John Vere

With my set up I toggled the Global input echo so all tracks were always available. As I said it was real simple. Just changed channels on the controller and the corresponding instrument played. Then I figured out that all Cakewalks controls have Midi learn built in and I used that to assign the volume and if an instrument had chorus or an effect I wanted to do live. Used it for about 4 months without a hitch. Just make sure you connect the keyboard before opening Cakewalk and the dedicated project. To use Remote control just right click mouse on the control you desire to use. Select "Learn and wiggle the knob on the controller.

It is normal especially if you do something GPU intensive your graphics will hog CPU cycles ( I think) You really answered your own question when you said the project was large. That's when some folks will start freezing stuff to free up CPU.

Lucky you I just finished a tutorial and all of this is covered( I think? ) Why are your notes way off the grid?

Are you using the Export arrangement feature. You still need to make sure the correct boxes are either unchecked or checked in the export dialogue. I always leave them unchecked which was like in the old days of using "Select None" for export. Edit- As a matter of fact it is best practices to check all the dialogue boxes, looking at my screen shot I see the format is in Mono.

With the Resplendence tool you can generally ignore some of what it tries to tell you. I think it always says the same thing no matter what. That APCI looks like the issue however. And sometimes you need to run it for long time. If it tells you there's an issue it's telling truth so you need to start looking for what is doing that. I always open Task manager / performance tab and look at what's going on with Cakewalk running a big project.

NO. You don't need that It is only used for devices that don't have a proper driver and even that is no long required with WASAPI modes being much better performers . You go to the Roland web site, Look for the latest driver and download and install that driver carefully following the instructions. In my signature is a link to my Cakewalk Playlist. There are 2 videos worth watching that will explain clearly what you need to do to use an Audio interface etc. They are near the top of the list.

For me the latency is not noticeable due to using direct monitoring. But my issues makes me think it’s important to write an audio driver that is efficient for the OS to communicate with. I was thinking of ordering a USB-C PCI card to see if that would solve possible power supply issues.

I’ll have to agree with @Lord Tim. Audio interface drivers can make a difference and I was a bit surprised at Marks comment. I have 5 audio interfaces on hand right now. My latest is a Motu M4. I had been running using 128 as my buffer with both a Tascam and a Scarlett interface. The minute I started using the Motu I would get occasional static. Not drop outs but definitely the audio sucked. I now have to use 256 and even higher. Out of curiosity a few weeks ago when this happened I turned off the Motu and turned on the Scarlett 6i6. I set it for 128 and worked all day with out any audio issues. it’s old and missing a few features the Motu has but the only difference must be in the driver. I keep hoping a driver update will fix it. The other thing I wonder about is USB power? The Tascam and Scarlett use wall warts. The Motu is bus powered. At Motu supports advice I purchased. Dedicated USB PCIe card which improved the static issues somewhat but not 100%. When the OP said Zoom I went “ Oh, oh! “ Been many complaints about those drivers in the past. I think some companies like Motu are very oriented towards Mac OS or that interfaces that don’t come with proper power supply’s do not perform as well as the ones that do.

Yes but the title of the thread will result I 100’s of other people over time reading this information. Try it. Go enter the title in a search engine and add the word Cakewalk. This thread shows up 5 th on the list for me. It’s title is wrong as audio interfaces are not sound cards as we all know but the the term seems to persist.

