Jim Roseberry

ACPI.sys is power-management related... and DPC Latency issues with that culprit often can't be resolved. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as assigning your DAW software to "unaffected" cores. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/kernel/introduction-to-threaded-dpcs

Laptops that are particularly good for DAW purposes are expensive, large/bulky, and have short battery-life. IOW, The general-purpose user would hate it. 😉

There is no work-around for extremely high DPC Latency. It has to be addressed at the source. FWIW, Disabling TurboBoost won't solve DPC Latency issues. If you've updated the motherboard's firmware, updated all drivers, and updated Win10... you're out of options. When dealing with a general-purpose machine, you have to keep the target end-user in mind. The typical user of that laptop would never know it suffers from a several millisecond "hiccup" in data flow. For someone wanting to use it for DAW purposes, that small hiccup in data flow results in an audio glitch or dropout. Lets say you want to run your audio interface at a 64-sample ASIO buffer size (44.1k). The machine has 1.5ms to process/fill the next ASIO buffer. If a driver is monopolizing the CPU, the next buffer won't be processed/filled in time (resulting in a glitch/dropout). The typical user cares far more about extended battery life than ultimate performance. The power-management necessary for extended battery-life is diametrically-opposed to what we want in a high-performance DAW. With Laptops, power-management is the source of many DPC Latency issues.

+1 on the importance of proper backup! It's never a problem... until it's a major problem. 😉

FWIW, Your DAW's CPU will not affect the sound.

On eDrum Kits with really simple HiHat function, it's a switch (on/off) "closed" or "open". On more advanced eDrum Kits (like Roland's higher-end Vdrums), the HiHat controller (constantly) sends MIDI continuous controller data (to represent the foot pressure on the HiHat). I believe it sends CC# 4 (by default).

A HiHat pedal (on an electronic kit) sends MIDI CC data. Thus, yes... it could potentially be used to control a Wah effect. Guitar amp modelers use CC pedals to control Volume, Wah, etc.

You most likely didn't need to do a complete clean reinstall of the OS. A full manual uninstall of CbB (and or Sonar) would likely have sufficed. Use Programs And Features to Uninstall Delete all associated folders There are two locations in the Registry where software settings are retained. HKLM>Software>Cakewalk Music Software>Cakewalk (or Sonar) HKCU>Software>Cakewalk Music Software>Cakewalk (or Sonar) Now, reinstall CbB (or Sonar).

I'd start by making sure all his drivers up-to-date... and make sure Win7 is fully updated. Temporarily switch CbB to the motherboard's onboard audio. Does CbB still take a long time to close?

No comment on the sale... other than the Scheps Omni channel is fantastic for many things. The pair of de-essers alone are worth the cost (perfect for taming guitar-string squeaks, sibilance, and even over-bearing cymbals).

CbB is the latest version of Sonar Platinum (new features and fixes). As was mentioned, install Sonar Platinum (to access your existing plugins), then install CbB. They'll coexist without issue...

FWIW, When people rave about any plugin or program, they're virtually never talking about the "light" or entry-level version. ie: If a musician/engineer is raving about ProTools, they're not talking about ProTools Free. 😉 Melodyne Essentials is included with many DAW applications... and it-is-what-it-is... an entry-level intonation correction tool. All entry-level products are essentially a "gateway" to the full version. If you need advanced intonation correction abilities (and most of us do), you're left with few options (none of which are low cost). Thankfully, there's an upgrade path... and Celemony discounts several times a year. Cubase's Vari-Audio (included with the full program) is fairly close to Melodyne. That's the best "no cost" option I've seen... and that's only helpful if you've got Cubase Pro.

I'm a bit late to this thread... but it's good to have this confirmed. I've been using Melodyne on bass tracks (to tighten up the pitch-center)... and to my ears it makes an audible difference. I wish I could do the same with polyphonic guitar parts... but I find the polyphonic algorithm causes phasing issues.

