Copyright: Copyright © Twelve Tone Systems, Inc.


Instrument Definitions

Instrument definitions are a powerful feature of Cakewalk that gives you greater access to the features and capabilities of your MIDI instruments. An instrument definition is a file that contains information about the banks, patches, controllers, and other features of an instrument. Instrument definitions for many popular MIDI instruments are included with Cakewalk or available on the Cakewalk web site (www.cakewalk.com). If an instrument definition is not available for your instrument, and you are familiar with MIDI and how it works, you can use Cakewalk to create your own instrument definition.

Most MIDI instruments available today are General MIDI (GM) compatible, which means that they come with the standard set of sounds or patches defined by the GM standard. Cakewalk generally assumes that your MIDI instruments are GM compatible. The lists of patches and controllers that you normally see displayed throughout Cakewalk are drawn from the GM specification.

At the same time, many MIDI instruments provide additional sounds, controllers, and other capabilities, beyond those required by the GM standard. In addition, some older MIDI instruments are not GM-compatible. If you are using one of these instruments with Cakewalk, you can use instrument definitions to make sure that the lists of banks, patches, and so on are appropriate for the equipment you have available.

See also:

Assigning Instruments

Importing Instrument Definitions

Creating Instrument Definitions


Assigning Instruments

Cakewalk lets you assign a MIDI instrument definition to each available MIDI port and channel. The assignments you make determine the MIDI bank names, patch names, note names, and controller names that you see during your Cakewalk session.

Suppose that you have a Roland GS compatible synthesizer attached to MIDI port 1. By assigning all 16 channels of MIDI port 1 to the Roland GS instrument definition, you ensure that the bank, patch, note and controller name lists you see displayed in Cakewalk are the ones that match your synthesizer.

Often, you want to assign a different instrument to channel 10, which is usually used for percussion. For example, you might assign the Roland GS instrument definition to channels 1 through 9 and 11 through 16, but you would most likely want to assign the Roland GS Drumsets instrument definition to channel 10. If you have several MIDI ports, with a different instrument attached to each one, you would normally assign a different instrument to each MIDI port.

For convenience, you can assign a block of channels to one instrument, and then change the assignment of one or more of those channels without changing the others. For example, you can highlight all 16 channels of the first MIDI port and assign them to the Roland GS instrument definition. Then, you can highlight channel 10 of the first MIDI port and assign it to the Roland GS Drumset instrument definition. Channels 1 through 9 and 11 through 16 on the first MIDI port will stay assigned to Roland GS.

You might also want to split channels to different instruments if you have several instruments attached to a single MIDI port. For example, you might have a Roland synth receiving on MIDI channels 1-9, a Roland drum machine receiving on channel 10, and a basic GM-compatible synth receiving on channels 11 through 16. In this case, you'd use three different instrument definitions for your one and only MIDI port.

For step by step instructions:

How to Assign Instruments to MIDI Ports and Channels

How to Clear Instrument Assignments


To Assign Instruments to MIDI Ports and Channels

1.	Choose Tools-Instruments to display the Assign Instruments dialog box.

2.	Select one or more MIDI ports and channels from the Port/Channel list (use Shift-click and Ctrl-click to select multiple ports and channels).

3.	Select the instrument to which the selected ports and channels should be assigned from the Uses Instrument list. A black line connects the two lists.

4.	To save these changes permanently, check the Save Changes for Next Session box.

5.	Click OK when you are done.

From now on, the bank, patch, controller and note names from the assigned instrument are used throughout Cakewalk.


To Clear Instrument Assignments

1.	Choose Tools-Instruments to display the Assign Instruments dialog box.

2.	Select the MIDI ports and channels whose assignments you want to remove from the Port/Channel list.

3.	Select <default> from the Uses Instrument list. A black line connects the two lists.

4.	Click OK when you are done.

From now on, the default bank, patch, controller and note names are used throughout Cakewalk.


Importing Instrument Definitions

When you install Cakewalk, a few common instrument definitions are already set up for you and ready to use. Cakewalk also includes several hundred additional instrument definitions that you can import.

These instrument definitions are stored in files, organized largely by manufacturer. For example, all the instrument definitions for Roland gear are stored in the ROLAND.INS file; all the instrument definitions for Yamaha gear are stored in the YAMAHA.INS file. The file MISC.INS contains miscellaneous instrument definitions. If you don't see a file for the manufacturer of your instrument, look in this file to see if it contains the instrument you are looking for.

If Cakewalk does not include an instrument definition for your MIDI instrument, you can find additional and updated instrument definitions on the Downloads section of the Cakewalk World-Wide Web site (www.cakewalk.com). Simply download the file to your Cakewalk folder, unzip them if necessary, and import the instrument definitions as described below.

When you import an instrument definition, it is added to the master instrument definition file MASTER.INS. The contents of this file determines the list of instruments that appear in the Assign Instruments dialog box.

For step by step instructions:

How to Import Instrument Definitions


To Import Instrument Definitions

1.	Choose Tools-Instruments to display the Assign Instruments dialog box.

2.	Click Define to display the Define Instruments and Names dialog box.

3.	Click Import to display the Import Instrument Definitions dialog box.

4.	Select the file that contains instrument definitions for your manufacturer and click Open. Cakewalk displays a list of all the instrument definitions in the file.

5.	Select one or more instruments from the list, and click OK.

6.	Click Close to close the Define Instruments and Names dialog box.

The instrument definitions you imported should now appear in the Uses Instrument list in the Assign Instruments dialog box.


Creating Instrument Definitions

Cakewalk lets you create and edit instrument definitions. To create an instrument definition, you must answer these types of questions:

•	What are the names of the patches in each bank?

•	Which note names should be used for each patch?

•	What are the names of the MIDI Controllers for this instrument?

•	Which RPN and NRPNs are available on the instrument?

•	Which Bank Select method does the instrument use?

To collect this information, you need the MIDI documentation for your instrument.

You define instruments in the Define Instruments and Names dialog box. This dialog box contains two trees:

•	The Instruments tree lists all defined instruments and their characteristics.

•	The Names tree shows all the resources you use to define an instrument

You expand or collapse the folders and lists in each tree by clicking on the + or - icon to the left of each item. You can also right-click on an item and choose Expand or Collapse from the menu, or double-click on an item to expand or collapse it.

To define an instrument, you drag resources from the Names tree to the appropriate branches on the Instruments tree. Each resource is color-coded--for example, you can only drag a Names list to an Instrument tree branch of the same color.

Here's a general outline of the steps you must follow:

•	Create a new instrument

•	Create any new name lists that are required for the instrument

•	Drag name lists and other resources to each instrument

•	Save the instrument definition

There are six components to an instrument definition:

•	Method for bank selection

•	Patch names, such as Piano and Bass.

•	Note names, which are most frequently used to name drum notes, such as kick or snare.

•	Controller names, like volume and pan

•	Names for Registered Parameter Numbers (RPNs).

•	Names for Non-Registered Parameter Numbers (NRPNs)

The instrument definitions organize all names (patches, notes, controllers, RPNs, and NRPNs) into lists. You may be able to define a new instrument using existing name lists. For example, two models of synthesizers made by a particular manufacturer may have identical patch name lists, but use different NRPNs. In this case, you can use the same patch lists for both instruments, but you would need to use a different NRPN list (or perhaps create a new NRPN list) for the second synth.

If you want your changes to be remembered the next time you run Cakewalk, make sure the Save Changes For Next Session option in the Assign Instruments dialog box is checked before clicking OK. Otherwise, to make only temporary changes, be sure to remove the check from that option.

For step by step instructions:

How to Create a New Instrument

How to Rename an Instrument

How to Delete an Instrument

How to Save an Instrument Definition

How to Export an Instrument Definition

See also:

Creating Lists

Copying Name Lists

Assigning the Bank Select Method

Assigning Patch Names

Assigning Note Names

Assigning Controller, RPN, and NRPN Names


To Create a New Instrument

1.	Right-click on the word Instruments at the top of the Instrument tree, and choose Add Instrument from the menu.

2.	Type a name for the new instrument and press Enter.

The new instrument is provided with default settings for all of its characteristics.


To Rename an Instrument

1.	Right-click on an Instrument name and choose Edit from the menu.

2.	Type the new name and press Enter.


To Delete an Instrument

1.	Right-click on an Instrument name and choose Delete from the menu.

2.	Confirm that you want to delete the instrument.


To Save an Instrument Definition

1.	Click Close to close the Define Instruments and Names dialog box.

2.	Click OK.

Cakewalk will save the instrument definition in the MASTER.INS file.


To Export an Instrument Definition

1.	Right-click on the instrument name and choose Export from the menu to display the Export Instrument Definition dialog box.

2.	Enter a file name and click Save.

The instrument definition is saved in a file.


Creating Lists

You can create and edit the various lists that make up each instrument definition. Patch name, note name, and controller name lists can contain up to 128 entries, numbered 0 through 127. RPN and NRPN name lists can contain up to 16,384 entries, numbered 0 through 16,383.

For step by step instructions:

How to Manage Name Lists


To Manage Name Lists

To create, edit, or work with name lists, follow the directions in the table:

To do this…		Do this…
Create a new name list		Highlight a name list and press Insert; highlight the folder and press Shift-Insert; or right-click on any folder or name list and choose Add Names List from the menu. Then enter the name of the list.
Delete a name list		Highlight the names list and press Delete; or right-click on the name list and choose Delete from the menu. You will see a warning if the list is used by any instrument definition. If you delete the list anyway, the instrument definition will change automatically.
Add the next item in a name list		Highlight a name and press Insert, or right-click on a name and choose Add Name from the menu. Then enter the name.
Add a name any where in a list		Highlight the name of a list and press Shift-Insert, or right-click on the name of a list and choose Add Name from the menu. Then enter the name.
Delete names from a list		Highlight the Names List or Name, and press Delete. You can also right-click, and choose Delete.
Edit a name in a list		Highlight the name or name list and press F2, or right-click and choose Edit from the menu. Then enter the new name.


Copying Name Lists

You can easily create new lists that are similar to other lists. For example, suppose you want to create a new patch name list called NewList that is almost identical to the General MIDI patch list, but with one or two small changes. Here's how you proceed:

•	Create a new patch name list called NewList.

•	Drag the new list branch onto the General MIDI branch. You will be asked if you want to base NewList on the General MIDI list.

•	Click OK. NewList will now be listed under the General MIDI branch. Any patch names that exist in the General MIDI list apply to NewList, too.

•	Add new patch names to NewList. These names will override those in the list on which NewList is based.

If you change your mind about NewList, and want to make it a stand-alone, separate list, simply drag it to the Patch Names root folder.


Assigning the Bank Select Method

Your synthesizer uses one of four bank select methods to switch back and forth between banks of sounds. To find the method used for your instrument, check the User's Guide or the manufacturer's web site. The four methods are as follows:

Method…		Used for…
Normal		Instruments that respond to Controller 0 or Controller 32 bank select messages.
Controller 0 only		Instruments that only respond to Controller 0 bank select messages.
Controller 32 only		Instruments that only respond to Controller 32 bank select messages.
Patch 100..127		Instruments that let you change banks by sending patch changes between 100 and 127.
The bank selection method you choose affects the bank numbers that you assign to each patch list, as described in the following section. Here's how you compute the bank numbers:

Bank Select Method…		To compute the bank number…
Normal		Take the value of Controller 0, multiply it by 128, and add the value of Controller 32 to derive the bank number. A synthe sizer manufacturer may refer to Control ler 0 as the MSB (Most Significant Byte) and to Controller 32 as the LSB (Least Significant Byte).
Controller 0 only		The value of Controller 0 is the bank number
Controller 32 only		The value of Controller 32 is the bank number
Patch 100..127		Take the patch number and subtract 100 to derive the bank number
Here is an example of the Normal bank select method. According to the documentation for the Roland JV-1080 synthesizer, the PR-A Bank has a Controller 0 value of 81, and a Controller 32 value of 0. You compute the bank number that you enter in the instrument definition as follows: (81 x 128) + 0 = 10368.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change the Bank Select Method


To Change the Bank Select Method

1.	Highlight and expand the instrument in the Instrument tree.

2.	Expand the Bank Select Method branch in the Names tree.

3.	Drag the desired Bank Select method from the Names tree to the Instrument tree.


Assigning Patch Names

A MIDI instrument can have up to 16,384 banks of 128 patches each. Patches can have names, like "Piano" for patch number 0, "Bass" for patch number 1, and so on. Normally, each bank contains a different set of patches, so each bank needs a separate patch name list. Most synthesizers start with a patch number of 0.

You can assign a patch name list to each bank. You can also assign a default patch name list to the instrument, which is used for all banks for which you haven't assigned a specific list. The previous section describes how to compute the bank numbers to which each patch name list is assigned.

Each bank can also be assigned a special Drum flag, which indicates that all patches in this bank contain drum sounds. If you set this flag, the Piano Roll view will display drum notes as diamonds, and the Staff view will use percussion notation.

For step by step instructions:

How to See the Assignment of Patch Name Lists to Banks

How to Add a Bank or Change the Patch Names for a Bank

How to Remove a Bank or Patch Name List

How to Set or Clear the Drum Flag


To See the Assignment of Patch Name Lists to Banks

1.	Expand the instrument definition by clicking the + sign next to the instrument name.

2.	Expand the Patch Names for Banks folder by clicking the + sign. The list expands to show the bank numbers and the patch name list that is assigned to each bank.


To Add a Bank or Change the Patch Names for a Bank

1.	Drag a patch name list from the Names tree to the Patch Names for Banks folder.

2.	Enter a bank number, or enter -1 to indicate that this list of patch names should be used as the default.

3.	Cakewalk displays the updated banks and patch name lists. If necessary, Cakewalk adds a new bank to the instrument definition.


To Remove a Bank or Patch Name List

1.	Highlight the bank and patch names list in the Instrument tree.

2.	Press the Del (Delete) key, or right-click on the bank name and choose Delete from the menu


To Set or Clear the Drum Flag (Patch Names)
To Set or Clear the Drum Flag

•	Right-click on the bank in the Instrument tree, and choose Drums from the menu.


Assigning Note Names

Each patch may have a list of up to 128 names for notes. Usually, note names are labels for percussion instruments. For example, the pitch C3 may really be "Kick Drum," and D3 may be "Snare." Because a drum machine may provide different drum kits for each patch, Cakewalk lets you specify a different list of note names for each patch. The Piano Roll and Event List views show you these note names.

You can assign a note name list to each patch. You can also assign a default note name list to the instrument, which is used for all patches for which you haven't assigned a specific note name list.

Each patch can also be assigned a special Drum flag, which indicates that this patch contains drum sounds. If you set this flag, the Piano Roll view will display drum notes as diamonds, and the Staff view will use percussion notation.

There are several standard note name lists provided with Cakewalk:

Note name list…		Contents…
0..127		The numbers 0 through 127
Diatonic		The default MIDI note names (like C4, E5, and so on)
General MIDI Drums		The default instrument names for the General MIDI drum patch
For step by step instructions:

How to See the Assignment of Note Name Lists to Patches

How to Change the Note Names for a Patch

How to Remove a Note Name List

How to Set or Clear the Drum Flag


To See the Assignment of Note Name Lists to Patches

1.	Expand the instrument definition by clicking the + sign next to the instrument name.

2.	Expand the Patch Names for Banks folder by clicking the + sign.

3.	Continue expanding the tree by clicking the + sign, until the tree is fully expanded.


To Change the Note Names for a Patch

1.	Drag a note name list from the Names tree onto the Note Names for Patches folder.

2.	Enter a patch number, or enter -1 to indicate that this list of note names should be used as the default.

3.	Cakewalk displays the updated patch and note name lists. If necessary, Cakewalk adds a new patch to the instrument definition.


