2020.08 Feature Overview

[Morten Saether]

Introduction

The 2020.08 release introduces support for multiple Arranger tracks, Arranger section types, Arranger templates, MIDI automation on Instrument tracks, Workspace enhancements, Classic Creative Suite and Channel Tools plug-ins, new FX Chain presets, export directly to Standard MIDI File, optimizations, and much more, including over 70 bug fixes,  all in keeping with our goal of making Cakewalk as reliable and enjoyable as possible.

The following highlights are intended to provide an overview of the more significant changes. Please also refer to the new features section of our documentation for more detailed information on the features.

Please give us feedback on this release. We hope you like it!

---

 

2020.08 Highlights

 

Multiple Arranger tracks

A project can contain multiple Arranger tracks, with each track containing its own set of sections. Multiple Arranger tracks provides many benefits, including:

• Simultaneously declare multiple sections intersecting within a given range of time.
• Define and organize sub-sections within a larger section. For example, if you have a live recording of multiple songs, you can use one Arranger track to mark out each song, and another to mark out the verses and choruses within each song.
• Use multiple sections for generic annotation within a project.

 

 

Arranger section types

Arranger sections can be assigned to an optional section type attribute, such as Verse, Chorus, Bridge, etc. Cakewalk includes many common section types, and you can create your own custom section type presets.

Section types provide the following benefits:

• By tagging sections with type attributes, you can use Arranger templates to instantly create new arrangements from your existing sections.
• Quickly assign consistent names and colors to sections that serve specific musical functions in a song.
• Directly insert new sections that automatically use appropriate names and colors.

 

 

Arranger templates

Arranger templates are pre-defined song forms that store the order in which sections are arranged. You can think of an Arranger template as a map of an entire song.

Arranger templates are global and can be used in several ways:

• Create a new Arranger track from a template. The template is applied to the Arranger track, which creates new sections. This is useful when starting a new song and you want to quickly create all Arranger sections for a typical song form that you can fill in with music.
• Insert sections in an existing Arranger track. Drag Arranger templates from the Media Browser and drop them in existing Arranger tracks. Sections in the template are inserted into the target track.
• Create a new arrangement. If your project already contains existing sections, you can use Arranger templates to create new arrangements from the existing sections. This allows you to preview your existing sections with different song forms. Sections that exist in the template but not in the project can be optionally created at the end of the project in the active Arranger track.

 

 

Show and edit MIDI automation on Instrument tracks

Instrument tracks can now show and edit MIDI automation. Previously, Instrument tracks only showed the automation available for the audio output section of the track. Now both MIDI and audio automation parameters can be set from the track’s Edit Filter.

 

Classic Creative Suite audio effects

The Classic Creative Suite is made up of powerful and easy to use Cakewalk effects including Alias Factor, Classic Phaser, Compressor/Gate, HF Exciter, Modfilter, Multivoice Chorus/Flanger, Para-Q, and Tempo Delay.

 

Channel Tools plug-in

The Channel Tools plug-in provides easy and powerful channel processing for gain, Mid-Side decoding, delay and stereo panning.

Channel Tools is ideal for enhancing and adjusting stereo separation for stereo tracks and full mixes.

 

New FX Chain presets

Cakewalk includes many new FX Chain presets that use the new Classic Creative Suite and Channel Tools audio effects.

 

Export to Standard MIDI File

The File > Export > Standard MIDI File command lets you directly export the current project’s MIDI data to a Standard MIDI File.

 

Enhancements

Enhanced ‘Instrument Track Per Audio Output’

When inserting a multi-timbral soft synth, you can use the Instrument Track Per Output option in the Add Track menu and Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box to specify how many Instrument tracks to create. This allows you to have multiple Instrument tracks for a single instance of a synth.

However, if you specify more output tracks than the synth supports, Cakewalk will now create additional synth instances as required. For example, adding 16 TTS-1 tracks will create 4 TTS-1 instances as the TTS-1 supports 4 audio outs per instance.

 

Workspace enhancements

‘Apply Workspace on Project Load’ option

When using a workspace, you can now specify if the active workspace should be automatically applied when loading projects. This is specified with the Apply Workspace on Project Load option in the Workspaces menu. The Apply Workspace on Project Load option is disabled by default.

When enabled, the active workspace is always applied to an opened project.

