Steve Moddelmog

Thanks. I'm remembering this now...

Just installed SPLAT - "just in case." Why is everything greyed out in Plugin Manager, and where are my plugins? Yes, I've got the right paths identified, but SPLAT won't scan and plugin lists are empty.

I have thought the same thing - no more expensive to pay the fee every month than it was to upgrade once a year. But if you decided not to upgrade, you still had a usable product. Maybe improvements to these products happen so frequently (continually) these days that there really is no point where the developer can say, well, this is now a big leap forward so now it's time for you to pay an upgrade fee if you want these new features. So after the first year, from a cost standpoint it's kind of like saying you're paying an upgrade fee monthly - except if you decide to stop getting the upgrades, you lose the program altogether.

Weirdly, when I now click on the links for Bandlab Membership (from "how to get Sonar"), I don't see Sonar mentioned anywhere there or in the page on Backstage Pass. Am I somehow missing it? I could have sworn it used to explicitly mention access to Sonar.

Maybe. But I just found my Sonar XL (2?) CD and the copyright date on it is 2001 - 23 years ago. So it would have been running under XP. I'm pretty sure I have installed from that in Windows 10 with no issues, don't think I've tried with Windows 11.

Well, X3 is activated with a serial number and as near as I can tell does not require servers anywhere to activate. And since they recently updated the old Command Center, it seems like the intent is to continue to allow people to activate SPLAT and other software they bought from the old entities.

And it also seems clear now they aren't going to throw a bone to those of us who paid for perpetual licenses during the prior ownership (I bought every single version of "old" Sonar, so I have paid a fair amount). They certainly aren't obligated to, but I would have done it if I were in their place (meaning a modest discount).

One more thing... if they ARE planning to offer a one-time purchase option, why don't they simply say so? They are the ones that put the question on their website. They fact that they don't simply answer their own question "We plan to offer a one-time purchase option in the (near) future" makes me think they aren't planning to do so.

I'm just saying I've read those words on other companies' websites in the past, and "at this time" has proven in the long run to mean "no." As I said, grammatically it would suggest reason for hope.

There's been a change in language on the website that leads me to believe they won't offer a perpetual license. Previously, they referred to "early access" to Sonar being available through Backstage Pass membership. That language has been replaced by This: "Cakewalk Sonar is currently available through BandLab Membership [no reference to early access]. If you have a BandLab account, you can purchase BandLab Membership here, or learn more about it in the BandLab Membership FAQ." The question "Will Cakewalk Sonar be offered via one-time purchase or perpetual license?" is now answered by this: "At this time, Cakewalk Next and Cakewalk Sonar are available exclusively through BandLab Membership." While that doesn't grammatically mean there won't be other purchase options in the future, my experience with the phrase "At this time" on companies' website almost always means " we aren't planning on it." So I am considering my options: (1) continue to use CBB until it no longer activates, then switch back to SPLAT which should always work (I also have X3 if the SPLAT authorization disappears), (2) look into other DAWs that offer perpetual licenses (Studio One?), or (3) purchase the Membership and see if I can get over my extreme aversion to that model. Under Option (3), I'd like to be assured that my files saved in the new Sonar can always be opened by the original Sonar, understanding that using certain new features could create some issues when opening the files in old Sonar.

I assume you mean shortcuts for the "nudge" function. They are on the numeric keypad.

So true. Not on the subject of making music, but years ago Gillette or Schick or some razor-maker attached the term "Pro-shave" to one of their products. I remember thinking, wow, I'm pretty good at shaving - maybe I could go pro.

I used to have 32-bit SPLAT installed alongside 64-bit Cakewalk by Bandlab. That way I could easily run old projects and not have an these headaches. Now I can't figure out how I did it - I think the installation sequence must be very important, because if I install 32-bit Sonar with Cakewalk already installed, it destroys the plugin database. But I'm certain I used to do it. Can anyone point me in the right direction for doing it? Maybe uninstall both, then install 32-bit Sonar first, run it so 32-bit and dxi plugins are found, and then install Cakewalk?

