Some Guy

Lenses only allow you to turn on and off things that are already there. The problem is that what is there is badly organized and poorly exposes functionality. So lenses aren't a solution to anything. I think Studio One is a better inspiration than GarageBand, since it already uses a GUI that is somewhat like Cakewalk. I would agree with anyone: Skylight is amazing... to LOOK at... in screenshots or even on a display. However, it does not feel that amazing to use. It's not REAPER bad, by any stretch, but it isn't nearly as good as it could be.

Those aren't features, they're content. Whether or not the developers want to include more content is their prerogative - and I'd argue there are more important things to focus on... but that's just my opinion. Asking for a MIDI Project Template is not the same as asking for Spectral Editing in the DAW, for example. Templates = Content, not features. The end-user will still have the exact same problems and frustrations. All the templates will do, is defer the time before they start complaining about other usability issues. The problem with newbies starting is in the actual use of the DAW, not whether or not they have a template available.

If you have any Insturments in the Rack, then CbB will automatically select that Synth when you import MIDI or Drag and Drop it into a new Arranger Track. This only works with bare projects. Like a new Blank Project without any Instruments already loaded up. Generally I audition play MIDI files in WMP if that's all I want to do. No need to use a full DAW for that. Windows has a GM player built in, with a full set of GM Sounds. GM is nice to audition MIDI files, but almost no one renders anything from that... Just don't associate MIDI with Cakewalk, and double click it to play it in WMP 🙂 If I were going to use this MIDI in a project, then I probably already have my Instruments\Synths loaded in the Synth Rack, anyways.

An existence of documentation and tutorials does not excuse a lack of intuitiveness or ease-of-use. That's a completely separate facet. Bless the forum users, but the whole point of good UI/UX design is to require users to ask less questions, because the software is made more accessible and more intuitive. Most people only post on forums when they have a problem. It seems like those who like to hang out on them would rather keep the software more opaque to channel more users here (so they can feel the "community" is growing and active) than give people less reason to need to do so. This isn't about adding or removing features. It's about better organizing the functionality that already exists for better usability and a faster workflow. Intuitive: The marker module has a button to add markers, and a button to delete markers. Not Intuitive: The button to delete a marker is non-existent in the marker module. Intuitive: Click on any empty space in a track header to select the track, and then Shift Click across tracks to select multiple tracks. Not Intuitive: You can only select tracks by clicking and dragging across the Track Numbers. Yes, you can read the manual and ask questions, but that doesn't change the fact that the UI/UX is set up in a way that jebaits users - in countless areas. For a "power user," using the DAW becomes more and more recalling a stack of exceptions, instead of doing the obvious thing and having it work as expected (as in... intuitive). Long Time users underestimate just how bad this feels to users who are less versed with the software, because they have simply become accustomed to it.

Making software intuitive doesn't mean you're dumbing it down. And making something easy to use doesn't mean you're stripping functionality out of it. You guys need to stop coupling things that don't have anything to do with each other for the sake of being contrarian. Audacity is an audio editor comparable to Adobe Audition. It is not a DAW designed for music production, so you're comparing software from different categories, aimed at different user markets. This makes no sense There are F/OSS packages for that compete with CbB (Ardour, LMMS, etc.). Audacity isn't one of them. I think this Review gives a pretty good rundown on many of the issues: https://www.admiralbumblebee.com/music/2018/12/22/Cakewalk-Part-1-Almost-Everything.html

Many Wavetable Synths are more CPU Intensive. Iris 2 is pretty CPU heavy, as well. That's kind of normal. It's why many of us who use Synths have moved to 8-16 Core CPUs recently 😛

This should be practically a compulsory deal to anyone new to Music Production. Ozone is really good and you have to be great at Mastering Mixes to deliver better results than it does - practically - automatically.

$149 for Pro X4 Suite at The Software Shop Click Buy Link and it will take you to MAGIX's website with the $149 Price Legit Source. Bought my copy through their link.