When disabled, projects load with their saved window layout, even when a workspace is active. To apply the active workspace, re-select the workspace form the Workspaces menu.

Track view View and Options menu settings are not saved in workspaces

The Track view View and Options menu settings are global, and no longer saved in screensets or workspaces.

This change prevents global settings from being overwritten when applying a workspace.

 

Ripple Edit affects Arranger section move/copy operations

The Ripple Edit setting is respected when moving and copying Arranger sections.

 

Auto Crossfades is applied to Section Split/Arrangement Commit

Section operations now respect the Auto Crossfade enable in the Track view. Section Split and Commit Arrangement operations will now have crossfades applied when enabled.

 

Option to center Now Time when zooming with the keyboard

The Track view Options menu has a new Center on Now Time with Keyboard Zoom option that centers the Now Time when zooming with keyboard shortcuts (CTRL+LEFT ARROW and CTRL+RIGHT ARROW).

 

Key binding to open soft synth on current track

A new key binding named Open Soft Synth on Current Track allows you to open the soft synth UI on the focused Instrument track. You can assign the key binding in Edit > Preferences > Customization - Keyboard Shortcuts (under Area: Global Bindings).

 

Improved loading of synth data

Loading soft synths is now a two step process: first the plug-in is loaded, then its content is loaded (samples, etc.).

A new toast notification shows the loading status.

 

Enhancements to Duplicate Selected Clip(s) command

The Duplicate Selected Clip(s) command now respects the selection when duplicating instead of reverting to clip size. It also no longer sets the Now Time during playback.

 

Toggle Clip Gain edit filter

You can quickly toggle between Track Volume and the last/previously shown data type on the current track. To do so, press the = key. This only works on the current parent track, not in Automation lanes.

To toggle between Clip Gain and the last/previously shown data type on the current track, press SHIFT+=.

 

Improved handling of temporary removal of control surfaces

Cakewalk now better handles the temporary removal of devices related to connected/configured control surfaces. 
If the MIDI input or output ports are not available, the control surface is now disabled. The control surface name will be shown in parentheses and any missing ports will be shown as -- None --.

Regardless of whether MIDI ports have been remapped or not as a result of adding or removing MIDI devices, only user changes to the control surface setup will be saved. Unchanged control surfaces will retain their original settings. Therefore, if a MIDI port is unavailable and the ports are shown as -- None --, as long as this surface is left unchanged, it will automatically restore its previous settings the next time Cakewalk is restarted with the MIDI device available.

 

ALT+drag in time ruler to select both tracks and buses

By default, making a time selection by dragging in the time ruler only selects tracks. To select both tracks and buses, hold down the ALT key while dragging in the time ruler.

 

‘Split MIDI Notes’ and ‘Non-Destructive MIDI Editing’ options in MIDI menu

The Non-Destructive MIDI Editing and Split MIDI Notes options that are found in the Edit > Preferences > Customization - Editing dialog box impact Arranger track editing, so we have made them more accessible by also adding them to the Track view MIDI menu:

• Non-Destructive MIDI Editing. Select this option to make all MIDI editing non-destructive. When toggled on, this option forces deleted data to be retained even though it is not visible.
  • When you split or crop clips, the old MIDI events are still there but they're hidden. So you can extend the ends of the clips to reveal the MIDI events again. If this is turned off, you lose those events when you split. In most cases you should leave this option enabled.
• Split MIDI Notes. Select this option to split any underlying MIDI notes when you split clips, and insert MIDI chase events (such as continuous controllers, Pitch Wheel, and Patch Change) at the split position.
  • The advantage of this is that you don’t get lost notes when copy/pasting or cut/pasting notes that start just before the split point.
  • The disadvantage of this is that if you extend the clip ends, as the note has now been split, it will be retriggered at the split point.

The menu commands are also available as key bindings. You can assign the key binding in Edit > Preferences > Customization - Keyboard Shortcuts (under Area: Track View).

 

Add Track menu now supports plug-in layouts

The Add Track window’s menu now supports the use of plug-in layouts. The Plug-in Browser and Add Track menu display the same layout.

 

Copy and assign automation envelopes

Copy and Assign Envelope is now available via the context menu for envelopes to facilitate copying an existing envelope and assigning it to a different parameter.

