Topic: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

I tried to change driver mode to WDM/KS because I have daily problems with 2xFF800 & ASIO & Sonar 8.5.3.
Sonar says 'Unable to start playback .. blah blah .. audio device may be in use'. But it's not. And in control panel / sounds everything is disabled.

Project is 44,1 kHz. Firefaces run 44,1 kHz and they're synced via ADAT2.

Any hints how to get this running?

sonarmods.com

Re: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

From a Sonar user I spoke with, I understand you will have to edit the AUD.INI file so the value "Use extensible" is 0 instead of 1. Also, maybe worth a try to select the FF as the default playback device in Windows control panel.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Re: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

These have to be set to 1 for the v3 drivers to work (which is their default):

ShowMultiChannelInputs=1
ShowMultiChannelOutputs=1

You can try the other way around, but it should work. Also test if switching bit-depth make any difference (16 bit or 24 bit).

4 (edited by panu 2010-09-16 22:22:03)

Re: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

I did these changes:
- Control Panel / Sounds: Default playback device set as Fireface 1+2.
- ShowMultiChannelInputs=1
- ShowMultiChannelOutputs=1

Sonar Audio Options / Advanced Tab:
[X] Share Drivers
[X] Use Multiprocessing Engine
[X] Use MMCSS


Now playback starts but music sounds like robot (badly crackling) or Audio Engine drops out immediately. Alternatively playback starts without sound and it can't be stopped by any means but ending Sonar task.

Here is my current aud.ini (I removed some ASIO stuff to make this shorter). Any more ideas?

--- clip ---

[Aud]
DataDir=m:\
PictureDir=C:\Cakewalk Projects\Picture Cache
PicCacheMB=500
PicCacheZoom=128
PicCacheLevels=2
EnablePicCacheThreads=1
ComputePicturesWhilePlaying=1
CopyOnImport=1
ReadCache=0
WriteCache=0
EnableCacheWriteThru=1
VolMethod=1
PanMethod=1
DiskBufSize=256
DiskRecBufSize=256
ExtraDiskBuffers=2
DitherAlgorithm=0
ZeroFillMethod=2
RecordPreAllocSeconds=30
ZeroFillDB=300
FlushWriteBeforeRead=0
FlushMultiple=1
DefaultEqPosition=0
DefaultAudSnapOfflineStretchMethod=3
DefaultAudSnapOnlineStretchMethod=1
RadiusStretchingPitchCoherence=50
RadiusStretchingPhaseCoherence=50
RealtimePreroll=1
SuspendPluginsOnBounce=1
[Wave]
DefaultSampleRate=44100
DriverID=1
WaveInID=0
OpenInputFirst=0
SmpteMode=0
TimingOffsetMsec=0,000000
TimingOffsetBuffers=0
LatencyMsec=2
BounceBufSizeMsec=0
FlushOnStop=0
ThreadSchedulingModel=2
EnableMixThreads=1
MixThreadCount=4
EnableSetThreadIdealProcessor=1
CSUseSpin=1
AllowOfflineRenderMixThreads=1
UseMMCSS=1
MMCSSThreadPriority=2
MMCSSTaskKey=Pro Audio
FreeMemOnUnload=1
AlwaysOpenAllDevices=0
MinimizeDriverStateChanges=1
RemoveDCOffset=0
EnableAsioBufferSwitchTimeInfo=1
EnableDeviceOutputLatencyCompensation=1
UseHardwareSamplePosition=0
BitsPerSample=24
FileBitDepth=24
RenderBitDepth=24
ImportBitDepth=0
ExtraPluginBufs=0
MixDezipperUsec=50
GapDezipperUsec=500
WaveInBuffers=8
WaveOutBuffersMME=4
WaveOutBuffersKS=2
MeterFrameSizeMS=40
SyncMaxDriftMsec=2
SyncDivisor=8
ProfiledMME=0
ProfiledKS=1
ProfiledWASAPI=0
UseWDMDmaForWASAPI=1
LinkSendPan=0
LinkPFSendMute=1
StopOnEmptyPlayQueue=0
KsUseInputEvent=0
WaveOutExtraBuffers=1
AutomationDecimationMsec=50
EnableSSEMixing=1
ThumbnailCacheSize=100
ManageASIOThreadPriority=1
EnableLiveADCRecalc=1
UseAlias=1
DropoutMsec=250
StartFadeMsec=20
StopFadeMsec=30
PanLaw=1
PanLawCompatMode=0
DisableIMDuringPlay=0
ShowMultiChannelInputs=1
ShowMultiChannelOutputs=1

[SampleRates]
Count=8
0=11025
1=22050
2=44100
3=48000
4=88200
5=96000
6=176400
7=192000