I just found the script for the video I made a few years ago. I don't think it's out of date yet. Shopping for an Audio Interface? There is a lot of choices. But before you start looking Make a list of your requirements first. Example you might determine you need a 4x4 interface. That just narrowed down the search by a lot! You might only find 12 models and a few of those might be way out of your budget. Now compare those to get the most features needed. Don’t cheap out. Get what you need now because it’s false economy to short change yourself on features. You’ll end up spending more money down the line to make up for it. Example, only 1 headphone output and you all of a sudden need 2. Now it will cost you another $100 or more to buy a multi channel headphone amp. What kind of connectivity do you require? and how many of each. This is the most important determining factor. Most of us only need a few in/outs. It’s nice to not have to unplug and plug stuff in. If you already own a mixing board you can most certainly get by with less. These are some of the connectivity options: XLR for mikes & 1/4" for instruments or better yet Combi jacks which are both. Then other options are RCA, ¼” line level, ¼” Instrument level ,MIDI, SPDIF, ADAT, MADI Especially MIDI jacks if you use vintage synths, drum machines or pianos. How many ins and outs do you think you'll need now and in the future? Are they accessible or are some on the rear panel? Are the ¼” jacks Balanced? RCA jacks are handy if you have a DJ mixer or any consumer audio gear. And sometimes there are RCA in Parallel with main outputs. Just make sure the outputs have connectivity that matches your studio monitors. Is there a true stereo input pair? Some don’t have matching inputs which sucks for recording stereo devices like guitar pedal boards, Hardware piano’s, synth and drum machines. Are there channel Insert jacks for using hardware compressors. What type of connection to your commuter does it use. USB 2 is all you need for up to 32 channels of audio streaming. But USB 3 is now the most common. Here is some of the other front and rear panel features to look for Are there peak level meters or just a little LEDs for each input? Do all inputs have a peak indicator? Are there separate controls for Monitor level and headphone level? This is a pain when they combine these two. Is there a blend control for mixing Input Source with Computer or DAW playback. A lot of cheaper interfaces are missing this important feature and only have an on/off toggle. This makes it difficult to adjust what you’re hearing in your headphones and you have to muck about in your DAW to fix this. I think this control is a overlooked important feature. How many Headphone jacks? A level for each? This is also important if you work with other musicians. And as I said it is cheaper to have it built in that having to go buy the additional hardware. Are the input pads or line / Instrument toggle switches on the front, back or software controlled? Having them hidden is a bit of a pain because you might even forget they exist. Is it a metal box or cheap plastic? Is it light and portable or large and bulky, Rack mountable? If you’re going to take it with you make sure it is road worthy. Does it have an on / off switch? Many don’t. I use this a lot because I might change from on board audio to my interface. Much easier to turn off a switch than unplug it. Does it use Buss power or a power supply? Look for at least an optional power supply. Buss power can have issues with noise and Phantom power and some need a dedicated USB 3 buss. I had to purchase a special PCIe card just to power my Motu m4 and that cost me 40 bucks. Does it have DSP effects built in? This is great for adding reverb to you headphone mix without actually recording it. And there might be a compressor and special guitar effects you do want to record. Once again it’s saves you money if you will need these things. Does it use a Software GUI mixer? Having a software mixer adds more monitoring options. My Focusrite 6i6 has a mixer and I can use it to create 6 different headphone Que mixes. Does it have a Loop back function. This is a newer feature that is real important if you do live streaming, screen captures, Zoom or stand alone VST recording. It will also record off the internet say from you tube or sites that won’t let you download. Ahrr Captain there’s Pirates a float. Do you need low Round Trip Latency for real time processing like Guitar Sims? Most average priced interfaces like Tascam, Steinberg, Pro Sonis, Scarlett’s and my Motu have around 10 ms of RTL at a working Buffer of 256. You might get this lower if you have a very fast computer but most of us will have around this amount of delay. This delay is very annoying to most of us so be warned. Low RTL is going to be at a higher price point. Probably over $500 like RME stuff. There is almost no information or specs supplied buy most manufacturers. They will tell you up to 5ms of RTL but they are not getting that at a buffer setting that is actually usable on most systems. You’ll suffer drop out and stuttering. Zero Latency monitoring is not the same as round trip latency All interfaces have latency. The A/D converter adds almost 1ms of latency for starters, your USB system, computer processing the D/A converter and so on. But this doesn’t matter when you use direct monitoring. You’ll hear everything in perfect sync. Zero latency is only referring to monitoring directly from the interface. And most important of all, Does it have top notch ASIO drivers for your OS. Don’t buy any interface that say’s “class compliant driver” That will work for a Mac, but not very well with a PC. What is the word on support from the company? Visit the web site and try creating an Account before you purchase. Pretend you just bought the device. See if the drivers and manuals are easy to get at and kept up to date. Are they a PC or Mac oriented company. And this one I think is also overlooked-- Does it come with free software, Example Focusrite interfaces seem to come with a lot of good actually usable stuff. There could be over $200 in value here so make sure you check this out. Most companies only give you some lame version of a DAW that you are probably not interested in because you already have a great free DAW with Cakewalk. Everyone will recommend the interface they have chosen, that doesn't mean it is the right one for you. But recommendations are also part of the research needed to make the right decisions. Make your list starting with the input /output specs. Check for pricing on sites like Sweetwater or Musicians Friend. The reviews are a very good resource but take the negatives with a grain of salt. There’s a lot of idiots who have no clue as what they are doing and they vent by writing a negative review. The audio interface is the heart of a digital studio. It is the centerpiece and spending money on this is more important than your actual computer. So have fun shopping.