To Remove a Note Name List

1.	Highlight the patch in the Instrument tree.

2.	Press the Del (Delete) key, or right-click on the note name list and choose Delete from the menu.


To Set or Clear the Drum Flag (Note Names)
To Set or Clear the Drum Flag

•	Right-click on the patch in the Instrument tree, and choose Drums from the menu.


Assigning Controller, RPN, and NRPN Names

Cakewalk lets each instrument have its own lists of controller names, RPN names, and NRPN names. There is always exactly one list of each type per instrument.


To See the Controller, RPN, and NRPN Name Lists

•	Expand the instrument definition by clicking the + sign next to the instrument name.


To Change the Controller, RPN, or NRPN name List

1.	In the Names tree, expand the branch containing the Controller name lists, RPN name lists, or NRPN name lists.

2.	Drag the desired name list from the Names tree onto the corresponding branch of the Instrument tree.

3.	Cakewalk displays the updated Controller, RPN, or NRPN name lists.


StudioWare

StudioWare panels are software interfaces to external MIDI devices such as samplers, keyboards, automatable mixers, and effects units. These interfaces allow you to manipulate the controls on any external MIDI device from graphical controls on your screen. The changes you make to these controls can even be recorded and then played back as part of your projects.

Cakewalk includes a wide variety of StudioWare panels for popular MIDI devices, with new panels constantly under development here at Cakewalk, by equipment manufacturers, and by Cakewalk users. Check the Cakewalk web site (www.cakewalk.com) from time to time for new and updated StudioWare panels.

See also:

StudioWare Panels

Using Panels


StudioWare Panels

Cakewalk comes with a variety of StudioWare panels. Some are designed to control a specific external MIDI device, while others are useful with a variety of devices. Here is a listing of some of the panels that are included with Cakewalk:

Panel Name...		What it's for...
AWE		Controls the wavetable synthesizer on Sound Blaster AWE sound cards.
General MIDI		Provides parameters and control for any General MIDI compatible synthesizer
Roland GS		Control panel providing parameter manipulation for any GS compatible synth
Tascam RC-808		Control Interface modeled after the Tascam RC-808 remote control unit, used with the DA-38, DA-88 and DA-98 multitrack recorders.
You can also create a basic StudioWare panel that contains a standard set of controls for selected tracks in a project. This panel will provide functionality similar to that provided by the Console view.

When you open or create a StudioWare panel, it is configured to be part of the current project. You can open several different panels and use them all with a single project. You can also open several different copies of the same panel, and have each one linked to a different open project.

For step by step instructions:

How to Open a StudioWare Panel

How to Create a New Panel


To Open a StudioWare Panel

1.	Choose File-Open to display the Open File dialog box.

2.	Select StudioWare from the Files of Type list.

3.	Select a StudioWare file and click OK.

Cakewalk opens and displays the StudioWare panel.


To Create a New Panel

1.	Select one or more tracks from the Track view.

2.	Choose File-New to display the New File dialog box.

3.	Select StudioWare Panel from the list.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk displays a StudioWare panel with a set of standard controls for each selected track. You can also create a new panel by right-clicking on the selected tracks and choosing StudioWare from the menu.


Using Panels

Every StudioWare panel is made up of a collection of controls and other information displays. The controls are software representations of the knobs, buttons and sliders on an external MIDI device. By moving the controls on the screen, you adjust the controls on the external MIDI device. If you want, you can also configure the StudioWare panel so that moving the controls on the external device adjusts the controls on your computer screen. Some StudioWare panels contain controls that perform other functions within Cakewalk, such as changing track parameters.

There are a variety of ways to adjust the values of buttons, sliders and knobs:

To change this…		Do this…
The status of a button		Click on the button
The value of a slider		Click on the desired slider position to move the slider to that position, or drag the slider to the desired posi tion
The value of a knob		Click along the outer edge of the knob to move the knob to that position, or drag the outer edge of the knob in a circular motion to set the desired position
To change the value of a knob or slider using the keyboard, you must first select the control:

•	To select a control that has a numeric value display or label, click on the value or the label.

•	To select a control without a numeric value display, click on the control, being careful to click at the current control position. If you do not click at the current control position, the control will change values as a result of the mouse click.

To adjust a knob or slider using the keyboard:

•	Press the - and + keys to decrease or increase the value of the selected control by the smallest amount

•	Press the [ and ] keys to decrease or increase the value of the selected control by steps of 10

See also:

Grouping Controls

Recording Control Movements

Control Settings

StudioWare Panel Drawing Speed


Grouping Controls

Cakewalk lets you create groups of StudioWare controls. When several controls are in a single group, you can move a single control and have the remaining controls in the group adjust automatically. This is useful for many different mixing and crossfade applications.

When you create a group of controls, each control in the group has a starting and an ending value. Here's how these values are used:

•	When you move any control in the group to its starting value, all controls in the group are set to their starting value.

•	When you move any control in the group to its ending value, all controls in the group are set to their ending value.

•	When you position any control in the group somewhere between its starting and ending value, all controls in the group are set to the same relative position between their starting and ending value.

The initial range for each control is set based on the position of the controls at the time you group them.

You can adjust the range for any individual control even if it is part of a group, simply by holding the Shift key while you move the control. When you adjust an individual control by holding the Shift key, either its maximum or minimum is adjusted; which one is adjusted depends on whether the entire group is closer to its minimum or maximum value.

For step by step instructions:

How to Create a Group of Controls

How to Remove Controls from a Group

How to Adjust a Single Control in a Group

Example: To Set Two Faders for a Crossfade


To Create a Group of Controls

1.	Select any control by clicking on it with the mouse.

2.	Hold down the Ctrl key and click on one or more additional controls.

Cakewalk creates a group from the selected controls.


To Remove Controls from a Group

•	Hold down the Ctrl key and click on any control in the group.

Cakewalk removes the control from the group.


To Adjust a Single Control in a Group

•	Hold down the Shift key and drag the control to a new value.

The range for the control is adjusted so that its current position corresponds with the current position of other controls in the group.


Example: To Set Two Faders for a Crossfade

1.	Move the two faders to their midpoint.

2.	Click on the first fader, and then Ctrl-click on the second to create a group.

3.	Move both faders to their highest position.

4.	Shift-drag the second fader to its lowest position.

5.	Drag the first fader to its lowest position.

6.	Shift-drag the second fader to its highest position.

These two controls are now grouped so that they move in opposite directions. Their minimum and maximum values look like this:

Fader		Starting Value		Ending
#1		0		127
#2		127		0
To set faders that are always the same distance apart, set the ranges something like this:

Fader		Starting Value		Ending Value
#1		0		63
#2		64		127
To set faders to move over different ranges of values, set them something like this:

Fader		Starting Value		Ending Value
#1		0		127
#2		0		100


Recording Control Movements

You can move the controls in a StudioWare panel while playing back a song to adjust the levels or other MIDI activity that the panel is designed to accommodate. In addition, you can record changes that you make to the controls in a panel so that these changes become a part of your project. Recording changes so that they play back automatically is known as automation.

There are two general approaches to recording control movements:

Approach...		How it works...
Snapshot		You set all the controls to the values you want, and then create a "snapshot" of these settings at a particular Now time. When you play back the project later, all the controls will snap back to these set tings when you reach the appropriate Now time.
Real-time Recording		You move controls in any way you like, recording the series of changes you make so they become part of your project. When you play back the project later, the controls move exactly as you recorded them.
The first approach is useful, for example, when your project contains a variety of distinct sections, and you want to make a sudden change in one or more settings between the sections.

The latter approach is most useful when you want to create smooth transitions from one section to another. For example, you could slowly add modulation to a MIDI piano, or move the faders on a digital mixing console. Once you record these changes, they will play back along with your project automatically.

StudioWare lets you record and re-record automation data as many times as necessary. When you record new movements for a control, any old events for that control are replaced by the newer ones. Movements of other controls are unaffected. You can re-record moves again and again until you've got the movement exactly how you want it. You can also edit automation data using the Controllers pane in the Piano Roll view.

There are three tools in the StudioWare toolbar that are used to control recording and automation:

Icon...		Tool...		What it's for...
		Update		Makes the controls in the panel update automatically during play back or when MIDI data is received by the panel
		Snapshot		Records a "snapshot" of the cur rent position of all controls
		Record		Activates real time recording of all control movements
Most StudioWare panels are designed both to send and receive MIDI data. This means two things:

•	If you move the controls on your external MIDI device, the StudioWare panel will be notified of the changes

•	When you play back a project containing automation data, the StudioWare panel is notified of the automation changes

The Update button in the StudioWare toolbar indicates whether these changes are played back visually on the StudioWare panel. Press this button to make sure that automation parameters and changes made on the external MIDI device are displayed in the StudioWare panel. Turn this option off if you do not want to see these changes.

If you are recording a snapshot while playback is in progress, you should probably disable Update. Otherwise, some of the controls may move as a result of previously recorded automation events, even while you are trying to position them correctly.

When you are recording real-time control movements, you probably want Update enabled, so that the controls will show the events that have already been recorded.

If you record automation data on a track that contains linked clips, Cakewalk automatically unlinks the clips so that the automation data does not apply to other instances of the linked clip. As an example, suppose you have four repetitions of a particular riff, stored in four linked clips that play in sequence. When you record a fade-out over these four clips, Cakewalk automatically splits the clips into four independent clips, each with automation data representing some portion of the fade.

If you record a snapshot of control positions on a track that contains linked clips, the clips remain linked, and the snapshot applies to all copies of the linked clip.

If you are not happy with the automation data you recorded, you can always use the Undo command to remove it.

The automation data you record using a StudioWare panel can be displayed and edited using either the Controllers pane in the Piano Roll view, or the Event List view. For more information on the Controllers pane, see Controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, and Automation Data. For more information on the Event List view, see The Event List View.

For step by step instructions:

How to Record a Snapshot while Playback is Stopped

How to Record a Snapshot while Playback is in Progress

How to Record Control Changes in Real-Time


To Record a Snapshot while Playback is Stopped (Recording Control Movements)
To Record a Snapshot while Playback is Stopped

1.	Set the Now time to the point in the project where you want the settings to take effect.

2.	Move the controls to the settings you desire.

3.	Click [image].

Cakewalk records a snapshot of the current control settings.

If the Now Time is the very beginning of the project, then the snapshot will change the track parameters to match the controls in the panel, instead of recording automation events.


To Record a Snapshot while Playback is in Progress (Recording Control Movements)
To Record a Snapshot while Playback is in Progress

1.	Make sure the [image] button in the StudioWare toolbar is not pressed so that update is disabled.

2.	Change the Now Time to a few bars or seconds before the time you wish to take the snapshot.

3.	Start playback.

4.	When you have reached the appropriate time, click on the Snapshot button.

Cakewalk records a snapshot of the current control settings.


To Record Control Changes in Real-Time (Recording Control Movements)
To Record Control Changes in Real-Time

1.	Make sure the [image] button in the StudioWare toolbar is pressed so that update is enabled.

2.	Make sure the [image] button in the StudioWare toolbar is pressed so that recording is enabled.

3.	Set the Now time to a few bars or seconds before the time at which you want to record control movements.

4.	Click [image] or press the Space bar to start playback. (Note: Do not press the Record button in the Transport toolbar!)

5.	Adjust the controls as you wish while playback is in progress. Each time you adjust a control, the Record tool [image] is activated.

6.	When you are done, click [image] or press the Space bar to stop playback.

7.	Click the [image] button in the StudioWare toolbar to turn off real-time recording.

Cakewalk records the control changes that you entered while playback was in progress.


Control Settings

The controls in a StudioWare panel are designed to send and receive various types of MIDI information. This information can be transmitted to two possible destinations:

•	a specific track in your project

•	a MIDI output port

When you want to record the movements of controls within a panel, you must make sure that MIDI data from the control is directed to a track, and not to a MIDI port. To find out where the data from a control is headed, right-click on the control to display the Control (Widget) Properties dialog box.


StudioWare Panel Drawing Speed

Some StudioWare panels use bitmap graphics to enhance their appearance. These graphics can slow down the speed with which a panel is displayed on some slower PCs. You can turn off these bitmap graphics by adding this line to the [WinCake] section of the CAKEWALK.INI file:

PanelsShowWidgetBitmaps=0

To turn bitmap graphics on again, change the entry to:

PanelsShowWidgetBitmaps=1

For more information about the CAKEWALK.INI file, see Initialization Files.


Using Layouts and Templates

A layout is the current arrangement of all the views that pertain to a particular project. The layout of each project is stored automatically as part of every project file. In addition, you can save the current layout or load any saved layout and apply it to the current project. You might want to create a layout so that you can easily arrange the views in a convenient size and position on the screen.

A template is a special file used as a pattern to create other similar files. You might create a template file that defines a particular musical ensemble (say, a string quartet) or a particular studio configuration (MIDI instruments, audio ports, etc.). Templates make it fast and easy and to create and configure new projects.

Note that Toolbars are not part of a file layout or template. The toolbar arrangement you choose is stored automatically from session to session.

See also:

Layouts

Templates


Layouts

The layout of the views that are currently displayed for a project is stored automatically in the project file when you save the project. By default, the layout of all the views is restored when the file is opened.

In addition, you can save the current layout in a separate list--the global layout list. Once you have saved the layout in this list, you can apply it to any open project. The global layout list can contain as many layouts as you want. Layouts in the list can be updated, renamed, and deleted.

There are two options that control how layouts are used, as described in the table:

Option…		Meaning…
Close Old Windows Before Loading New Ones		If checked, Cakewalk will close all the views of the current project before applying the layout. If you leave this option unchecked, existing views remain open, and additional views are created according to the settings in the layout.
When Opening a File, Load its Lay out		If checked, the views of a project are automatically arranged according to the stored layout when the project file is opened. If this option is not checked, only the Track view (and File Info view, if applicable) are displayed when the project file is opened.
For step by step instructions:

How to Create or Save a Layout

How to Update a Layout

How to Load a Layout

How to Delete a Layout

How to Rename a Layout

How to Set Layout Options


To Create or Save a Layout

1.	Arrange the views for the current project the way you want.

2.	Choose View-Layouts to display the Window Layouts dialog box.

3.	Click Add to display the New Global Layout dialog box.

4.	Enter a name for the layout, and click OK. The layout is added to the list.

5.	Click Close to exit the Window Layouts dialog box.


To Update a Layout

1.	Arrange the views for the current project the way you want.

2.	Choose View-Layouts to display the Window Layouts dialog box.

3.	Select the layout you want to update from the list.

4.	Click Add to display the New Global Layout dialog box.

5.	Leave the layout name unchanged, and click OK.

6.	Click OK to confirm that you want to update the layout.

7.	Click Close to exit the Window Layouts dialog box.


To Load a Layout

1.	Choose View-Layouts to display the Window Layouts dialog box.

2.	Select the layout you want from the list.

3.	Click Load.

Views of the current project are arranged according to the layout settings.


To Delete a Layout

1.	Choose View-Layouts to display the Window Layouts dialog box.

2.	Select the layout you want to delete from the list.

3.	Click Delete.

4.	Click OK to confirm that you want to delete the layout. The lay out is removed from the list.

5.	Click Close to exit the Window Layouts dialog box.


To Rename a Layout

1.	Choose View-Layouts to display the Window Layouts dialog box.

2.	Select the layout you want to rename from the list.

3.	Click Rename to display the Rename Existing Layout dialog box.

4.	Enter a new name for the layout, and click OK. The layout is renamed in the list.

5.	Click Close to exit the Window Layouts dialog box.


To Set Layout Options

1.	Choose View-Layouts to display the Window Layouts dialog box.

2.	Check the options you want.

3.	Click Close when you are done.


Templates

Template files make it easy to create new projects with certain predefined settings. To create a template file, create a new project file and arrange the project settings the way you want, and then save the project as a template file. Template files have a file extension of .TPL. When you create a new project, you can use the template as the basis for the new project. Cakewalk looks for template files in a particular folder on your hard disk. By default, this folder is the program folder. To change the template directory, choose Tools-Global Options and click the Folders tab.