[RME Fireface 800 (28 in, 34 out)]
MigratedDMA=1
Name=Fireface Analog (1+2)
InputLatencyOffset=0
UseAsioReportedLatency=1
WidePacking=4
Interleave=2
Use24BitExtensible=0
UseExtensibleForMultiChannelIO=0
WDM.DMA.11025=11 11 11 11
WDM.DMA.22050=22 22 22 22
WDM.DMA.44100=128 256 128 256
WDM.DMA.48000=48 48 48 48
WDM.DMA.88200=88 88 88 88
WDM.DMA.96000=96 96 96 96
WDM.DMA.176400=176 176 176 176
WDM.DMA.192000=192 192 192 192
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut1=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut2=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut3=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut4=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut5=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut6=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut7=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut8=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut9=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut10=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut11=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut12=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut13=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut14=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut15=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut16=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut17=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut18=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut19=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut20=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut21=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut22=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut23=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut24=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut25=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut26=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut27=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut28=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut29=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut30=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut31=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut32=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut33=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut34=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn1=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn2=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn3=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn4=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn5=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn6=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn7=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn8=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn9=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn10=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn11=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn12=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn13=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn14=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn15=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn16=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn17=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn18=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn19=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn20=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn21=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn22=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn23=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn24=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn25=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn26=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn27=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn28=1

[RME Fireface 800 (14 in, 17 out)]
MigratedDMA=1
InputLatencyOffset=0
UseAsioReportedLatency=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut1=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut2=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut3=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut4=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut5=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut6=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut7=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut8=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut9=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut10=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut11=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut12=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut13=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut14=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut15=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut16=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveOut17=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn1=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn2=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn3=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn4=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn5=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn6=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn7=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn8=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn9=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn10=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn11=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn12=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn13=1
WDM.DriverMap.UseWaveIn14=1
WidePacking=4
Interleave=2
Use24BitExtensible=1
UseExtensibleForMultiChannelIO=0
WDM.DMA.11025=11 11 11 11
WDM.DMA.22050=22 22 22 22
WDM.DMA.44100=128 256 128 256
WDM.DMA.48000=48 48 48 48
WDM.DMA.88200=88 88 88 88
WDM.DMA.96000=96 96 96 96
WDM.DMA.176400=176 176 176 176
WDM.DMA.192000=192 192 192 192
Name=Fireface Analog (1+2)

--- clip ---

PC: W7-64bit, i7 950, Asus P6T, 12 GB DDR3. 2 x Fireface 800. DPC Latency ~130 us.

sonarmods.com

5 (edited by Timur 2010-09-16 23:24:28)

Re: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

You need to make sure that the Audio Buffers in the Fireface Settings are set to a *lower* value than the WDM buffer you set in sonar if you are using buffers smaller than 1024 samples.

WDM buffer sizes 512- 960 need a FF buffer that is at least 256 samples smaller.
WDM buffer size 256 needs a FF buffer that is at least 128 samples smaller.
WDM buffer size 128 needs a FF buffer that is at least 64 samples smaller.
WDM buffer size 64 doesn't seem to be usable since 48 samples FF buffer does does not work.

Maybe you should also reset the AUD.INI to default values (can be done via AUDIO preferences inside Sonar).

Re: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

After adjusting those buffer sizes I was able to start WDM playback for the first time. (WDM 512, Fireface 128 or 256)
Looks promising. I make some testw with WDM to see if it works better than ASIO.

Thank you!

sonarmods.com

7 (edited by panu 2010-09-16 23:07:49)

Re: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

It worked 5 minutes with 2 Firefaces. ASIO is still leading in reability.
With one unit seems to be OK.

sonarmods.com

Re: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

1 unit & WDM: project worked fine for a while but suddenly playback started without sound. When I tried to open Fireface options I got error message claiming that firmware version is too old (...need version 2.77 or newer...).

sonarmods.com

9 (edited by Timur 2010-09-16 23:25:21)

Re: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

Yes, there is still some issues with WDM and Sonar in the current Fireface drivers. I also had BSOD with this combination.

That being said, I don't see why people don't use ASIO with Sonar 8 instead of WDM. Someone claimed less CPU load with WDM, but at least with 500 audio tracks playing in a one bar loop I don't see any considerable difference (for some reason Sonar hangs after half a bar playback if I try to import more clips/tracks).

Re: WDM & Sonar PE 8.5.3, W7 64 bit

By the way, I think you should try to turn "Share Drivers" off.