 

Staff view respects global Snap to Grid settings

The Staff view respects the global Snap to Grid settings for note positioning when drawing notes.

 

Optimizations

• Improved UI performance when playing while zoomed in to prevent loss of keyboard and mouse input. UI drawing is now adaptively throttled back to keep the system responsive even high load. 
• Clips pane now handles zooming better and only draws one beat worth of data when heavily zoomed in. Now Time display will also stop when zoomed in to a single beat. This prevents excessive flicker.
• Improved scrolling in the Track view with Snap to Landmark Events enabled. This fixes a reported issue where Snap to Landmarks with AudioSnap transients was causing scrolling to become sluggish.

 

Latest release notes are here.
See prior release notes.
Check out all new features released to date.

 

Previous release:

2020.05 Feature Overview

2020.04 Feature Overview

2020.01 Feature Overview

2019.11/12 Feature Overview

2019.09 Feature Overview

2019.07 Feature Overview

[Tommy Byrnes]

Thank you, Bakers!!! This looks like a wonderful release.

[Lee D]

Amazing!  Thank you Bandlab and to the bakers for continuing to make this DAW better and better!

[Rev Ev]

Did we lose the vocal and percussion strip plug-ins in this update?

[Jacques Boileau]

8 minutes ago, Rev Ev said:

Did we lose the vocal and percussion strip plug-ins in this update?

I had enabled them manually before. They are not showing up in a standard install. You had to go in plugin manager to remove their exclusion. I haven't checked my new install for them yet. But you may have to re-enable them again after the install, expecially if you removed the old version before installing. If you don't remember how to enable them, search this forum and you'll find help on that. There is also a video on YouTube by Mike Enjo showing how to.

These are great plugins, well worth the effort to get them back! Good luck!

[Rev Ev]

6 minutes ago, Jacques Boileau said:

I had enabled them manually before. They are not showing up in a standard install. You had to go in plugin manager to remove their exclusion. I haven't checked my new install for them yet. But you may have to re-enable them again after the install, expecially if you removed the old version before installing. If you don't remember how to enable them, search this forum and you'll find help on that. There is also a video on YouTube by Mike Enjo showing how to.

These are great plugins, well worth the effort to get them back! Good luck!

I thought I had searched for them the same way but just realized what I missed.  They are still here and just need to be enabled again.

[msmcleod]

For those of you who aren't sure how to enable plugins, select "Cakewalk Plugin Manager" from the Utilities menu then:



Note that 32 bit DXi plugins will NOT work in CbB...  so be careful what you enable.

[razor7music]

Such an awesome update! Thanks for the plug-ins too!

[user 905133]

I have had the FX Suite and Tools since I can't remember.  Not sure if the new installer saw that and didn't update mine. Not critical as I assume the functionality/performance of the newly installed versions are what I had.  But, out of curiosity, what are the versions numbers of the ones being installed for those new to Cakewalk?  Just wondering.

PS: I'm not unhappy that newcomers are getting these for free while many of us have them because we paid for them as bundled software over the years.  In fact I think it shows how responsive the developers are to comments/suggestions from users.  

As a long-time user I just wish that people who have been away for 10-15-20 years or more, people who come from using other DAWs, people who are having frustrations, etc. were to appreciate the continued responsiveness and to all of the improvements and new features and not cop an angry / belligerent / hostile attitude.  Yes, sometimes its a cultural / language issue, but sometimes frustration-expressed-as-anger is overwhelming.

Kudos to staff and users who treat comments with respect--even when some of us might want to hold up a mirror to the hostile comments.

[Patrick Wichrowski]

5 hours ago, Milton Sica said:

Classic Creative Suite audio effects is not installed. I can't find it in the list of available plugins.

Same here.

 

Searching in the folders and nothing too.

[Hillmy]

I had already made custom layouts for Instruments and FX. So whenever I install new plugins I simply just use the plugin manager to add the new plugins to where I want and save the layout. When I got the new update it was no different. Easy as going to the manager and adding the new plugins. Channel Tools is the only VST plugin while the rest are DX plugins. 

If people cant seem to find the new plugins, check the plugin manager first.

