John

The meaning of mastering has changed over time. Mastering today is actually a way to tweak a mix for distribution or having a song fit the sonic average of other songs on a CD. In the past it was about being able to overcome the limitations of vinyl records. Its very possible that the need for "mastering" in the digital world is over emphasized and no longer needed. I think one needs to think long and hard about this question. What is touted as mastering plugins for example are really a bunch of common plugins bundled together. Slapping the term mastering on a plugin is to me more about marketing than the real need to master. Its also interesting that a mix can be improved by "mastering" it. Though I still believe that the term is way overused and a really good mix is not really going to need mastering.

That is because you have to set volume before it gets to Cakewalk. You use the meters in Cakewalk to see the level but you can not control the level from within Cakewalk while recording. The source is where you must set the volume.

I don't think its a bug. It is possibly an incorrect instrument definition file. I would go through it line by line and be sure it is correct. I use MIDI and hardware synths too.

This was a revelation. I happen to have that along with quite a few others. Some expensive some not. None have been able to play a particular piece as well as the melda one. I never used it before but your post motivated me to try it. It sounds very good but more important there is no machine sound to it or very little. It is a great piano! Thank you for posting this.

It was one of the best when it was Sonar when it was paid for. With it being free now under the name Cakewalk it has to be the best free DAW around. I don't anything comes close. Heck, it is a top DAW whether free or not.

BTW if you were to use soft synths i.e. VSTis you wouldn't have this problem. I use Kontakt as well as a whole bunch of other VSTis to create sound. Once you have your sounds where you want them all you do is freeze the VSTis and the audio is now ready for mixing. In the distant past I used hardware synths which I still have. A Sound Canvas SC 8850 and a Roland XV 5080. Plus a drum machine. It was tedious to record each MIDI channel. Although the sound was OK they can not compete with a good sampled library.

If you use all 16 channels and you want each on a separate audio track you will need to solo one MIDI track at a time and record the audio from the Sy77. Each to a new track. Than you can mix it down to suit you. Or you could record once with all 16 MIDI channels into one stereo audio track. Once you do you wont be able to mix anything though.

Your problem can be easily fixed by don't use a SC (Surface Control) rather use a CS (Control Surface). ? Also in Cakewalk there is an indication called "where am I" that indicates what faders are being controlled by a CS. You can color this line any color you want so it sticks out for you. Also on a Mackie Control it also indicates what fader is controlling what channel via the display above the channel strip. It is one of the main features of a MC.

Starship Krupa I see where you are coming from. Its all good.

Starship Krupa wrote "Why are the menu commands for inserting new tracks up on the global menu instead of down in the Track Pane? Who knows. At least it has the buttons up above the Track Headers." You do know that there is a right click menu on the track header area for doing that?

The faster the clock the better. The more cores the better. Overclocking is not a good idea.

I took a look at it via the owner's manual. You have a nice hardware synthesizer. There are three ways you can use it with Cakewalk. It can be used as a sound module that takes MIDI from Cakewalk and generates audio that can be sent back to Cakewalk and recorded. Second, it can send MIDI to Cakewalk to be recorded as MIDI on a track much the same as audio is. A third way is to play in real time and have Cakewalk record the audio or the MIDI or both on tracks. The second way will let you use VSTis for sound. This gives you infinite sound possibilities. It all depends on how you connect the ins and outs of the Modx to the ins and outs of your sound card and MIDI interface. You will need both. Many sound cards have a MIDI in and out. If you have a sound card with MIDI built in and it can send and receive it than you wont need a separate MIDI interface. Also Modx has USB ports. These may be able to substitute for a sound card and MIDI interface. If it does than you will need to install drivers for it so Cakewalk can see it. The point is to connect the Modx so Cakewalk can see it. From there once you have recorded MIDI or audio into Cakewalk you can then edit or otherwise use it anyway you want. It appears you are connected and have a signal going from the Modx to CW. To record it set a MIDI or audio track to the input where the Modx is sending to. You must set the track to record. Unlike Cubase CW does not need or have input tracks any track can be an input by setting to record. Also it is vital you do not change the levels in Cakewalk. This must be done at the output of the Modx. Keep the levels at unity in CW. Unity is the normal position of the faders. It means there is no gain or attenuation of the signal. The meter will be record meters and with the setup outline above will give you an accurate indication of the true level. When you are ready hit the record button on the transport and you should be recording. If you have further questions please ask them.

One thing a new user should do is learn the language of the program. What terms mean what. Having an idea of the terms used will help one understand a particular DAW. For example Bounce learn about it. With Cakewalk you have the first fully non destructive DAW going back to its forefather Sonar. Others DAWs have adopted its non destructive environment. Keep this in mind when using it. In other words you don't need to worry too much about doing something that would destroy your song with Cakewalk.

James interesting account. I wasn't sure anyone was still using the StudioMix. I'm glad you are. It is built like a tank. It also has a find and gross scroll wheel. A very neat feature.

I'm not sure what you mean by a "software Controller". Please explain.

This may work.

Its a 32 bit plugin. That could be a problem for you. But try to enable it as an instrument. This may not work though. It will work for DX plugins.

I use a CS a Mackie Control. I do because some things are easier with a CS and faster. Also, some DAWs can loose focus but with a CS they are always in focus to it. If you do a lot of automation on multiple tracks in real time a CS is a very good way to do that. Further a CS gives one the feel and ergonomics of a mixing desk at a low price. I have been using a CS going back all the way to Pro Audio with a Cakewalk Studio Mix by Peavey. The MC (Mackie Control) is for me the best CS around.

Lets keep it civil please!

One thing we may forget is they were smart enough in acquiring a great DAW that had a built in user base with one of the best forums on the net. One can not overestimate the quality and traffic that this forum gives them. An intangible that probably played a roll in the acquisition.

Most often if it is not listed as using an IR it is most likely an algorithmic one. However, some Convolution Reverbs use IRs but don't allow adding others. They look and act like algorithmic ones but use IRs that are built in. The only real advantage to convolutions is the verity of reverbs types you can use with a change of IR. I am not that picky about my reverbs. I use the one that sounds right for what I want to get from it. I do like the Brainworx one I also like the Pantheon too. Breverb is OK I don't use it much.

I still have the Lexicon that came with Sonar. I also have this Brainworx . If you have the Sonar 8 you also have the the Pantheon reverb.

Cakewalk has had aux buses from way back and in all the years I have used Sonar and now Cakewalk I have never ever tried to freeze an aux bus. Never. One big reason is that its really an empty bus. Really, audio passes through it but a freeze would try to create an audio file incorporating all the tracks going through it. To me that seems troublesome. I just don't think its a good idea to do that. For your setup using an amp sim, I would use a simple bus and not an aux bus. I would have the GTs out to the new GT bus. You can adjust the amount of the amp sim as an insert plugin. Another way may be to route a send to an aux bus and the tracks out to a GT bus and freeze the GT bus. Or export it as a single stem that you can bring back in to the project.

Clearly. Its all good.

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