Major regret, warning; do not use for more than two or three tracks

[Matt M Luthanen]

TL;DR: Do not trust the web version with a project with more than two or three tracks or you will likely end up where I am now - hours wasted and virtually nothing to show for it...

I regret trying to use Cakewalk in Chrome. It stutters a lot while recording, for example, guitar. Further, volume settings do not stick and that makes it impossible to produce anything. Whether I freeze or not freeze all tracks but the one I'm trying to adjust, random tracks jump around in volume from inaudible to speaker-shattering. Sometimes volume changes I make to a track survive playback, but mostly they randomly change.

Don't think you can make a MIDI drum track with separate objects for each measure - the stuttering is incredible and makes it mandatory to freeze the drum track, which takes several minutes. The drums also go out of sync randomly when not frozen.

I wrote a new song I was excited to record and I foolishly tried to use the current versions of Cakewalk. Alas, the desktop version simply does not work at all (it launches but I get a spinning blue 'wait' mouse pointer circle that never changes) and the web version is too buggy to use. It makes me sad because I put ten or twelve hours into this project already and the best I can hope for is to export the individual tracks and try to get them into a separate project with my old copy of Sony Music Creator, which does everything right and has never let me down.

For the record, the problem is not that my computer can't handle it - it has a 9700K and 32GB of memory. I never thought I'd use that much RAM until Bandlab assistant used almost 22GB after I had tried to close it and I had to use Task Manager to stop it. Seriously bad and dangerous programs; I wish I had not tried them.

[Syphus]

I believe you are referring to BandLab's WEB Based music editor, not Cakewalk.  Cakewalk is not a "WEB" application.  You have to install Cakewalk into your computer.

 

Syphus

[User 905133]

49 minutes ago, Matt M Luthanen said:

TL;DR: Do not trust the web version with a project with more than two or three tracks or you will likely end up where I am now - hours wasted and virtually nothing to show for it...

(1) TL/DR = too late/didn't read ?????

(2) Are you talking about Bandlab (the web app) or going between Bandlab and Cakewalk?  I ask because I have been waiting for the new integration features before starting to use Bandlab (other than for some casual tests).

Thanks.

Edited May 9, 2021 by User 905133
to add "(other than for some casual tests)."

[RBH]

Thanks for the warning - but for many of us using Cakewalk products for 25 years : it's been pretty good.

[Byron Dickens]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[Terry Kelley]

He made a mistake and thought it was Cakewalk. Syphus made the point.

[Matt M Luthanen]

TL;DR means Too Long; Didn't Read. It tells the reader that the whole thing can be distilled to a single, vague thought. It's ubiquitous and it never occurred to me that anybody wouldn't know what it means.

I don't understand most of these comments. I specifically said I am using the web version.  I also specifically said the Windows version I installed does not work. Bandlab evidently now owns CW and the desktop and web version are about the same other than a wide feature gap. I, too, have been using CW on and off for years and that's why I thought this would be a good choice. I've never encountered a DAW that randomly shifted tracks out of sync like this. I managed to get my current project okay for volume and everything is usually synchronized when I play it in the editor but when I export the song, random tracks are out of sync. Freezing tracks doesn't seem to help.

The Packard Bell computer from Circuit City my family had in the nineties had no trouble handling a dozen tracks when running ACID, so it's difficult to believe this program is working as intended on my system.

I feel mostly hostility from those who responded, particularly those who don't seem to have read my post or did not understand much of what I said, so I will discontinue my association with this place. Thank you all for making me just a little less happy. ?

[Brian Walton]

11 minutes ago, Matt M Luthanen said:

TL;DR means Too Long; Didn't Read. It tells the reader that the whole thing can be distilled to a single, vague thought. It's ubiquitous and it never occurred to me that anybody wouldn't know what it means.

I don't understand most of these comments. I specifically said I am using the web version.  I also specifically said the Windows version I installed does not work. Bandlab evidently now owns CW and the desktop and web version are about the same other than a wide feature gap. I, too, have been using CW on and off for years and that's why I thought this would be a good choice. I've never encountered a DAW that randomly shifted tracks out of sync like this. I managed to get my current project okay for volume and everything is usually synchronized when I play it in the editor but when I export the song, random tracks are out of sync. Freezing tracks doesn't seem to help.

The Packard Bell computer from Circuit City my family had in the nineties had no trouble handling a dozen tracks when running ACID, so it's difficult to believe this program is working as intended on my system.

I feel mostly hostility from those who responded, particularly those who don't seem to have read my post or did not understand much of what I said, so I will discontinue my association with this place. Thank you all for making me just a little less happy. ?

Your OP doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

You warn of using Chrome, which is a web broswer.  Cakewalk doesn't work as a web app.  It is a download and install on a windows machine full fledged DAW.   I'd imagine the majority of us use this applciation.  The "bandlab" web based app I have no interest in and have never used it.  

Cakewalk can handle an insane number of tracks on a decent computer.    My computer specs are far less impressive and I've used the program for many years without issue.

[Canopus]

I think the response would have been different if you’d actually asked for help trying to solve your specific problems. This is actually a very helpful forum with many knowledgeable people. Even the developers stop by almost daily. Having said that, this is a forum for the Windows application Cakewalk by BandLab (formally SONAR), and not the web based BandLab DAW. It’s sad that you didn’t stay for a bit longer as I’m sure your problems would eventually have been solved. Still, if you would change your mind I'm sure that a lot of people here would help you out.

