Troubleshooting Latency and Audio Dropouts in Cakewalk Sonar

Check Your Audio Driver

Before changing performance settings, make sure you're using the appropriate driver for your audio device.

If you're using an audio interface with a dedicated ASIO driver:

1. Install the latest compatible driver from the manufacturer's website.
2. Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio > Devices.
3. Set Driver Mode to ASIO.
4. Select your audio interface under ASIO Device.
5. Confirm that the correct inputs and outputs are enabled.

If you're using your computer's built-in audio device or a device without a dedicated ASIO driver, try WASAPI Shared.

If your audio interface also provides firmware updates, check the manufacturer's instructions to make sure the device firmware is current.

Adjust Your Audio Buffer Size

If the audio engine stops or Cakewalk Sonar displays a dropout message, try increasing your audio buffer size.

If You're Using ASIO

1. Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio > Driver Settings.
2. Select ASIO Panel to open your audio interface's control panel.
3. Increase the audio buffer size.
4. Apply the changes.
5. Return to Cakewalk Sonar and test again.

If ASIO Panel does not open the interface's control panel, open the manufacturer's control panel directly from Windows.

If You're Using WASAPI or Another Windows Driver Mode

1. Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio > Driver Settings.
2. Increase the Buffer Size.
3. Select Apply, then OK.
4. Test playback or recording again.

Increase the buffer gradually until playback is stable.

Tip

A smaller buffer can be useful while recording to reduce monitoring latency. For mixing or larger projects, increasing the buffer gives your system more time to process audio.

Check the Dropout Message

If Cakewalk Sonar displays an audio dropout notification, take note of the message or dropout code.

The dropout information can help identify which part of the audio system was unable to process data in time.

If the problem continues, keep the dropout code available when contacting Cakewalk Support.

Check Your Sample Rate

Make sure your audio interface and Cakewalk Sonar are configured to use compatible sample rates.

Check your current settings under Edit > Preferences > Audio > Driver Settings.

If you're using ASIO, also check the sample rate configured in your audio interface's control panel.

If another application is using the same audio device, close it temporarily and test Cakewalk Sonar again.

Check Whether the Issue Is Project-Specific

Create a new empty project and test playback or recording.

If the new project works correctly but the original project experiences dropouts, the issue may be related to the processing requirements or configuration of that project.

Projects may require more processing when they contain:

• A high track count
• Multiple effects
• CPU-intensive effects
• Virtual instruments
• Large sample libraries
• Complex routing or processing

If the problem occurs in every project, continue troubleshooting your audio driver and system configuration.

Test Plugins and Virtual Instruments

Some effects and virtual instruments can significantly increase processing requirements.

If the problem occurs in a specific project:

1. Temporarily bypass effects and test playback again.
2. Pay particular attention to effects using oversampling, look-ahead processing, convolution, or other CPU-intensive processing.
3. Temporarily disable or freeze virtual instruments and test again.
4. Re-enable plugins gradually to determine whether a specific plugin is contributing to the problem.

If the issue only occurs when a particular plugin is active, check for an updated version of that plugin.

Check System Load

Close unnecessary applications while testing Cakewalk Sonar.

Applications running in the background can consume CPU, memory, disk resources, or access your audio device.

This may include:

• Web browsers
• Video conferencing applications
• Screen recording or streaming software
• Cloud synchronization applications
• Game launchers
• Other audio or video applications

If performance improves after closing another application, reopen applications individually to determine which one affects performance.

Check Your Audio Interface Connection

If you're using a USB audio interface:

• Connect the interface directly to your computer when possible.
• Temporarily avoid USB hubs or docks while troubleshooting.
• Try another compatible USB port.
• Make sure the interface remains powered and connected while testing.

If the manufacturer provides specific USB connection recommendations, follow their guidance.

Check Windows Power Settings

Windows power-saving features can affect real-time audio performance.

When troubleshooting audio dropouts, make sure your computer is not operating in a power-saving mode that significantly limits processor performance.

This is particularly useful to check on laptops or systems where performance changes depending on whether the computer is connected to power.

Adjust Audio Disk I/O Buffer Settings

If you hear clicks or pops during playback, or audio clips are not playing consistently, you can test a larger disk I/O buffer.

1. Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio > Sync and Caching.
2. Locate Playback I/O Buffer Size and Record I/O Buffer Size.
3. Increase the buffer size.
4. Select Apply, then OK.
5. Test the project again.

Try increasing the values gradually, for example:

128 → 256 → 512 → 1024 → 2048

Larger disk I/O buffers can help when Cakewalk Sonar needs to stream larger amounts of audio data from storage.

Note

Audio interface buffer size and disk I/O buffer size control different parts of audio performance. If Cakewalk Sonar displays an audio dropout or the audio engine stops, start by adjusting your audio interface buffer size before changing disk I/O settings.

Read and Write Caching

Under Audio > Sync and Caching, you'll also find Enable Read Caching and Enable Write Caching.

We recommend leaving these options at their default settings unless you're troubleshooting a specific disk performance issue.

Restart the Audio Engine

If Cakewalk Sonar's audio engine stops:

1. Stop playback or recording.
2. Hold CTRL and click the Reset button in the Transport module.
3. Test playback again.

If the audio engine repeatedly stops, note any dropout message or code displayed by Sonar and continue troubleshooting rather than repeatedly resetting the engine.

Finding the Right Buffer Size

There isn't one buffer size that works best for every system or project.

For recording and real-time monitoring, use the lowest buffer size your system can handle reliably.

For mixing and larger projects, a higher buffer size can provide more processing headroom and improve playback stability.

Change one setting at a time and test the same part of the project after each change. This makes it easier to identify which setting affects performance.

Still Experiencing Audio Dropouts?

If the issue continues after completing the steps above, contact Cakewalk Support.

This information will help us narrow down whether the problem is related to the audio driver, system configuration, project, or another part of the audio processing chain.