Is Cakewalk Best?

For the guy (or girl) who had tried Cubase but found it a bit daunting. Yes I agree it's pretty overwhelming to a sequencer starting out. Don't get me wrong it's a great program. But Cakewalk has a much softer learning curve. I've already mentioned their website on my previous post.

Speaking of audio, I just started using CWP 9(just got into MIDI as a matter of fact) and when I tried to record a wav file or import one into a MIDI it shows up in the track view but won't play along with the MIDI or else it won't let the MIDI play. My SB AWE 64 says it's full duplex and I have everything enabled(I think). Any ideas?

It looks as if you've done all the obvious. Like, making sure that the audio track isn't muted; that you've got playback - wave ticked in the windows mixer. Are you using console view in CWPA 9? Make sure the slider's up. Otherwise, how about emailing Cakewalk support? I apologise if my advise is pretty simplistic, but it's easy to overlook these things sometimes. Does your PC play back a wave file using media player? Hope this has helped.
Steve.

When cakewalk is mentioned, which program? I see Home Studio, Home Creator, and others.
I am looking for one software to do all of the following:
1. Remove unwanted instruments (guitar/vocals) from existing midi files and save those changes.
2. Convert midi to wav so I can burn to cd
3.Change the key of the songs (Most I find too high for my voice)
4. Ability to fatten the file so it has more bite.
One word of warning, I have no experience in sequencing. Just an old fashion guitarist who use to play in bands with live instruments and now wanting to get back (simple gigging) with another guitarist friend. All I need from the midi files are the drums, bass and keyboards.

Cheers
Pat

I use Cakewalk 9. You can edit an existing midi file; i.e. remove guitar, vocal line etc. (you said that you were not a sequencer and wanted to play guitar along with a backing track).
The most efficient way of rendering midi to wave that i have found is to use a little program called Midi2Wav recorder (it's really cheap and works a treat) www.midi2wav.com
Then load it back into Cakewalk or any other audio program.
By the way, if your really not interested in sequencing midi; midi2wav will let you mute tracks, adjust volumes (but not change key). Then you could load it into the (completely) free audio program audacity (I think the address is www.audacity.com)
and then record your guitar and vocals in audacity. audacity comes with EQ, chorus, flanger, reverb, delay etc. and it's really easy to operate. you can even raise/lower the pitch of the track without changing the speed.
Back to cakewalk, most of the versions will do the same as version 9. There might even be a midi to wave midi file rendering function.
Hope this helps,
stevethnz

First why dont you download a demo from cakewalks site, www.cakewalk.com that way you can decide for yourself. That is the only way to tell what is truely best for your needs.

In cakewalk
1. Remove unwanted instruments (guitar/vocals) from existing midi files and save those changes.

- Just mute the parts that you dont want to play.

2. Convert midi to wav so I can burn to cd

- create an audio track that has "what your", "loopback" or however they phrase to record the midi to an audio file. Export that audio to a wave file and burn to CD.

3.Change the key of the songs (Most I find too high for my voice)

- just use the key + or - to adjust pitch of song

4. Ability to fatten the file so it has more bite.

- again record to an audio file then use DirectX FX to get closer to the sound you want (ie. EQ, REverb, Delay etc.). You also might look into using samples or if you have an SBLive card Soundfonts.

One word of warning, I have no experience in sequencing. Just an old fashion guitarist who use to play in bands with live instruments and now wanting to get back (simple gigging) with another guitarist friend. All I need from the midi files are the drums, bass and keyboards.

Did the same thing with cakewalk and very limited knowledge. took me a few months to get comfortable but once I got going I was much happier using the computer to produce my backing tracks than a $1400 keyboard. YMMV

Hi Jobu

Unfortunately there is no demo copy of Home Studio. Sonar is abit too expensive for me. What are you using?
Thanks

Im using Cake 9 at the moment. From looking at the description of cakewalk homestudio it would *seem* to do the things you listed above but I cant confirm it as I dont own the program. you could try the Cakewalk forum at http://www.audioforums.com/cgi-bin/...um=Cakewalk &number=9&DaysPrune=60&LastLogin= , someone there might be able to better answer if that software will meet your needs.

cakewalk is great, easy to use and powerful. i feel trying new software is just a waste of time as i've been using this one for so long, but that doesn't mean they're not as good.

SURE it does... I used for that

what is cakewalk

I agree, Cakewalk is the best if you just want to edit Midi.
I actually prefer Logic Audio, because I also record audio.

I've also used Cakewalk for almost 5 years and I am very pleased with it. I use it to program all my light show also.

There are also other solutions.
I use Harmony Assitant from www.myriad-online.com. It's an all-in-one programm, and very cheap. You can use it as notator, midi-editor, wav-recorder, synth., effect-processor. It's very useful for recording. I have no problems with delays. You have drums from templates and a wonderful sound because of the build-in wavetable. And you can create wavs or mp3s of your songs or midis.

IMHO?


The best... i have used it for... ever!

I use cakewalk 9.0.
it's more than sufficient if you only want to make midifile without any audio/loops.

i love its midi fx/features... it makes midifile creation a lot of fun.


rgds,
coruscant

I have used Cakewalk products for years
currently Sonar 2.0
they have a great support team for registered users

I find it surprising that so many people are Cakewalk fans. Almost everyone I know uses NoteWorthy or Finale. I have Finale myself, and only because it was given to me. It took some (small amount of) learning, but now I think changing to another system would be too confusing.

Are Cakewalk's advantages really enough to switch?

I like Cakewalk 9 , Digital performer, Finale, Noteworthy are good too... I also use a few cheapie programmes like Scorewriter in conjunction... great for printing out sheet music they all have their pro's & con's.

Cakewalk is good but haven't used it for quite a while as got into Cubase in its various formats from Atari to Pc 3.7 then onto VST 5 at the moment. It can be quite complicated and I still haven't figured it all out yet, plenty of good books to help though.