Windows update has an update history where you can check, whether an update matches with the first occurrence of these issues. It should also be able to back-out such a bad patch (if this should be the issue).

Another thing is that you do not seem to have a proper backup / desaster recovery strategy which is a bad thing.
Otherwise you could restore your Windows installation of the day where all still worked in about no time.

This works best if you separate OS/Programs/Registry from user data.
Although you can't easily move your complete user profile to a location on separate disk you can at least move the prepared folders (Own Documents, Music, Videos, etc) by opening the properties and moving it.

The advantage is, that you can restore the Windows Installation without loosing user data.
The only thing which needs to be copied / restored separately are changes of Appdata with application settings:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData

Such application data and my user data on a separate disk I mirror in it's original format, so that it is guaranteed, that it's readable on whatever PC and is fully independend of the backup software,

For backup of Windows Disk/SSD I use Macrium Reflect (do not use Acronis, this is banana software and does not work in that particular moment where you need to restore your data ...). For mirroring user profile and user data I used FreeFileSync.

Macrium Reflect has the advantage to be reliable and blindingly fast as it restores only data on disk that needs to be changed. And this is very little because on my system disk there is not so much data that changed during the last days.
So a full restore of my 1TB disk with 800GB of data takes below 15 minutes....

And exactly something like this and a proven procedure you will need, to be able to quickly and reliably recover from such situations. If you do not have it just right now .. bad luck .. but I give you the strong recommendation to build up something like this...

Other possibilities to come forward

1. Make a backup now using Macrium Reflect, to have a backup of this state, so that it doesn't become even worse
2. check Task manager whether you see processes consuming much CPU time and/or memory, is there something unusual?
3. Start DAW with fresh default settings...
    Quit DAW and rename the folder containing DAW settings, usually
      - C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\<appname> -> <appname>.old
    to be on the safe side also the folder for local / temp data
     - C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\<appname> -> <appname>.old
    Start DAW and check whether it runs better now without lag.
4. Install Reaper, check whether reaper also have such problems or not.
5. Install a 2nd disk/ssd and perform a clean Windows 10 installation and prepare for DUAL boot.
    Then you can make test installations for such or other purposes on that disk.
    Make a minimum installation with RME driver only and your DAW software, check whether the issue persists.

Again .. when did it 1st occur ? Was there a Windows update ?
Did you try another DAW ? Reaper ?

Don't you see any processes with high CPU load ? What is the CPU load on an IDLE system (fresh reboot/login) ?

Virus scan to be on the safe side...

What does LatencyMon report ? Bad DPC lag ? Maybe because of driver update ?

Any additional system load by e.g. Indexer, Defragmenter (hopefully not on a SSD), Antivirus Scan ?

If reaper works, then where is the lag/issue ?!

> It's also very strange that I cannot see RME device on Windows, but I can use it

Sorry, from that description I can not understand what you see where.

The Babyface Pro should be visible in device manager.
To enable windows sound you need to configure WDM devices in the RME driver first.
Then you can set in windows sound settings this just defined speaker device as default sound device for Windows OS and all applications that do not support ASIO (e.g. Internet Browser, etc).

For a basic setup see my blog article for a 1st time setup: https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … rnal-equi/

> If I go inside Windows sound devices (from Windows Settings) I actually can see that a Babyface exists
> as sound device,
> but I can't select it as output because it is not simply available as output in the menu.

??? I mean this:

After defining the speaker device in the RME driver settings

You configure Windows sound that this just created sound device becomes the default sound device for Windows and all applications, that do not support ASIO.

In your DAW (which supports ASIO) you will load the RME ASIO driver, this doesn't need to use the Windows WDM driver (= Windows default sound device).

Oh great, I had set to 0 the number of WDM devices..., that's the reason Windows couldn't choose the Babyface as Output, now that is solved. Thank you!.

The Fireface ASIO Driver is always selected in Cakewalk, but the lag is still the very same.

There's many, many things you can try which would help us determine what's going on. For one, I highly suggest testing the unit in the Class Compliant mode (driverless, enter it by holding down both Select & Recall when the Babyface is first plugged into USB for power, see manual for details). That'll sort out whether or not you've got a issue pertaining directly to the WDM / ASIO drivers in Windows as you can assume that the built-in ASIO USB Class Compliant audio driver will always work properly with any such audio interface. Also I highly recommend testing on other computers - in class-compliant mode, you can plug it into any Windows/Mac and they should automatically switch over the stereo output & input to the babyface (even iOS & Android devices too). I doubt your babyface hardware is messed up, which is what I'm trying to rule out. Of course if funniness persists, ensure you're on the latest firmware update and even if so flash that firmware again for good measure. There's also RME's own software DIGIcheck which comes w Babyface, I've not gotten a chance to try it yet (Win-only) but I believe lets you check stuff like full-trip send/return latency. I hate to say it, but like the Babyface manual states, Windows audio drivers stuff is kinda yuck - apparently OK tho in the end; btw if you're trying it in class-compliant mode on an older Windows computer, idk remember exactly when Microsoft finally got around to including class compliant audio support PlugNplay (not XP, maybe by 7) but if needed just google & download the USB Audio Class Compliant  ASIO driver. Also you haven't really told us where you're experiencing the lag - are you monitoring via your DAW or are you using only TotalMixFX for real-time monitoring (highly recommended) ? Looks like you're using a low buffer (as you'd want to) but for me even at that low audio buffer rate, my DAW needs to be set to its 'low latency mode' to eliminate noticeable lag when playing software instruments live out of my DAW. Try another DAW, too, download n-track for example of something free & easy.

AFAIK class compliant mode does not work correctly under windows as you have noticed (MS issue).
As a last resort could you do a clean install of windows 10 21H2 on an external drive? With just cakewalk and see if this solves it.
Also can you open performance monitor and see if there is very high cpu use and by what?

I am afraid that the problem is coming 100% from Cakewalk since I have just found a thread in this forum where the user (777mirek) is having the very same issues... (https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=34350).

He finally says that already tried reinstalling a clean W10 and experienced the very same. I was about to start doing that, as you guys recommended, but after reading this.... I will consider that would happen the same to me. I need to discover wtf is happening between the RME and Cakewalk software....

But I noticed that there's another common aspect in our cases: we both are using Ryzen... This is becoming so intriguing to me...

Thank you guys.

PD: I attach another RME VS Cakewalk case I found (and also Ryzen!), this could be useful for new RME users that could come by: https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php? … asio-mode/

I tried with several older versions of Cakewalk and the issue with the babyface remains in my Windows 10.