[Noel Borthwick]

46 minutes ago, Matt M Luthanen said:

TL;DR means Too Long; Didn't Read. It tells the reader that the whole thing can be distilled to a single, vague thought. It's ubiquitous and it never occurred to me that anybody wouldn't know what it means.

I don't understand most of these comments. I specifically said I am using the web version.  I also specifically said the Windows version I installed does not work. Bandlab evidently now owns CW and the desktop and web version are about the same other than a wide feature gap. I, too, have been using CW on and off for years and that's why I thought this would be a good choice. I've never encountered a DAW that randomly shifted tracks out of sync like this. I managed to get my current project okay for volume and everything is usually synchronized when I play it in the editor but when I export the song, random tracks are out of sync. Freezing tracks doesn't seem to help.

The Packard Bell computer from Circuit City my family had in the nineties had no trouble handling a dozen tracks when running ACID, so it's difficult to believe this program is working as intended on my system.

I feel mostly hostility from those who responded, particularly those who don't seem to have read my post or did not understand much of what I said, so I will discontinue my association with this place. Thank you all for making me just a little less happy. ?

Sorry that you are having trouble. From your post it would appear that you aren't actually running the Cakewalk by BandLab program which is not a web application.
You maybe referring to the BandLab web app which is completely different.

To install Cakewalk you have to install it via BandLab assistant from here:
After installing the latest version if you still have trouble post here and someone will help you. You can also contact Cakewalk support.

It may be clearer if you post some screenshots of your problems. PS: this forum is only for the Desktop application. For help with the web applications please contact BandLab support directly.

[John]

To Matt M Luthanen there is no web version of Cakewalk. Nor will it run on Chrome. 

[User 905133]

1 hour ago, Matt M Luthanen said:

. . . . and it never occurred to me that anybody wouldn't know what it means.

This comment makes perfect sense to me.  

[Byron Dickens]

1 hour ago, Canopus said:

I think the response would have been different if you’d actually asked for help trying to solve your specific problems. This is actually a very helpful forum with many knowledgeable people. Even the developers stop by almost daily. Having said that, this is a forum for the Windows application Cakewalk by BandLab (formally SONAR), and not the web based BandLab DAW. It’s sad that you didn’t stay for a bit longer as I’m sure your problems would eventually have been solved. Still, if you would change your mind I'm sure that a lot of people here would help you out.

Yeah. The whole honey vs vinegar thing....

[John Vere]

The OP does mention he loaded up CW and has timing issues. That was the last update and there is now a fix. There's going to be a lot of people with posts about timing issues until everyone updates the the new early access. I thought 147 was the latest but SteveC pointed me to here.. I just downloaded it now. 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by John Vere

[Larry Jones]

Build 155 appears to be Da Bomb. It fixed a crashing issue I was having, and a few problems I've had for a long time.

I recommend the OP update to the latest production version and then follow John Vere's link above to the Early Access Update 1.

[JoeGBradford]

For the record I didn't know what TL;DR meant either - not everyone understands these abbreviations - LOL is about as far as I go!  It does seem to me that slagging off a piece of software without understanding the differences between different products provided by a company is, to say the least, a little unfair. If I had a problem with Word I wouldn't moan about Excel!

If the OP stays around he will find lots of really helpful people who will try to point him in the right direction and do their utmost to resolve his problem - I don't see any antagonism in the responses even though he appeared to criticise a piece of software that hundreds of us are using to create music projects with only occasional problems - to which the development team and forum members respond quickly and, within reason, effectively.  

Edited May 9, 2021 by JoeGBradford

[Matt M Luthanen]

The following is for anyone who finds themselves here who might benefit from some more detail and also perhaps to clear up some confusion evident in some of the responses above:

I am troubled that my intention was not clear to everyone - I posted an account of my experience with a Bandlab program*. I wish I had seen such an account before I put so much time into what turned out to be a program suffering from too many malfunctions to safely use. I was not asking for help and the tone of my message was that of caution and nothing else - I clearly explained what I was using, what I was using it for, and what did not work. It was a warning to not try to use the Bandlab DAW program that runs in Chrome for anything but the most simple of projects and then only those you are comfortable with maybe turning out too mangled to salvage.

*Yes, it is not called Cakewalk, but if is from the same owner and has a lot in common with the installable Cakewalk program and users of both programs, particularly new users, will find overlap in their respective groups, particularly from traffic sent via Google searches.

[JoeGBradford]

Thanks for clarifying - the fact that you called the programme Cakewalk was what was confusing us as Cakewalk does not have the problems you mentioned. Perhaps if you ask for help it will be forthcoming. I assume other people are using Bandlab effectively (I have never used it) so there may have been a way to resolve your issues. Software usually involves learning curve and seeking help from others is a good way of accelerating that learning as I have found on here regarding Cakewalk

[Byron Dickens]

2 hours ago, JoeGBradford said:

For the record I didn't know what TL;DR meant either - not everyone understands these abbreviations -

One more good argument in favor of using standard English when communicating with people you don't know well.

 

[Byron Dickens]

Deleted as irrelevant

Edited May 10, 2021 by bdickens