This. I say in my video I produced ( I Think? ) that Cakewalk is a top end DAW that would cost you easily $500. So why not take the money you saved and invest it in a proper audio interface. I would say the people with the atomic powered computers are most likely Gamers. I know my son just built a gaming machine and it still cost over $2,000 and he's a smart shopper. I really need a new machine myself, mine is 13 years old. I only have 12 GB RAM which has never been an issue but the rendering of 10 minute videos takes a good 1/2 hour. I'm going to put gig money in a piggy bank and see what I can do next fall. ( I think we lost the OP! )

I had gone to the download page and it wasn’t listed. But further digging you are correct and I had neglected to push a hidden button to refresh the page after scrolling through 40 listings of Mac OS options. The fact that is only 16 bit is certainly a down side. That points towards inferior quality converters. But it does win the award for lowest cost ASIO audio interface and generally M Audio is dependable stuff

When I was a kid I used to always listen to the local radio by unplugging my guitars patch cable. Tube amp make great receiver's.

I was going to say " Just speed it up"

https://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Knowledge-Base/2007013099/Adding-third-party-audio-editing-software-to-SONARs-Utilities-menu But @scook , @msmcleod know of a app you can use. I tried to find it ( again) but it's a hard to fish out. The above link is all I found. All the keyboard shortcuts are found in the help menu. As well as when you open Views the keyboard shortcuts are listed beside all the views. I don't think much has changed since X1 regarding the way Cakewalk is navigated and zoomed etc. I have a tutorial on the topic if you'd like a refresher. I think its about 4th on the playlist. https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCIImmMf5qdvYsgRLQvlZlFA/content/playlists

I don’t think you understand the way Cakewalk works now. There’s no need for the internet but twice a year to re activate it. I’m off line mostly. it’s free ! End of story. They have no desire to charge money. This has been made very clear over and over. There’s no such thing as a CbB version.?? They are the same CWP files they have always been and they can be still opened on Sonar. Older version of Sonar definitely do not need the internet. Ever. I’d hate to go back to X3 but I would do that before I’d bother switching to another DAW. I still have my W7 DAW fully loaded with Sonar Platinum. I think I could keep that computer going for a long time yet. “Keep it in a cool dry place” And besides, I have an almost mint condition Yamaha MD 8 track with midi sync and a room full of hardware. All I need is some Solar Panels.

Too bad I had a whole tutorial on exactly this topic. I use Cakewalk as a host for live keyboards all last winter. It was easy. I just assigned channels to each of the instruments and all I did was change my keyboards output channel. I also assigned the knobs to things like Volume and Chorus using Midi learn.

Right on! Cubase is a great program= $749.00 for the equivalent version to Cakewalk. Go for it. You'll never regret it.