Every time you start Cakewalk, a new, empty project is displayed. If you want, you can determine the settings for this default project by creating and saving a special template file, called NORMAL.TPL. If you create or update the NORMAL.TPL file, Cakewalk will display this template automatically when the program is started.

As a rule, any parameter that is saved in a project file is also saved in a template file. Listed below are some useful parameters that are saved in template files:

•	Track configuration and track parameters

•	Timebase

•	Sysx banks

•	File information and comments

•	Tempo settings

•	Meter and key settings

•	Synchronization information

•	MIDI data

•	MIDI In/Out/Thru settings

•	MIDI metronome settings

•	Selection start and end times

•	Record mode and punch-in times

The following parameter are saved globally, and are not stored in template or project files:

•	Initialization file parameters

•	Big Time font settings

•	MIDI device settings

•	Instrument definitions

•	Autosave options

•	Color settings

For step by step instructions:

How to Create a Template

How to Create a New Project from a Template


To Create a Template

1.	Create a new file, using the File-New command.

2.	Set one or more parameters to be the way you want.

3.	Choose File-Save As to display the Save As dialog box.

4.	Select Template from the Save as Type list.

5.	Enter a template file name and click Save.

Cakewalk saves the template file.


To Create a New Project from a Template

1.	Choose File-New to display the New Project File dialog box. The list contains the names of all existing templates.

2.	Select a template from the list.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk creates the new project and displays it in the Track view.


Template Example: Three MIDI instruments

Suppose that you own three different synthesizers:

•	One synthesizer set to receive on channels 1-8

•	A general MIDI synthesizer module set to receive data on all 16 channels.

•	A drum machine set to receive on MIDI channel 10

Here's how you can use a template to make it easy to create new projects that are already configured for the instruments you own.

For step by step instructions:

How to Create the Example Template File


To Create the Example Template File

1.	Choose File-New to create a new project file.

2.	Enter the number 10 in the channel column of track 10. The drum machine responds to channel 10. For consistency, the drums can be placed on track 10.

3.	The second synthesizer responds to channels 1-8. These can be placed on tracks 1-8. Fill in the Channel column for each track with the corresponding channel number. You should now have tracks 1-8 set to channels 1-8.

4.	The third synthesizer can respond to 16 MIDI channels, but the only channels left are 9 and 11-16. Enter these numbers in the corresponding tracks. You will need to mute the unused chan nels on the third synthesizer (1-8, and 10) so they won't play. These are assigned to the drum machine and the second syn thesizer.

5.	Give each track a name and set any track parameters such as starting patch, volumes, panning, and transposition.

6.	If you like, configure other parameters needed in your projects such as auto-send sysx banks, tempo settings, and comments.

7.	Choose File-Save and save the file as a template named my3synths.

Now, each time you want to start working on a new project, you can simply load your template and start recording.


Managing Audio Files

Digital audio files are very large, and the processing of digital audio places a heavy load on a desktop computer. Cakewalk includes a large number of features and advanced settings that help you manage disk space more efficiently and get better performance. The following topics describe these features and settings.

See also:

Audio System Configuration

Digital Audio Data Management

Improving Performance with Digital Audio


Audio System Configuration

There are many different types and configurations of audio hardware. Cakewalk can usually automatically detect the type of sound card that you have installed, and configure its settings for best performance. Sometime, though, you may need to change these settings, as in the topics listed below.

See also:

The Wave Profiler

Configuring your Audio Hardware


The Wave Profiler

The Wave Profiler is a utility that analyzes all the sound cards in your computer, and finds the optimum DMA (Direct Memory Access) settings for communicating with Cakewalk. These settings are used to ensure that a project that contains both MIDI and digital audio plays back both type of material in tight synchronization. If the DMA settings are incorrect, MIDI and digital audio material may not play back correctly

The Wave Profiler utility runs automatically the first time you run Cakewalk, and you don't need to run it again unless you install a new sound card or an updated driver for an existing sound card. The Wave Profiler determines the correct settings at three sample rates (11kHz, 22kHz, and 44kHz). It assumes that the same settings should be used for both the 44kHz and 48kHz sample rates. If you find that audio and MIDI don't play in sync at 48kHz, you may need to enter the settings manually, as described in the next section.

You can also manually configure the DMA settings for your sound card, overriding the settings that were determined by the Wave Profiler. This is not recommended except under special circumstances outlined below.

Most sound cards can report their current position (sample number) in the audio stream (this position is known as the wave out position). Because the reported position is not always accurate, Cakewalk may choose to use or ignore this information based on the type of card. If Cakewalk uses the wave out position information, the DMA settings are ignored, and vice versa. Some newer sound cards report themselves as having sample-accurate wave out position reporting. If Cakewalk detects this capability, the wave out position option is enabled automatically. You can always override this setting and force Cakewalk to use or to ignore the wave out position information.

If you experience MIDI and audio synchronization problems during playback, there are two things you can try before contacting technical support:

•	Check the Cakewalk World-Wide Web site (www.cakewalk.com) to see if there is any updated information about the optimal DMA settings for your sound card.

•	Try using the Wave Out Position for Timing option.

For step by step instructions:

How to Run the Wave Profiler

How to Manually Change the DMA Settings

How to Use the Wave Out Position Information


To Run the Wave Profiler

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the General tab.

2.	Click Wave Profiler. The Wave Profiler examines each of your sound cards in turn.

3.	If the Wave Profiler identifies the card, it displays the information and asks if you want to use the default settings. You should answer Yes, unless there is some unusual situation you are trying to resolve.

•	If you answer Yes, the Wave Profiler continues with the next sound card, if there is one.

•	If you answer No, the Wave Profiler automatically tests the card to identify appropriate DMA settings, and then goes on to the next sound card, if there is one.

4.	If the Wave Profiler cannot identify the card, it automatically tests the card to identify appropriate DMA settings, and then goes on to the next sound card, if there is one.

5.	The Wave Profiler continues its work until all sound cards have been tested, and displays a message when it is finished.

If you receive an error from the Wave Profiler, contact Technical Support.


To Manually Change the DMA Settings

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the Advanced tab.

2.	In the DMA box, confirm that the correct Device is selected from the Device list.

3.	Enter the size and offset settings recommended by your audio hardware documentation.

4.	Click OK when you are done.

The DMA settings you entered are used for synchronization of playback.


To Use the Wave Out Position Information

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the Advanced tab.

2.	In the Playback and Recording box, check or uncheck the Use Wave Out Position for Timing box.

3.	Click OK when you are done.


Configuring your Audio Hardware

Cakewalk uses the Microsoft DirectShow architecture for audio streaming through sound cards.

Your computer may have several installed devices that Windows recognizes as sound cards containing audio drivers. You use the Tools-Audio Options command to select the audio device you want to use with Cakewalk. Generally, you should use your highest quality sound card for both recording and playback.

There are several other options you can use to control certain aspects of audio playback, as shown in the table:

Option...		How to use it...
Queue Buffers and Wave Buffer Size		These values control the number and size of audio data "packets" that are sent to your output device. In general, lower numbers result in lower latency. If they are lowered too much, you may hear audio glitches and dropouts if you interact with Cakewalk (for example, if you open and close views) while play back is in progress. Cakewalk ignores the Buffer Size if you set it to be below the DMA size. These options appear on the Advanced tab of the Audio Options dialog box.
Disk Buffer Size		This option controls the size of the buffer used to read audio data from disk. A larger buffer size allows more efficient streaming of data. This option appears on the Advanced tab of the Audio Options dialog box.
Enable Simultaneous Record/Play back		Cakewalk tries to determine automati cally if your audio hardware supports simultaneous record and playback. If it fails to determine this setting automati cally, you can check this option. You can also turn off simultaneous record and playback if this causes problems with your equipment. This option appears on the Advanced tab of the Audio Options dialog box.
Clip Audio Mix Upon Overflow		When this option is enabled, Cakewalk will clip overloaded audio instead of let ting it "wrap," or overflow. This often reduces the audio artifacts of mixing too hot, and creates a warmer, more pleas ing type of distortion when you over drive tracks. You may find it especially useful on guitar-heavy mixes. This option may reduce audio throughput. This option appears on the Advanced tab of the Audio Options dialog box.
Mono Record/Playback		This option forces monaural recording and playback. It is required for full-duplex recording on the Roland RAP-10. This option appears on the General tab of the Audio Options dialog box.
For step by step instructions:

How to Choose your Audio Device

How to Set other Audio Options


To Choose your Audio Device

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the General tab.

2.	Select the Playback Device from the list.

3.	Select the Record Device from the list.

4.	Click OK.


To Set Other Audio Options

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the Advanced tab.

2.	Select the options you want according to the table that appears above.

3.	Click OK when you are done.


Digital Audio Data Management

Digital audio requires a large amount of disk storage. The tables below shows the disk space requirement for a single minute of digital audio at various sampling rates:

Rate		Monophonic		Stereophonic
11 kHz		1MB		2MB
22 kHz		2MB		5MB
44 kHz		5MB		10MB
48 kHz		5.5MB		11MB
Cakewalk stores audio data separately from the rest of your projects, in files placed into a special folder called the wavedata folder. These audio files are in the same format as regular Wave files, but they have a special file extension of .WA~. This special file extension lets Cakewalk know that these are audio files associated with Cakewalk projects. When you record a piece of digital audio, or insert a digital audio file into a project, the audio is stored in one of these special files in the wavedata folder.

Cakewalk stores audio data in a way that conserves disk space. If you copy an audio event from one project to another, for example, Cakewalk doesn't actually make a copy of the audio file. Instead, it tells both of the project files that they share the same audio file. If you subsequently edit a portion of the audio in one of the projects, the edited portion is stored in a separate audio file, and the corresponding portion of the original file is no longer shared. On playback, Cakewalk combines all the audio files together as needed to recreate the song.

Suppose you have a song called MYSONG.WRK, which contains several audio events. The audio portion of the project is stored in a number of files with an extension of .WAV. The exact number of files depends on how many events were recorded, how much editing was performed on the audio portion of the project, whether or not the same audio events are shared by other projects, and other factors.

There are several benefits to this system:

•	You can record and edit digital audio without having to enter file names for every piece of audio

•	You use much less disk space than would otherwise be required

•	You don't have to manually organize and keep track of all your audio files

Cakewalk includes several features and commands to assist in working with digital audio data:

Feature/Command…		What it's for…
Bundle files		A single file that incorporates all project information and audio data. Useful for creating backups of your work or for moving projects from one computer to another.
Clean Audio Disk		Deletes audio files that are not used by any project to free up disk space
Compact Audio Disk		Compacts all the audio data used by a project into a single file, increasing the efficiency of playback
Take Vault		Forces all recorded audio to be saved in standard Wave files with the .wav exten sion, thereby bypassing the automatic audio file management process
Manage Imported Files		Imported wave files are copied into the wavedata folder, and managed automat ically
These features and commands are described in the topics listed below.

See also:

Changing the Wavedata Folder

Deleting Unused Audio Files

Compacting Audio Files

Backing Up Projects with Digital Audio

Take Vault & Audio Data Handling

Imported Audio Files


Changing the Wavedata Folder

You are permitted to change the location of the folder that is used to store audio data. This may be necessary if, for example, your hard disk is full and you want to move all audio data storage to a different hard disk. We strongly recommend that you do not change the location of the wavedata folder unless absolutely necessary.

If your original wavedata folder contains any audio files with the extension .WA~, you must manually move these files to the new wavedata folder using the Windows Explorer or some other file management program. Otherwise, you will receive an error message when you open your project files.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change the Wavedata Folder


To Change the Wavedata Folder

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the Advanced tab.

2.	Enter the name of the wavedata folder in the Data Directory box.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

4.	Use the Windows Explorer or some other program to move all audio files from the old wavedata folder to the new wavedata folder.

All audio files will be stored in the new wavedata folder.


Deleting Unused Audio Files

The Clean Audio Disk command is used to delete digital audio files in the wavedata folder that are no longer used by any of your projects. You should use this command from time to time to free up disk space.

This command searches all of you floppy drives, hard disks, and network drives for project files, and then compiles a list of all the audio files in your wavedata folder that are not in use by any of these projects. You can then choose to delete these audio files.

Under Windows 95, deleted files are normally placed in the Recycle Bin. As a result, you should empty the Recycle Bin after using the Clean Audio Disk command, or the unused files will still physically remain on your hard disk.

If you are using another utility program that protects you from accidentally deleting important files (such as Norton Protect), you may need to disable that program. Otherwise, the next time you use the Clean Audio Disk command you may once again find these not-quite deleted files.

For step by step instructions:

How to Delete Unused Audio Files


To Delete Unused Audio Files

1.	Make sure all project files that contain audio are immediately accessible on a hard disk, network drive, or floppy disk.

2.	If you are running Windows 95, empty the Recycle Bin.

3.	Choose Tools-Clean Audio Disk to display the Clean Audio Disk dialog box.

4.	Click the Find button. Cakewalk searches your hard disk for audio files that appear to be unused by any existing projects, and displays the names of these files in the list.

5.	Follow the instructions in the table:

To do this…	Do this…
Listen to a file	Highlight the file name in the list and click Play
Delete a file	Highlight the file name in the list and click Delete
Delete all files	Click Delete All, and click Yes to confirm
6	Click Close when you are done.


Compacting Audio Files

The Compact Audio Data command places all digital audio used in the current project into a single digital audio file. This can improve the efficiency of playback, particularly if you have performed lots of audio editing.

Individual audio events in the project "point to" specific portions of this single file. Audio events may continue to use the same portion of the audio data file in order to reduce disk usage. When this command is complete, all of the original audio files remain in the wavedata folder. To reclaim disk space, use the Tools-Clean Audio Disk command.

For step by step instructions:

How to Compact Audio Files


To Compact Audio Files

1.	Choose Tools-Compact Audio Data.

2.	Confirm that you want to compact your audio data.

Cakewalk compacts all audio data for the current project into a single file.


Backing up Projects with Digital Audio

A bundle file is a single file that contains all the information--including digital audio--used in a project. A bundle files includes everything that is stored in a normal project file, plus all the digital audio that is used in the project. Use a bundle file when you want to:

•	Make a backup copy of a project that contains digital audio

•	Transfer a project containing digital audio from one computer to another

Because a bundle file makes an extra copy of all the digital audio in your project, it will require extra disk space. Bundle files are not intended to be your primary means of storing a song. Bundle files have a file extension of .BUN.

When you open a bundle file, the audio data are placed into the wavedata folder, and the remainder of the song is loaded into memory. Use the File-Save command if you want to save the project as a regular project (.WRK) file.

If you close this file without saving it, the audio data are automatically deleted from the wavedata folder. If you save the file as a project (.WRK) file, the audio data are left in the wavedata folder. If you save the project as a bundle file, the audio data are removed from the wavedata folder.

For step by step instructions:

How to Create a Bundle File

How to Open a Bundle File


To Create a Bundle File

1.	Choose File-Save As to display the Save As dialog box.

2.	Select Bundle from the Save as Type list.

3.	Enter a file name and click OK.

Cakewalk compacts all the audio and merges it with the remaining project data in a bundle file.


To Open a Bundle File

1.	Choose File-Open to display the Open dialog box.

2.	Select a file with a .BUN extension.

3.	Click Open

The file is opened and the audio data placed into the wavedata folder.


