John Vere

OK, so you haven't downloaded from the website? This is a "must do" for all interfaces. Toss the CD out and go to the website and grab the latest driver. 

https://customer.focusrite.com/en/support/downloads?brand=Focusrite&product_by_range=542&download_type=software  

It's worth a shot seeing as your still on W7 it might be OK. 

But I would still start looking for a newer interface anyhow. They start at around $100 and up from there. I made a list of stuff that is what I figure you need to think about before your start looking. Everyone has different needs and sometimes it's best to spend a few extra bucks and get the correct features. Like needing 2 headphone jacks. Lots miss out on that one little feature and end up spending another $100 just to by a headphone amp. 

Here's my blurb: 

There is a lot of choices.

Make a list of your requirements first.

What kind of connectivity do you require? and how many of each.

These are some of the options:

XLR, 1/4",  Combi jacks,  RCA, ¼” line level, ¼” Instrument level ,MIDI, SPDIF, ADAT,MADI

How many ins and outs do you think you'll need now and in the future?

Are they accessible?  Front or rear panel?

Are all ¼” jacks Balanced?  

Is there a true stereo pair? Some don’t have a matched set of inputs. This makes recording a stereo instrument difficult. 

Pre Amps will fall under the “you get what you pay for”  rule, but check out the reviews anyhow. Your on your own with this one...

A/D convertors will also fall under the same rule and generally all are good these days. 

Are there peak level meters or just a little LED for each input?

Are there channel Insert jacks?

Are there separate controls for Monitor level and headphone level?

Is there a blend control for mixing Input Source with Computer ( DAW) ?

How many Headphone jacks? A level for each?

Are the input pads or line / Instrument toggle switches on the front, back or software controlled?

Is it a metal box or cheap plastic? Is it light and portable or large and bulky, Rack mountable?

Does it have an on / off switch?

Does it use Buss power or a power supply? Buss power can have issues with noise and Phantom power. Look for at least an optional power supply.  

Does it have DSP effects built in?

Does it use a GUI mixer? Having a software (GUI) mixer adds more options.

Can it be used as stand alone? Some interfaces are also handy as a small mixer and some mixers are handy as interfaces. 

What are the Round Trip Latency (RTL) specs? Do you need low RTL for real time processing?

Low RTL is going to be at a higher price point. A $200 interface will have hidden buffers etc.

Zero Latency monitoring is not the same as RTL. All interfaces have some latency.

Zero latency is just marketing hype for monitoring directly from the interface.

And most important of all, Does it have top notch drivers for your OS. 

What is the word on support from the company?

Does it come with free software, An LE version of a  DAW you would like to try?

Everyone will recommend the interface they have chosen, that doesn't mean it is the right one for you.

If your going to use amp sims then you better buy a better audio interface that is capable of a very low round trip latency. And your computer will also need to be capable of supporting very low buffer settings without drop outs.  See the very bottom line on this dialog box- "Total Roundtrip"- that has to be below 6ms for most people to not through your playing off time.  

One solution is to blend the playback with the direct sound. 

Holy cow. How old is that Saffire 6? The download page doesn't even mention which version of windows the driver is for?  And maybe  the issue is related to the fact it was made for USB 1.1 and not 2.0   https://customer.focusrite.com/en/support/downloads?brand=Focusrite&product_by_range=410&download_type=all

 Yes a new interface might be a good idea. The Mackie will not have good drivers either. I know, I had that mixer. 

I had to  re-read the entire post as I have lost track of the original issue. 

You should try my tutorial on getting started and see if that works. It's very basic but I explain step by step how to use a downloaded midi file to make a project. 

Go to my site found in my signature and look for the Cakewalk tutorials on midi. 

I think people get totally confused about latency and where it matters. 

If you use direct monitoring it doesn't matter what buffer size  etc you use. You will hear your input synced perfectly with the output.  DO NOT TURN ON INPUT ECHO on new audio tracks your about to record. Use direct monitoring. 

RTL only matters if you are trying to listen to what you are inputting AFTER it has passed through your system. There will always be latency if you do this. And ya,, with a top notch system and interface you can get that way down to something like 2.5 ms but there will always be latency. Most run of the mill systems ( Computers/ audio interfaces) run at more like 8ms to as high as 30 ms.  

I have a pretty basic system and my RTL is at best 12ms so that is unusable for monitoring as I overdub. I use direct monitoring and therefore I'm listening at zero latency ( or very close). 

Now all this above is related to recording audio. Midi is different. 

Midi latency can be caused once again by the entire system. 

I find it's important to use a good midi driver that comes with most of the better controllers. I had terrible latency all of sudden a while ago and it turned out the issue was caused by W10 update overwriting my Roland midi driver with a generic midi driver. I re installed the Roland midi driver and the latency was gone. 

The other times I will experience midi latency is when I have certain effects like the LP multi band active. The latency goes away the minute I bypass all my effects. So I'm in the habit of making sure I by pass all my effects before I try and overdub midi parts with my midi keyboard or my midi drums. 

