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Leifur

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Leifur

Leifur

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Have been wrestling with cakewalk for years. Tutorials always assume you know something you don't. Great difficulty getting sound in and out (drivers?). Typical questions I have are: How to select the proper preference settings that will work. How to add effects when recording and again at mixdown. What does "plugin" mean? Where are they? How do you use them?, What is enable/disable ripple edit all? What is the synth rack and how do you use it? What does multi-dock mean? What does CWT stand for? What is alias factor, HF Exciter, and TL-64 Tube Leveler. Under "guitar" what is TH2 Creator, What is TH3? I can go on and on. Probably many of the questions are not so relevant since all I want to do is to record tracks that I can edit and mix. I have stumbled onto success in the past but dumb luck and so hard and time consuming to re-create. I'm kind of old now but I was young when I started. I have been reluctant to use forums in the past because too many people both guess and opine and then you waste time trying to use that information that may not be correct. Will travel for a qualified tutor or a class if there is such a thing. Thanks... and what are "tags"?

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57Gregy

57Gregy

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Welcome to the forum.
Most of us have been in your situation. When I got started in 2002 with Cakewalk Music Creator 2003, I was also a new computer user. I knew none of the terms used in the DAW or Windows, so I was doubly lost.
I didn't even discover the Cakewalk Forums until 2004 or 5, but I still managed to learn enough from the manual and Help files and tutorials to record several songs.
For what you say you want to do, record songs, you don't need to know everything, and this forum will be your greatest asset. There are lots of folks here willing to help, with links and direct assistance, and searching the reference guide for unfamiliar phrases can help a lot. Most of the time I find that "I don't need that" and forget it. I'm just a recorder, too.
Good luck!

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Starship Krupa

Starship Krupa

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On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

How to select the proper preference settings that will work.

This depends on what hardware you have (as in audio interface, or built-in sound chip), and what you're trying to do. My method is to leave things at their defaults until I've learnt my way around a bit, then hit the Cakewalk Reference Guide or press the Help button in whatever Preferences page I'm looking at. You've already found the best resource I know of for getting answers, this forum, so ask away.

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

How to add effects when recording and again at mixdown.

On each track header (the box at the far left of each track with all the buttons and stuff) and Console strip is a box that says "FX" above it. Toward the top right side of this box is a "+" sign. Click on that and you'll get dialogs for adding FX. Also, you may drag and drop effects from the Plug-In Browser that by default sits at the right edge of the Track View.

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

What does "plugin" mean? Where are they? How do you use them?

A plug-in is a smaller program separate from the main program that performs a specific function that's not built into the main program. An accessory, if you will. They come in 2 categories in Cakewalk, audio (or MIDI) processors, aka "FX" and software instruments, or "VSTi's." You access plug-ins from the aforementioned Plug-In Browser and FX rack, and if they are instruments, you choose one when creating an instrument track.

In addition to the excellent FX built into Cakewalk's Console, Cakewalk comes with a small variety of plug-ins, 3 virtual instruments and a dozen or so FX that are really all you need to get started with mixing.

As for how to make use of them once you've put them on a track, well, that topic is worthy of several books and is really a subject for independent study, like YouTube, magazines, classes, forums (like this one and others).

The best way, IMO, to obtain more plug-ins is first to download Meldaproduction's a free suite of 37 FX and utilities, some of which are, IMO, the best on the market at any price. Then read the two "favorite freeware" threads from this forum for freeware plug-ins that users have tested with Cakewalk:

https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/5064-favorite-freeware-fx-thread/

https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/5229-freeware-instruments-thread/

It's my opinion that one can put together a great digital audio studio without spending a dime on software. I myself have spent many dimes on software, but that's because I like pretty, shiny gadgets. 😁

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

What is enable/disable ripple edit all?

Ripple editing means to adjust the position of a clip in the Track view, and automatically adjust the start position of all subsequent
clips to compensate for the change. It's a convenient way to arrange clips without leaving unintended gaps between them.
What "All" means is that you can choose to ripple edit just you've selected, or all tracks plus meter/key changes, tempo changes, and markers.

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

What does multi-dock mean?

The Multidock is a pane where the Console, Piano Roll, Staff View, Events View, Matrix View, Step Sequencer Views, and others appear by default when you open them. You can have multiple of these views in your Multidock and navigate among them using tabs, and you may also drag these views out of the Multidock. The Multidock can be floated outside the main window (common use is 2nd monitor) or docked within it.

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

What does CWT stand for?

Cakewalk Template. You see a list of those in your Start Screen when you tell Cakewalk you want to create a new project.

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

What is alias factor, HF Exciter, and TL-64 Tube Leveler.

These are all plug-ins that are included with the Cakewalk download package. Specifically a bitcrusher, a high frequency "exciter" and a compressor.

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

Under "guitar" what is TH2 Creator, What is TH3?