Absolutely agree with this. First class vocal instructor can make an incredible difference. I "warm up" for about an hour on gig days. It's made an incredible difference in my vocal agility/stamina. In short, don't be afraid to work your voice hard the day of a gig/recording. Right before we go on, I do vocal "slides" up/down... to make sure the voice is ready.

With 8GB RAM (if the OP is making use of virtual-instruments), the machine could be hitting VM Swap-file (in lieu of having enough physical RAM). This will absolutely *kill* performance. Additional unused RAM won't buy any additional performance. You need enough physical RAM to run your largest projects. Load said project... and have a look at the amount of RAM being used.

Has the OP checked the system for high DPC Latency? That's the first thing I'd check. High DPC Latency can cause glitches or drop-outs (depending on the severity).

Some plugins like Addictive Drums have an online "Sync" process that runs when the plugin is opened. This can cause CbB to take a bit longer to completely shut down. FWIW, I'm experiencing this with the latest CbB... (while mixing a project for a client). CbB will close... it just takes a little longer. If I have Task Manager open... and stop the AD "Sync" process, the Cakewalk process stops almost immediately after.

Do you have an MIDI controllers connected to the machine? I just mentioned this in another thread... A MIDI driver "not letting go" can cause the CbB (Sonar) process not to stop. A good while back, the Korg USB MIDI driver caused this exact scenario.

For DAW purposes, clock-speed is absolutely the single most critical factor. Not all processes in a DAW can be multi-threaded. ie: Playing/monitoring in realtime thru an AmpSim plugin at 96k using a 32-sample ASIO buffer size is not something that lends itself to being heavily multi-threaded. Virtual instruments like UVI Falcon only use a single core. In a perfect scenario, you want highest possible clock-speed... AND the highest number of cores you can get. What you absolutely *don't* want to do is choose more cores... at the expense of significant clock-speed. This is why Xeon CPUs (even though they're more expensive) are usually a significant performance hit compared to standard CPUs. They have more cores... but typically significantly lower clock-speed. Right now, this is why the Intel i9-9900k is such a great "sweet-spot" for a DAW. With the proper configuration, you can lock all 8 cores (16 processing threads) at 5GHz. That's super high clock-speed... and 16 virtual cores (8 physical cores). With quality air-cooling, the 9900k will do the above while running near dead-silent. To best the 9900k, you have to go high-end socket-2066 i9 (which is $1400+ just for the CPU).

During his original run with Journey, I thought Steve Smith was good. After leaving Journey, his level of playing went up dramatically. He became one of the best players on the planet. His playing is smooth/fluid... looks and sounds effortless.

A MIDI driver that's not "letting go" can cause CbB (Sonar) to not shut down. A while back, Korg's USB MIDI driver was causing this issue. When you close CbB (Sonar), open Task Manager and see if the Sonar process continues to run. Some plugins like Addictive Drums have an online "Sync" process. This can cause CbB (Sonar) to take slightly longer to shut down.

Thunderbolt works just fine on a PC (if you know how to properly configure it). A MacBook Air is a particularly bad choice for DAW purposes. The reason is simple, its CPU has *slow* clock-speed. When choosing a CPU for DAW purposes, the most critical factor is clock-speed. Not all processes in a DAW can be multi-threaded (spread across cores). Things like playing/monitoring in realtime thru an AmpSim plugin at 96k using a 32-sample ASIO buffer size (super low round-trip latency)... don't lend themselves to being spread across multiple cores. Some plugins don't make use of multiple cores. ie: UVI's Falcon More cores is certainly beneficial... but not at the expense of significant clock-speed. This is why Xeon CPUs (although more expensive) are often a significant performance hit... compared to standard CPUs. They have more cores... but (typically) significantly slower clock-speed.

I'll check that out... 😉

I can't bring myself to use one of those... though the Dr was recommending it for sinus issues. Feel like I'm drowning myself...

The wife absolutely loves hers.