Seems not worth it to pursue. I do have P5. I could install and then wrap "Dimension" with dxishell, which I've had pretty good luck with converting other dxi's to VSTs. But it wouldn't recognize the wrapped dxi as the dxi that was used in my 16 year old project, so I still wouldn't know the preset that was used (or the settings). If I knew those, I'd just load them in Dimension Pro. ("Dimension" doesn't happen to be one of the few dxi's that work in 64-bit Cakewalk by Bandlab (such as PSYN II and Pentagon), does it?) As I said above, I do wish there was a way to get Cakewalk to cough up the info on presets and modified settings used for each plugin in a project. The info has to be there or it wouldn't know what to do when you load any project. Would be very useful with many plugins such as Native Instruments, Wusik, etc., that get new "identities" when they are upgraded. Would save me from having to have, for example, seven versions of Kontakt loaded (the same project with "Dimension (NOT Pro)" also uses Kontakt 3, which was a little tricky to authorize since it expects NI's Service Center, not Native Access, to authorize it). I've wised up recently and, unless I forget, I add the preset name to the Track notes so I know exactly what's what when opening in future installations.

Of course, even if I can get it working with dxishell, I won't know what settings or preset I used. I know that information has to be embedded somewhere in the .cwp file - I wish someone would develop a tool to extract it. Would be very helpful for working on old projects that use old versions of Native Instruments plugins, for example, where every update is actually a new program and you'd like to be able to find what the preset was in, say , Absynth 2 that you originally used in the project and load it in Absynth5, without having to install Absynth 2 just to get to the info.

Ah, I do still have my P5 CD. And I've had pretty good luck wrapping dxi's with dxishell. I'll give it a try. Thanks!

Oh, ps to that. I recall buying Dimension Pro and then it later came included with Sonar starting with Sonar 8, and I had issues with then having Dimension Pro installed with two different serial numbers. But I don't think that could be my problem here - pretty sure both of those versions of Dimension Pro showed up in projects as "Dimension Pro," not "Dimension."

I'm trying to open an old project from 2007. Two plugins weren't found: Kontakt 3, which I have somewhere and can install, and "Dimension." The missing plugin is not identified as Dimension Pro (which is installed and should be available). I noticed in a spreadsheet I have of what plugins came with what versions of Sonar that there was a Dimension LE that came with Sonar 7. I know the missing plugin is come variant of Dimension Pro - it actually loads the same little graphic in synth rack view that loads with Dimension Pro. Does anyone know what version of Dimension ?? would just be identified as "Dimension" by Cakewalk / Sonar?

I don't see anything in the BIOS settings that looks like it has to do with CPU throttling - I can pretty much tell what everything is for and there's just nothing like that. Maybe having no setting is HP's intention for this model. Thanks for the link to CoreTemp. I downloaded it, and the "hottest" Core (Core 0) is currently 69 degrees C.

And here is Bing's answer: It seems that acpi.sys is a common source of DPC latency for many users who want to use their laptops for music production. According to some online forums123, there are a few possible solutions you can try: Perform a clean install of Windows 10 and update all your drivers and BIOS2. Set your power mode to best performance and adjust the minimum processor state to 100% in the advanced power settings24. Turn off C-states, Intel TurboBoost, Intel Speedstep, and Intel Speed Shift in the BIOS2. Disable or uninstall any unnecessary devices or programs that may cause interference, such as ACPI-Compliant Control Method battery, Intel Dynamic Platform & Thermal Framework, Bonjour, MaxxAudioPro, OneDrive, etc2. Use a third-party program like Process Lasso or Process Hacker to set the process affinity or suspend the ACPI.sys threads25. Switch to a different audio interface with better drivers, such as Scarlett 18i83. I hope this helps you with your problem.