My installation has no "TH2 Creator," so I can't answer that one. TH3 is a guitar amp simulation plug-in.

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

I can go on and on.

Me too. 😉 However, I recommend the Cakewalk Reference Guide which is 1,942 PDF pages of answers to questions like these and more.  Up at the top of this forum, click on the Cakewalk by BandLab tab and download it. Also, if you learn well from reading, Craig Anderton's Huge Book of Cakewalk Tips is well worth its cover price.

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

all I want to do is to record tracks that I can edit and mix

You'll need certain hardware for that. At minimum something like a Presonus Studio 2|4 or Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. They go for about $150 new and have 2 mic inputs, which for recording music, you should have. Single input interfaces are for voiceover or podcasting work. I have a Studio 2|4 I use with my laptop and can heartily recommend, but both of the ones I listed are great. They can even plug into your smartphone. The Presonae come with a license for Studio One Artist, which you can try and see if you like better than Cakewalk. I don't, but de gustibus.

After that, at least one good mic, the classic starters (that will never become not useful in your studio as you build up a collection of mics) are the Shure SM58 and the Audio Technica AT2020, either of which can be had for a little under a hundy new. If you're recording acoustic string or wind instruments, get the AT2020. All of these items may be had used for much less, which is how I got mine. For example, Reverb.com has used AT2020's for about $60.

On 4/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, Leifur said:

I'm kind of old now but I was young when I started.

Story of my life. 😄

Depending on your learning style, there are multiple channels on YouTube, I agree with @bdickens' suggestion to start with the forum's own @John Vere, also all the other previous suggestions. The fact that John has already posted in your thread should let you know what a helpful cat he is.

One I recommend to absolute newcomers to digital audio recording (specifically with Cakewalk) is The Produce Aisle. She is a relative beginner herself, but I've learned a thing or two from Lorene and she has a charming attitude about making mistakes and having fun. Her style may not be for everyone, but check it out and see.

As for classes, there's a nice chap named @Robert McClellan whose YouTube channel is called Home Studio Simplified and who also offers more in-depth courses and consultation for a fee.

Welcome and good luck!

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Starship Krupa

Starship Krupa

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8 hours ago, John Vere said:

The first results will probably be the documentation which may have my answer but the pictures and diagrams are all missing due to some web page management issues. Seems nobody's interested in fixing something as simple as a web page issue.

The issue is that they apparently host the images on an unsecure server, which most browsers these days block by default. Yes, it needs to be fixed on the BandLab end, but there's a way to remedy it on the browser end as well.

 

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scook

scook

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12 minutes ago, Starship Krupa said:

My installation has no "TH2 Creator," so I can't answer that one. TH3 is a guitar amp simulation plug-in.

TH2 Creator was a special version of TH2 (the predecessor of TH3) bundled with Music Creator 7 the last of the Music Creator series sold by Cakewalk.

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Leifur

Leifur

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bdickens, thank you for your response. In my post, I wasn’t asking or expecting a response to all of the topics I mentioned. The list was to help any would-be responders to understand the types of questions most tutorials don’t address individually or in depth. And you can't ask questions. And in truth, I am a slow reader and suffer headaches when reading for long periods of time, which happens when you are a slow reader. I also am hearing impaired in a way that makes any audible speech sound like Alexa under a stack of pillows. Especially if the would-be tutor has a thick accent or their audio is anything short of crisp (treble all the way up and bass all the way down). So, jesse, scook, and everyone who suggested and offered links to what are probably great tutorials, I thank you, but I’m afraid they won’t help me.

What I have garnered from this interaction however, is very positive. My troubles are mainly technical. I think I’m beginning to figure out how to use this forum so, it would appear that my question has been well answered by every responder above. I already know that tutorials don’t work well for me, but it would appear that I can get answers to my very focused questions, right here on this forum.

So thank you in advance for all the great answers I'm looking forward to. Now,  can anyone tell me if would be proper for me to pose a specific question here and now, or is it required that I open a new thread for each new question? Thanks again.

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Starship Krupa

Starship Krupa

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21 hours ago, Leifur said:

can anyone tell me if would be proper for me to pose a specific question here and now, or is it required that I open a new thread for each new question?

One for each question is best, and there are other subforums for discussing recording techniques, hardware, etc. if you think that maybe a given question would fit better over there. But here in "Q&A" is fine.

My best advice is to take things slowly and bite off one at a time.

Start with "record some audio and play it back," then go on to the next thing you want to learn how to do, maybe "overdub another track while listening to the first one," then "use some plug-in FX," then "mix my tracks down to one stereo track" and go from there.

People will be able to give you advice at every one of those steps if you run into any trouble.

Another suggestion: if you can figure out how to edit your forum signature, put your system specs in it like I have. At least computer type and interface type. That saves would-be helpful people a certain amount of wondering and rounds of questions and answers.

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