Frequently Asked Questions - Cakewalk Home Studio and Pro Audio 9.0

This list of questions and answers is specific to the newly-released Home Studio and Pro Audio 9.0, and is designed to help both new and experienced Cakewalk users learn about some of the features in these releases. We will be adding questions and answers over time, so please check back often.

For a list of FAQs that applies to all versions of Cakewalk, not just 9.0, please click here.

General

• Why is the Tools | Mixdown Audio | Export to File menu item greyed out?
• I want to create an MP3 file, but my MIDI tracks aren't getting included. How do I add my MIDI tracks to the MP3?
• I want to create a Wave file (to burn a CD, perhaps) but my MIDI tracks aren't getting included. How do I add my MIDI tracks to the Wave file?

• What functions does the Options menu offer?

• What does the Effects column in the Track View do?

Audio

• Why don't I hear any audio playback when I open my older songs in version 9?

• The Help file says only the selected audio tracks will be affected by the Mixdown Audio command, but *all* my tracks are getting mixed down. Why?

• How do I use the Bounce to Tracks option in Tools | Mixdown Audio?

• How do I record and play back stereo audio tracks?

• How do I create an MP3 file?

• Do stereo audio tracks consume more hard disk space than mono tracks?

• Home Studio is limited to 8 audio tracks. Does a stereo audio track equal two tracks or one?

MIDI

• How do I apply the Session Drummer to a track? The 'Apply MIDI Effects' button is greyed out.

• When I press audition in Session Drummer I don't hear anything.

• In the Session Drummer window, what's the difference between saving a Song and saving a Preset?

Error Messages

• Why do I receive a 'missing audio will be replaced by silence' message when opening a file, and what can I do about it?

• What can I do about errors I receive when attempting to audition the Antares AutoTune effect in the Graphical Editor?

What functions does the Options menu offer?
The Options menu now hosts the following items, which were previously found in the Tools menu:

• MIDI Devices

• Instruments

• Audio (formerly Audio Options)

• Project (formerly Project Options)

• Global (formerly Global Options)

• Colors

• SoundFonts

• Key Bindings

• Initialization File

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What does the Effects column in the Track View do?
You can now insert an audio or MIDI effect into a track from the Effects column of that track in the Track View. To do this:

1. Double click the Effects column.

2. Right click in the black box and choose the effect you wish to use.

3. Double click on the effect name to adjust the wet/dry mix and other parameters.

This will give the same results as patching an effect into a Track Insert in the Console View.
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How do I record and play back stereo audio tracks?
To record a stereo audio track, set the Source of that track to the Stereo input option listed, arm the track, and press Record. Recording will take place as it normally does with mono recording. 
Playing back a stereo track requires no special operation. Simply press Play and the audio will be sent to the Port you've designated to that track.
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Do stereo audio tracks consume more hard disk space than mono tracks?
Yes, stereo audio tracks consume twice as much hard disk space as mono audio tracks.
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Home Studio is limited to 8 audio tracks. Does a stereo audio track equal two tracks or one?
A stereo audio track is counted as one track, not two. You can therefore record up to 8 tracks of stereo audio, which is the equivalent of 16 mono tracks. You are limited to 8 mono tracks, so by recording stereo tracks in version 9.0 you're essentially doubling your audio track capability. Cool!
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The Help file says only the selected audio tracks will be affected by the Mixdown Audio command, but *all* of my tracks are getting mixed down. Why?
The Help file is incorrect. The Mixdown command affects the selected audio data in all unmuted tracks. So if you don't wish to mix down all audio tracks in the file, you need to follow the three step process below:

1. Mute all audio tracks you do not wish to be included in the mixdown.

2. If you're mixing the entire duration of the track(s), no time selection needs to be made. If you only need a portion of the remaining unmuted tracks included in the mixdown, select that time range.

3. Choose Tools | Mixdown Audio.

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How do I use the Bounce to Tracks option in Tools | Mixdown Audio, and why would I?
This feature is useful in a number of circumstances:

• You are using Home Studio 9.0 and need to reduce your track count to make room for new tracks.

• You have a stereo audio track and you wish to split it to two mono tracks.

• You wish to mix your existing audio tracks down to a single stereo or two mono tracks, allowing you to add effects, EQ, normalize, or otherwise process the audio just prior to exporting as a Wave, MP3, RealAudio, or Windows Media file.

• You need to reduce you total audio track count to allow your PC to play all the audio data without problems.

