Is it possible to mix without audio interface but from laptop headphones?

[Marcello]

Is it possible in Cakewalk to mix without using the audio interface but switching directly to the headphones connected to the PC?

Sometimes I'm not at home and I'm not connected to the audio interface and I would like to have the possibility to work on my mix just with headphones connected to my laptop.

If the audio interface is not connected when I open Cakewalk it will prompt a message saying there's no audio interface and I cannot hear anything basically.

[Kalle Rantaaho]

You just need to activate the motherboard soundchip (Often Realtek High Definition or something). It should be listed in the same place as you interface. That may require switching to other driver, like Wasapi, assuming you are normally using ASIO.

[Michael Vogel]

If you’re able to hear Cakewalk then the data is going through a “sound card” of some sort even if it’s only the onboard sound chips embedded in every laptop for listening to audio files and streaming  services eg YouTube, Spotify etc. 

Quality will suffer as compared to a dedicated external “sound card” or audio device and you will need to select the correct audio driver mode for your onboard sound device. 
 

[Marcello]

1 hour ago, Kalle Rantaaho said:

You just need to activate the motherboard soundchip (Often Realtek High Definition or something). It should be listed in the same place as you interface. That may require switching to other driver, like Wasapi, assuming you are normally using ASIO.

Wasapi doesn't work, cannot hear anything

[Jonathan Sasor]

12 minutes ago, Marcello said:

Wasapi doesn't work, cannot hear anything

Setting the driver mode to MME should work for an onboard card.

[Marcello]

1 minute ago, Jonathan Sasor said:

Setting the driver mode to MME should work for an onboard card.

[Marcello]

3 minutes ago, Jonathan Sasor said:

Setting the driver mode to MME should work for an onboard card.

[Jonathan Sasor]

You want MME for the audio driver on the Playback and Recording tab of the Audio category.

[Sakini]

Hi

is it possible to save  anywhere some configuration  profil depending on onboard card vs card brand1 vs card brand2....
And then select the profil instead changing settings from several location ? 

[Marcello]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Sasor said:

You want MME for the audio driver on the Playback and Recording tab of the Audio category.

It works! Great!

But is what Michael saying true? Will the audio quality be affected if I use MME directly with headphones instead of connecting to the external audio device?

I mean not for recording of course, just to work on the mix then maybe I'd export the whole mix to a WAV file, would this WAV file sound badly compared with one exported using an audio card?

4 hours ago, Michael Vogel said:

If you’re able to hear Cakewalk then the data is going through a “sound card” of some sort even if it’s only the onboard sound chips embedded in every laptop for listening to audio files and streaming  services eg YouTube, Spotify etc. 

Quality will suffer as compared to a dedicated external “sound card” or audio device and you will need to select the correct audio driver mode for your onboard sound device. 
 

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Marcello

[Lord Tim]

A dedicated audio interface is always better than a $5 built-in sound chip, of course, but it should be easily passable for listening. Mix-wise, it will be identical because all of the mixing itself happens within Cakewalk - only the "now let them hear it as it plays" part is going through the chip, so anything you bounce down to a WAV will sound as good as any interface you'd run it through.

That all said, you'll have a much better experience overall with latency, etc. as well as the better listening quality if you grab even a cheap audio interface.

[Brian Walton]

1 hour ago, Marcello said:

It works! Great!

But is what Michael saying true? Will the audio quality be affected if I use MME directly with headphones instead of connecting to the external audio device?

I mean not for recording of course, just to work on the mix then maybe I'd export the whole mix to a WAV file, would this WAV file sound badly compared with one exported using an audio card?

 

Depending on your headphones you might want to get an external headphone amp to drive them.  That can help the signal you get from a $2 interal headphone pre-amp on a laptop.  

 

But even a cheap one is going to be $20-30 at which point you would start wondering if it just makes sense to use a cheap/old single channel interface.

[murat k.]

I use FL Studio ASIO Driver with onboard chips on my laptop. It works great with the Cakewalk.

2 hours ago, Sakini said:

is it possible to save  anywhere some configuration  profil depending on onboard card vs card brand1 vs card brand2....
And then select the profil instead changing settings from several location ? 

