Robert Bone

Also, none, not a one, of the offered resolutions for error: 0x800F0906 from link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2734782/net-framework-3-5-installation-error-0x800f0906-0x800f081f-0x800f0907 either work, or they are not relevant to Windows 8.1 Methods offered from the above link: Method 1: Check your internet connection - DUH, this is not the issue. Method 2: Configure the Group Policy setting - This only applies if a local admin has altered where updates come from, and does not apply. Method 3: Use Windows installation media - This was most promising, however, Windows 8.1 downloaded Installation Media or ISO installation images have the NetFx3 Windows Feature Sisabled With Payload Removed, so that didn't work either. Maybe I did something wrong here, but I do not think so. Method 4: Alternative steps for Windows Server 2012 and for Windows Server 2012 R2 - This is not applicable to Win 8.1

If you mean the file: dotnetfx35.exe, yes. It fails.

Thank you @pwalpwal and @tutumlg - I TRULY appreciate your jumping in. I have been through the DISM approach, and have no problems with the commands and such - the issue I face, is that the Windows 8.1 ISO installation media files do NOT contain the needed 'source' for the needed feature, known as NetFx3. DISM can indeed enable/disable/remove Windows features, however to enable a feature, a valid 'source' for that feature MUST be used, and that source must be from the exact same version of Windows. Since the original installation DVD or downloaded installation media from Microsoft, for Windows 8.1, has that NetFx3 feature not only disabled, but REMOVED, so there is NO source present for me to leverage, using DISM. DISM is being attempted to be used, because Windows Update, or the Windows Update Servers, both fail to allow installation of the KB* needed for installation of the .NET Framework 3.5, and I have not yet found any path forward. I will review the above links, in case I missed something, and will continue to look at other available info on how to proceed. If ANYBODY has a Windows 8.1 system that has the feature NetFx3 actually Enabled, please let me know. Bob Bone

Yup fails. tried that early on. Thanks for jumping in. I am about to nap, then continue digging into it.

Do you have your antivirus software either excluding the file paths to your sample libs and Cakewalk Content folders, (sometimes called Exceptions or Exclusions in the antivirus software), or you could try temporarily disable your antivirus software, and see if that helps give better stability at either 1024 or 2048. (important to turn antivirus software back on, if you temporarily had it disabled during Cakewalk sessions). Bob Bone

I have seen some interfaces crash Platinum when they tried using 2048 for the ASIO Buffer Size - but setting it to 1024 seemed to work. Have you tried 1024? Bob Bone

Hi - a friend of mine is still running Windows 8.1, and wants to install and use Cakewalk by Bandlab. There is an issue with his doing this, as it seems to require the .NET Framework 3.5 in order to run. Using the Windows Enable Features fails, and I have thus far only managed to further gray my hair up, trying to get the NetFX3 Windows 8.1 Feature installed and enabled. He has a Windows 8.1 Pro Windows Installation Media ISO image, and going through the standard Mount and pulling the Features, the FeaturesList shows NetFx3 as: "Disable and Payload Removed", RATHER than the hoped for: "Disabled" status. What the above means, is that for some reason, NetFx3 is NOT present on the Windows 8.1 installation media, and thus, cannot be enabled. Can someone who is quite Windows internals knowledgable, provide a specific list of steps I can have my friend follow - to properly get NetFx3 installed and enabled on his Windows 8.1 image/system? I found a dotnetfx35.ext file, and tried to run that, and it too failed, as well did any of my attempts using DISM utility commands. It seems Microsoft had a couple of updates come along that nuked NetFx3, and then some time later, provided a fix, but I see that this fix is not supposed to be used anymore, but I do not know what to run INSTEAD of that. Thanks for even just reading the above, and thanks in advance to anyone who can give me a solution..... Bob Bone

On a laptop, some WiFi drivers really put a whammy on streaming audio proccessing. Try temporarily disabling WiFi while in Cakewalk. Also, consider temporarily disabling antivirus during Cakewalk sessions.

I am off to doc, wll check back in 3-4 hours

What happens at 128 samples?

When you use and its ASIO driver mode in Cakewalk, and the Universal Control ASIO drivers, can you please list: 1) Project Sampling Rate 2) ASIO Buffer Size (check it by going to Edit > Preferences > Audio > Driver Settings, in the Mixing Latency section - it should show 'number of samples' or something like that - might be 32 samples, 64 samples, 128 samples, etc... up to possibly 2048) 3) If you are trying to track/record, you should avoid having certain types of effects, such as convolution reverb or Linear Phase types, because they need huge ASIO buffer sizes in order to work properly. You also, when recording, should keep your ASIO Buffer Size set at maybe 128 samples or a bit less, so that things sync properly. When mixing, go ahead and throw in a convolution reverb, or a linear-phase EQ, etc., but now you should alter your ASIO Buffer Size up to either 1024 or even 2048. SO - please list the plugins loaded into this particular project.