Take Vault & Audio Data Handling

The Take Vault feature can help safeguard against accidental loss of recorded takes. The Clean Audio Disk command and the Undo command can both result in audio files being deleted from your hard disk. When you enable the Take Vault and select a Take Vault folder, all newly recorded material will be saved as .WAV files in the specified folder. The time and date of creation are used as the file name. Cakewalk will never delete files in the Take Vault. You must delete Take Vault files by hand. Do not use the take vault unless you are prepared to manage audio files individually.

For step by step instructions:

How to Enable the Take Vault

How to Disable the Take Vault


To Enable the Take Vault

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the Advanced tab.

2.	Check the Take Vault box.

3.	Select the folder in which audio takes should be stored.

4.	Click OK when you are done.

From now on, audio takes will be stored as Wave files in the specified folder.


To Disable the Take Vault

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the Advanced tab.

2.	Make sure the Take Vault box is not checked.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

Audio takes will now be stored in the wavedata folder.


Imported Audio Files

By default, Cakewalk will make a copy of any audio data imported via the Insert-Wave File command, and place the imported audio into the wavedata folder. You can disable this option if, for example, you want to import large quantities of audio data into a project and don't want to consume time and disk space by making copies of the files. Automatic handling of imported files is enabled by default. Do not disable this option unless you are prepared to manage the audio files individually.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change Handling of Imported Files


To Change Handling of Imported Files

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the Advanced tab.

2.	Check or uncheck the Copy and Manage Imported Files box.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

Imported files will be handled based on the settings you have chosen.


Improving Performance with Digital Audio

When a project contains many tracks of digital audio, or when many real-time effects are in use, your computer may have difficulty keeping up during playback. When this occurs, you'll hear portions of the audio drop out. In an extreme case audio playback may stop altogether.

Cakewalk is limited to a maximum of four tracks of digital audio. The maximum number of audio tracks you can expect to play on your computer also depends on the audio sample rate, the speed of your hard disk, and the speed of your computer's CPU.

The table below shows the number of KB (kilobytes) per second that must be played from a hard disk to play a single audio track for various sampling rates:

Sampling Rate		Amount of data
11 kHz		22.1 KB/second
22 kHz		44.1 KB/second
44 kHz		88.2 KB/second
48 kHz		96.0 KB/second
If your hard disk has an average transfer rate of 1.4MB/second, your hard disk could potentially support a maximum of about 16 tracks of CD-quality audio (1400 KB/second divided by 88.2 KB/second).

Unfortunately, the effect of your CPU on audio track throughput is much more difficult to quantify. Throughput is affected by the type of chip (e.g., Pentium versus Pentium II or Pentium MMX), clock speed, the number and type of real-time effects in use, cache size and settings, and many other factors.

There are a variety of things you can do to increase the number of audio tracks and effects you can play on your computer, as outlined in the following table:

Approach…		How it works…
Archive unused audio tracks		Audio tracks that are muted continue to place a load on your processor. To lessen the burden and free up cycles to handle more audio, archive all unused audio tracks. See Silencing Tracks for more information.
Enable disk caching		By default, Cakewalk bypasses all disk caching, which typically results in better performance with audio data. If your computer has a very large amount of RAM (128MB or more) and your audio tracks include many repeated sections, enabling caching may improve Cake walk's audio performance. Choose Settings-Audio Options and click the Advanced button to change the disk cache settings.
Exit other programs		The more programs you have open, the more CPU cycles you are taking away from your project. Exit any programs unnecessary to the task at hand.
Record audio at a lower sampling rate		If you don't require CD quality 44.1 kHz audio, then record your audio at a lower sampling rate of 22.05 kHz or 11.025 kHz. Choose Settings-Audio Options to change the sampling rate. This method is useful only before you start work on a project. Once the audio sampling rate for a project has been set, it cannot be changed.
Disable the Display Clip Contents options		Drawing the contents of audio clips in the Clips pane uses some CPU cycles. If you are using a slow machine, you may want to disable this feature. To do so, right-click in the Clips pane, choose View Options, and disable the Display Clip Contents option.
Avoid compressed disks		If you use DoubleSpace, Stacker, or some other disk compression system, it will slow down playback of audio tre mendously. Configure your system so that the wavedata folder is on a hard disk that is not compressed.
Defragment your hard disk		If your hard disk is fragmented, playback of audio will be slower. Use the Disk Defragmenter to correct the situation.
Refrain from other activity during playback		If you open and close windows or do lots of editing while playback is in progress, you may steal CPU cycles that would otherwise be used for playback.
Turn off the option to draw audio as it plays		The DrawPlayingAudio setting in the ini tialization file, if enabled, causes audio waveforms to be drawn as the track or audio scrolls during playback. Disable this option to conserve CPU cycles. To do so, make sure that DrawPlayingAudio=0 appears in the wincake.ini file. For more information on initialization files, see Initialization Files.


System Exclusive Data

Cakewalk's System Exclusive (Sysx) librarian provides you with 256 banks in which to hold MIDI System Exclusive messages. A bank is a storage area plus some associated parameters such as a destination port and an optional description. Each bank can hold any number of messages; the amount of data it can hold is limited only by available memory. The banks are saved in the Cakewalk song file. Each bank can also be saved as a .SYX file in the format used by the public domain MIDIEX utility.

See also:

What is System Exclusive?

Using the System Exclusive View

Transmitting Banks During Playback

Real-Time Recording of System Exclusive

Sysx Echo

Saving MIDI Files Containing Sysx Banks

Sysx .INI File Settings

Troubleshooting


What is System Exclusive?

System Exclusive data is MIDI's way of letting each synthesizer manufacturer transmit private data about their products. A System Exclusive message has a manufacturer ID; the rest of the message is completely proprietary and varies for each manufacturer, even for each of their products. Cakewalk does not understand what this data means; it simply can "hold onto it" for you. You can take "snapshots" of your equipment's configuration and store it in Cakewalk's System Exclusive banks for transmitting back to the equipment. You may want to do this simply to back up your equipment, much like backing up your computer's hard drive in case something goes wrong. Or you may configure your equipment differently for each song's requirements, which is why storing System Exclusive banks with each Cakewalk song file can be useful. Of course, for merely backing up your equipment, you can have a project containing only System Exclusive data and no notes.


Sysx Events

Cakewalk provides two distinct kinds of sysx events: Sysx Bank and Sysx Data.

•	Sysx Bank. You can use Sysx Bank events to transmit one of the song's 256 banks of System Exclusive data. Each bank can contain one or more very large System Exclusive messages. Sysx Banks may also be marked "Auto," so that they are sent when the file is loaded, rather than during the start of playback.

•	Sysx Data. You can also use Sysx Data events, which can each contain a single System Exclusive message up to 255 bytes long. You can view and edit the message bytes in the Event List view.

You can save Sysx Data events in project (.WRK) files. Any tracks containing these event types will be discarded if the song is loaded into Cakewalk 5.0 or earlier.

Sysx Data events can be recorded in real time. See Real-Time Recording or System Exclusive for more information.


Using the System Exclusive View

The System Exclusive window has a list box for the 256 banks, plus buttons. Most of the buttons affect whatever bank you have selected in the list. Certain buttons will be disabled if the selected bank is empty. To open the System Exclusive view, choose View-Sysx.

Click on one of the following for a description of the buttons in the Sysx view.

Buttons:

Send

Send All

Name

Auto

Port

Delete


Send

Send transmits the current bank's System Exclusive message. If nothing seems to happen, make sure you have correctly set the Port. This button is disabled if the current bank is empty.


Send All

Send All transmits all nonempty banks.


Name

You may enter a description for a bank by clicking this button. Names are saved only in .WRK files.


Auto

The Auto option tells Cakewalk to transmit that bank every time it loads the song file. You might use this option for banks that contain System Exclusive messages that load a set of sounds for a synthesizer at or before the start of a song.

Before transmitting, Cakewalk asks your permission. This is a safety feature for loading a file you have received from someone else; if it happens to contain data for your synthesizer(s), you might lose your patches and configuration information. However, if you don't want to be asked, choose Tools-Global Options, click the general tab, and uncheck the box labeled Ask Before Sending Sysx.


Port

Each bank is transmitted to a particular MIDI port, just as a track is. Click this button to change the port.


Delete

This deletes the selected bank.


Transmitting Banks During Playback

Cakewalk has a special meta-event, Sysx Bank, that lets you play a system-exclusive bank at a specified time in your song. You can use a Sysx meta-event to send any of the 256 available Sysx banks at any time in a sequence. To do this, you have to insert a new event in the Event List using the Insert key on the PC keyboard. Next you have to double-click Event Kind and change it to System Exclusive. In the Values column, select the bank (0-255) that you want to send.

MIDI is a serial data transmission, meaning it can do only one thing at a time. If you try to upload a huge sampler dump during a fast drum solo, playback will noticeably lurch. MIDI must complete the System Exclusive message before it can resume playback. The Sysx meta-event is appropriate only for very short System Exclusive messages. The exact length depends on various factors such as the speed of your computer; but as a rule of thumb, 100 bytes is a likely maximum, and even that may often be too large.

You don't need to use Sysx meta-events for sending system-exclusive information at the beginning of your song. Instead, use the Auto option for system-exclusive banks. Banks that are marked Auto are transmitted automatically by Cakewalk when it loads the song file they are stored in. Use the Sysx meta-event only when you need to change a synthesizer setting during the middle of the song.


Real-Time Recording of System Exclusive

You can record short System Exclusive messages in real-time. These will end up in the track as the new Sysx Data types of events, which can hold System Exclusive messages up to 255 bytes long. To do so, choose Tools-Global Options, click the MIDI Filter tab, and check the System Exclusive item. Change the desired Input Port if necessary (only one port can be recorded from). The Buffers setting may be left at 128 unless the data is not being recorded.


Sysx Echo

You can configure Cakewalk to echo received System Exclusive messages to output devices.

For step by step instructions:

How to Echo Sysx Messages


To Echo Sysx Messages

1.	Choose Tools-Global Options.

2.	Select the MIDI Filter tab.

3.	Check the Echo System Exclusive option.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk echoes received Sysx data according to the echo settings on the MIDI Input tab of the Project Options dialog box.


Saving MIDI Files Containing Sysx Banks

If a MIDI file has System Exclusive Auto-Send banks, then Cakewalk saves these in a MIDI file as System Exclusive messages at the very beginning of the song (1:1:0). If the song has other MIDI data starting at 1:1:0 — for example, notes — it won't be played correctly because the System Exclusive transmission will delay the start. The beginning of the song will sound garbled.

The solution is to start the song at measure 2, leaving room for the System Exclusive. (A good rule of thumb is to slide everything later by 1 measure, but you could use an even longer duration if need be.) If you have tempo changes, meter/key changes, or markers in your song, you'll have to use cut and paste to cut the entire song and paste it a measure later. If you have only notes in your song, you can use the File-Open command instead, which requires fewer steps.

Make sure you set the Sysx bank to Auto send in the Sysx view before saving the .MID file. Once saved as a .MID file, use the File-Open command to load it again and open the Sysx view. You'll notice that the Sysx has been split up into many different banks. You can send all these banks of Sysx sub-messages by clicking the Send All button in the Sysx view. There is a necessarily small delay after each Sysx bank is sent. Any names you give the banks will not be saved as part of the .MID file.


Sysx .INI File Settings

The TTSSEQ.INI initialization file contains settings that govern the sending and receiving of System Exclusive information. If you are experiencing difficulties using Sysx, you will probably be able to correct the problem by adjusting these settings.

The options listed below occur in the [Options] section of the TTSSEQ.INI file. You can edit this file using the Windows Notepad. Every time you add or change one or more lines in TTSSEQ.INI, you must restart Cakewalk in order for the change to take effect.

SysxSendDelayMsecs

SysxDelayAfterF7

SysxSendPacketSize


SysxSendDelayMsecs

This setting causes Cakewalk to delay n milliseconds if it encounters an F7 in a System Exclusive bank.

n = 60	 Default value (in milliseconds)


SysxDelayAfterF7

This setting causes Cakewalk to delay Sysx transmission for a certain amount of time if it encounters an F7 in a System Exclusive bank. This gives some instruments the required amount of "breathing" time necessary to process the Sysx transmission. The default delay is 1/18 of a second, but can be changed by also adding the SysxSendDelayMsecs=n line.

The possible values of n are 0 and 1. Their significance is as follows:

n = 0 	No delay

n = 1 	Delay between each Sysx string


SysxSendPacketSize

System Exclusive bytes are transmitted in packets, with a 1/18-second default delay between each packet. Setting this value to a smaller number will help slower synthesizers to avoid overflowing their internal buffers. This line sets the number of bytes between each Sysx transmit delay.

n = 1024	Default value (in bytes)


Troubleshooting (System Exclusive Data)
Troubleshooting

Sysx bank names don't show when I open a file

Synthesizers reporting MIDI data errors

My equipment is not receiving Sysx from Cakewalk

Timing requirements when receiving Sysx


Sysx bank names don't show when I open a file

Sysx bank names are only saved in .WRK files (not in .MID files or .SYX files). If you use the Save Bank button in the Sysx View, the data is saved as a standard MIDIEX format file. There are no provisions for MIDIEX to remember the bank names.


Synthesizers reporting MIDI data errors

Some synthesizers will report data errors when you try to send Sysx information to them. This usually happens when Cakewalk sends data at a rate too fast for the synthesizer to keep up. You can use the SysxSendPacketSize=<number> setting in TTSSEQ.INI to make Cakewalk transmit Sysx data more slowly.

Try setting <number> to 64. If that does not solve the problem, try successively smaller values. If 64 works, you may try larger values until it stops working; go back to the largest value that worked and you will have the fastest transmission rate that the problematic synthesizer can keep up with.


My equipment is not receiving Sysx from Cakewalk

Make sure the instrument is set up to receive System Exclusive messages. In the Sysx View, make sure the right destination port is selected. Verify that the Sysx message originally transmitted from the same kind of instrument. An instrument will not recognize Sysx messages from a different make or model of instrument.

Finally, try adjusting the parameters in the TTSSEQ.INI file.


Timing requirements when receiving Sysx

Some MIDI devices have special timing requirements when receiving System Exclusive transmissions. If your equipment has problems receiving System Exclusive data from Cakewalk, you might need to introduce some small delays to allow the equipment to digest the information it is receiving.

The TTSSEQ.INI settings SysxDelayAfterF7=n and SysxSendDelayMsecs=n let you control the timing of System Exclusive transmissions.

Some devices have problems receiving System Exclusive data sent from Cakewalk until you add this single line:

 SysxDelayAfterF7 = 1

This gives the device extra time to process each System Exclusive message.

Roland equipment

Some Roland equipment — notably, the GR-1 and GR-50 Guitar Synthesizers — have problems receiving Sysx packets in fast succession. You must use the setting SysxDelayAfterF7 = 1 with these devices.

Ensoniq instruments

Successfully sending Sysx messages to most Ensoniq instruments requires that you add the following three lines to the [Options] section of TTSSEQ.INI:

SysxDelayAfterF7=1 Enables delay

SysxSendDelayMsecs=200 Sets delay time to 200 milliseconds

SysxSendPacketSize=65535 Increases packet size to 65k


Synchronization

Your computer is often used in conjunction with other equipment: sound cards, MIDI equipment, and digital tape decks or other digital recording tools. All of these types of devices can have their own built-in clock or timing mechanism.

When several pieces of equipment are used together, it's important that they operate in perfect synchronization. For this to happen, all of the equipment must rely on the same source of clock or timing information.

See also:

MIDI Synchronization


MIDI Synchronization

MIDI Synchronization, or MIDI Sync, is usually used to synchronize Cakewalk with drum machines, stand-alone MIDI hardware sequencers, and sequencers built into MIDI keyboards.

When MIDI devices are synched together, the master device sends messages to all other devices to start and stop playback and to keep all the devices in sync. To change the tempo of a song, you adjust the tempo on the master device. The playback tempo on all slave devices is then set automatically.

