forkol

Having had an issue with Preview on certain files, and currently working with support on another issue with the Media Browser, I feel your pain! I haven't had the same issue that you have, but had an issue that involved certain WAV files not previewing correctly as well. Please consider the following if you haven't tried already: 1) When the issue happens with the same file, you said you can replicate it until you restart Cakewalk. So, does it still happen if you mute the Preview Bus? Also, what happens if you mute ALL busses? Then mute the Master bus only? Is there still output on the Hardware interface meters? This might help track down where the errant audio is coming in from, and which bus. 2) One of my issues with Media Browser came from the fact that some of the WAV files had a wav file header that caused a playback problem. It looks like you're using a sample pack from a company. Is the issue always caused by the same company's files? Do you have an issue with other samples, from other companies? If you have any REX (.rx2) files, see if you run into the issue with REX file playback as well. 3) When you get this issue, what happens if you do a reset of the audio engine, does it still happen? Also, if you have another audio interface (like an on-board Soundblaster or RealTek sound chip) when the issue happens again, switch to one of these sources and see if you can replicate the issue. Also, if you have other audio driver types besides ASIO, try switching to those like WDM or WASAPI if you have those as choices, and see if you can replicate the issue there. 3) My issue was fixed in 2021.01, 2019.09 is a bit far back. Is there a reason why you don't go to 2021.01? What version of OS are you running? How old are the Hammerfall drivers? All of these suggestions are designed to try to pinpoint if some kind of issue is happening on certain files, and if the issue lies with Cakewalk, or the audio driver. Hope this helps!

Automate the Volume of the Metronome Bus on the last 2-3 measures, or Automate it's mute is probably even better.

No, don't get me wrong, I agree with you and Xel Ohh and countless others on this, and many other additions that I would like to see added to CBB that would facilitate making producing easier for genres like Hip-Hop, EDM, Pop etc. I primarily replied because of scook suggestion of Elastique. Elastique is a good plugin, but it's $200.00. I wanted to give a very low-cost, but high-quality solution for folks who need pitch shifting as well. I will also say that (in my opinion), that Cakewalk focus does not seem to be on adding such features, and I feel that's both a detriment and a shame. So, I think the best thing to do right now is to do the best workaround I can, and continue to request the features be added.

I like to use Pitch Shifter from Kilohearts. You can get it for $19.00 from Kilohearts.com, or if you buy Computer Music #261 from PocketMags (https://pocketmags.com/us/computer-music-magazine/autumn-2018) for $3.99, then as part of the Monthly Bundle you can get it and 2 other Kilohearts effects. I like it because it's very simple and light, and it uses granular, but it sounds great.

Hey Bill, sorry now just seeing this. Yeah, I really, really love that Kilohearts pitch plug-in. I find it very useful to chuck it into the effects bin of the preview track. Then you can use it to tune samples up/down when you are browsing samples. Makes it easy to audition samples that are not in your project's pitch, and really speeds up the workflow. Since you like being distracted -- if you liked that issue, I want to make you aware that Computer Music has a compilation issue on Music theory you might be interested in as well: https://www.discountmags.com/magazine/the-producers-music-theory-handbook-digital. I think I have the hard-copy of it, which I recommend so that it's easy to take with me and read. CM also has many other mags, and special issues as well, be sure to check them out. One special issue is the samples issue, which I'm sure will probably distract you further: https://www.magzter.com/GB/Future/Computer-Music-Special/Music/65493 It probably works out better to join Readly or Magzster if you decide to check out a few others.

As pointed out, you either need a Sampler (which is overkill) or a effect/Effect VST Pitch shifter to do this. There's a Pitch Shifter Plugin by Kilohearts. It's $15.00 online, or if you pickup Computer Music magazine Digital Back issue #261 (https://pocketmags.com/us/computer-music-magazine/autumn-2018) that cost $3.99, you get Pitch Shifter, along with two other effects from their monthly plugin giveaways. This a quality pitch shifter because it uses granular pitch shifting, and to me sounds pretty great. It's small and easy to use as well.