Not for laptops. They often use customized drivers, so you should always get them from the OEM that built the machine (i.e. Dell). You're often stuck with older drivers on laptops. That is one of the negatives of this form factor. And never install reference Intel drivers on a laptop... Ever. This is bad advice. Do not follow.

The mastering eq is free for a while. Works in any daw.

Well this thread has taken a positive turn. And yea. ACID Pro is a lot deeper than people assume at first glance. I think the compact UI is deceiving; similar to Studio One.

eReaders like Kindle and Nook have Magazine modes that make reading magazine articles like reading a website. It's actually pretty intuitive, and more ergonomic than squinting at the text in a physical magazine while trying to ignore the ads plastered across practically every page.

B&N has already practically gone bankrupt (not sure if literally, but they had to close a TON of stores and shut down some areas of their business). They can't afford to carry magazines that don't sell. It's hard to sell paper, when anyone can buy a Kindle HD for dirt cheap and get the magazine issues they want from Newsstand (or one of the cheap iPads). This is affecting all areas of print media. Newspapers felt it first 😉 Why would anyone buy a paper mazazine when they can get an eMagazine that doesn't get ruined, tear, drenched or lost on their electronic device for practically the same price, and without the physical travel required to do so? It's not possible to compete with that...

The $19.99 version was the exact same as the $99 version. MAGIX runs these super deals all the time, but they're never on their own website, for some strange reason - always through an affiliate. I agree it's far better to work with Loops in ACID Pro than Cakewalk, where this functionality feels somewhat clunkily bolted on. Put in a support request with MAGIX, and send them a sample file (from their own Soundpools - cause EULAs, etc.). It's likely that almost no one using this DAW is using it with Ogg Vorbis Loop Files, so the testing in this area is probably not as comprehensive (they are fixing some MP3 bugs in the latest Betas, though). Almost everyone has upgraded these to WAV, already. All of MAGIX's Soundpools were made available as WAV files about a year ago. The site allows you to choose which version to have. Using Ogg Vorbis is like using the Economy/Lite Patches in a Sampler. Also, you seem to be using Windows 7, and ACID Pro may (I'm not sure of this) use the built-in Windows Decoder for Ogg Vorbis, while Other DAWs may use an internal Decoder. Check that 😉 Windows 7 doesn't bundle Ogg Vorbis Decoders, only Windows 10 does. Windows 10 supports, out of the box, a lot of CODECs that Windows 7 does not, and some applications will use the Windows Decoders/Encoders the same way macOS applications use Apple's. Upgrading is becoming more and more of a no-brainer, as developers shift focus away from these legacy platforms. Lastly, I'd go to the ACID Pro forums and install the latest beta version, which may fix issues around this area. I think this has been referenced a couple of times in this thread...

MAGIX changed the API for VEGAS Pro to remove Sony branding, so this is going to break a lot of recent VEGAS Pro extensions when you try to use them with pre-MAGIX VEGAS Pro releases. You'll have to find a version of the software built to work with Sony Vegas Pro 13 from a few years back. VEGAS Pro 14 and 15 have been on Humble Bundle multiple times for $25, so most users have updated off of those ancient versions. HitFilm are not going to implement fixes for this, and that isn't technically MAGIX software... so you're on you own there. There is no hack. Upgrading VEGAS Pro is the only way to regain compatibility with recent HitFilm releases.