The following MIDI messages are sent by the master device to support MIDI Sync:

Message…		How it is used…
Start		This message tells slave devices to start playing from the beginning of the cur rently loaded sequence
Stop		This message tells slave devices to stop playback
Continue		This message tells slave devices to con tinue playing from the current location in the currently loaded sequence
Song Position Pointer (SPP)		This message tells slave devices to change the current location to the desig nated point in the song. Cakewalk nor mally issues an SPP message immediately prior to any Start or Con tinue message.
Clock		The master sends clock messages to each slave device at the rate of 24 per quarter note. The slave devices use these messages to establish the tempo and stay in sync.
When you start playback on the master MIDI device, for example, it sends a Start message to all the slave devices, announcing that playback has started. If the slave devices are set up correctly, they receive the message and start playing back along with the master device. When Cakewalk is set up as the master device, you can enable or disable these messages.

See also:

Cakewalk as the Master

Using MIDI Synch with Drum Machines

Troubleshooting MIDI Sync


Cakewalk as the Master

•	There are several options you can use when Cakewalk is the MIDI Sync master device:

Option…		What it's for…
Use Start, Never Continue		If you are using an external drum machine to play a repeated drum pat tern or loop, you might always want playback on the drum machine to start at the beginning of the loop. When this option is chosen, Cakewalk sends a Start message to all slave devices when playback is started, even if you are in the middle of a song (normally, Cakewalk would send a Continue message if play back starts from the middle of a song).
Transmit MIDI Song Position Pointer (SPP)		When this options is checked, Cakewalk sends an SPP message before starting or continuing playback. If you are using a drum machine as described above, you might want to disable this option.
Locate Delay for SPP Recipient		Some older MIDI devices take a small amount of time to respond to SPP mes sages. This option causes Cakewalk to delay briefly after sending an SPP mes sage, in order to give the slave device time to respond. The delay is in 1/18ths of a second. Enter 1 for a 1/18th second delay, 2 for 2/18ths of a second, or 18 for a full second delay.
For step by step instructions:

How to Use MIDI Sync with Cakewalk as the Master


To Use MIDI Sync with Cakewalk as the Master

1.	Configure your external MIDI device to receive MIDI Sync.

2.	Click [image] or [image] in the Sync toolbar to use the MIDI or Audio clock source.

3.	Choose Tools-Project Options and click the MIDI Out tab.

4.	Check the Transmit MIDI Start/Continue/Stop/Clock box.

5.	For most applications, check the Transmit MIDI Song Position Pointer box.

6.	If you are using a drum machine to play patterns or loops, check the Use Start, Never Continue option, and disable the Transmit MIDI Song Position Pointer option.

7.	Click OK when you are done.

From now on, the transport controls in Cakewalk control playback on the external MIDI devices.


Using MIDI Sync with Drum Machines

The most flexible way to use a MIDI drum machine is to record the notes it generates into Cakewalk, and then use it as a MIDI playback device. This lets you edit, cut, paste, and copy your drum parts just like any other clip. You can use MIDI Sync to record the notes from the drum machine into Cakewalk as follows:

1.	Use the drum machine's pattern-composing facilities to compose your drum part.

2.	Configure the drum machine to be a slave device that receives MIDI Sync messages.

3.	Configure Cakewalk to send MIDI Stop/Start/Continue/SPP messages.

4.	Record the drum part from Cakewalk. The drum machine starts automatically when recording begins, and stops automatically when you press Stop.

5.	Switch the drum machine out of MIDI Sync mode, so that it acts simply as a sound-producing module.


Troubleshooting MIDI Sync

If you experience problems with MIDI Sync when Cakewalk is the master device, verify that your external devices are configured correctly to respond to MIDI Sync. Most devices have a Clock option that should be set to External or MIDI.

If Cakewalk does not respond to MIDI Sync as a slave device, verify that your external devices are configured correctly to transmit MIDI Sync. Remember that only one external device can be used as the master clock source.

If your computer locks up when using MIDI Sync, it is probably caused by a MIDI loop with an external device. To solve this problem either turn off MIDI Thru (sometimes called MIDI Echo) on the external unit; or choose Settings-Project Options and click the MIDI Input tab, then check None under Echo Mode and click OK.


Track Properties

Track view/right click on Track pane/Track Properties
Double click on a track to open the dialog box directly

This command lets you edit the properties of one or more tracks.

See also:

Changing Track Settings

Choosing a Source


Track View Options

Track view/right click on Clips pane/View Options

This command lets you specify display options for clips.

See also:

Displaying Clips


Drag and Drop Options

Track view/right click on Clips pane/Drag and Drop Options

This command lets you specify drag and drop options.

See also:

Moving and Copying Clips

Working with Linked Clips


Clip Properties

Track view/right click on control/Group Properties

This dialog box lets you name a clip and specify its position and color.

See also:

Arranging Clips


Unlink Clips

Track view/right click on Clips Pane/Unlink

This command lets you specify when unlinking selected linked clips whether to form a new linked group or to make them independent.

See also:

Working with Linked Clips


Split Clips

Track view/right click on Clips Pane/Split

This command lets you specify how to break selected clips into more clips.

See also:

Splitting and Combining Clips


Audio Event Properties

Audio view/right click on clip/Event Properties

This command lets you edit the properties of an audio clip.

See also:

Editing Event Properties


Group X Properties

Console view/right click on control/Group Properties

This command lets you specify the relations of controls in a group.

See also:

Using Control Groups


Remote control

Console view/right click on control/Remote Control

This command lets you use a MIDI device as a remote control for knobs, buttons, and sliders in the console view.

See also:

Using Remote Control


Define Instruments and Names

Tools/Instruments/Assign Instruments dialog box/Define button

This dialog box lets you define your MIDI instrument, if it is not General MIDI standard.

See also:

Assigning Instruments

Importing Instrument Definitions

Creating Instrument Definitions


Import Instrument Definitions

Tools/Instruments/Assign Instruments dialog box/Define button/Define Instruments and Names dialog box/Import button

This dialog box lets you choose instrument definitions from the manufacturer of your instrument.

See also:

Assigning Instruments

Importing Instrument Definitions

Creating Instrument Definitions


Percussion Notation Key

Staff view/Layout button/ Staff View Layout dialog box/click Percussion Settings button

This dialog box lets you define your percussion notation exactly to your taste.

See also:

Setting up a Percussion Staff or Line


New Global Layout

View/Layouts/Window Layouts dialog box/Add button

This dialog box lets you add new layouts to your list of layouts in the Window Layouts dialog box:

See also:

To Create or Save a Layout


Rename Existing Layout

View/Layouts/Window Layouts dialog box/Rename button

This dialog box lets you assign a new name to a layout already in your Window Layouts dialog box.

See also:

Layouts


Step Size

Realtime/Step Record/Step Record dialog box/Other button (on Step Size side)

This dialog lets you specify a step size in number of ticks.

See also:

Step Recording


Duration

Realtime/Step Record/Step Record dialog box/Other button (on Duration side)

This dialog lets you specify a step duration in number of ticks.

See also:

Step Recording


SoundFont Locations

Tools/SoundFonts/SoundFont Banks dialog box/Locations button

This dialog box lets you type in one or more directories (multiple directories separated by semicolons). Cakewalk uses these as a search path for the SoundFont files. If it finds multiple files, it uses the one with the same name as the one you specify in the SoundFont Banks dialog box.


Delay

File/Open/Play List/Open browse box/<Title>Delay button

This dialog box lets you specify what kind of delay you want between songs.


Patch Browser

Track Properties dialog box/Patch Browser button

This dialog can be used to locate patches containing the text you type. The list is narrowed as you type. You can select previous search patterns from the drop-down list.

See also:

Choosing the Instrument Sound (Bank and Patch)


Kind of Event

Event List view/double click on Kind box.

This dialog box lets you edit the type of the event.

See also:

The Event List View


Chord Properties

Staff view/right click guitar chord or chord symbol

This dialog box lets you create and edit the guitar chord.

See also:

Adding Chord Symbols


Event Filter

If you want information about the Event Filter - Search dialog box, see Searching for Events.

If you want information about the Event Filter - Select Some dialog box, see:

Event Filters

Selecting Events


Lyric Properties

Staff view/right click on a word or syllable in the lyrics

This dialog box lets you edit the spelling and time of the specified word or syllable.

See also:

Working with Lyrics


Hairpin Properties

Staff view/right click on a hairpin

This dialog box lets you specify the properties of the selected hairpin.

See also:

Adding Hairpin Symbols


Expression Text Properties

Staff view/right click on a text expression.

This dialog box lets you edit the text and location of your expression text.

See also:

Adding Expression Marks


Note Properties

Staff view or Piano Roll view/right click on a note.

This dialog box lets you edit the note's time, pitch, velocity, and other MIDI properties.

See also:

Selecting and Editing Notes


Markers

This dialog box lets you choose any marker. Closing the box and the associated Go dialog box moves the Now time to the specified marker.

See also:

Creating and Using Markers


No MIDI Inputs - Cakewalk

Startup, or when Tools/MIDI Devices/MIDI Ports dialog box has nothing selected on the Import Ports side

This dialog box lets you choose, or decide not to choose, an input port.


No MIDI Outputs - Cakewalk

Startup, or when Tools/MIDI Devices/MIDI Ports dialog box has nothing selected on the Outport Ports side

This dialog box lets you choose, or decide not to choose, an output port.


Migrate Cakewalk Preferences

First start-up after install

This dialog box lets you transfer a variety of configuration preferences from earlier Cakewalk installations.

See also:

Migrating Preferences


Retain Cakewalk Preferences

First start-up after install/Migrate Cakewalk Preferences dialog box/Yes

This dialog box lets you specify from which previous installation you want to transfer configuration preferences to your new installation.

See also:

Migrating Preferences


Percent Done

Cakewalk has done the indicated percent of the task you requested. Be patient.


Ask Auto-send

Sysx view/Auto button

This dialog box lets you choose whether to send System Exclusive data automatically to your MIDI instrument.

See also:

Auto


Chord Fret Number

This dialog box lets you insert a fret designation.

See also:

Adding Chord Symbols


Note Name List
Note Names and Drum Mode

This dialog box lets you specify whether to use the settings assigned in the Assign Instruments dialog box or different settings you specify, or drum mode.

See also:

Assigning Instruments

Assigning Note Names

Percussion, Drum Notes, and Note Names


Percent Done
Pedal Properties

Staff view/right click on a pedal mark

This dialog box lets you specify the properties of the selected pedal mark.

See also:

Adding Pedal Marks


Track view

The Track view is always visible. It is the main window you use to create, display, and work with a project. It consists of the track pane and the clips pane.

Track pane

This pane lets you see and change the settings for each track.

Clips pane

This pane shows the clips in your project on a timeline. You can select, move, and copy clips from place to place to change the arrangement of music and sound in your project.

See also:

Basic Editing and Arranging


Play List

File/Open/Files of Type: Play List/choose .SET file

File/New/--Play List set--

This view lets you set up a series of songs to play sequentially.

See also:

Playing Files in Batch Mode


Cakewalk
Cakewalk Empty View

To start working in Cakewalk, choose File-New (to start a new project) or File-Open (to open a project).

See also:

Creating a New Project


Staff View Print Configure

Staff view/Print Preview/Configure button

This dialog box lets you select a rastral size for the printed staff view.

See also:

Printing


Pick Track

Staff view, Event List view, Piano Roll view, Audio view, or Lyrics view/Pick Tracks button

This dialog box lets you select which track you want to see.


Pick Tracks

Staff view, Event List view, Piano Roll view, Audio view, or Lyrics view/Pick Tracks button

This dialog box lets you select which tracks you want to see.


Staff View Layout

Staff view/Layout button

This dialog box lets you specify how you want your staff view to look in detail.

See also:

Beaming of Rests

Setting up a Percussion Staff or Line


Module Manager

Console view/Module Manager button

This dialog box lets you specify which of the modules for your project you want to see in the Console view.


Bank Name

Sysx view/Name button

This dialog box lets you specify the the name of the bank you want.

See also:

Using the System Exclusive View


Bank Port

Sysx view/Port button

This dialog box lets you specify which MIDI port you want the bank transmitted to.

See also:

Using the System Exclusive View


Snap to Grid

Staff view, Piano Roll view, Audio view, or Tempo view/Shift-click Snap To Grid button

This dialog box lets you specify the resolution of the snap to grid command.

See also:

Defining and Using the Snap Grid


Marker

Markers view/Add or Change button

This dialog box lets you specify or edit a marker's name, where to put it, and whether you want it locked to SMPTE time.

See also:

Creating and Using Markers


Apply MIDI Effects

Console view/Apply MIDI Effects button

This dialog lets you select options for applying MIDI effects to selected MIDI data. You can delete the effect from the patch point after it is applied, so that it will not be reapplied on playback.

See also:

Applying MIDI Effects


aftertouch

MIDI property controlling how much pressure is applied.  See key aftertouch, channel aftertouch.


archive

Silence and supress the processing of a track. Use the archive command to reduce the demand on your CPU.

See Mute


arm

Enable a track for recording.

See Choosing a Source.


audio, digital audio

Music or sound recorded digitally, as on a compact disk, and not recorded by means of MIDI.


audio clip

Clip containing digital audio events.


audio track

Track recorded digitally.


audition

Listen to audio effects to determine if they are acceptable.

See Basic Audio Processing


automation

Cakewalk snapshot or dynamic recording of the positions of all the controls through a portion of sound or music.  See Recording Automation Data.


bank

Up to 128 patches.  Storage for sounds.


bundle file

A file that incorporates all project information and audio data. Bundle files are useful for creating backups of your work or for moving projects from on computer to another.


Cakewalk Application Language
Cakewalk Application Language (CAL)

An event-processing language that extends Cakewalk with custom editing commands.

See Cakewalk Application Language.


channel

Path through which MIDI transmits information.


chord

What appears in a guitar chord grid.  See Adding Chord Symbols.


channel aftertouch (ChanAft)

MIDI property regulating the pressure applied to all the notes of the instrument on the specified channel.


chord symbol

The c among the expression marks on the staff.  Put one above the notes where you want to define a guitar chord grid.  See Chords and Marks.


clip

Piece of sound and music.  Your project consists of clips.  You can link clips.


clone

A command that allows you to copy a track along with its properties, the clips or events or both. You can choose the destination track for the copy.


controls

Sliders, faders, knobs, and buttons on the console or your on-line equivalent of controllers.  See Mixing.


crescendo

A fade-in. A gradual increase in volume.


controllers

Pedals, knobs, and wheels on your electronic instrument that you can use to change the sound while you're playing.  See Controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, and Automation Data.


decibel, dB

Measure of loudness.  See Decibel Scale.


decrescendo

A fade out. A gradual decrease in volume.


DMA

Direct Memory Access. DMA settings determine how your computer’s sound card to communicates with Home Studio.

See The Wave Profilerfor information about how to change DMA settings.


duration

Length of time.


effects, audio effects

Systematic changes you can make to parts or all of the music, like reverb, chorus, and delay.  See Audio Effects, Using Real-Time Effects.


envelope
envelopes

Reflects the changes in value for a parameter (volume, for example) over a period of time.

See Setting Volume and Pan Envelopes.


event

Note, MIDI action, or audio clip.


expression

Lyric, chord symbol, text of any sort (like ff or con amore), hairpin, or pedal mark.


expression marks

Dynamic markings and other musical instructions (like decrescendo, con amore, etc.) in the Staff view.  See Adding Expression Marks.


fade, fade-in, fade-out

Gradual increase (crescendo) or decrease (decrescendo) in volume.  See Applying Fades with the Draw Tool.


frame

Smallest units for SMPTE synchronization.  Frame rate indicates the number of frames per second.


frame rate

Speed of playback.


from time

The beginning of a selection.  Set it in the Select toolbar.  See Now time.


full-duplex

A type of soundcard which allows simulaneous recording and playback of audio. See Recording Audio.


global layout

Layout you can save to use with other projects.  See Layouts.


group

An entity consisting of multiple controls or buttons and specifying relationships between or among them.


guitar chord grid

Grid for notating guitar chords.  See Chords and Marks.


hairpin symbol

Crescendo or decrescendo mark.  See Chords and Marks.


inspector menu, context menu

Menu appropriate for a particular location or item.  Display a context menu by right-clicking on the location or item.


inspector menu, context menu
instrument definitions

A file that contains information about banks, patches, controllers, and other features of an instrument.