I asked Google Bard for help with this issue. Here's what I got - unfortunately nothing helpful: How can I keep acpi.sys from causing latency in music production software? View other drafts The acpi.sys driver is responsible for managing power consumption on your computer. It can sometimes cause latency in music production software, which can lead to clicks, pops, and other audio problems. There are a few things you can do to keep acpi.sys from causing latency: Update your drivers. Make sure you have the latest drivers for your computer's motherboard, processor, and graphics card. You can usually find these drivers on the manufacturer's website. Disable power management. Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Device Manager. Expand the "System Devices" category and right-click on "ACPI-Compliant System". Select "Properties" and go to the "Power Management" tab. Uncheck the box next to "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". Use a dedicated audio interface. A dedicated audio interface will give you much lower latency than your computer's built-in sound card. This will help to prevent acpi.sys from causing problems with your music production software. If you are still experiencing latency problems after trying these steps, you may need to contact your computer manufacturer or audio interface manufacturer for further assistance. Here are some additional tips for reducing DPC latency: Use a high-quality power supply. A poor-quality power supply can cause all sorts of problems with your computer's performance, including DPC latency. Keep your computer cool. Heat can also cause DPC latency, so make sure your computer has good ventilation. Close unnecessary programs. Any programs that are running in the background can contribute to DPC latency. Close any programs that you are not using. Defragment your hard drive. A fragmented hard drive can also cause DPC latency. Defragment your hard drive regularly to improve performance. By following these tips, you can help to reduce DPC latency and improve the performance of your music production software.

Power settings are all at their most "generous." USB not allowed to turn off to save power. I have never used sleep, and the first thing I do when i get a new computer is disable hibernate. At your suggestion, I looked at BIOS settings but I didn't see anything there that seemed to relate to power settings, other than an optimize battery setting which I didn't think would make a difference but I disabled it anyway (it was enabled). I do let Windows turn my screen off after X minutes of inactivity. Wouldn't think that would be problematic, would it?

No, it's an HP.

I downloaded the tool and have run it numerous times. Every time, all looks fine at first, but it eventually (from 30 seconds to 2 minutes in) gives me the message about "having trouble handling real-time audio" and simultaneously (I think) flags ACPI.sys as having the highest reported ISR and DPC routine execution times. It makes suggestions about Power Management (I'm really about 100% sure I have power settings at their most "generous" for every component) and tells me to check for BIOS updates (BIOS just updated less than a month ago). Any insights or suggestions are welcome. Incidentally (or maybe not so incidental), the sound is not always affected (to my ears, anyway) when the max engine load exceeds 100% and there are a few late buffers). But when the sound is poor, the max load is always reported at >100% and there are more than a few late buffers. Thanks to all who have offered their thoughts and ideas.

Thanks for your thorough answer. I figured RAM would not be part of the equation. Anyway, I have 32 Gb which seems ample, though my prior system had 48. Hard drive is SSD, though not a particularly fast one. Not using large sample libraries, so I think it's probably adequate. My processor is an i7-1165G7 - not spectacular, but seems like it should be up to the job. I just replaced my 3rd gen 2i2 with Zoom's new UAC-232. I have been running Sonar / Cakewalk for more than 20 years and have read about / done every tweak imaginable to optimize for music production. The reason I posted my question is that lately several projects have been stuttering during playback (and occasionally stop playing altogether until restarting CW or the computer). No dropout message, but I see max engine load as high as 180% and sometimes a lot of late buffers. All this has happened probably more or less simultaneously with trading out the 2i2 for the UAC-232. So I thought that might be the problem, it being a new product. But the same projects that are problematic sometimes play with no problem and max out at, say, 55% max load with no late buffers. I have an Apogee Duet (the model that was bundled with ProTools and was their first with Windows drivers). I tried swapping out the UAC-232 for the Apogee and I would say the engine load is generally maybe 10 percentage points lower, but there's so much variability that it's hard to say for sure. Once or twice it has also gone to >100% max engine load and a lot of late buffers. Also wondering if some particular plugins are to blame. I recently started using NI's RC 24 or RC 48 reverbs in virtually every project, and some of those recent projects also have NI's Replika or Replika XT (on not more than one track per project). Replika has always seemed like a resource hog. But if the plugins aren't to blame, I guess that leads me back to the CPU? By the way, one of the first projects I noticed the issue on only had 2 vsti tracks and one audio track. Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.