[Jonathan Sasor]

22 hours ago, Jacques Boileau said:

I had enabled them manually before. They are not showing up in a standard install. You had to go in plugin manager to remove their exclusion. I haven't checked my new install for them yet. But you may have to re-enable them again after the install, expecially if you removed the old version before installing. If you don't remember how to enable them, search this forum and you'll find help on that. There is also a video on YouTube by Mike Enjo showing how to.

These are great plugins, well worth the effort to get them back! Good luck!

The standard VX-64 and PX-64 Vocal/Percussion strips are not (and were not previously) included with the installer. There are versions of these plugins that are leveraged by some of the Style Dials that do get installed. These versions are disabled on install. 

[Jonathan Sasor]

23 hours ago, Milton Sica said:

Classic Creative Suite audio effects is not installed. I can't find it in the list of available plugins.

If you check the Plugin Manager, they should appear as DirectX Audio FX. If you had a previous SONAR install, you likely already have these plugins, but as mentioned, check your plugin layouts if you need to adjust those as well.

[Patrick Wichrowski]

4 hours ago, Milton Sica said:

Oops.  Don't work. 

Same here and i can't find the Classic Creative Suite dlls in the installation folders.

[Jonathan Sasor]

23 hours ago, Milton Sica said:

Oops.  Don't work. 

As these are not VSTs, they install to C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Plugins and then require being registered in Windows to appear. Were there any errors during the install process? 

[Patrick Wichrowski]

14 hours ago, Jonathan Sasor said:

As these are not VSTs, they install to C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Plugins and then require being registered in Windows to appear. Were there any errors during the install process? 

Windows 7, clean install ( https://help.cakewalk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034066393-Clean-Install-Cakewalk-by-BandLab ), administrator rights and no error messages. The program simply didn't install the Classic Creative Suite dlls. There is a way to generate or see an install log?

 

 

[Jonathan Sasor]

31 minutes ago, Patrick Wichrowski said:

Windows 7, clean install ( https://help.cakewalk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034066393-Clean-Install-Cakewalk-by-BandLab ), administrator rights and no error messages. The program simply didn't install the Classic Creative Suite dlls. There is a way to generate or see an install log?

 

Are you sure you've got the right installer version? I just verified that a clean install process will install those plugins on Windows 7 (even though its not officially supported). If your Help | About page shows 2020.08, 0ne thing you could try is running the Rollback Installer to go to version 2020.05 and then use the update installer and verify it is the 2020.08 version by checking the file in C:\Users\Your User Name\AppData\Roaming\bandlab-assistant\Downloads as you download/run the installer via BandLab Assistant

[Jonathan Sasor]

5 minutes ago, Milton Sica said:

I believe that the question to be solved would be: how to register the plugins without the need to do a "clean installation".

The danger of doing a clean installation is to lose the settings you have.

So the question to be answered is: HOW TO REGISTER THE PLUGINS FOR WHAT CAKEWALK ACKNOWLEDGES?

 

Assuming the .dll files are installed, you run the regsvr32 function on them.

Go to Start/Run (or hold the windows key and press "r" and type:

regsvr32 “C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Plugins\pluginname.dll” and click OK

Each one would need to be registered manually. 

You shouldn't necessarily need to do a clean install either, if something was blocking the files from registering (sometimes pending windows updates or antivirus programs will block this). Re-running the same installer may succeed as well.

[Jacques Boileau]

Being a software developer myself, I can't help but try to figure out what might be the problem. I just like puzzles I guess. ?

I tried analyzing this to see what could be the difference between our working install and those that do not show the plugins. Of course I have little to go on to do detective work, but still.

The difference I see from my install, and I presume Jonathan's, and those of Patrick and Milton is the language Windows is installed in. Ours is English (although I am a French speaking Canadian I always have used Windows in English), theirs is not. Although we should be tempted to say "it shouldn't make a difference", I have learned in almost 40 years of software development that this kind of statement is only true until we figure out what the problem is.

Maybe something to investigate...

[Noel Borthwick]

@Jacques Boileau the registration of plugins itself is independent of language. The most common reason for that failure is Windows blocking COM object registration but it can also happen due to missing dll dependencies which can happen due to a missing or failed runtime redistributable from Microsoft. These issues are are unfortunately one of the downsides of COM dlls. This only applies to the older DX plugins of course. 

Of course if the plugins are not being installed at all that is a different issue. Jon is investigating that now.