See Instrument Definitions.

Instrument definitions can be created. To do so, see Creating Instrument Definitions.


key aftertouch (KeyAft)

MIDI property regulating the pressure applied to an individual note.


key offset

The number of half-steps by which to transpose the track.  A value of 12 raises the notes an octave.  You can transpose all note in a track on playback by setting this value (Key+) in the Track pane.


key signature

Key of the piece, how many sharps or flats it has, and how the music displays in the various views.

See What is Key?


kill

Delete an entire track, including all its properties, clips, and events.  You can undo a kill, but not paste it.


layout

Current arrangement of all views in a particular project.  See Using Layouts and Templates.


link, linked clips

Clips so specified that any change made to one applies to all.

See Working with Linked Clips.


locked (SMPTE) time

Locks a marker to a specified time from the start of the music.  Not affected by changes in tempo or time signature.  See Creating and Using Markers.


loop, playback loop

Repetition of a part or of the whole of a piece of music, especially multiple repetitions.


lyrics

Words to go along with music.  See Working with Lyrics.


marker

Flag marking a specific time in the music.  See Markers view.


MBT

Measure, Beat and Tick number.

9:04:0060 is the 60th tick of the fourth beat of the ninth measure.


MCI command, Media Control Interface command

Special event in Events List that lets you control other multimedia hardware and software.


meter, time signature

Divides time into rhythmic pulses.  Specifies the number of beats per measure and the note value of each beat.  See Setting the Time Signature and Key Signature.


MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface.  The means by which computers communicate with most sound cards, keyboards, and other electronic instruments.  Compare audio.


MTC Sync

MIDI Time Code sync.  Messages are received in SMPTE/MTC format from an external MIDI device and generate MTC.

See SMPTE


mute

Set a track to be silent during play.


normal template

Project template for all projects.


Now time

The current time in a project.  Where you are in the music.

See The Now Time and How to Use It.


NRPN

Non-Registered Parameter Numbers.

See Controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, and Automation Data.


offset

Shift (time, key, velocity) by a specified number of units.  For example, you could offset the start of a track by two measures.


overload

Loss of audio information caused by the audio level exceeding 0 dB.


pan

Degree to which a sound or piece of music comes from the left or right speaker.


patch

Particular sound in an electronic device.  Patches are stored in banks, in groups of 128.


pedal mark

Expression mark indicating when the player should hold down the pedal and release it.


pitch bend

Controller that changes the pitch of a MIDI note.


pitch wheel

Controller that changes the pitch of a MIDI note.


port

Computer connector for sending or receiving data.


property

Any attribute or value belonging to an object.  Often you can see these by right-clicking on the object.  For example, right-clicking on a clip and choosing Properties from the resulting menu, displays the Clip Properties dialog box, which lists its properties as its name, start time, length, and color.


quantize

Correct human imperfection in start and duration of selected notes so they line up with a specified time grid.


record

Capture audio or MIDI sound in a reproducible fashion.


resolution

Smallest note or number of ticks you want effective in a piece for quantizing purposes.


RPN

Registered Parameter Numbers.

See Controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, and Automation Data


ruler, time ruler

Bar showing evenly-spaced measure intervals.  It appears in the Track, Piano Roll, Staff, and Audio views.


sampling rate

Level of accuracy with which audio data is stored.  The higher the better the sound quality, but the more costly in computer time.

See:

Audio Options

Recording a Sound


scrub

Drag a vertical bar over the view, so you can hear the notes in the track.  You can scrub forward or backward at any speed.  See Selecting and Editing Notes.


sensitivity (window)

Distance from a timing grid a note has to be to be unaffected, or affected less, by quantizing.


SMPTE

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.  SMPTE format measures time in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames.

00:06:10:5  is the fifth frame of the tenth second of the sixth minute of a project.  You can put time zero anywhere.


solo

Set a track to be audible during play.


source

Input for music or sound to be recorded into a track.

See Choosing a Source.


split point

In the Staff view, the point at which you split a track into treble and bass staves.  Notes at or above the split point go into the treble staff, those below into the bass staff.


staff

A set of horizontal lines on which you write music.


strength

Measure of how much an adjustment should approach perfection.


stripping

Recording an analog time code signal onto a track.


swing

Systematic uneven spacing of notes on a timing grid, to give music a swing feel.


Sysx

Cakewalk's System Exclusive library, which can store, record, and display for viewing or editing 256 banks, each holding any number of patches.  See System Exclusive Data.


take

Single instance of recording the same thing.  You might want to record several takes, then choose the best to keep.


template

Special file used as a pattern to creat other, similar projects. See Using Layouts and Templates.


tempo

Number of beats per minute.


thru time

Time up to which the music is to be played back or recorded.  Set it in the Select toolbar.  See Now time.


tick

Subdivision of quarter notes.  It show the timebase of a piece of music.


time

In Cakewalk, Now time, from time, or thru time.  When an event takes place in the music.


timebase, PPQ

Timing resolution, measured in pulses (ticks) per quarter note.  Determines how finely you can specify notes. Home Studio supports timebases in files from 48 PPQ to 480 PPQ.


track

Cakewalk's representation of one or more lines of music with shared properties, for example, music played by one instrument.


velocity

How fast or how hard a key is struck when a track is recorded.


velocity offset

Adjustment of all track events by a specified amount of time.

See Adjusting the Time Alignment of a Track.


Virtual Jukebox

Stand-alone media file playlist program. See Playing Files in Batch Mode.


Virtual Piano

Utility that lets you use your computer keyboard and mouse to make music.  See Using the Virtual Piano.


volume

Loudness of a sound or piece of music.


wipe

Deletes a track's clips and events, but leaves its properties.  You can undo a wipe, but not paste it.


xRPN

RPN and NRPN.


Frequently Asked Questions

If you're having a problem with Cakewalk, don't panic. This appendix lists some common problems and how to solve them.

If you don't find an answer here, there are two other important places to look for help:

•	Check the Readme file that came with your software. It contains additional information that wasn't available when this User's Guide was printed.

•	Visit our World Wide Web site at www.cakewalk.com, where you'll find answers to frequently asked questions, tech support documents, program patches and updates, and more.

See also:

When I Play a File, I Don't Hear Anything

I Can't Record from My MIDI Instrument

When I Play a File Containing Audio, the Audio Portion

I Can't Record Any Audio

The Music Is Playing Back with the Wrong Instrument Sounds

How Do I Use Cakewalk to Access All the Sounds on My MIDI Instrument

My Keyboard Doubles Every Note I Play

I Don't See the Clips Pane in Track View

Why Can't Cakewalk Find My Audio Files?

Why Do I Get Errors from the Wave Profiler?


When I Play a File, I Don't Hear Anything

Open the song called 2-PART INVENTION #13 IN A MINOR.WRK and click the Play button. If you don't hear any music, try the following suggestions:

Possible problem…		What to do…
Your speakers aren't connected properly or the volume is turned down.		Make sure your speakers are on and the volume is turned up.
Your sound card isn't hooked up correctly.		See if other programs play sound cor rectly through your speakers. A good program to try is the Media Player (Start-Programs-Accessories-Multi-media-Media Player). If other programs do not work, check your sound card documentation to make sure it is prop erly installed and configured.
No MIDI output device is selected.		Choose Tools-MIDI Devices, and check the Output device list. Make sure that your computer sound card is high lighted and at the top of the list. If this doesn't work, try choosing different output devices, one at a time, to see if any of them produces sound.
Your sound card or MIDI interface is not set up correctly.		Make sure you have installed and tested each card according to the man ufacturer's instructions.
You may have too many MIDI driv ers.		Make sure you only install the drivers that you need, and remove any old or unused drivers. To access the driver list, choose Start-Settings-Control Panel, then double-click Multimedia and click on the Advanced tab.
Your MIDI driver is incorrect or out dated.		Make sure that the driver you have installed is the correct driver for your hardware. Also try downloading and installing the latest driver release from your hardware manufacturer.
Your MIDI driver is configured incor rectly.		Make sure the driver's IRQ and port address settings match the physical set tings on the card.
If none of these suggestions works, check our web site for additional suggestions or contact technical support.


I Can't Record from My MIDI Instrument

If you are unable to record music from your electronic keyboard, synthesizer, or other MIDI instrument, first test to see if you are able to play back a song through the keyboard. Then try the following:

Possible problem…		What to do…
No MIDI input device is selected.		Choose Tools-MIDI Devices, and check the Input device list. Make sure that the MIDI input on your computer sound card is highlighted.
Your MIDI cables are reversed.		Make sure that the MIDI Out plug is connected to the MIDI In jack on your keyboard and that the MIDI In plug is connected to the MIDI Out jack on your keyboard.
You have not set up Cakewalk to record		Make sure that 1) you have chosen a source for the track; 2) you have armed the track for recording; and 3) you have pressed the Record button, and not the Play button.
If none of these suggestions works, check our web site for additional suggestions or contact technical support.


When I Play a File Containing Audio, the Audio Portion
When I Play a File Containing Audio, the Audio Portion Doesn't Play

Opening the song called RIFF FUNK AUDIO AND MIDI DEMO.BUN and click the Play button. You should hear four instruments: Keyboards, Guitar, Bass, and Drums. If not, try the following:

Possible problem…		What to do…
Your speakers aren't connected properly, or the volume is turned down.		Make sure your speakers are on and the volume is turned up.
Your sound card isn't hooked up cor rectly.		Run the Microsoft Sound Recorder (Start-Programs-Accessories-Multi media-Sound Recorder). Open any wave file and see if it plays sound correctly through your speakers. If not, check your sound card docu mentation to make sure it is prop erly installed and configured.
The volume setting is turned down on your software mixer.		Double-click on the yellow speaker icon in the Windows task bar to dis play the mixer, and make sure all the volume settings are turned up and that none are muted.
Your audio tracks are assigned to the wrong port.		Check the port assignment for your audio tracks in the track pane.
Cakewalk doesn't recognize your sound card.		Choose Tools-Audio Options, click the General tab, and then click the Wave Profiler button to test your audio hardware. Then, re-open Riff Funk Audio and MIDI Demo.bun and try again.
If none of these suggestions works, check our web site for additional suggestions or contact technical support.


I Can't Record Any Audio

If you are unable to record audio through your sound card, try the following suggestions:

Possible problem…		What to do…
The track is not set up to receive audio input.		Make sure that the Source column for the track you are recording (in the Track view) is set to an Audio left or Audio right input before recording.
The software mixer is not set up properly.		Double-click on the speaker icon in the Windows task bar to display the mixer. Choose Options-Properties, select Adjust Volume for Recording, and click OK. Make sure all the Select boxes have checkmarks and the input volume is turned up.
Your sound card isn't hooked up correctly.		Try recording audio using the Microsoft Sound Recorder (Start-Programs-Accesso ries-Multimedia-Sound Recorder). If it fails, check your sound card documentation to make sure it is properly installed and con figured.
You have not set up Cakewalk to record.		Make sure that 1) you have chosen a source for the track; 2) you have armed the track for recording; and 3) you have pressed the Record button, and not the Play button.
If none of these suggestions work, check our web site for additional suggestions or contact technical support.


The Music Is Playing Back with the Wrong Instrument Sounds

If the tracks in your song are assigned to the same MIDI port and channel, the same sound will be used for all of them. To fix this problem, simply assign each track to a different channel (using the Chn column in the Track view), and then select the sound (or "patch") you want to use for each one. If you are playing songs through your MIDI keyboard or synthesizer, you need to 1) check that your instrument is able to receive MIDI data on multiple channels, and 2) configure your instrument to play a different patch on each channel (this is called "Multi Mode" on many instruments). See the documentation for your instrument for more information.

Another possibility is that you are playing back a GM (General MIDI)-authored MIDI file on a non-GM compatible device.


How Do I Use Cakewalk to Access All the Sounds on My MIDI Instrument
How Do I Use Cakewalk to Access All the Sounds on My MIDI Instrument?

Cakewalk is normally set up to access the 128 sounds that are part of the General MIDI standard. Cakewalk also includes custom instrument definitions that match the sounds on many popular instruments. To use a custom instrument definition:

1.	Choose Tools-Instruments to display the Assign Instruments dialog box.

2.	Click the Define button to display the Define Instruments and Names dialog box.

3.	Click Import, and then select the file for the manufacturer of your instrument.

4.	Select your instrument from the list and click OK.

5.	Click Close to return to the Assign Instruments dialog box.

6.	Select from the Port/Channel list all the ports and channels that are being sent to that instrument.

7.	Click on the instrument in the Uses Instrument list.

8.	Click OK when you are done.

If your manufacturer or instrument doesn't appear, check our web site to see if an updated instrument definition is available. You can also create your own instrument definition. For more information on instrument definitions, see Instrument Definitions.


My Keyboard Doubles Every Note I Play

When your keyboard doubles the notes, each note seems "heavier" or "thicker" than usual, as if two notes of the same pitch are emitted when you press the key. Also, you may find that you can play only half as many notes at one time before some of the held notes drop out.

This can occur when MIDI echo is enabled. The keyboard plays the note for the key you've pressed. At the same time, the note is sent through the MIDI interface and echoed back to the keyboard, where it is played a second time.

The best way to resolve the problem is to disable Local Control on the keyboard, following the instructions that came with the keyboard. This stops the keyboard from playing independently. The keys you play still produce sound on the keyboard because they are echoed back by the MIDI interface. In many cases, Cakewalk disables local control automatically when the program is started, but this is not always possible.

An alternate solution is to disable echoing, as follows:

1.	Choose Tools-Project Options and click the MIDI Input tab.

2.	Under Echo Mode, check None.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

This alternate solution may cause other problems if you are working with several MIDI devices at once.

It's also possible that your keyboard is transmitting information on two channels at once. To see if this is so, create a new project and record two notes from the keyboard. Then look at what you've recorded in the Event list view. If you see four notes displayed instead of two, then your keyboard is transmitting on two channels. See the documentation for your keyboard to learn how to correct the problem.


I Don't See the Clips Pane in Track View

The splitter bar may be so far to the right that the Track pane fills the entire Track view. Here's how to solve the problem:

1.	Place your cursor over the splitter bar. It is located on the far right side of the Track view, just to the left of the vertical scroll bar.

2.	Drag the splitter bar to the left, and you should be all set.


Why Can't Cakewalk Find My Audio Files?

Cakewalk looks for all audio data in a certain folder, called the wavedata folder. If you have renamed or moved either Cakewalk or the wavedata folder, the Cakewalk may not be able to find your audio files. If you know where the audio files are stored, choose Tools-Audio Options, click Advanced and enter the full path name of the folder in the Data Directory box. If you don't know where the audio data are stored, choose Start-Find-Files or Folders and search for files named *.WA~.

For more information about the wavedata folder, see Digital Audio Data Management.


Why Do I Get Errors from the Wave Profiler?

Audio devices such as voice modems or speakerphone devices can cause an error message from the Wave Profiler. Sometimes these errors are harmless; on other occasions you need to disable the voice modem or speaker-phone device before running the Wave Profiler. To do so:

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the Drivers tab.

