Cubase works fine on to an external HD. Anyway I was merely suggesting you try another HD to rule out any drive problems. I take it you’re recording onto the C drive? Quite often problems with dropping out of record can be drive related!
Ok, I have uploaded a video of the occurring problem on my youtube account here: http://youtu.be/ZJH8LiRr_rM
Disregard the playing as this was only reference for the problem and sorry if the camera was a bit shaky. Hopefully there is enough info to see what is happening.
Any help and suggestions are welcome.
Thanks in advance.
SB
Ok, you have a point on the process of elimination. I will try to borrow an ext drive from a friend before buying and report back. Meanwhile, I just posted a vid on my youtube account of this prob. Hope it will help lead to a solution. check it out here: http://youtu.be/ZJH8LiRr_rM
I noticed that other applications are open. It probably would be a good idea to close ALL of those, since they could steal your Inputs/outputs. On your transport panel, confirm that sync is on. I couldn’t see, did your input levels keep rising in the mixer as you played? It is often difficult to help when we don’t have the exact interface that you do. I’ll do a little research and see what I come up with.
A few things I noticed from your video which may or may not help, but worth trying …
Did I hear Windows sounds enabled? Try “No Sounds”.
You must be direct monitoring through Mix Control? I noticed the monitor button is not enabled and the track is showing no input signal. What happens if you select the “DAW Tracking” preset and monitor through Cubase?
Have you tried running the DPC Latency Checker to see if you are getting any drastic spikes?
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml
Your Ricoh firewire chipset is still a bit of a concern to me also. Have you read this from the Focusrite Answerbase? It refers to Vista but should apply to 7 just the same. They specifically recommend VIA or Texas Instruments …
http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase/en/article.php?id=1007
Disabled onboard audio? Disabled Wi-Fi?
Have you tried to contact Focusrite support?
http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase/en/contact.php
Do you happen to know anyone with a USB interface you could try to see if it’s a general system problem or firewire specific?
ok, I am back after a month break, I have been working on some other projects. Thanks to everyone for the input and hints.
No other applications are open in the video. It is a bit difficult to see, but I made sure everything was off. No skype or IM’s. Only apps I opened are what I did on the video, the Focusrite Mix Control app and Cubase Studio 5.
You may see some icons at the bottom left, but they are not open apps. On the bottom right are only the basic windows controls and disabled apps icons. (AVG - disabled, which I showed in the vid), speaker/volume control (classic windows) cam control - off, bluetooth - off, power/charge, intel storage indicator, remove safely hardware indicator, touchpad indicator.
About the input levels you asked about rising - no, they stayed exactly as set.
Thanks for the hints, I have tried them all, but to no avail, I don’t have any success.
Monitoring from the Mix Control or from the DAW - same thing happens.
Wifi is disabled - same thing.
No sounds - Windows - same thing
Tried my friend’s pc with a Texas Instruments firewire chipset as mentioned - same thing.
So, I am searching the focusrite forums and try my luck there.
Will try the latency checker that you suggested. But I do have some CPU and RAM gauges and they are running from 17% to 37%max if that means anything.
Again, thanks everyone and if something comes up that may work, let me know.
…frustrated…SB
Long break eh? Your up to this now. 
Try recording again, this time carefully watching the ASIO Meter (F12). Does it spike? Dropouts are the most severe interferences in audio stream. The Latency Checker was a really good idea too.
Yes, a long break, but now trying to solve this madness. Appreciate all the help and hints.
Ok, I have followed everything here exactly as described.
I have downloaded the Latency Checker and when the recording stops, there is no spikes. Way below in the “green” section of the scrolling graph.
Checking the ASIO meter as you described (F12) and I don’t see anything happening. Just maximum 1 bar on the left of the meter as it is recording and then stops. Strange is, that it is not consistent. Sometimes it happens immediately (before I can fret the first chord) or it can go as long as 3min.
I found this on a forum and I disabled so many things as instructed (including wifi). See pasted info below. Which I did. So, I can’t seem to think anything that can be going that I don’t know about. But, if anyone knows, let me know.
