64 bit.

It seems to me it cannot be the fault of 3 interfaces.

any suggestion will be appreciated.

 

[guitaristic]

It appears to me to be a PEBKAC

 

[jlhiggs]

Ok, but what am I doing wrong? That's why I posted. If I am being stupid, I would just like to get educated.

 

[sockswithshoes]

Do you have another usb port on the computer you could try?

 

[guitaristic]

Ok, but what am I doing wrong? That's why I posted. If I am being stupid, I would just like to get educated.

haha just messing You're not being stupid, this stuff happens to everybody once in a while!

So you're actually getting a signal into your computer, you're just getting some serious volume drop on playback and ticks/distortion? All input volumes are set to healthy levels? Usually pops/clicks are a result of pushing your computer's resources.

You aren't running any other usb devices, are you?

 

[jlhiggs]

Sorry for my terse response, my frustration with this has dampened my sense of humor a bit and I took you as serious. Thanks for your response.

I guess I would characterize the ticks as more of a static sound, but it goes away when the distortion type sound kicks in. By the way, these same tracks played back perfectly on the sapphire, so it would seem the recordings themselves are not at fault. I should also mention that the interfacxe works great with iTunes. It is the playback on sonar that is the problem.

Nothing else running in the USBs except keyboard and mouse.

I am not getting any volume drop, just the extra noise.

 

[PDP]

I love when manufactures advertise "Plug n Play" LOL, Frustrating, sounds like you've got a shit load of conflicts. You've got to optimize all your settings in Windows for audio. Sweetwater has free webpages on how to do it. Try a different port, but it may be more complicated to get it working right. I changed about 20 settings in windows to get my DAW really kickin.

 

[PDP]

Sorry for my terse response, my frustration with this has dampened my sense of humor a bit and I took you as serious. Thanks for your response.

I guess I would characterize the ticks as more of a static sound, but it goes away when the distortion type sound kicks in. By the way, these same tracks played back perfectly on the sapphire, so it would seem the recordings themselves are not at fault. I should also mention that the interfacxe works great with iTunes. It is the playback on sonar that is the problem.

Nothing else running in the USBs except keyboard and mouse.

I am not getting any volume drop, just the extra noise.

What are your buffers set at in the Mackie?

 

[jlhiggs]

256. I did try several other settings with no effect. thanks for responding. I am going try a different USB port right now.

 

[jlhiggs]

a different USB port did not change anything, even after a restart. Worth a try.

 

[PDP]

256 should be fine. Are you running wireless internet? Thats a huge CPU disrupter. The other one is your Video settings. Strange that the Saffire worked and the Mackie wont. Are you sure you have the exactly newest Mackie drivers for W 7 ? Uninstall the focusrite and M-audio drivers. Check the Mackie website to make sure that unit's driver is up to date. I'm pretty sure Focusrite is up on W 7 drivers. Sucks the Saffire malfunctioned thats a good unit.

 

[jlhiggs]

I do have wireless and need to stay with it. Mackie has no driver discs in their package forcing one to go online and download the latest versions. What video setting could be interfering? I agree about saffire. i liked the way the unit was set up. I'm thinking the problem is not the interfaces - all three can't be bad. Other than that I am lost. You mention the wireless, but surely many home recorders are being used in the presence of wireless.

 

[jlhiggs]

Turned off the wireless and it made no difference. a new development has come up in this bizarre chain of events. The distortion/static has now spread into iTunes. A Norton scan shows no viruses. What the...........?

 

[jlhiggs]

A computer restart cleared the problem up in iTunes. At least I can listen to other people's music.

 

[jotangent]

Do you have onboard graphics? As apposed to a dedicated GPU.

 

[legionserial]

Or for that matter, do you have an onboard sound card that you haven't yet disabled?

 

[jlhiggs]

I am not sure how to disable the onboard sound card other than not choosing it in the control panel sound settings.

What are onboard graphics and a GPU?

 

[jlhiggs]

New development: If I am using iTunes and then open Sonar, iTunes stops playing. When I close Sonar the playback problem is now in iTunes. When I close iTunes and reopen it works fine. This does not work with Sonar.

 

[bruiser1964]

Definately sounds like a computer related issue rather than an outboard one...
Ensure you have disabled your onboard sound card - best do this in bios you don't need it anymore.
Check that you have ejected all USB devices - these can leave artifacts if you are not careful and confuse your pc
Remove and reinstall all relevent software carefully following the instructions... I know that sounds patronising but with USB devices especially it is critical at what point you plug the device in - usually not before you install the software.
Hope that helps.
I have found WIN7 64 to be the muts nuts BTW far better than XP

 

[PDP]

Also, go on the Mackie help forum and look for the same problem, I had an M-audio card doing the same thing. I found out I had to change one Bios setting and it fixed the whole problem. Good Luck.