To bounce your tracks, simply choose Tools | Mixdown Audio | Bounce to Track(s). Select the options you like, and click OK. Remember, all unmuted audio tracks will be included in the Bounce command.
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How do I create an MP3 file?
Select Tools | Mixdown Audio | Export to File(s), and set the Files of Type to MP3. All unmuted audio tracks will be included in the MP3 file.
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What can I do about errors I receive when attempting to audition the Antares AutoTune effect in the Graphical Editor?
This problem can occur on certain systems. If you are experiencing this, please use the workaround as follows:

1. Select some audio data.

2. Choose Edit | Audio Effects | Antares AutoTune

3. Enter Antares Automatic mode.

4. Push the Audition button.

You should no longer receive any error messages when using the Graphical Editor of AutoTune.
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Why don't I hear any audio playback when I open my older songs in version 9?
Some users have reported the following confusing behavior when opening older songs in Version 9. The Port assignments on some or all audio tracks have been accidentally changed so that the audio tracks are now assigned to play on different port(s) than before. This accidental reassignment of audio ports happens more with some audio drivers than others. You may not experience this at all, but in case you do:

1. Open the song in Version 9.

2. Inspect each audio track in the project and verify that the track is assigned to play through the desired output Port. (Look in the Port column in the Track View). If necessary, manually adjust the Track’s Port setting to the desired port (using the Track Properties dialog). Then save the file.

This fix is a one-time operation. Once you've corrected any  incorrectly assigned ports and saved the file in version 9, you won't see this problem anymore. It only occurs when opening older files for the first time in version 9.

For example:
The audio track in your song was previously assigned to play out “Analog Out 1/2” but when you open the file in version 9, you find the Port set to “Analog Out 5/6”. Set the Port to “Analog Out 1/2” and save the song to correct the problem.
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Why do I receive a 'missing audio will be replaced by silence' message when opening a file, and what can I do about it?
If you open a .wrk file created in 8.x (or earlier) and version 9 can't find audio clip file(s) which were referenced by the .wrk file, you a message telling you that some audio is missing. You have the option to replace the missing audio with silence, or you may elect to show Pro Audio 9.0 where the missing audio file is by manually browsing for it yourself. 

If you elect to locate the missing audio file yourself, you'll be given a Browse dialog to search for the missing file. You may find that the Browse dialog does not show enough data by default. In order to see more files, simply change the Show files of type setting to All Files. You’ll then see both WA~ and WAV files.

Once you've determined the location of the missing audio, you'll want to move those files into the location specified by the Data Directory path in Options | Audio | Advanced. This will prevent the 'missing audio' message from appearing again.
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How do I apply the Session Drummer to a track? The 'Apply MIDI Effects' button is grayed out.
You must first select the track to which you wish to apply the Session Drummer. Once done, the Apply MIDI Effects button in the Console View will be available to you. (back to top)

When I press audition in Session Drummer I don't hear anything.
In order to hear the audition, you must first make a time selection in the track starting at measure zero. This will make Session Drummer think there is data in the track, and will allow the audition to function according to the time parameter set in Options | Global | General. (back to top) 

In the Session Drummer window, what's the difference between saving a Song and saving a Preset?
Saving a Preset preserves changes made in the Settings dialog such as new drum mappings, ports, channels, etc.
Saving a Song preserves only the patterns you've selected in the current Song pane. (back to top) 

These are the steps for re-recording any MIDI tracks that are using your sound card's internal synthesizer sounds – such as FM, wave table or SoundFonts:

1. Open the file you're working with. Arm one open track with a Source of Stereo, or two open tracks for recording audio by setting the Source column to Left and Right. If you have more than one sound card installed, make sure you select the Source of the sound card that is playing your internal MIDI sounds. Also make sure that you don't have any tracks set with a Source of MIDI in Cakewalk, or you could overwrite them by accident.
2. Next, open your sound card's mixer device. This is normally done by choosing Start | Programs | Accessories | Multimedia | Volume Control | Options | Properties. Click on Adjust Volume For Recording, and make sure all boxes below are checked. Click OK, and locate the slider marked MIDI, Synth, Mixed Input, or What You Hear. Check the Select box at the bottom, then close the window.

NOTE: Some sound cards, such as the SoundBlaster Live, have their own proprietary mixer. If yours has one, please use it instead.

Press Record, and all of your MIDI tracks assigned to the card's internal synthesizer will be recorded as an audio track (or tracks). After you are done recording, mute the original MIDI tracks. This will save confusion, since you'll be listening to them as audio tracks now.

Here's how to re-record any MIDI tracks that are played on your external sound modules or instruments:

1. Connect the audio outputs of your MIDI instruments to the line inputs of your sound card.
2. Open the file you're working with, and arm one open track with a Source of Stereo, or two open tracks for recording audio by setting the Source column to Left and Right. If you have more than one sound card installed, make sure you select the Source of the sound card that is playing your internal MIDI sounds. Also make sure that you don't have any tracks set with a Source of MIDI in Cakewalk, or you could overwrite them by accident.
3. Next, open your sound card's mixer device. Choose Start | Programs | Accessories | Multimedia | Volume Control | Options | Properties. Click on Adjust Volume For Recording, and make sure all boxes below are checked. Click OK, and locate the Line In slider. Check the Select box at the bottom, then close the window. To make sure you're recording at a good level, you'll need to check Cakewalk's audio meters in the Console View.

Press Record, and all of your MIDI tracks assigned to the external MIDI instrument will be recorded as an audio track (or tracks). To save confusion, you should mute the original MIDI tracks, since you'll be listening to them as audio tracks now.

To create the file, solo the new audio track(s), choose Tools | Mixdown Audio | Export to File, and select the file type you wish to create. 
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