Serious problems with new computer, evo 4 audio card and cakewalk.

[giant ll]

22 hours ago, John Vere said:

Go to manufacture web site and download and install the audio driver carefully following instructions. 
Go to settings/ Sound and check that Evo 1/2 are enabled and the default input and output devices. 
Disable all other devices listed both input and output. 

Go into advanced settings and choose your sample rate that you set in the Evo control panel. 
There’s a test tone you can confirm that everything is working and you have your monitors left and right connected properly. 
 

In Sonar preferences audio first select ASIO. 
Make sure no other devices are listed or checked. You want to only see the Evo on all the audio settings tabs including sync and caching. 
 

If there’s any sign of a generic ASIO driver remove them in the RegEdit App. 
 

Waveform is a free Daw you can use to test as well. 
 

In Cakewalk, Preferences Audio/  Record and Play/ modality driver what do i have to select?

 

Ok. I got Waveform. Never used before, i can try to use it and make some tests

 

Edited Sunday at 02:10 PM by giant ll

[giant ll]

When i restart computer it say that  EVO4 is disconnected.. i have to plug in and out the usb cable... to make Cakewalk see the soundcard. After works better..

But it seems that windows see EVO withouth this. I found it strange.

It seem there is also something in USB that create problems.

 

Edited Sunday at 07:54 PM by giant ll

[JonD]

Try a different USB port   (You're not still connected on the hub, are you?)

Also, USB can sleep as well.  As suggested earlier, change to High Performance, and to play it safe, go to Advanced and DISABLE all SLEEP settings (Change to NEVER).

[giant ll]

6 hours ago, JonD said:

Try a different USB port   (You're not still connected on the hub, are you?)

Also, USB can sleep as well.  As suggested earlier, change to High Performance, and to play it safe, go to Advanced and DISABLE all SLEEP settings (Change to NEVER).

Ok. I'm sorry if i go a bit slow because some bugs appeares not everytime, and when i change something.. i have to wait to see if bugs comes out the same. before changing other things. I need this to determinate exactly where the problems are.

I can say today "it is perfect", and tomorrow say "i have the problem again", it can cause a little confusion.

 

When i try to change a parameter so i could be slow to apply some reccomandations but i take all of them in consideration, also if they are written upstairs. There were different problems together i think.. i'im trying slowly to solve them.

Answer:

Yes. Try different port was also really important. 

I had the audio card connected to one Hub connected the USB port of the Case of computer. Also HDD gave me problems connected there..

Now i have connected Audio Card to an Hub  and 2 Hard disk to another HUB directly connected to the mainboard USB ports.

Computer is working much better..

I'm not sure about USB in case.. i've connected only the mouse there. I have to check the case USB ports in general and i'll make soon. 

I've selected ASIO in settings, and making some changing in options.

Now the program seem working well, also if  i need to record more and more tracks.. to test it in a more complete way. 

I've also changed an old Toshiba HDD external with a SSD external, is more quick and so.. different changings i'm making in this days.

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 07:15 PM by giant ll

[mettelus]

4 hours ago, giant ll said:

I've also changed an old Toshiba HDD external with a SSD external, is more quick and so.. different changings i'm making in this days.

I read through this thread and didn't see specs on your machine. Are you running a desktop or laptop, and what are the model/specs for it? The external hard drive stands out for me, since depending on exactly what you are pulling/sending to that, it can be a choke point by itself. Sending that data through a hub just adds to the computer's confusion and increases the throughput concerns (the interface will have buffer issues if sharing any connection). If that is a USB2 connection, every time the disc is reading/writing it can potentially consume the port it is connected to (so the interface can "go offline" or the buffer choke while the drives does its thing).

Windows does try to track USB connections, which is why using the same one helps. When Windows gets confused on what is plugged in where, disconnecting/reconnecting a USB connection will force Windows to check the device. If that has to be done repeatedly to make something work, dig into your hardware profile and see what USB devices Windows is seeing.

[giant ll]

On 5/14/2025 at 1:33 AM, mettelus said:

I read through this thread and didn't see specs on your machine. Are you running a desktop or laptop, and what are the model/specs for it? The external hard drive stands out for me, since depending on exactly what you are pulling/sending to that, it can be a choke point by itself. Sending that data through a hub just adds to the computer's confusion and increases the throughput concerns (the interface will have buffer issues if sharing any connection). If that is a USB2 connection, every time the disc is reading/writing it can potentially consume the port it is connected to (so the interface can "go offline" or the buffer choke while the drives does its thing).

Windows does try to track USB connections, which is why using the same one helps. When Windows gets confused on what is plugged in where, disconnecting/reconnecting a USB connection will force Windows to check the device. If that has to be done repeatedly to make something work, dig into your hardware profile and see what USB devices Windows is seeing.

Ok. I tell you my model/specs.

 

Is a desktop.

B 450 M HDV R 4.0 Mainboard.

