How do I get my sound output to work properly?

[Tyler Cline]

I just installed Cakewalk on my new pc. I can't seem to get the sound to play through my computer into my headphones. For a time it came through my monitor's built in speakers but after messing with speakers that is gone too. Sound works from youtube and games and such as desired, I just can't get cakewalk to send audio there. Any ideas? Here are my screen shots

[Tyler Cline]

That did the trick! Thank you!

 

[Moshe Perl]

Hi Lord Tim, I am having a similar issue with cakewalk not playing through my computer audio.  I don't understand where to "untick Digital Output in Audio>Devices".  Can you please help.  Moshe. 

[User 905133]

1 hour ago, Moshe Perl said:

I don't understand where to "untick Digital Output in Audio>Devices". 

I believe Lord Tim was referring to this image:

[User 905133]

On 6/30/2020 at 1:21 PM, Lord Tim said:

. . . and set the Playback Timing Master to Speakers 1/2 in Audio > Driver Settings

and this comment most likely refers to the following image:

[Moshe Perl]

Thank you user 905133 for your response.  Much appreciated.  My setup looks a little different than above.  Here it is.  Perhaps my issue is something different.  I am able to play other sounds through my computer and Windows tells me that my audio system is working fine.  Any thoughts?  Moshe

 

[User 905133]

From what I can see you only have MIDI Tracks--at least that's all that's showing. Are those pointed to a software synth / Instrument Track that are not visible? If so, are the Soloed MIDI Tracks being routed to the soft synth? 

[Moshe Perl]

Hi User 905133.  I don't have a MIDI synthesizer installed.  I copied the midi files from an old, long deceased computer and wanted to hear what I had created.  The old computer definitely had a midi interface (along with IDE drives).  I was trying to download and install some fluidsynth sf2 files because I do have vlc.  Although I have been to what appears to be the fluidsynth website I have not succeeded.  They have installation files for Linux and Apple, but no files for Windows that I can identify.  I am definitely going down a rabbit hole now.  Thoughts?  Moshe

[User 905133]

1 hour ago, Moshe Perl said:

Hi User 905133.  I don't have a MIDI synthesizer installed.  I copied the midi files from an old, long deceased computer and wanted to hear what I had created.  The old computer definitely had a midi interface (along with IDE drives).  I was trying to download and install some fluidsynth sf2 files because I do have vlc.  Although I have been to what appears to be the fluidsynth website I have not succeeded.  They have installation files for Linux and Apple, but no files for Windows that I can identify.  I am definitely going down a rabbit hole now.  Thoughts?  Moshe

As you might know MIDI data is just data that tells some sort of synthesizer / sound producing device (either a hardware synth / sound module or a software synth) what to do--what notes to turn on, turn off, etc. 

Maybe on your old computer you used the MS Wavetable Synth or Cakewalk's TTS-1 Synth.  The MS Synth hasn't worked in Cakewalk for a while and as of a few months ago Bandlab had to stop including TTS-1 (a Roland product) in the installers.  For those of us that have TTS-1 installed from earlier installers, we can still use TTS-1.

If you have an older version of SONAR and you install that on a new PC first so you have all of the bundled software synths on your new computer, a new installation of Cakewalk software will pick them up.

I don't do much with sf2 files, but there are some players you can get that will work.  I am pretty sure there are some fairly recent discussions in the forum about them.  

Hope this helps.

Edited January 29 by User 905133
typos fixed

[User 905133]

I just found the GitHub page for FluidSynth that seems to have a Win10 zip from 4 days ago. Maybe that will work.

ADDENDUM: If you search the forum for "fluidsynth" (scope = Everywhere, not This Topic), there are some discussions of fluidsynth.  Not sure it works.

NEW INFO: Maybe AZ's build will help. Not sure.  No idea if anyone else has gotten the fluidsynth libraries to work. I defer to others with more experience with *.sf2 files or with fluidsynth. 

Edited January 29 by User 905133
added a link; added a comment

[User 905133]

On 1/26/2025 at 9:31 AM, Moshe Perl said:

. . . I am having a similar issue with cakewalk not playing through my computer audio.   [emphasis added]

2 hours ago, Moshe Perl said:

. . . I don't have a MIDI synthesizer installed.  I copied the midi files from an old, long deceased computer and wanted to hear what I had created. . . . I was trying to download and install some fluidsynth sf2 files . . . . I am definitely going down a rabbit hole now.  Thoughts?  [emphasis added]

• THOUGHTS:  Having just climbed out of the rabbit hole I have 2 thoughts:
  • This issue is not similar at all; it is about making use of fluidsynth libraries.
  • There should be a warning to others!  🤪 

[Sock Monkey]

GM Midi files play in Windows media player and Win Amp.

There is also the free version of Midi sound synth 64. On that web page is also the VST version which you can demo or purchase for $15. It is really the only dependable GM midi player I could hunt down. It is kept up to date unlike the rest are mostly abandonware.  You can easily use it in place of the TTS-1 in Sonar/Cakewalk. I explain this in a bunch of my videos. 

https://www.synthfont.com/   

[Moshe Perl]

Thank you User 905133 and Sock Monkey.  Your comments and direction have been helpful.  Cheers.  Moshe