I tend to prefer GPO because it has a better set of Choral Patches (i.e. Solo Alto and Tenor) which is good for sketching out some classical music (Opera Arias, etc.), if you do that kind of music. Also, notation software (Finale, Notion) often comes with support for GPO out of the box. Even if the support is for the earlier version (GPO4), it's usually an easy fix to work with GPO5. The samples in GPO are also drier, which I [personally] tend to prefer. This is very subjective, though. But if your samples are from different packages, you're still going to have to do the work to get them to sound "more like they were recorded in the same hall." Either GPO or Amadeaus would work, though. I think Amadeaus only requires the Kontakt Player (though I'm not sure how much bloatware the player forces onto your PC). Komplete Start (what you're referring to) is pretty terrible, and largely bloatware. The only thing that are really useful in those, are some basic Bass patches - and those aren't really a huge step up from what Cakewalk bundles (Studio Instruments Bass) - nor are they useful for Orchestral Music. It doesn't offer much outside of that (maybe some loops are interesting, but I already have enough of those). I tried it, and summarily uninstalled it. Generally, any DAW you pay money for will come with better stuff out of the box. Also, no orchestral patches, which is kind of the point of VSCO2... For orchestral stuff, I really think going the GPO5 (or Amadeus/Halion) route is best. You want something fairly complete and self-contained, so that the patches match and you aren't trying to learn how to use 4-5 different samplers/players at a time. The consistency is helpful. You also want a decent amount of articulations, because faking things like Trills often leaves your music sounding terrible. ----- If the OP is on a super tight budget, then they should go to Plugin Boutique and buy AIR's Structure 2. It sounds more than good enough for $30 and even better once you learn how the patches are set up (i.e. default velocity in most DAWs has the Vel. Strings patches sounding almost Marcato by default, because of how the velocity layering for the patches is set up). Not a ton of articulations, but enough to get started. Can't ask for more for $30, and it can open up some 3rd party sample formats (Unencrypted NKI, REX, and EXS24, among a couple of others I've tested). For someone completely (or even relatively) new to this stuff, I wouldn't recommend anything beyond that - to start. Once you get better, and have a firmer grasp on what you need out of a Sampler/Library, you will be able to decide where to go from there. At that point, you'll probably want Full Kontakt anyways... so Amadeus may be a better investment in the future. It seems to have all the same Articulations as GPO5... but GPO5 is a more comprehensive/complete library. EDIT: Sonivox Orchestral Companion Libraries are on sale again for $4.99 each at Plugin Boutique (Strings, Woodwinds, and Brass). Definitely a steal. They are nice quality for that price. Woodwind and Brass include solo instruments, as well (Strings don't, IIRC). Huge downloads, though 😉

Focusrite drivers have been known, in the past, for causing issues in multiple other DAWs. So, I'd also make sure you are running a stable version of the driver. M-Audio drivers have been quite problematic for many people, as well (as another example). Definitely check that. Sometimes, the latest driver version is not the best one for your interface.

People may use the software for months before they decide to join a forum. I do this routinely. I often don't join u less I have a question to ask and haven't gotten an official support response for That's not odd at all. I have used software for years before joining their forums. Most users are not on forums. I like to stick around and keep up on the improvements and/or updates/upgrades to see if there is anything that could potentially draw me back to a piece of software (since most of my licenses are perpetual, and upgrading is cheap), but at some point even I hit a wall where I am better off just using what I have and works for me than spending the next year doing mini-reviews on everything the industry has to offer. That's why I said most people who don't like what the DAW has to offer are probably better off just using something else. "Feature" requests are likely not to be fulfilled anytime soon, so the workflow isn't expected to change in any major ways in the near future. As far as bugs, etc. it is hard to track what the developers are doing because they don't have a Bug or IssueTracker where we can submit and vote on things (like PreSonus does).

OP said he sent in feedback to the developers, so this is likely a culmination of frustrations. He won't be back, and even if he is it's likely he'll be using a different DAW, anyways. That's generally how these things go.

The chance of it being a Windows or ASIO setting are pretty slim, and those are easy to troubleshoot since Windows and most ASIO Control Panels have relatively few settings to tinker with. It's often either in: The DAW itself - which has lots of Audio-Related settings to tinker with, or The Sampler/Synth/Plugin being used by the user in the project. Your Audio settings can be flawless, but you'll run into issues if you overtax your PC or Storage. The Reinstall Windows thing is largely a vestige from the Windows 9x days. It's just something some people grew accustomed to doing, and continued to do so. Confirmation Bias and Placebo Effect also comes into play with that. Generally all you have to do is uninstall Cakewalk and delete its Registry Trees. Then, reinstall it. That will reset the DAW. Chances are if your Windows OS Audio Settings, Graphics Drivers Settings, etc. are screwed up, you won't only feel this in your DAW. For example, it's impossible for this to be the case if Cakewalk is symptomatic, but your Video Editor (NLE) is not - considering they are likely using the same pipeline for Audio (ASIO, WASAPI, or MME), among other things. That is the first things users should check when they have issues with things like Audio. Is anything else showing the same symptoms, or ONLY your DAW? If the latter, than the problem typically lies in the DAW.

