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Yes, John is correct. To hear the Korg sound module you will need to run audio cables from it to the Focusrite audio inputs, just like the guitar and microphone. The 4i4 will allow you to keep all of your audio connections connected at the same time. The MIDI cables will allow you to use the Korg as a MIDI controller to trigger virtual instruments in your DAW.

What, as as compared to a subscription only license model? Perpetual means that you own the license for the life of the product. This is what most commercial software licenses have traditionally been. No renewals or upgrades required for continued activation. Certainly not as in "lifetime" like Sonar Platinum 4ever... ?

https://www.macrium.com/black-friday Single License $34.98 Price: $69.95 Perpetual license. 1 year Essentials Support.

@RfcousinsIf memory tests and HD tests are clean, then it's probably a software issue rather than hardware. Have you tried uninstalling Cakewalk and reinstalling it? As you mentioned, testing with your laptop may help you to determine if it has something with the project files themselves causing the issue. I mention the following because you initially indicated Cakewalk was "not responding". The next thing I would check is that all my drivers are up to date, especially the audio and video. Go to the manufacturer's sites and see if there are any driver updates. There are also methods available to "clean boot" Windows with minimal startup programs. The step by steps for that procedure are available on many computer blogs and forums. By clean booting one can rule out possible conflicts with real-time antivirus scan, or other programs, utilities, etc. that launch at startup. If you startup with only the Windows processes, and your DAW + audio drivers, and that works you will know that it was caused by something that you temporarily disabled. Then enable one thing at a time, reboot and test Cakewalk again until you identify the culprit.

@Aarool BhaaleraoThere are two ways to trigger a virtual instrument via MIDI. Controller hardware input and/or data on a MIDI track. Samplers are virtual instruments that receive MIDI data, and play back audio via samples. Using a controller you can record the MIDI data on the track to edit and replay later, or play the virtual instrument live. The three other ways to enter MIDI data in a MIDI track: Insert a pre-made MIDI pattern, enter notes on a piano roll that creates your own MIDI pattern, or enter notes on a step sequencer grid which also creates a MIDI pattern. Many folks working with rhythm patterns prefer the step sequencer grid to editing notes in a piano roll, but they are interchangeable and both result in a MIDI pattern on a MIDI track. Use the method that you prefer. Did you watch the video that I linked?

Hello @Aarool Bhaalerao, and welcome to Cakewalk! Since you are new to Cakewalk you should probably be made aware that it does not include an integrated sampler or sampler track. But it does include a virtual drum instrument. The samples are already loaded in this kit and cannot be changed by the end user. But it is a drum virtual instrument that you can trigger with a MIDI pattern, or from a controller. Here is a great video tutorial by Creative Sauce (about 30 mins) that explains the basics how to make beats in Cakewalk with this drum kit, as well as demonstrating the use of the piano roll, step sequencer, and drum maps. Once you understand this workflow you can replace this drum instrument with a virtual sampler plug-in of your choice. But because Cakewalk is very deep and complicated, I'd recommend that you completely understand the workflow in this video before going out and acquiring a 3rd party sampler.

Any update to ACT would be welcome. Agreed that it's not as simple as it could be!

A failing hard drive can also cause some explainable behavior. If you know already know how to access the S.M.A.R.T diagnostics for your drive you may get some info about the drive performance without running anything else. If not, locate the manufacturer of your HDD, and download their diagnostic tool. I would also run the Windows memory test (requires a reboot) https://www.howtogeek.com/260813/how-to-test-your-computers-ram-for-problems/ or run the standalone memtest86 via a bootable USB stick. https://www.memtest86.com/

With my current system, Intel i5-9600K at 4.6Ghz, I start getting breakups (pops & crackles) with 8 instruments loaded in a single instance of ST4 using ASIO at 256 buffers (24/48000). If I run a CPU monitor I can see one core (of 6) doing all of the heavy lifting. When that core gets over 50% on that single thread is when I start hearing noise. With my old dual core at 3.4Ghz I only got about 3-4 instruments per instance. YMMV. VST2 or VST3 doesn't seem to make any difference in this regard, as well as setting plug-in load balancing on/off in Cakewalk preferences. I recall Noel mentioning somewhere that load balancing only applies to effects rather than instruments. This seems to be more of an issue with the new ST4 library. So if instruments are single threaded, then separate instances would be necessary to share the load. I did notice that if you are using the older ST3 based libraries in ST4, they are less CPU hungry. The ST3 engine is included within ST4 for compatibility with the older instruments.

With Omnisphere, why are you even looking at other synths, LOL?

This ^^^

OK, you get a mulligan on this deal... ?

The "talent" button still costs extra.

Yup, this is true. I wrote them about my dupes and got replacements added to my collection. AAS are good folks!?

I prefer Waves Abbey Road Vinyl. Does pops and crackles too if wanted, but also much more control over analog mastering process.

The full Chromaphone 3 is on sale for 50% off, so $99 at AAS. Or $83.98 at AudioDeluxe with code "BF2020" in shopping cart.

In sound quality it probably exceeds Omnisphere. The sounds are based on eight physically modeled acoustic resonators. "This versatile instrument provides a delightful mixture of real-life presence and distinctive timbres that can't be found anywhere else." It was originally designed as a chromatic and percussion instrument, but has evolved greatly since. "According to the maker of the instrument, Chromaphone is driven by drum skins, bars, marimbas, plates, strings, and tubes, which form pairs that are sparked to life by a configurable mallet and a flexible noise source. At the heart of Chromaphone lies a coupling technology that precisely models how vibrating objects interact and influence each other, capturing key acoustic behaviours of musical instruments. This, combined with access to the resonators’ physical properties, results in a library of truly expressive instruments as well as a vast range of sonic colors, according to Applied Acoustics Systems." In sounds quantity it probably is not even close to Omnisphere. I say this as a non-Omnisphere user, but they are different animals. Omni is more of a general purpose synth, and much of it is sample based. But Omni is generally considered to be one of the finest for it's broad sounds library. I would heartily recommend Chromaphone as a companion to your desert island synth collection, not as a replacement...

Yes. It. Is. Plus I have 10 of the add-on packs for it. The new browser sure is sweet! The new v3 factory library has 421 sounds, and the remastered v2 factory library has 676 sounds...

It is a pop-up, and Firefox and Chrome both seem to block it here. I do have some ad and tracking protection enabled in those, so that may be part of the cause. But I did get the pop-up with MS Edge. Using it plain vanilla without any ad or tracking protection, as it's not my default browser. Edge is a spam fest! ?

We will know in 9 days...

You would first have to move them back to the license cloud, then onto a new device. If that doesn't work, open a support ticket at Waves. They are usually good at assisting with license issues.

Yeah, but then it would probably look just like FL Studio.

Well I recently upgraded my system drive from a 250GB Samsung EVO 850 that I had been running for a few years. It was getting full so I replaced it with a 500GB Samsung EVO 860. It's my system drive, plus all my programs and plugins (except samples, sound libraries, etc). It's running at slightly over 50% use, so 500GB is probably a sweet spot for a system drive used in this way. I bought a Samsung QVO 860 1TB ($110) for my data drive (samples, instrument libraries, loops, misc content), because it was cheaper that a 1TB EVO. This is plenty of space for now, and it's running about 75% full. But the price for this 1TB EVO deal ($89) is nearly about what I paid for the 500GB EVO earlier this year ($78).

WUP, there it is! ?

I agree for one processor. But I have T-RackS 5 MAX, and there are STILL some plug-ins not licensed with that package. Arrghh! Demos hidden.