2.	Make sure that the voice modem or speaker-phone device is not selected in both the Input and Output device lists.

3.	Click OK.

4.	Choose Tools-Audio Options, click the General tab, and run the Wave Profiler again.


Tips & Tricks

Cakewalk includes literally hundreds of features that make it easy to configure your work environment and get your project work done more efficiently. This appendix lists some of the features not covered elsewhere in the manual and highlights some shortcuts and tricks you can use to be more productive and efficient.


Double-Clicking Clips

By default, double-clicking a MIDI clip in the Clips pane opens a Piano Roll view for that track, and double-clicking an Audio clip opens an Audio view for that track. You can set the type of view opened when a clip is double-clicked. For example, you may want to open MIDI tracks in a Staff view rather than in a Piano Roll view.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set the View Opened by Double-Clicking


To Set the View Opened by Double-Clicking

1.	Right-click in the Clips pane and choose View Options.

2.	Select the types of view opened by double-clicking MIDI and audio clips.

3.	Click OK.


Playing Files in Batch Mode

Cakewalk includes two ways you can play several files in sequence automatically, like a jukebox. You can use these features in live performance applications or just for fun.

•	Cakewalk's Play List view lets you create and work with a series of project, MIDI, and bundle files. As each file plays, it is loaded into Cakewalk and displayed in the Track view and other views like any other project file.

•	The Virtual Jukebox is a stand-alone program that lets you play back a series of project, MIDI, bundle, and wave files. You can use the Virtual Jukebox without using Cakewalk.

See:

The Play List View

Virtual Jukebox


The Play List View

The Play List view lets you create, edit, and save a playlist (or set) of up to 128 Cakewalk projects. Once you've created the list, you can play back the entire sequence automatically. You can even program the list to pause between songs for a fixed amount of time or to wait for a keystroke before proceeding.

Playlists can be saved for future use. Playlist files have the extension .SET.


To Create and Edit a Playlist

To create and edit a playlist in the Play List view, follow the instructions in the table:

To do this…		Do this…
Open an existing playlist		Choose File-Open, select Play List from the Files of Type list, select the file you want and click Open
Create a new playlist		Choose File-New, select Play List Set from the list, and click OK
Add songs to the playlist		Click [image] or press Insert, select a file from the Add Song to Play List dialog box, and click Open
Set the delay after a song		Click on the song in the playlist, click [image], enter the delay you want, and click OK
Change the order of songs		Drag the file to a new location in the playlist
Copy a song to another loca tion in the playlist		Ctrl-drag the file to a new location in the playlist
Remove a song from the playlist		Select the song and click [image] or press the Delete key
Save the playlist		Choose File-Save; or choose File-Save As, enter a file name, and click Save


To Play Files from the Play List View

To play back files from the Play List view, follow the instructions in the table.

To do this…		Do this…
Activate the playlist		Click [image] in the Play List view tool bar so that the button is pressed. If this button is not pressed, only a sin gle file will play when you start play back.
Choose the starting song		Double-click the file you want to start with. The project is opened and dis played as usual.
Start playback		Click [image], choose Realtime-Play, or press the space bar.
Stop playback		Click [image], choose Realtime-Stop, or press the space bar.
Skip to the next file		Click [image] in the Play List view tool bar.
Loop continuously over the playlist		Click the [image] button in the Play List view toolbar.
Show or hide file name extensions and folder names (path). names		Click the [image] button to enable or disable the display of folder


Virtual Jukebox
Virtual Jukebox Program

The Virtual Jukebox is a stand-alone program that lets you play up to 999 songs or audio files in sequence. Virtual Jukebox lets you create playlists (.PLY files) containing files in the following formats: project (.WRK), bundle (.BUN), playlist (.SET), MIDI (.MID), and wave (.WAV). You can create and edit a playlist using menu commands or using drag-and-drop editing. By default, the Virtual Jukebox plays all the files in the playlist in sequence. You can modify the playback mode for all files at once or for each individual file. If your playlist includes files that contain any MIDI data, you must choose a MIDI output device before you can play the file.

You can drag files from the Windows Explorer into the Virtual Jukebox. The files that you drag into the Virtual Jukebox window are inserted into the playlist before the current selection.

You can also drag files from the Virtual Jukebox into Cakewalk as follows:

•	To open a project, drag the .WRK, .MID, or .BUN file from the Virtual Jukebox into Cakewalk

•	To insert an audio event into a project, drag a .WAV file from the Virtual Jukebox to a specific position in the Audio view


To Choose a MIDI Output Device

1.	Choose Options-Configure MIDI Devices to open the MIDI Ports dialog box

2.	Select a device from the Output Ports list, and click OK.


To Create or Edit a Playlist

To create or edit a playlist, follow the directions in the table:

To do this…		Do this…
Create a new playlist		Choose File-New Playlist. If you made any changes to the currently open playlist, you will be prompted to save the changes.
Open an existing playlist		Choose File-Open Playlist, choose the file you want, and click Open.
Add files to the playlist		Choose File-Add Files to Playlist, Edit-Insert, or click the Insert button to open the Add Files to Playlist dia log box, and then select one or more files from the list. The files you select are inserted into the playlist before the current file in the list.
Move a file		Drag the file to a new location in the list.
Copy a file to another loca tion in the playlist		Ctrl-drag the file to the location where you want the copy.
Edit the playlist		Use the standard Edit menu com mands (Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete) to edit the playlist.
Remove a File from the playlist		Select the file in the list and click the Delete button.
Save the playlist		Choose File-Save, or choose File-Save As and enter a new file name.
Find a specific file in the play list		Choose Edit-Find, type the first few letters of the file name, and click OK. The playlist moves to the first match ing file. Choose Edit-Repeat Last Find (or press F3) to find the next matching file.


To Control Playback

Here's how to control playback with the playlist:

To do this…		Do this…
Play the playlist		Double-click a file to start playback on that file, or click on a file in the list and click the Play button.
Stop playback		Click the Stop button.
Move forward or backward in the current file		Use the scroll bar next to the Sequence time display.
Skip to the next or previous file while playback is in progress		Use the Forward and Back buttons.
Skip to any other file while playback is in progress		Click on the file you want to play while playback is in progress. The current file will stop playing, and the file you selected will start playing.


To Change the Playback Mode

To modify the playback mode for all files at once, use the following commands:

Command…		How it works…
Options-Set Playback Mode (All Files)-Auto Advance		Causes the Virtual Jukebox to move onto the next file in the playlist as it finishes playing each file
Options-Set Playback Mode (All Files)-Wait for Keypress		Tells the Virtual Jukebox to wait for a keypress before playing the next file in the playlist
Options-Set Playback Mode (All Files)-Time Delay		Lets you set a time delay between successive files in the playlist
Options-Randomize Play		Causes the Virtual Jukebox to select the next file to play at random

To modify the playback mode for a single file, right-click the file and choose a playback mode from the pop-up menu.


To Set Other Virtual Jukebox Options

There are several options you control with the following menu commands:

To do this…		Do this…
Keep the Virtual Jukebox on top of all other program win dows		Choose Options-Always on Top
Display the full folder and file name of files in the playlist		Choose Options-Show Full Path
Display the File Information dialog box for each file as it plays		Choose Options-Show Cakewalk File Information


Windows Taskbar Indicators

When Cakewalk is running, you'll normally see at least two indicators in your Windows Taskbar: a volume control and a MIDI activity monitor.

The MIDI activity monitor contains two lights that indicate MIDI input and output. When you play your MIDI keyboard, the first light flashes when each note is pressed, and it flashes again when each note is released. When you play back a project that contains MIDI, the second indicator lights up.

The volume control is used to control the playback and record volumes on your sound card. Double-click on this indicator to open a dialog box that lets you control the levels for audio, MIDI, CD playback, and record.

The volume control is available only if your sound card is using a native Windows driver. If your sound card does not use a native Windows driver, no volume control will be displayed in the taskbar. In this case, your sound card probably came with a separate program to control input and output levels. See your sound card documentation for more information.


Undo, Redo, and the Undo History

Cakewalk provides very powerful Undo and Redo commands that let you move forward or backward through any portion of an editing session. Every project has its own independent "undo history." This means you can return to any open project and use the Undo and Redo commands, even if you've spent the last hour working on a different project.

Remembering everything that is necessary to undo the changes you have made can use a lot of memory. If a change you are about to make requires too much memory and cannot be "undone," you will be advised that the operation is too big to undo later and asked if you want to go ahead anyway. If you do choose to perform the operation, you will not be able to undo it. Therefore, you may want to save your project first.

The Edit-History command displays a complete history of the commands and actions you can undo for the current project.

The History command is grayed out until you make a change to the current project that can be undone.

The History list is updated every time you make a change to a project. For example, if you insert a new note into a project using the Piano Roll view, that action is added to the History list. This entry remains on the list--even if you undo the change--so that you can redo the change later on. If you use the Erase tool to delete the note, this change is added to the History list.

You can click the Clear button in the History dialog box to erase the undo history for the current project and free up some memory. If Cakewalk is low on memory, it may offer to erase the History list.

To revert to an earlier version of a project, highlight the entry in the History list that represents the point to which you'd like to return, and click OK. Cakewalk performs the necessary undo or redo actions to take you to that point. Once you edit the project (for example, by inserting a note), the History list is truncated at that point. Then, as you do further work, the History list grows again. Any events occurring before the event you highlighted remain on the list.

By default, Cakewalk keeps a history of up to 128 editing actions for each open project. Once that limit is reached, each new action pushes out the oldest item from the History list. You can raise or lower that number in the History dialog box.


Screen Colors and Wallpaper

Cakewalk lets you customize the colors that are used for virtually all parts of the program using the Tools-Colors command. This command also lets you change the background bitmap that is displayed in the Cakewalk window.

For any Cakewalk screen element, you can assign a color in two ways:

•	Choose one of the colors that is part of your Windows color scheme.

•	Assign a custom color.

The table below identifies each of the screen elements in Cakewalk:

Screen element…		Explanation…
Window background		Background color for the entire pro gram window
Window text		Text color
Rules		Vertical lines used to mark values or time
Major rules		Major lines used to mark larger inter vals of values or time
Values		Color of selected events and tempo changes in the Tempo view
Drawing		Colors used to show your drawing in the Piano Roll and Tempo views
Erasing		Color used to show your erasing in the Piano Roll and Tempo views
Event List Note		Color of note events in the Event List view
Event List KeyAft		Color of key aftertouch events in the Event List view
Event List Control		Color of controller events in the Event List view
Event List Patch		Color of patch events in the Event List view
Event List ChanAft		Color of channel aftertouch events in the Event List view
Event List Wheel		Color of pitch wheel events in the Event List view
Event List Sysx		Color of System Exclusive events in the Event List view
Event List Special		Color of other, special events in the Event List view
Note that is on		Color of currently playing notes
Events		Color of events in the Piano Roll view and selected data in the Audio view
Clips playing on MIDI ports		Default color of clips on tracks assigned to MIDI ports in Track view
Clips playing on Audio ports		Default color of clips on tracks assigned to Audio ports in Track view
Markers		Color of markers in time rulers
Loop points		Color of loop point markers
Punch points		Color of punch recording markers
Audio view samples		Color of audio event data in the Audio view
Audio view events		Background color of audio events in the Audio view
Audio view pan envelope		Color of audio event pan envelopes in the Audio view
Audio view volume envelope		Color of audio event volume envelopes in the Audio view
Note that if you set any other screen element to the same color as Window background, you'll make that screen element invisible!


To Assign Custom Colors

1.	Choose Tools-Colors to display the Colors dialog box.

2.	Select the screen element whose color you want to change from the Screen Element list.

3.	Assign a color to the screen element in one of two ways:

•	To use a color from the Windows color scheme, select one of the options in the Follow System Color list

•	To use a custom color, check Use Specific Color, click the Choose Color button, and select the color you want

4.	To save these changes from session to session, check the Save Changes for Next Session box.

5.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk uses the colors you have chosen.


To Restore the Default Colors

1.	Choose Tools-Colors to display the Colors dialog box.

2.	Click the Defaults button.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk uses the default colors for all screen elements.


To Change the Wallpaper

1.	Choose Tools-Colors to display the Colors dialog box.

2.	Select the desired wallpaper according to the table:

To do this…		Do this…
Use the default wallpaper		Check Default in the Wallpaper list
Not use any wallpaper		Check None in the Wallpaper list
Use a custom bitmap		Check Custom, select a bitmap file, and click Open
3.	Click OK when you are done.


Music Notation for Nonconcert Key Instruments

For historical reasons, certain musical instruments are traditionally notated in a transposed key rather than the actual key. For example, a normal (Bb) trumpet part is written in the key one whole step higher than the actual "concert" key, and an Eb alto sax part is written a major sixth higher. Musicians have traditionally learned to read and refer to the notes they play using the proper transposition interval for their instrument.

Cakewalk supports these nonconcert instrumental keys through use of the Key+ column in the Track view. Simply enter or record the notes into the instrument's track transposed as the musician would expect them, and then set the proper transposition interval in the Key+ column to make it play in the correct key. For example, a Bb trumpet track should have all its notes a whole note higher than concert pitch, and should have Key+ set to -2 to transpose it two chromatic steps back down. Remember, not all trumpets are Bb instruments!

The Staff view automatically transposes the key signature for each track according to the track's Key+ value. Multiple tracks appear and can be printed as an orchestral score, with the proper different key signatures for each track.

Note that this Key+ information is saved in Cakewalk .WRK files, but not in standard MIDI files. If you save a file as a MIDI file, the Key+ transposition will be applied to each note event, so that the file will sound the same, but the Key+ information will be lost. If you're reading in a MIDI file, you can easily set up the nonconcert instrument tracks and then save the file as a normal project file. First set the Key+ offset to reflect the nonconcert instrument's key signature. Then, use Transpose to compensate for the Key+ offset.


Advanced Setup

This topic and the topics that follow contain additional details on installing Cakewalk and configuring your equipment for use with Cakewalk.


Step 1. Install Windows

Before installing Cakewalk, make sure that Windows 95, 98, or NT is installed properly.

Try some of the sample programs that come with Windows, such as Media Player and Sound Recorder. If you experience problems, try to resolve them before installing Cakewalk, using the technical support services provided by Microsoft or your system vendor. It is generally easier for you to solve one problem at a time, and it is much easier for us to help you when you have a reliable Windows installation. Make sure that you have the most recent video, printer, and sound card drivers to ensure maximum performance of Cakewalk.


Step 2. Install Cakewalk

1.	Start your computer and start Windows. Close any open programs, but leave Windows running.

2.	Place the Cakewalk CD-ROM in your CD-ROM drive.

3.	Cakewalk AutoRun starts automatically, showing you a dialog box with several buttons. Click the Install Cakewalk button, and a dialog box welcomes you to Cakewalk Setup.

Note: If you exit Setup without completing the installation, choose Start-Run, type D:\AutoRun.exe (where D:\ is your CD-ROM drive), and click OK. This will reopen the AutoRun window, and you can click Install Cakewalk to start installation again.

4.	When Setup starts, a dialog box welcomes you to the Cakewalk Setup. Click Next to continue.

5.	Setup asks you to enter your name, company (if any), and serial number. Cakewalk uses your name as the default author and copyright holder of songs. These credits appear on printed scores.

Note: You can use the File-Info command to change a song's author and copyright holder.

6.	Choose the installation type and destination directory. By default, Cakewalk is installed to c:\Program Files\Cakewalk. If you want to change the destination directory, click Browse and specify a new directory.

7.	Select a Start menu for the program. By default, Setup creates a new menu on the Start-Programs menu and names it Cakewalk. You can give the new menu a different name or choose an existing menu from the list.

8.	Setup now asks you to confirm the installation options you have selected. You can click Back to go back and change something, or click Next to proceed with the installation.