It's 44.1K, 16 bit. I'm running an old EMU 1820m, and it appears to be only support 24 bit at the highest. I made attempts to get it to go to 192k, 24-bit, but it looks like the patch software does not really support it, and it seems pretty much locked in CBB to 44.1/16bit. And I believe, as I said in the initial post and as you just stated, there seems to be an issue with resampling imported audio from some 32-bit wav files down to 16 bit.

I tried reducing the gain, it's not working. There were some files that when played back, registered more than 0db, but I also had a file that had (according to CBB) 0 db, and it was still distorted with clicks and pops.

@Glenn, that's interesting. I'll give that a try and reduce the gain a bit. The thing that (to me) is strange is that preview works with no distortion. Also, it works fine in Studio One 4. Also fine in Windows Media Player. Wonder if they automatically apply some gain reduction? Also, I get the clipping even when there are not high transients. I would think that at least, preview should behave the same as the actual inserted WAV file. They should both work or not work.

This took me a while to track down, and it's quite interesting. I have a sample pack with IEEE 32-bit floating-point WAV files. On using the CBB Browser the file previews fine. When drag-and-drop (or regular import) it causes pops and clicks in the playback of the project on that track. The pops and clicks are rhythmic and proportional in volume to the audio transient - i.e., louder when the audio is louder, and softer when audio is softer, and quiet when there is no audio. Things I tried: 1) Switching to WDM <-> ASIO. Changed buffer size, Changed Multiprocessing Engine, Changed Import Bit Depth, Changed every audio engine thing I could -- still same issue. 2) Exported the file to a desktop WAV file -- the noise is there in the playback. 3) Sample plays fine in Windows Media Player 4) Sample works with ASIO drivers in Studio One 4, no issues. I noticed that it didn't happen on all samples, only certain ones. I tried several different samples, and then I noticed the difference -- The WAV files that are PCM-based (according to the notification line at the bottom of the CBB Browser window) seem to import and play fine (16-bit and 24-bit). However, every IEEE-Float 32-bit WAV file has this issue. I had this issue in the current Release of CBB, also the last Release of CBB. And, just for fun, I fired up Sonar X3 and checked it, and not only is the issue there as well, the preview also has that same issue! I've tried every option that seems to make sense. I'm running a i7 PC that has 6 cpu's, 12 cores, and the project is less that 1% of CPU, and consists of nothing but an audio track with the sample loaded onto it. I can't think of anything else to try. Given my experiments, it seems there's an issue with importing these types of samples into Cakewalk. My guess there's a resample problem when converting project audio. Hopefully, CW can look into this. If anybody knows anything else I should try out, please let me know.

Yes, I use it, and I have to say, using it with CW, it is freaking amazing. One of the things that I've railed about in the past with CW/Sonar is that is has (IMO) very poor loop construction/manipulation of samples, and it's difficult to demo candidate samples 'on the fly' even within the Media Selector. The Loopcloud plugin makes this a much less tedious, and more enjoyable process. One really cool thing is that it has a Pitch knob, which is a high-quality pitch-shifter. It will allow you to pitch-shift a sample (Loopcloud or your own samples) to fit your song. Along with being able to do sample edits and apply basic effects to a sample, again on the fly. Then, when you are happy, you can drag/drop a complete sample with all the edits applied. The way I use it is that I create a Instrument track with it, then start the Loopcloud application. I then setup a loop in my song where I would like to have a new sample, and then use the Loopcloud application to select one. I can change the time, pitch, starting/ending time, apply effects, cut/paste samples all on the fly. As mentioned above, it gives more of an Ableton-loop construction feel to your workflow. It is my hope that the Bakers would develop something like this for CW, they could even setup a sample purchasing thing similar to Loopcloud. I have Splice as well, and I like Splice, mainly because of their gigantic sample library, but man, it's a pain to demo their samples in that web interface. I end up having to download them from Splice and bring them into my Loopcloud Library to use them. As Aidan mentioned, it's a great inspiration boost. If you try it and end up liking it, if you can wait (or just pay the monthly until then), they had 1/2 price on the Annual subscription around Black Friday/holidays, and I would think they will have such a sale again. I think it was like $60.00. Out of all the stuff I bought during the holidays, this has been the most used and enjoyed of them all, and I just thought it would be a throw-away thing that I could just get $60.00 of quality loops from. Just wanted to share my positive experience with it.