Ryzen 7 5700 X CPU

Case Kolink

NVIDIA 4060 Ti Graphic Card

EVO 4 sound card

32 GB Ram

ORICO 7 Port USB 3.0 HUB

SANDISK portable SSD external.

 

Now is working well. But.. i wait a bit to be sure because i'm still testing my system.

 

About USB: I've moved all the hardware connected from "Case" USB port to "Mainboard" USB port.

Now only the mouse is connected to the case .

CASE port was not so stable.. Using directly mainboard ports, all the USB connections are working much better. 

I don't like using too much HUBS but i need them in some case, i try to use only the minimum for connections.

I'm using only USB 3.0 now. No 2.0.

 

Edited 21 hours ago by giant ll

[mettelus]

Thanks for posting the specs, that helps us understand a lot better. I am still confused with the hub/external drive. Are you actively using that external drive or just for backups? Your motherboard has 5 internal drive connections (4 SATA3, 1 M.2), and with a desktop they are better choices (if actively using the data from the external to work). I use external drives for backups, but also unplug them when not backing up data (not really "necessary" but keeps the machine from trying to keep active communication with a device that it doesn't need to run). As mentioned previously, Windows needs to have USB ports tweaked so they are not allowed to go idle, and hibernation mode has always been flaky in Windows... either of those can cause an interface to disconnect/not come back online properly. Also, when working in DAW mode, if all of your computer audio is passing through your audio interface, be sure that Windows is not giving exclusive control to apps (right click and do properties in Windows Sound Control Panel on the device, and makes sure those are unchecked on the "Advanced" tab at the top... while in there, also disable the "Enhancements" and "Spatial Sound" at the top, as they feed into the Windows mixer an with interfere with DAW usage).

Edited 15 hours ago by mettelus

[giant ll]

2 hours ago, mettelus said:

Thanks for posting the specs, that helps us understand a lot better. I am still confused with the hub/external drive. Are you actively using that external drive or just for backups?

With this new pc: I'm using only C for Cakewalk. Only internal drive. All Cakewalk settings are related with internal.

I'm using secondary SSD for other activities and for music backup. This is the answer.

But..

 

 

My internal drive is only 1Tb and full at 50-60%

I could need soon to use the External SSD 1T  sometimes for working on Cakewalk.  And so.. i will have to "move" the projects files directory on the secondary. I've made this also with old computer sometimes.

 

Is just for space.

 

 

In future i would have to buy a secondary internal 2Tb SSD.. but at the moment i can't.

Edited 13 hours ago by giant ll

[giant ll]

1 hour ago, mettelus said:

I use external drives for backups, but also unplug them when not backing up data

Yes. i could unplug too sometimes external drives when i'm not using them. If i'm working on DAW. Expecially the older HDD that could give more "disturb" to the general working of computer.

Edited 14 hours ago by giant ll

[giant ll]

 

2 hours ago, mettelus said:

and hibernation mode has always been flaky in Windows... either of those can cause an interface to disconnect/not come back online properly

This is how i've put the options on Control Panel now. P.s: "mai" means "never". Is set in another language.

 

Edited 13 hours ago by giant ll

[giant ll]

3 hours ago, mettelus said:

Also, when working in DAW mode, if all of your computer audio is passing through your audio interface, be sure that Windows is not giving exclusive control to apps

I've de-selected  this option now. In the Windows control panel, in input and output of my soundcard, both were flagged. Also Spatial sound.. the only voice i've seen i've deselected.

Edited 12 hours ago by giant ll

[mettelus]

Gotcha, thanks for that. It seems the computer is running better for you now, correct?

**** Below is just babbling about storage in general ****

Regarding storage, when working with multimedia files, temporary files can build up quickly. Every time you bounce a file, a new one is created, but Cakewalk doesn't delete the old one (in case you do want to keep it). For projects you have worked on a long time, it is always good to keep the entire folder as a backup (on another disc), and you can pare down the project folder by doing a "Save As..." to a new folder, and checking "Copy all audio with project" at the bottom of that dialog box. When that new folder is created only the audio actively in use by that project will copy (and only works for the open .cwp file). This is not urgent, but something to keep in mind if you notice project folders getting HUGE on you.

Windows also creates temp files that never purge on their own. While you can get some of them with "Disk Cleanup" and checking the  "Clean up system files" in the pop up, the ones that seems to build up quickest are in the following 2 directories:

    C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Temp (Windows Explorer needs "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" enabled in the Folder Options->View to see the AppData folder)

    C:\Windows\Temp

When those directories fill up you can safely delete the contents... anything that won't delete is in use, so just skip those (those directories will fill back up over time anyway).

One thing that did catch me off guard a few months back is that Windows maintains the Hibernation File even if you don't use it, and it re-enables itself with some Windows updates. I posted about how to disable that here, and the reason it caught my attention was the hiberfil.sys file was 43.5GB (and I keep my C drive running at roughly 200GB). Disabling that frees up the resources that Windows is using to maintain it (a total waste if you never use Hybernation).