Not sure what you mean by Mobile? For sure the best thing I ever bought was a hand held Recorder. You cell Phone is a Mobil recording device too. If by Mobile you are refering to using a Laptop then any Wave editor or DAW will work. Use the one you find easiest to work with. Audacity, Gold Wave, Sound Forge are all free wave editors. Problem is you still need a portable audio interface, that's why I like my hand held recorder. Hi quality audio at the press of a button. Zoom and Tascam are the most used brands but there's some cheepo ones too but those are probably like using a cell phone.

@Lord Tim Yes Word clock sync is important but I guess I should have been more clear. I was refering to overdubbed audio tracks being out of sync not word clock. Below is a screens shot of a Loopback test I did a few years ago. It was a long thread in the old Cakewalk forum and many of us tested our audio interfaces. We used ASIO and then any of the other modes that were available. A lot of us had more than one audio interface. The unscientific conclusion was the same for most everyone. ASIO was always within a few samples of being perfectly in sync. Notice the Blue track. All other Modes drifted and were usually late by very noticeable amounts. Those amounts varied from Interface to interface. The unscientific reason for that is those driver modes do not report latency to Cakewalk correctly. Cakewalk has to guess. Take note that the drift amount did not change with Buffer settings. This particular one is a Card Deluxe PCI interface ( still working) performed the least favorable under WDM mode. ( the Green track) Take note that a few people tested asio4all and it seemed to always match WDM mode, which makes perfect sense. Asio4all is really WDM mode. WASAPI mode ( Purple track) most certainly tried hard to be acceptable. This was WASAPI shared mode as the interfaces I tried do not support WASAPI Exclusive Mode. WASAPI exclusive only seems to work with On Board audio. That's why it's a total waist of money to purchase an audio interface that doesn't use ASIO. You might have even worse performance than using a Realtek card. All you are getting is a overpriced audio adaptor box. I can probably get better results using a small mixer, the 1/8" green jack and WASAPI Exclusive driver Mode. For those who are curious here's how you perform a loopback test. Using a short patch cable take an output and patch it back to an input. Like the project shown insert SI drums and a few midi kick or snare hits. Freeze it to create the audio track. Now create a few audio tracks and select the input correctly. DO NOT TURN ON INPUT ECHO. and record the loopback. Now if you what to you can switch to different modes like I did here. Change the time ruler to Samples or Milliseconds and zoom way in. You can use Aim Assist too. This is a way to calculate offset if you do not have an ASIO interface. You can then apply the amount it was out in sync and caching in the offset box. While you have the Loopback connected download and run this RTL Utility app which will test your Audio interfaces accuracy for reported latency. It's lot's of fun. You can quickly try different settings and see what's up. https://oblique-audio.com/rtl-utility.php

Just to be clear for others that read this thread. Ctrl+W = Toggles space bar behaviour between the now time stopping were it is / or rewinding to where you started. I don’t see that it matters if you forget which behaviour is set. If it stops where you are and you wanted rewind you simply press Ctrl W. You’ll have to manually rewind the first time but next time you stop it will rewind.

I didn’t use the start screen for probably the fist few years it came out. I just carried on using the file menu. When I started making tutorials I thought it best to use it as it’s simple for new people to understand. I quickly got the hang of it and especially the way you can have customized icons by placing a picture in the notes of the Browser. So i generally I use it to return to any recent projects I’m working on. I also access my templates that way. If I start my day wanting to open an old project I just go to the folder and open it there by double clicking.

That’s a feature I’ve used for a long long time. I am constantly switching between the 2 modes as I work. I can’t see not having that feature. I noticed in Movie maker the space bar always returns to where you started but the Enter key stops where you are.

Best you watch a few tutorials as you seem to need to learn the basics.

No, you cannot overdub audio with non ASIO drivers. WASAPI is great for people who only use VST instruments and loops. It sucks for recording audio. It will be out of sync.