There is no different profiles for Audio devices in the Cakewalk but if you choose Default Audio driver with the FL Studio ASIO Driver, when you change your Audio Device from the Windows Sound Settings, it will change automatically without opening it from the Preferences menu.

It is easier to change the Audio Playback/Recording Device with a single click with the Cakefolk™ for the Cakewalk with your Numpad keys up to 6 different audio playback and recording device.

 

[Marcello]

4 minutes ago, Brian Walton said:

Depending on your headphones you might want to get an external headphone amp to drive them.  That can help the signal you get from a $2 interal headphone pre-amp on a laptop.  

 

But even a cheap one is going to be $20-30 at which point you would start wondering if it just makes sense to use a cheap/old single channel interface.

I have some powerful marshall headphones paid 100 euros, I also have the audio interface of course but sometimes I don't want to bring it around and I would like to work on my mix (already recorded) directly with headphones.

[Marcello]

28 minutes ago, Lord Tim said:

A dedicated audio interface is always better than a $5 built-in sound chip, of course, but it should be easily passable for listening. Mix-wise, it will be identical because all of the mixing itself happens within Cakewalk - only the "now let them hear it as it plays" part is going through the chip, so anything you bounce down to a WAV will sound as good as any interface you'd run it through.

That all said, you'll have a much better experience overall with latency, etc. as well as the better listening quality if you grab even a cheap audio interface.

Ok thanks! so it won't affect the file audio quality but maybe only when you listen to the mix via Cakewalk correct?

Edited March 30, 2021 by Marcello

[murat k.]

22 minutes ago, Marcello said:

Ok thanks! so it won't affect the file audio quality but maybe only when you listen to the mix via Cakewalk correct?

Audio quality is related to the recording device when you are recording the sound. What you hear is related to the playback devices. It is nothing about the Cakewalk. It is the playback device you picked for Default Device from the Windows Sound Settings.

I should add that: The only thing is related to the Cakewalk is when you are choosing the Driver from the Driver Settings in the Preferences menu. But the logic is the same. Only the playback and the record driver has an affect on the sound.

Edited March 30, 2021 by murat k.

[John Vere]

This turned into an long post that only needed a “ Yes absolutely you can”. 
I made a video about optimize for on board audio. You should use WASAPI EXCLUSIVE. My guess is that you didn’t set your master output properly. There is zero difference and you don't need an audio interface for almost anything you do in Cakewalk other than overdubbing new audio. And the only reason for that is the latency offset that requires ASIO ( see my other video). 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by John Vere

[Jonathan Sasor]

1 minute ago, John Vere said:

This turned into an long post that only needed a “ Yes absolutely you can”. 
I made a video about optimize for on board audio. You should use WASAPI EXCLUSIVE. My guess is that you didn’t set your master output properly. 

Shared should also work, you just can't manually adjust the latency. WASAPI Shared is what Windows is using for the OS, so no reason that shouldn't work for your integrated card assuming you hear anything at all from the machine.

[murat k.]

2 minutes ago, Jonathan Sasor said:

Shared should also work, you just can't manually adjust the latency. WASAPI Shared is what Windows is using for the OS, so no reason that shouldn't work for your integrated card assuming you hear anything at all from the machine.

Unfortunately yes. Sometimes I try it to see whether if it is working or not ? 

There are good infos on the channel by the way @John Vere  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIImmMf5qdvYsgRLQvlZlFA

I subscribed. ?

[John Vere]

@Jonathan Sasor

On my tests WASAPI EXCLUSIVE was only 13ms RTL @ 256 buffer ( safe)  on a Real Tech card on 3 different machines. I mostly use  WASAPI Shared for the reasons you stated, and for using OBS studio and Movie Maker with Cakewalk open,  but Shared is more like 21ms RTL which of course doesn't matter when your editing and  even recording or working with midi. 

In my video I explain the common issues people run into like Sample rate miss match and Master Bus defaulting to Digital etc. I did a lot of testing and my conclusion is for a lot of work you can perform in a DAW you actually don't need an ASIO interface. 

Edited March 30, 2021 by John Vere