JnTuneTech

If the audio track is not active, Input Echo is not on, etc. (the post explicitly states that the track "is off/muted") - then the most likely explanation is that the "live" pass-thru audio from your sound input device is also being added to whatever output you are monitoring with. For example - can you hear your mic without any DAW tracking set up - or running at all? If that is the case, you may want to find information on the method(s) available to you in changing the sound interface pass-thru monitoring options. It can be especially important with the way that effects will mix in your monitoring. The extra delay from latency alone will likely mess up your autotune performance until you find the right mix setup.

Yes, "Automation" in that dialogue refers to the basic track inspector tool (Volume fader, etc. - plus more for MIDI tracks (i.e. Controllers) automation items - and then additional sub-menus for effects (in the track ProChannel and FX bin) automation items. -And, FWIW, I have come to notice that using that selector dialogue also defines what envelope will be prominently displayed in the track view, and often immediately editable, especially once you expand the track view real estate. So, for instance, when I want to quickly edit the clip(s), or automation separately, etc., it really matters. -When I am being OCD about my mix, I often make sure only the items I want from each track are active with that dialogue, and/or sometimes just to "point out" what I need to remember is happening on a track. And, in practice, I mix up (pun intended) using the "active - record" automation item creation, with the manual-dialogue method, determined not only by how I want to approach entering the changes, but sometimes it just needs to be done at least initially to even have an FX automation item show up in the lanes/automation selection menu at all. That's been my experience anyway.

The final audio - in the track itself. -Since it wasn't specified, that would not normally affect any signal level to inline fx plugins (ones in the ProChannel or the FX Bin of that track) in a basic routing situation. Do take note however, that depending on how you use fx, the matter can be complicated by using sends or other routings, to fx elsewhere in your mix, sidechain inputs, what have you, just to be clear. -Using the signal flow charts referred to in other posts, and in help, really can be worth a look.

When using Cakewalk under Windows in a fairly default setup, -that is, allowing things like Windows Security to stay active, I have long ago found that adding all of your VST folder locations, and even the Cakewalk Core main executable and the Shared Utilites - VSTScan one as well, to the "Virus & threat protection settings - Exclusions" list, removed all slowness from my VST scans, except for some Waves plugins that still are probably misconfigured. My example is from Windows 10 Pro. In fact, loading some large libraries (ahem, Kontakt) for VSTs themselves can be sped up as well by adding them to your Security software exclusions lists. -Remember, however, that if any security risks are somehow loaded and then accessed in any of those locations, you may be more vulnerable. -Depends on how you prefer to manage your system, as is the preference of whether to have VST scans run regularly, or just manually. -That has been my experience anyway, of course, your mileage may vary.

Probably the age-old happenstance of HDMI audio in say, a monitor driver, which whenever the monitor goes to sleep, the driver unloads. Try a search for "HDMI audio disable" (or something along those lines) and you will find many suggestions and cases to try solutions. -I gave up on that one, simply because every time the monitor drivers get updated, the problem comes back, and It's not critical enough to reset every time - for me anyway. I just try never to allow my system to sleep while the DAW is running, and that has "fixed it" for me.

-You've definitely not picked a "nice and clean" MIDI file, or at least judging from the rest of your post, not one that has only what you want to start with. So, without delving into all the possibilities there, I suggest trying another import/project version, and cleaning up the MIDI manually - before trying to use it. I do that often with MIDI files from outside sources. Basically, I recommend deciding what MIDI you do want to keep, and then using a tool like Event Viewer to strip out anything else after you import the track(s). -For instance, I often keep the MIDI notes, and any expression items I don't want to recreate, and go from there. Using the Event Type filter in Event Viewer can be good for that, especially if all you want to keep is the notes. Just un-check Notes in the view filter, and then delete everything else in each MIDI track you want to clean. -Oh, and it may also be necessary to delete any Sysex banks from the imported MIDI as well, depending on how you imported the MIDI initially. -Once you start clean, it's much easier to go forward from there. -Just a suggestion!

Per the original post title: (in my experience anyway) - The "Bit Depth:" portion of the File Stats dialogue generally reflects the highest reported level of any of the audio clips in the project. (What the audio engine does with that is another issue entirely) -Simply that. -So, for instance, when I record into an empty project, and my audio driver is 24/48, this dialogue will say Bit Depth: 24 after the recording is done. If I then process the track (export to track/clip, etc.) and the settings I choose in the export dialogue are 32/48, and I then integrate that audio into a new track somewhere in the project, this dialogue will then say Bit Depth: 32. -Now, I haven't tried all the variations of mixed source material, but again, in my experience, this dialogue only reports the level of the highest bit audio clip in my tracking. I have also double-checked, and when I remove the higher level audio, the dialogue changes back to whatever is then left, or the general settings for a new project, -whichever actually is reflected in the audio clips present.

Speaking of "strange new characters" - and possibly AI interference... The post above that quotes one of my earlier chunks of grumbling - got a bit of unwanted malvertising added to it at the end (don't give them the clicks and look, but it's there) - it just never ends. -Of course, we've had unwanted re-use and attribution of our online data now for years, but it all seems to be ramping up these days. -Strange new characters will likely be the least of it. Sigh. Oh, and don't forget, now there are a zillion new ways to add emoji and various stuff in with your text, so be careful... Does anybody else remember just having to look up symbols to add to text using the character map? It was awkward, but at least I got to choose them myself!