I am at my wits end on this…seems as I need to stick to the old style of analog recording??? 
(
from this forum: Windows - how to make windows boot faster? | bit-tech.net Forums
Disable the following:
→ Adobe Acrobat Updater Service
→ Adaptive Brightness (do not disable if you have an ambient light sensor)
→ Application Identity (do not disable if you use AppLocker feature or Parental Control)
→ ASP.NET (do not disable if you developed something using ASP.NET, and you want to test it on your local computer)
→ BitLocker (do not disable if you use this feature. If you don’t have a TPM chip, then you can’t use it)
→ BitLocker Drive Encryption (only disable if you never plan to plug any USB keys that are encrypted with BitLocker)
→ Bluetooth Support Service (do not disable if you use or plan to use Bluetooth. This include bluetooth keyboard and mouses)
→ BranchCache (unless you are on a domain, it’s most unlikely you use this feature)
→ Certificate Propagation (do you have a SmartCard System and are you using it? No, then you don’t need it)
→ Credential Vault Host Control Service (only if you don’t use your finger print reader)
→ Credential Vault Host Storage (only if you don’t use your finger print reader)
→ HomeGroup Listener (WARNING: you need to un-join any existing HomeGroup before disabling. If you set your network to “Home Network”, then most likely you are joined to a HomeGroup by default. To leave a HomeGroup, click on HomeGroup on the left side column, and click on Leave HomeGroup)
→ HomeGroup Provider (see above)
→ Intel Rapid Storage Technology (only if you don’t use a RAID setup)
→ Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) (I believe this is disabled by default already)
→ Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN v2.xxxxx_X64 (there is .NET 4 now)
→ Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN v2.xxxxx_X86 (there is .NET 4 now)
→ Offline Files (only if you don’t use Sync feature, and your computer is NOT on a domain)
→ Parent Control (only if you don’t use this feature)
→ Problem Report and Solution Control Panel Support (use Google, you can disable it)
→ Program Compatibility Assistance Service (you know the annoying “Did this program/setup ran correctly?” dialog box… well this is it. Disabling this will stop you form seeing them. This is great for people who don’t know how to manually enable or look how to execute legacy setup and programs under compatibility mode)
→ Remote Registry (Registry won’t be able to be modified from distance… you don’t need this if your computer is not on a domain)
→ Routing and Remote Access (if your not on a domain you don’t need it for sure)
→ Secondary Logon (WARNING: disabling this will prevent running a process under different credentials, but it will NOT block you from running programs as true Admin)
→ Smart Card (you don’t have one? Good you don’t need this)
→ Smart Card Removal Policy (you don’t have a Smart Card reader? Good you don’t need this)
→ Tablet PC Input Service (is your system has a tablet attached to it, or has touch screen? If not, you can disable this)
→ TPM Base Service (only disable if the TPM chip is something you do not use, or have, and is disabled in the BIOS, if you have it)
→ Windows Biometric Service (if you don’t have facial recognition or finger print reader, you don’t need it)
→ Windows CardSpace (does anyone uses this?)
→ Windows Color System (only for laptops, as you just don’t care about color accuracy, as the monitor is crap in any case)
→ Windows Defender (if you don’t use it, or have your own A/V)
→ Windows Error Reporting Service
→ Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant (You need if you want to do media streaming between computers, or use Live Essential Live service)
→ Windows Live Mesh Remote Connection service (you got Windows remote assistance and remote desktop, you don’t need another remote service… you can disable it. I guess it’s good, if you have Home Premium edition, and need some sort of remote connection to another computer (obviously isn’t as great as Remote Desktop)
→ Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service (if you don’t use the Win7/WMP12 feature where you can have another Win7 computer get Music/Video form that computer, or have the current system send music or videos to another Windows 7 PC, or Media extender)
→ Windows Remote Management
→ Any program updater service you have
→ Any Google stuff or similar.