As far as I can tell midi latency has little to do with audio settings. There is for sure still some latency which will be caused by the system. I can hear just a bit of echo if I listen to my midi drums brain mixed with a VST drum output. So once again I use direct monitoring when playing drums and only monitor the brain while tracking. On a top notch system it might not be as noticeable but on mine it is. Someday I'll purchase a better interface like RME but for now I get by fine with a Focusrite or my Tascam. 

I have been following your other thread and you are asking very good questions and taking the time to learn about the complicated world of DAW recording. 

Audio interfaces always will have the direct monitoring feature. This is a feature that allows you to monitor your input source directly before it passes through the A/D convertors so therefore the sound is direct analog and has zero latency. This is  mixed in your monitors/ headphones with the playback from your computer via the ASIO audio / USB / D/A convertors which your DAW will automatically adjust for latency so that your overdubbed tracks are perfectly in snyc with the already recorded material in your DAW.  

You can have issues if you have VST effects that use a " look ahead" buffer. It is best to perform all overdubbing ( tracking) with all effects bypassed to eliminate this issue. 

You can also have issues with latency if you try and overdub tracks while listening the the sound of the output of the DAW instead of the input. The output of any DAW will have some amount of latency depending on the quality of the system. 

Input of interface A/D convertors add latency

The system of your USB and computer add latency

Your DAW can add latency and if there is a lot of effects it can grow. 

Your buffer and sample rate settings can change the amount of latency

Then the USB going out and the D/A convertors sending to the monitors can add even more latency. 

So direct monitoring solves all this and then a good ASIO driver that correctly reports to your DAW what it's latency is so the DAW can correct this is also important. 

Good sounding electric Guitar is possibly one of the more elusive sounds to capture and there might just be as many ways to accomplish this as there are brands of guitars and amps. 

Easiest method by far is to mike up a great sounding guitar/ amp combo using a SM 57 or equivalent.  

Any audio interface with a mike input set at the proper input gain will record more or less the sound of that amp. 

Best to wear headphones to play along with the backing tracks so they don't bleed into the new track.  

This is a very easy recording process that is worth the time it takes to get it to work properly.

  Electric guitars respond best when interfaced with a proper pre amp gain structure. DI sound typically can sound thin or wet noodle. So feeding a wet noodle tone into a A/D converter is not going to ever sound like feeding it into a hi voltage tube pre amp. Think about it,,   Some people like the sound of processed wet noodle guitar, each to their own. Most of us want that tube amp overdrive that only a good amp delivers. There are some excellent guitar pre amps as well but expecting a A/D in the box emulator to sound the same as hardware??? close but no banana. 

Exactly You got it. 

Mabey a screen shot of my preference settings will help. This is not my main system but just substitute Focusrite for M Audio. 

must be because i never see that

You insert 2 stereo busses. One is for the drums/ percussion  the other is any other synths like bass, piano etc. 

So you pan one bus hard left and to other hard right. It's a simple matter of sending the drums to the left buss and all other instruments to the right. 

You could even have a bunch of sub busses if you so desire and just by panning each buss create a custom split track wave file. 

I like this because sometimes we do want a full stereo track and all I need to do is un-pan the busses. These backing tracks also get used as our bed tracks for recording full albums too.  

In my tutorials I show how to get at the master buss in the buss pane

https://sites.google.com/view/cactus-studios/part-1-midi-and-cakewalk

To insert a new buss just right click in the buss pane to open the dialog. You can name the buss anything you want. Make sure it's output is going to the Master buss. 

See the little button that say's instrument? Try that, If your acoustic guitar has a built in pre amp then you need to lower the gain structure substantially from what a mikes or electric guitars level would be . Your running a pre amp through a pre amp. I'm not sure if the Solo has input meters on the front anymore.. Do the rings around the gain knobs change colour still?  

There is possibly 10 ways to do this- this is my way. 

Use" Insert  midi track."  just right click in the Track Pane. If the VST is the only one inserted the track will automatically assign the output.  If not change it. 

This is the reason that I would never choose the TTS-1 for customizing midi tracks into realistic tracks with full processing applied. Much easier to separate midi tracks from the instruments and treat the VST track like any other audio track.  

Simply open the midi file in Cakewalk which will lay out all your midi tracks from channel 1-16 and assign them to the TTS-1. ( if you have everything unchecked in the midi output options in preferences) 

Now if it was me!! I'd track by track assign  my instruments to better sounding VST's. A lot of them are already included with CbB. And you can then either purchase or dig around for the many free VST's. You can use some of the sounds of the TTS_1 if you cannot find a replacement but here's an example of working with free and cheap. 

Insert the SI drums with only the " First synth Audio output" checked. Don't check any other boxes. This will create a instrument track for the VST.  Now choose a kit you like the sound of. Bonus- you now have a compressor and reverb which are pretty decent. Now simply change the output of the TTS-1 drum track to go to the SI drums instead and you will instantly see what I'm talking about.. . 