Can you please also let me know if your audio interface updates and any possible firmware updates for it, are all up to date, as well? Bob Bone

Are you loading CbB into a project, at startup, or just launching it to start with no selected project? Also, usually, when you cannot kill CbB, in Task Manger, you can either reset your audio interface (turn off/on or disconnect/reconnect), and that will usually do it - sometimes, it takes a while for it to clean up sub-tasks, and it is usually its connection to the audio interface drivers. By chance, is your Windows Update maintenance up to current? (Even if you have automatic updating, there might be some optional updates waiting for you to specifically authorize their being installed - go to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update, and look right below the button that is labeled 'Check for Updates', and that is where you might see other maintenance waiting for you to give it the go-ahead). You might also make sure your audio interface drivers and/or firmware, are up to date, too. The good news is that, because this seems to only be happening on your system, rather than a widespread reported problem, it would seem QUITE likely to be some little and solvable thing with your environment, so it should be able to be cleared up - hopefully quickly. Bob Bone

+1 - GREAT IDEA, Thomas. Thanks, Bakers, if you could add this. I, too, have seen error messages pop up, (pretty rare for that, which rocks), where knowing some additional info would help me. Bob Bone

Please understand that I am not advocating getting rid of Cakewalk. I absolutely LOVE Cakewalk. I am suggesting that there are ADDITIONAL tools for managing VST sounds, and complex routings, and lighting control messages, that are better suited to live performance. Using Cakewalk for live performance is simply not as capable as using a performance-engineered VST Host. Just take a look at some of the VST Hosting programs out there, and try out their free trials, and you will begin to see what I mean. Doing that will not interfere with Cakewalk whatsoever, nor will installing a VST Host, should you decide to buy one. And, while I don't know about other such apps, Cantabile has a completely, and permanently free "lite" version. Just check it or others out. Bob Bone

(Edited to update info) - I just downloaded this - I am updating my post, because I could not get the scripting on the ADSR web page to work properly in Google Chrome, so I went through the process using Bing, and it worked like a champ there. Sure enough, they are offering this Sample Manager software for free - I just completed the download (in Bing), but have not yet used it - hopefully, it will help me with sample management, since I have many thousands of sample-based instruments to keep track of. SO, pick up the ADSR Sample Manager softwar at the link below, for free: https://www.adsrsounds.com/ Bob Bone

Close. I have the Gigabyte X399 DESIGNARE EX. FANTASTIC board. The only thing is that AMD-based motherboards do not seem to support Thunderbolt 3, and you cannot add anything to add it, and Thunderbolt 3 audio interfaces are insanely fast, at up to 40 gigabits/sec transfer supported by the protocol. When last I looked, only Intel motherboards had the potential for Thunderbolt 3. Bob Bone

Yay! Bob Bone

And, in that same space, below where the Check for Updates button is - that is where you might also see it list Optional Updates available to install. Bob Bone

Thanks for checking. Right below the Check for Updates button, it says there is a Feature Update to Windows 10, version 1909, so though it is not listed as an optional update, that is a pretty good-sized update waiting for you to click on Download and Install Now. I recommend you apply that set of updates, and when it finishes, then manually hit Check for Updates once again, just to make sure there aren't additional updates available. Bob Bone

There are optional updates that may well be sitting out there for you to apply, manually. I suggest you go to Settings Update and Security, and look to see if it shows any optional updates that may need to be applied. If there are, once they finish, I suggest you then manually tell it to Check for Updates one additional time, in case there are updates to any updates you just applied. Bob Bone

Can you figure out what version of Melodyne you have currently installed? (If you open File Explorer, you can navigate to the plugin and hover your mouse over it, and it will pop-up the version of Melodyne on your system). Also, maybe skip the loading of that last instance of Melodyne, to get the project to at least open, in Safe mode, as a start. Maybe also, use the VST2 version of Melodyne?

For wharever the worth, a VST Hosting product, designed from the ground up for facilitating live performance, might give you better results. I absolutely LOVE Sonar, and the current Cakewalk by Bandlab, for their music production features and strengths, but it is not designed for handling live performance. I used to use, and loved, VST performance software from Brainspawn, called Forte, but they went away, sadly. I now use Cantabile and it meets my needs, with instant preset switching, even for multiple instances of sample-based instruments, can trigger file playback start\stop and lighting changes, and lots more. They have a free 'lite' version, not sure if a free trial on their more robust versions. I pasted a link to their version comparison page farther down in this post. I believe there are other VST Hosting software products out there on the market - I am sharing this one because it is what I use. What I do for live performance, is to load up instances of all the different synths I need, for a particular performance, into Cantabile, and load up the presets and any sample-based instruments, using a separate instance of Kontakt or Sample Tank for each sample-based instrument. Then, I can combine any number of different sounds from any of the loaded synths, for a given preset, like strings and piano for one preset, or strings/piano routed to one midi controller, and a lead sound routed to a 2nd midi controller, and a big fat Taurus Bass Pedal sound routed to my midi bass pedals controller, and save all of those combo as a single preset, and so on - like the following preset could route different combos or single sounds to each of my 4 midi keyboard controllers and the bass pedal controllers, with multiple zones for one or more of the keyboards, so that a single keyboard could split sounds into multiple playable zones, etc.... and all of the switching, and layering, and zones, and different controllers, and all of that, can all be instantly switched as different presets. VERY powerful - then you can throw in tempo-based file playback and lighting changes through midi, and it all works like a champ. So here is that link to the versions comparison page: https://www.cantabilesoftware.com/compare Again, I LOVE using Cakewalk by Bandlab for my music production needs - I just find using a VST Hosting program for live performance better suits the task of playing live. Bob Bone

I deleted the older version with no issues afterwards... Bob Bone

I deleted the older version with no issues afterwards... Bob Bone