scook

similar issue, same solution

Those folder locations are no accident. There are a couple of others too, They are all there by design. Installers expect them. The main difference between "Cakewalk Content" and the "User Directory" is the the scope of the files. "Cakewalk Content" files are used by all CbB users setup on the PC. "User Directory" files are specific to each user login. If you want to use custom folder locations, do so, and update preferences but leave the default folder locations alone or, at a minimum, use directory junctions if they must be moved to a new location. That way, the default locations may still be found by the installers.

It's a little thicker because of the new tempo envelope.

Depends on the version installed. In-app updates and activation are relatively new. If the options are not in the CbB help menu, use BA to grab the latest version of CbB.

BandLab Technologies is a generous company but not that generous. Cakewalk by BandLab does not include a license for any version Melodyne. It does include a special time-limited trial version of the full version of Melodyne. This provides 30 days access to everything including the editor and all of the algorithms. After the trial expires, the editor and polyphonic algorithms are disabled. Monophonic drag and drop audio to MIDI and tempo detection continue to work. The trial starts the day it is installed. There is no registration needed for the trial. The Melodyne installer is on the Cakewalk "Install Add-on..." menu on the Apps tab in BandLab Assistant.

I don't use many sampled instruments. There are free chord generators such as CodeFN42 Chordz that work with any polyphonic plug-in.

@Noel Borthwick just mentioned the padding in m4a loops

The help in each plug-in describes how to use the Sonitus preset manager. While the help is very detailed, it fails to mention the ini files used by the preset manager may not have the permissions setup to accept user changes. Unless the user has permission, updates to the ini files silently fail. The default location for the preset ini files is C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Plugins. There is one preset ini file for each plug-in, The files have the pattern FX{plug-in name]DX.ini. For example, the Sonitus Surround plug-in preset ini file is FXSurround.ini. One may change the ini files, one at time, by editing User permissions using the Security tab on each files Properties page (right-click each file then click on Properties at the bottom of the context menu) and allowing Modify and Write or Navigate to the "Shared Plugins" folder open a command window as administrator and type the following on the command line cacls *.ini /e /g Users:c to change all the ini files at once.

For several releases now, announcements like the one below have a link to an installer providing rollback to the previous release

Before updating, go to C:\Program Files\Cakewalk, and copy Cakewalk Core to a location of your choosing. Rename to Cakewalk Core Rev# (ie Cakewalk Core 2021.04). Then run the update. If need be, copy the renamed file back to C:\Program Files\Cakewalk, and you'll be running your old version. I do this for each update, and it's saved my @$$ more than once. Better to rely on the rollback installers available in the release announcements. Copying "C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core", running a CbB update then copying the old program back into "C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core" is not a good idea. While this was fairly safe a few years ago from CbB 2019.09 onward using this method is dangerous. In fact, CbB 2021.04 contains logic to detect this and issue a component mismatch warning message. The warning results from having the program out of sync the the automation library cw130auto.dll in "Shared Utilities". This dll must be the same version as the program file. When they are different it may result in automation failure and program crashes.

Don't own it but here is info from their FAQ https://www.vilabsaudio.com/faq

There should not be much difference in the sound of any DAW. While there may not be many plug-ins included with Cakewalk, the program can access a nearly limitless supply of 3rd party plug-ins and samples both free and paid. Here are a couple of threads on this forum about free FX and synth plug-ins. Projects in Cakewalk are limited only by the hardware running the program. BandLab Assistant provides access to a lot of the BandLab loop content. This may be used in Cakewalk. Given the ongoing improvements in integration between BandLab and Cakewalk, a good argument may be made to learn both DAWs.

If you are using 2021.04 make sure to run Update 1 Read the info regarding Error Detection in the link

Until the official update, adding the Tungsten Key/Meter view images for insert, delete and properties should work for Lead too. Run two copies of the theme editor, load Tungsten in one (this may be easiest by running the editor from preferences) and the theme to modify in the other, then copy/paste the images between Tungsten and the dark theme needing the update.

This was instrumental in finding and reporting the bug. thanks @Colin Nicholls for the doc @jsg may want to grab a copy of the pdf

MSoundFactory is the synth version of MXXX, Melda's all in one multi-effect.

2021.04 Update 1 (build 175) was released with new images for Key/Meter view insert, delete and properties replacing the old tempo view images. These need to be updated in custom themes. For dark themes based on Tungsten, I copied the new images from Tungsten.

Bump for changes to Tuncury and Tuncury Light Green required by CbB 2021.01 Update 1 (build 175)

The clip inspector is empty when no clip is selected

Pretty sure it's a bug in 2021.04. Looks like the tempo view images used by other views were removed. Hopefully it will be addressed before the final release.

The patterns play continuously when the button on the right side of the pattern transport in the plug-in UI is enabled.

By default, the patterns are setup up to play continuously. To disable looping click the button at bottom right of the pattern transport (the infinity symbol). Patterns are loaded with the drum kit in programs supplied with the plug-in. By definition that is what an SD3 program is, a collection of MIDI loops and a drum kit. Patterns may be unloaded by clicking on the MIDI button and selecting "Unload All Patterns" from the menu or by right-clicking on the pattern buttons A through H and using their context menus. Alternately, instead of loading a program, click the Drum button below the MIDI button and load a kit. All of this is covered in the SD3 help. To bring up the help, click on the plug-in UI to bring it into focus, then click the F1 key.

Which plug-in?