Now for the bass you can try the SI bass and repeat above steps. If you had Dim Pro there is a killer acoustic bass in there which might be what your after for Jazz. Many multi instrument VST's have basses. 

For Piano you can grab the demo of Addictive Keys from XLN audio. https://www.xlnaudio.com/products/addictive_keys 

If you have $14 to spare Xpand!2 from air is stellar at things like woodwinds and brass. It's always on sale at vendors like Plugin Boutique Check out the free section here while you shopping,,- I have a lot of this stuff and it's top notch.   https://www.pluginboutique.com/products/1560

OK I forgot about that. That must be why I have all the XLN pianos. I have the Mark II etc. It was that deal via Focusrite. And yes the RED VST collection is one I use a lot after I say a guy using them exclusively on a digital console system. I had just wrote them off as yet more eq's and compressors to learn about but they just plain work they way I want them to work so I now use them as my "go to". 

I mention this fact in my how to shop for an interface blurb. Never rule out the freebies that come with some interfaces. There's a lot of added value sometimes. 

To the OP- my name is said just like you say Beer or Deer! When I tell people my name they always say " Oh like the Tracktor!" 

 Thanks for taking the time to listen to my music. It's just my hobbie and I don't really do much with it once created. I enjoy the process of creating something that I like. Sorry I don't really have any pianos featured, they are just part of the background of most of my music. I use a lot of Wurly's on my backing tracks. The this one is the MArk II https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=13626058 

Seems you are attempting to master an album in a abnormal way. 
 

that is fine but there is still no real need to print effects to the “ songs”. 
 

normal mastering involves adding whatever processes are needed and exporting the track. The processing will be applied to the exported  track. Then  if this required changes you simply Edit them and then re export. Your method would seem to have no way to undo the damage. 
 

you might want to look at using a wave editor for mastering. They are designed for this task and the work flow is easier than using a daw 

You just leave it alone. Add the effects you want to the bin or Pro Channel and leave them alone. There's no reason these days to "print" effects to a track. This allows for future fine tuning as you move along. 

My 7200 rpm hard drive is 85% full. Could this be it?   

  Yes it could. Go get a back up drive and start cleaning junk out. 

It's actually not a very good way to work with effects. It's known as destructive editing. But I don't think it applies Pro channel. Just the selected effect. Make sure you have an original copy of the audio before you do this. 

Actually all you have to do is set EZ drummer as the output of the midi track. 

Roland possibly uses GM midi mapping? EZ drummer I think has a GM mode. I know AD2 and Session drums do. 

As scook has said all you need to do is when you insert EZ drummer is choose the multi output option. 

Yes I use the demo version as Abacab has mentioned and never have I noticed the missing octaves. I use piano in most of my backing tracks which are standard dance party stuff. I also will use it in my original songs which are sort of folk/country rock and blues style. 

https://sites.google.com/view/cactus-studios/original-songs

I have a very similar system. Off the self HP  i7 12GB RAM etc. I also have  a similar data drive and possibly the biggest difference is my OS in on a 250 ssd.
I haven’t done much to tweak it same as you and I have no issues.  If I do have an issue it’s always a 32 bit plug in.  

I run my projects from the data drive and most of my sample data is in the default location of the C Drive. 120 is just a bit too small for a DAW. I am planning on updating my data drive to a ssd but right now everything is fine so will wait a bit longer. The price keeps going down and the size going up. 

This is yet another post that is pointing out that this interface possibly has a poor  quality ASIO driver. To bad as I was interested in this as an option for a new interface 

If all you want is the  guitar efx then it’s a simple matter of him recording the output of your guitar Track back to an ADAT track with just the wet output of the reverb. That not that complicated. 

I play folk/ bluegrass style in a duo and we use backing tracks for bass. We only need the bass which we run to a bass amp. But I still use a simple drum track which I much prefer over a click track we run this to our monitors.  
To export the track in Cakewalk It’s a very simple matter of setting up 2  busses that feed the Master buss.  One is panned left the other right.  This is commonly called a  Split Track.  So all we need is a stereo wave file.  
 

At the gig I use a little notebook running WinAmp for playback I can use the laptops audio out, an interface or in our case our mixer is a USB interface   All work equally well.   
 

If using the 1/8 audio out I have a special cable that Y’s to the mixer and the bass amp.  With the USB mixer I don’t have the option of splitting the bass so I have to pan the USB channel In the mains to eliminate the Drums. I send both to the floor wedge using the pre fader option of the aux send   But you really only need a stereo wave file for backing tracks 

Who told you to use MME? I have a friend I set up with a Solo and it works 100% with Cakewalk and ASIO driver. Focusrite has a good ASIO driver and if your not using it your tracks will overdub out of sync. It's not a "known issue" to most. Contact Focusrite if you think otherwise. They used to be real good at answering questions. 

MME is the oldest and worst driver you would choose. Latency will be out the window. MME works with MIDI only.