→ Zune Network Sharing (if you do wireless sync with your Zune or Windows phone 7)
→ Zune Windows Mobile Connection (if you don’t have a Windows Phone 7)
→ Zune Wireless Configuration Service
→ UMVPFSrv (Logitech video effects and overlay effects won’t work anymore, but the webcam still will work fine)
→ Logitech Bluetooth Service (if you don’t have a Bluetooth Logitech keyboard or mouse)
→ Windows Media Extender services (they are 2 or 3 of them… I don’t recall, as I removed this feature in Add/Remove Feature panel in Windows 7)
Few what a list… ok now:
Automatic (Delay Startup) the following:
→ Security Center
→ Software Protection
→ Windows Search
→ Windows Update
Manual the following:
→ Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN v4.xxxx_X64 (will take longer to start .NET based programs, if you have installed any)
→ Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN v4.xxxx_X86 (will take longer to start .NET based programs, if you have installed any)
As far as the latency checker, you don’t need to be recording to get spikes. Are you getting the red spikes at all?
Hi, yes, I do get some, but nothing consistent. So, I can’t narrow it down. And mostly just into the red, not max. Sometimes no red spikes for 10 min. then all of a sudden, I get one. And everything as described previously is disabled. And it seems I don’t get any red nor yellow spikes when recording.
Dude, this is one strange case.
One final question: Does this happen with your computer’s internal mic? This should narrow the problem down quite a bit. I would approach support about this if it does stop recording with your computer’s builtin mic. These red spikes normally occur every 3 to 30 seconds in the ideal computer setup. Ten minutes!! Sorry, but this is an issue the tech support needs to handle. 
Do link them here though. We have gone through the normal lineup: CPU, punchout, Firewire driver changes, Latency Checker, latest Cubase version. There is no apparent culprit, and your computer seems to be running fine!!
Something seems odd to me. Although the Ricoh chipset is definitely not recommended I have read of people using it with no problems. I’m starting to think maybe the problem isn’t with your system configuration. I noticed after checking the specs on your laptop and watching your video again that you had to get a 6 to 4 pin firewire cable. Do you think it could be something as simple as a bad cable? When you had it connected to the other PC were you using the same cable or the factory supplied 6 pin cable?
What does Focusrite support have to say about your troubles? Surely you have contacted them by now, right?
Yes, I have a 6 to 4 pin firewire cable. Brand new. Couldn’t use the 6 to 6 pin as my PC (and my friend’s) have the small 4pin. Do you think this could be the culprit?
I have contacted Focusrite and waiting for an answer…
Hey, I will try the internal mic thing. Don’t know why I didn’t think of that in the first place. Doh! Silly me.
Back later in evening when I can try that…
It’s possible. Not likely, but definitely possible. The fact that you had the same problem on two completely different setups makes me think maybe it’s a hardware problem of some sort.
Yeah, try switching to the Cubase generic low latency driver/built-in mic and see how it reacts. If you can record with no dropouts with that configuration it would be pretty safe to assume your problems aren’t system related.
Exactly. 
Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Ok, I am trying the mic thing, but I can’t tell if the audio recording is dropping out or not till I hit the stop button. Strange is the audio isn’t showing on the recording track line as it is scrolling. Sometimes it shows but appears as the trackline gets to the edge of the screen. So, in effect, I don’t see if and when if it is dropping. Am I doing something wrong. I set it up simply with internal mic. Disabled everything as previously discussed. I don’t even have the focusrite interface attached. Wifi and everything disabled.
But, why can’t I see the data/audio being shown in the track as it is recording and scrolling?
Check your preferences. There is under Record> Audio an option Create Audio Images During Record. Confirm that is checked. If it is indeed checked, you must be having more serious issues than we first suspected. 
Ok, I had some success. I forgot to change to the “General Low Latency Driver”, which I have done now.
Also, I disabled a lot more of W7 - all the animations and made sure performance settings are on high.
Actually focusrite guy has this link which I made sure was all done.
http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase/en/article.php?id=1071
I was able to record for over 10min with no drop outs, but only by the mic in the pc.
But, when trying again thru the focusrite sappire pro 40, it dropped out at 81measures.
Yes, the Create Audio Images During Record is checked.