After you sort through the vids & comments, you may realize the "keys" are heavily mixed with tracking that involved wine glasses, so no matter what other instruments you use to try and replicate the intro section (Part I), it just won't quite be there. -I had found that years ago, when watching & listening to the extra material that comes with the "Shine On" Immersion set. The Wine Glasses audio is on there, and if you add it to your cover tracking, and find where the chord changes match, you are almost there. -Neat stuff, if you like those classic tracks. I had to grimace at some of the lead synth attempts though, and as one of the supporting OG live reincarnation members (ostensibly) commented, the way synths were recorded back when, involved actual speakers & room ambience, plus many takes & overlaps, etc. Plus that group tended to mix in a lot of other material from previous sessions in & underneath the final outcome. But we all know how that goes, and in analog, nothing is ever the same twice anyway. -Still, fun to try sometimes. @Rain Nice. And - I like that shortened whammy bar he uses so much, I had to get one. -Just wish I had the chops to use it nearly as well!

The way I now look at that workflow, is just like what I tend to do with many preset items: In production projects I create subfolders for the presets, and then they are quickly available, but not loaded. So, for VSTi tracks, I create a track template that can call up the instrument and patching. Additionally, as I go along, I may "steal" an fx chain and/or track template from another project, if you follow that logic. -Works just the same as what many of us do with basic presets of many kinds. -I don't tend to use "deactivating" things, except to test or minimize overall load in a complex project when that's the simplest path. In my experience also, FWIW, the memory & CPU load with various VSTi plugins varies widely, some do little without input, some are always active.

8Dio & others will be more customizable, and because they have more dynamic range, often seem less "punchy" at first. But often times we don't need all that, and something basically pre-mixed like the samples used in the TTS-1 and its cousins can be all that is needed in a pop mix. And that's what most GM sets were created for. I reluctantly still have to plug the older Roland GM samplers, like TTS-1, because for me, they have had some of the most usable & affordable sound sets, with for my tastes some great metallic percussion samples since the late 80s. You should listen to the metallic percussion card demo song on an old R8-M - that one still impresses me. So, it's often that I also refer to TTS-1 for things like steel drums in a quick mix. -And, FWIW, on my systems, that DX only crashes on a few initial project setups using downloaded MIDI, but once I clean up the tracking, it never does it again. And I have tens of old projects with TTS-1 included that have loaded fine every time, for years now. -Of course, yes, eventually, it will go away... so I am starting to export all those things to audio, to be sure!

It is most likely that you are simply missing a step in configuring the way Cakewalk uses the MIDI output of the Kronos controller data. -Normally, MIDI track input is a separate function from fader & other CC control. And in your case, what you described would seem to be the mod & pitch bend affecting an instrument connected to the track, not the track control itself. As @Wookiee mentions, you may want to look into setting up ACT control, in order to use the Kronos transport & other CC controls for controlling the functions in Cakewalk. I would recommend using the documentation available regarding ACT control, and probably using the Mackie Controller preset, if there is not an available preset for the Korg Kronos. -With proper setup, that can work to allow both MIDI keyboard input to the track, and fader control to the DAW faders, and so forth. -That type of functionality does not happen automatically, it has to be turned on, and set up properly first. It can take a bit of work at first, but once you get the instructions working for you, you can also adjust it per your needs.

Sorry to hear that, but what you are describing is a bit unclear. For instance, most of the time, VSTs that the DAW uses are separate from the presets that are saved from/by/for them. I would be worried about needing to add a documents folder as a VST scan source. -Yes, there will likely be presets saved in the documents folder, but it's not normal to place/source the VST dll file(s) there. Are you sure you didn't somehow move the VST files to the documents folder(s) somehow, or delete the ones in their original location(s) at first? Did you mean that you also lost the VST instruments as well as the presets at first? -It's a bit confusing. A VST search path in CbB is only for the VST .dll files, -not the presets. The 2 items are not the same thing. Normally, VST .dlls are not located in a typical documents folder.

Definitely sounds like a MIDI driver and/or hardware connection related problem. And, I have actually experienced a few USB MIDI connection failures over the years, sometimes just the USB bus in the PC drops the connection, sometimes it's other reasons, but never something within Cakewalk itself. That is a tough one to troubleshoot sometimes. Sometimes I have had to re-allocate my USB devices, or add/remove a hub, etc.

As with many things, mixing style & tools use in general really depends on the application and end-use goals. -For instance, the majority of my mixes are done with very little track and mains compression (though as pointed out, using samples & other aspects of instrumentation inherently uses compression at many levels before some of the actual tracking), but that is by design for what I want it to come out like. I do the same, but primarily when the material I have laid down already has most of what it needs. And, in my case anyway, I generally mix to use as backing for live jamming and performance. In most cases, I have found adding mix compression before live amplification tends to make it harder for a good live sound output. -That also inherently assumes that the mains and the environment are going to affect the mix (and often a lot). -But again, that is a planned choice, and I make sure the initial tracking sounds like what I want first in the process. On the other hand, when I want to send mixes to be listened to via other means, compression can often be necessary on the final product. So, it's good to also learn how that will work, when you need it. If the environment your music is going to be played back in has other material that yours will be compared with, for instance, putting a "dry" mix up against heavily compressed ones, will often cause issues. So again, it depends a lot on your end goals. And often, without a mastering engineer or the appropriate qualifications, in some cases you can't submit material for publication and such. Basically, if you are happy with the sounds you get, technically. it shouldn't matter, unless there are literal (such as bandwidth and spectrum) requirements you have to meet. If you are just playing for yourself, -just be creative and use, -or don't use, anything you like! Compression can certainly be another tool to get the sound that you want, it does have value as a musical instrument itself, -if you want to use it. That's how I approach it anyway.