SanDisk SSDs are kind of slow, compared to Samsung Evo. I just replaced a SanDisk with a Samsung Evo, and the sustained R/W speeds are easily double that of the SanDisk. Wouldn't spend money on it, personally. Spend more to get considerably better. The SanDisk felt more like a 10k RPM HDD with faster Seek Latencies. It seems like they have relatively small cache, and once that cache is expended (i.e. during sustained operations), the operation nosedives. Reviews have tended to confirm this.

People who give feedback aren't trolls. They're taking their personal time to do it, and all feedback is very useful. Not everyone has the same personality, and people do differ re: communication styles and what aspects of the software they value more than others. Trolling is going to a forum and posting vitriol while contributing absolutely nothing. Basically, what you're doing. That's your first and only post on the topic. I can't believe people are actually upvoting that reply, either... @Dare Rihter Either deal with CbB the way it is, or find another product. Most users here are complacent, because they've been using CbB for years and are willing to work around the bugs and/or lacks in the software. That's their choice. But you won't get far trying to give feedback. The defensiveness kicks into high gear the minute you post anything about the software with anything but a positive and overly-diplomatic tone. Don't feed yourself to the wolves. Workaround are nice, but they cease being workarounds when they go from "temporary solution" to "the status quo - for years... and years." People seem to be treating the Feedback Forum like a Tech Support or Q&A Forum, and that isn't what it is meant to be. Lots of the issues brought up in feedback threads have been issues for the better part of a decade or more. Go and cross reference them with threads on the old Cakewalk forum (I did a lot of this). This talk about the developers having decades of history of listening and delivering... I'm a bit cynical towards that 😉 They are doing a great service to the community by maintaining this software, but that's largely all that's getting done. The rest of the market is moving on, so if you're looking to ride that wave... this is not the product that will take you on that journey. Also that B.S. about clean installing a PC to get software to run stable is urban legend, unless you have really bad PC Housekeeping (or routinely get malware, etc.). Ignore that stuff.

IMO, the only decent VSCO2 option is the Kontakt port, which is quite well done. But that requires full Kontakt. So people on a budget are better off just buying something like GPO, instead... which is generally my first recommendation for Orchestral Instruments. You kind of want a good base set that are all from the same package when starting out, otherwise, a lot of the instruments don't match and you have to start fiddling around to fake it... VSCO has this sort of problem, although the compilers do a little work to attempt to overcome this. Plus, it just doesn't sound good once you've heard a decent/good/great orchestral sample library. Most stock samples that ship with DAWs sound better than VSCO. You can get Halion Symphonic Orchestra for like $99, IIRC, and that will be far better.

There are other Samplers that do this. It really depends on how the patches were designed. I think even AIR Structure has patches that use MW to control volume. Just have to make sure you read the manual or familiarize yourself with how the patches interact with MW/Vel/etc.

ACID Pro 7 (and then 😎 was given away on Humble Bundle at least twice in the past year. And no, you can't get a free downgrade, nor is it better than 8 or 9. It's only 32-Bit, only works with 32-Bit plugins, doesn't support VST3, ARA2, can't Decode (without QT7) or Encode (at all) AAC., has mediocre time-stretching algorithms, and has subpar metering. It also has a lot of bugs that will never be addressed, but were fixed in the later versions. ReWire with ACID Pro 7 will only work with 32-Bit DAWs (i.e. not SONAR/Cakewalk, but DAWs like REAPER and Samplitude do still develop 32-Bit Executables/Ports) - and that makes it practically unusable unless you're only going to use ACID Pro 7.