9.	Setup installs the Cakewalk files to the installation directory, and it creates an item for the Cakewalk folder in the Windows Programs menu. The folder contains icons for Cakewalk itself, for the Virtual Piano utility, the Virtual Jukebox utility, and for the README.RTF file.

10.	Setup also asks if you would like to register MIDI files (files with extensions .MID and .MFF) as Cakewalk file types. Choosing Yes means that Cakewalk will automatically open these files when you double-click them.

Cakewalk can be uninstalled from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Windows Control Panel. Any .MID files on your system may still be registered as Cakewalk files after you do this; if you still need to open the .MID files, you can register them with other applications. See your Windows documentation for more on registering files.


Audio Files and Disk Caching

By default, Cakewalk bypasses the Windows disk cache when reading and writing digital audio files. You can selectively re-enable disk caching in the Advanced Windows Multimedia Configuration dialog box. For more information, see Managing Audio Files.


Step 3. Read the README File

Cakewalk Setup installs a README.RTF item in the Start menu. Choose this to view the file; it contains important notes about changes or additions not covered in the manual.


Step 4. Install a MIDI Driver

If you've already installed Windows multimedia MIDI or sound card drivers, you can skip this section. Just make sure that there are no conflicts between the driver and the sound card.

Cakewalk uses the multimedia extensions in Windows to "talk" to MIDI interfaces and sound cards. The multimedia extensions provide a way for applications to talk to different kinds of MIDI interfaces and sound cards through drivers. For Cakewalk to work with your device, you must use the Control Panel to install a driver.

Make sure that the driver you install is the correct one for your MIDI interface. The Cakewalk CD contains a driver for MPU-401 compatible MIDI interface cards. If you have such a MIDI interface card installed in your system, you should install this driver using the following steps. However, if your MIDI interface is not MPU-401 compatible, or if your MIDI interface is provided by your sound card, then you must not use this MPU-401 compatible driver for your MIDI interface. It will not work properly. Instead, use the MIDI driver provided with your MIDI interface card or sound card. Consult your card's accompanying documentation to determine which driver to use and how to install and configure that driver.

If you plan to record and play back digital audio on a Windows-compatible sound card, make sure you have installed the wave driver for that sound card. Also make sure that you install a 16-bit sound card.

If you have followed the above guidelines and you're having problems with your sound card, contact the card's manufacturer.


Installing Drivers in Windows 95/98

This section contains instructions for installing, uninstalling, and changing the settings of multimedia drivers under Windows. Please contact the manufacturer of your multimedia device for specific information about Windows drivers, configuration, and compatibility.


To Install a Driver Not Included with Windows 95/98

1.	Click the Start button, and choose Settings-Control Panel.

2.	In the Control Panel, double-click the Add New Hardware icon.

3.	In the Add New Hardware Wizard, click Next.

4.	When the Add New Hardware Wizard asks you, "Do you want Windows to search for your new hardware?" select No.

5.	In the list of hardware types select sound, video, and game con trollers, and click Next.

6.	Click Have Disk.

7.	Insert the manufacturer's diskette, specify the correct drive and path, then click OK.

8.	Select the driver from the list, and click OK.

9.	Click Finish.

10.	In the Driver Set Up dialog box, select the hardware settings that match your multimedia hardware, and click OK.

11.	Remove the manufacturer's diskette and click Yes to restart your computer.


To Install a Driver Included with Windows 95/98

Windows includes drivers for most common multimedia devices. To install a driver included with Windows, do the following:

1.	Click the Start button, and choose Settings-Control Panel.

2.	In the Control Panel, double-click the Add New Hardware icon.

3.	In the Add New Hardware Wizard, click Next.

4.	When the Add New Hardware Wizard asks you, "Do you want Windows to search for your new hardware?" select No.

5.	In the list of hardware types select sound, video, and game con trollers, and click Next.

6.	Select the manufacturer and model of your multimedia device, and click Next.

7.	Select the Resource IRQ, port, and DMA settings that match your multimedia hardware, then click Next.

8.	Click Finish.

9.	Click Yes to restart your computer.


To Examine and Change Driver Resources

At some point you may wish to examine and edit the resource set tings of a driver (for example, if you have resource conflicts). To examine the resource settings, do the following:

1.	Click the Start button, and choose Settings-Control Panel.

2.	In the Control Panel, double-click the System icon.

3.	Select the Device Manager tab.

4.	In the list of hardware items, double-click the sound, video, and game controllers. The list will expand to show the complete list of installed multimedia drivers.

5.	Highlight the driver you want to verify, and click Properties.

6.	Select the Resources tab to examine the multimedia driver set tings.

If you need to change DMA, IRQ, or port settings, deselect the Use automatic settings checkbox and reconfigure the driver with the correct DMA, IRQ, and port addresses.


To Remove a Driver

1.	Click the Start button, and choose Settings-Control Panel.

2.	In the Control Panel, double-click the System icon.

3.	Select the Device Manager tab.

4.	In the list of hardware items, double-click the sound, video, and game controllers. The list will expand to show the complete list of installed multimedia drivers.

5.	Highlight the driver you want to remove, and click Remove.

The changes will take effect the next time you restart your computer.


Installing Drivers in Windows NT 4.0

This section gives you general steps for installing and setting up multimedia drivers under Windows NT 4.0. Please contact the manufacturer of your multimedia device to find out about Windows NT 4.0 drivers, configuration, and compatibility for your specific device.

Many sound cards and MIDI interfaces do not yet have drivers for Windows NT 4.0. Before you purchase or install any device, find out whether it is compatible with NT 4.0. Read the Microsoft Windows NT "Hardware Compatibility List" to find out which devices NT 4.0 supports.

If you don't log on with NT Administrator privileges, you can't install or remove drivers.

1.	If you have a sound card or MIDI interface that goes inside the computer, make sure that the card is physically installed. If it isn't, shut down the computer and install the card now. If you have an external MIDI interface, make sure that it's connected to the computer.

2.	Choose Start-Programs-Administrative Tools. This opens the NT Diagnostics program.

3.	Click the Resources tab. Use the information in this window to find the available resources for your sound card or MIDI inter face. When you finish, close the Diagnostics dialog box.

4.	Choose Start-Settings-Control Panel.

5.	In the Control Panel, double-click the Multimedia icon.

6.	In the Multimedia dialog box, click the Devices tab.

7.	Click the Add button.

8.	Scroll through the list of drivers to find one that matches your card or interface. When you have done this, you'll be prompted to enter IRQ and port address settings for the card or interface.

9.	When you finish, click OK and restart NT.


Step 5. Connect Your MIDI Equipment

If you are using a MIDI interface (such as an MPU-401 or Sound Blaster MIDI option) with an external MIDI keyboard, you need to connect the equipment using MIDI cables.

It is possible to connect your equipment in some rather complex ways that may cause problems. If you call for technical support with a problem concerning equipment that doesn't seem to be responding, we'll probably suggest that you reconnect things in one of the ways listed below before we explore the problem further. Also be sure to check Troubleshooting before calling us.

There are two methods that fit many circumstances. The one you choose depends on whether your keyboard has:

•	All three types of MIDI jacks: In, Out, and Thru

•	Only two types of MIDI jacks: In and Out

If you have only one keyboard, read the "If Your Keyboard Doesn't Have a MIDI Thru Jack" section (regardless of whether you have MIDI Thru or not).


If Your Keyboard Has a MIDI Thru Jack

If your keyboard has three MIDI jacks--In, Out, and Thru--then use the following diagram.

If you are using a 15-pin joystick adapter cable that splits into two MIDI cables:

•	Connect the 15-pin jack to your computer's joystick port.

•	Connect the "In" cable to your instrument's MIDI Out jack.

•	Connect the "Out" cable to your instrument's MIDI In jack.

Here's a checklist:

Connect this...		To this...
Master keyboard Out		MIDI interface In
MIDI interface Out		Master keyboard In
Master keyboard Thru		Another MIDI module's In
That MIDI module's Thru		Yet another MIDI module's In
Continue the sequence, repeating the last connection for each of your sound modules.

Each MIDI device should be set to a unique MIDI channel or range of channels to avoid note-doubling. Refer to the manuals for your MIDI devices for information on how to set their MIDI channels.

Your MIDI interface may have a Thru jack as well as In and Out jacks. If your master keyboard lacks MIDI Thru, you can add more MIDI modules to your setup by connecting the MIDI interface's Thru to the first module's In. You can then chain subsequent modules onto the first module, as described earlier.

If your master keyboard now seems to double notes (they sound "thicker"), or if you can play only one half as many notes at once, first make sure that no MIDI channel is being used by more than one of your MIDI devices. If no MIDI channel is assigned to duplicate devices and you hear doubling or only half as many notes as you should, see My Keyboard Doubles Every Note I Play.


If Your Keyboard Doesn't Have a MIDI Thru Jack

If your keyboard has only two MIDI jacks--In and Out--or if you have only one keyboard, use the following diagrams instead:

Each MIDI device should be set to a unique MIDI channel or range of channels to avoid note-doubling. Refer to the manuals for your MIDI devices for information on how to set their MIDI channels.

If your master keyboard now seems to double notes (they sound "thicker"), or if you can play only one half as many at once, first make sure that no MIDI channel is being used by more than one of your MIDI devices. If no MIDI channel is assigned to duplicate devices and you hear doubling or only half as many notes as you should, see My Keyboard Doubles Every Note I Play.


Step 6. Configure Your Audio Hardware

Before running Cakewalk, you should ensure that Cakewalk knows the capabilities of your audio hardware. How you do this depends upon the kind of digital audio hardware you have.

To use the audio features of Cakewalk, you must have a 16-bit sound card. Older, 8-bit sound cards cannot take advantage of Cakewalk's features.

The first time you start Cakewalk, it will automatically run the Wave Profiler utility. Wave Profiler determines the proper settings for your sound card and writes them to a file that Cakewalk consults to use the card. The Wave Profiler is discussed later in the appendix. To find out if your sound card is compatible with Cakewalk, check the sound card's documentation.


Step 7. Set Up to Record Digital Audio

In general, the inputs of sound cards take 1/8" stereo minijacks. Sound cards usually have two inputs--one for line level inputs and the other for microphones (at mic level). The line level input is stereo; the mic input could be either stereo or mono. If your final output does not terminate in a 1/8" jack (and it probably doesn't), you will need an adapter to plug it into your sound card.

Most sound cards use the Windows Volume Control to adjust the master input and output volumes and to control which recording inputs are active. If you don't hear audio tracks, or if you can't easily control the audio volume in Cakewalk, go to Start-Accessories-Volume Control and check the settings there. See your sound card's documentation for more.


Electric Guitar Direct-In

You can connect an electric guitar directly to your sound card using a 1/4" mono to 1/8" stereo adapter. The following diagram shows this setup:

The 1/8" jack should be plugged into the sound card's mic input, although plugging into the line input may also work.


Electric Guitar Through Effects Rack

You can also plug an electric guitar into an effects rack, then send the output of the rack to the sound card's input, as shown in the following diagram:

This diagram assumes that the output of the rack is at line level. If it is at "pro" level instead (+4 dB), and your card does not accept a +4 db input, you will need to attenuate (lower) the F/X rack's signal. To do this, use a mixer between the rack's output and the Y-adapter. If the rack has only a mono output, a 1/4" mono to 1/8" stereo adapter should be used instead of a Y-adapter.

If you want to connect a guitar amplifier's direct out to the sound card, you should base your setup on this example.


Microphone Direct-In

Microphones can be plugged into the sound card's mic input. Some inexpensive microphones are made especially for use with sound cards and come equipped with 1/8" jacks. However, better quality microphones take better quality cables, which do not terminate in 1/8" jacks. The diagram below illustrates how to connect a microphone that terminates in a 1/4" jack:


Home Stereo, CD Player, Radio Tuner, Preamp Output

The output of a stereo component can be connected to the sound card's line in, using a dual RCA to 1/8" stereo mini Y-adapter. Many portable cassette players come with this kind of adapter, or even with a single cable with all the necessary jacks. In the following diagram, a stereo component is connected to the Y-adapter using standard RCA cables:


Internal CD Player

If you are using your computer's internal CD player, and it does not have its audio outs connected internally to the sound card, run a cable from the CD player's Headphone jack to the card's Line In jack. If there is no Headphone jack, you'll need to use an external CD player.


Mixer

You can connect a mixer to the sound card with a setup of the following kind:

Note: If your mixer has buses, use them! This helps avoid feedback.


Step 8. Start Cakewalk

When you installed Cakewalk, the default setup procedure added a Cakewalk folder to your Programs menu.

1.	Click the Start button located in the lower-left corner of the screen.

2.	Point to Programs to see a list of available programs and folders.

3.	Point to the Cakewalk folder to open it.

4.	Click on the Cakewalk program item.

Here are some other ways to start Cakewalk in Windows:

•	Right-click on the desktop and choose New-Cakewalk Song. When the song icon appears, type a name for the song. Then double-click the icon to start Cakewalk.

•	Click the Start button, point to Documents, and choose a previously opened Cakewalk song from the menu.

•	Select the Cakewalk program item or a Cakewalk document file using the My Computer icon on the desktop, the Windows Explorer, or the Find menu. All Cakewalk file types (.WRK, .BUN, .TPL, .MID, .MFF) are registered with Windows. See your Windows documentation or on-line help for more information.


Migrating Preferences

The first time you run Cakewalk, it asks if you want it to search for an older version of Cakewalk and transfer (or "migrate") the preferences you established in that version to Cakewalk. Cakewalk searches all hard disks in your system for older versions, and if you have more than one older version of Cakewalk installed, Cakewalk presents a list of them. You may choose one from this list. The preferences and settings stored in the older version's CAKEWALK.INI and TTSSEQ.INI files are then transferred to the identically named configuration files for Cakewalk. Cakewalk migrates certain preferences to the Windows Registry rather than to the CAKEWALK.INI file.


Running Wave Profiler

The first time you start Cakewalk, it automatically runs the Wave Profiler utility. Wave Profiler determines the proper MIDI and Audio timings for your sound card and writes them to a file that Cakewalk refers to when using the card. Wave Profiler does not change the sound card's DMA, IRQ, or port address settings.

Wave Profiler attempts to detect the make and model of your sound card, which determine the card's audio characteristics. When Wave Profiler determines the kind of card you have, it asks whether you want to use the default settings for that card or override them. If Wave Profiler has identified your sound card correctly, you may accept the default settings. However, the utility is not infallible. If it does not identify your sound card correctly, you must enter the correct settings yourself. To determine those settings, you may need to consult your sound card's manual and consider using tech support.

Note: You can run the Wave Profiler again at a later time (for example, if you install a new sound card or driver) by choosing the Tools-Audio Options command and clicking Wave Profiler.


Setting Up the MIDI In and MIDI Out Devices

When you start Cakewalk for the first time, it checks your computer to find all the MIDI input and output devices you have installed (such as sound cards and MIDI interfaces). However, sometimes you need to tell Cakewalk exactly which devices you want it to use. If you're not getting sound from your sound card or MIDI keyboard, or if you just want to change the MIDI ports and devices that you are using, follow the steps in this section.

Choose Tools-MIDI Devices to open a dialog box in which you select the MIDI In and MIDI Out devices that Cakewalk will use. Each item in the list is a MIDI In or MIDI Out port from drivers installed using the Windows Control Panel.

1.	Go into Cakewalk, and choose Tools-MIDI Devices. You will see the MIDI Ports dialog box, which lets you choose instruments on MIDI input and output ports.

2.	Look at the left window. Notice that it shows devices on MIDI Input Ports; make sure that all devices in this window are highlighted. If a device isn't highlighted, click on it once to select it for MIDI Input.

3.	Look at the window on the right. Notice that it shows devices on MIDI Output Ports. Cakewalk numbers its MIDI Output Ports by the order of the devices in this window. The device on top is on Port 1, the one below it is on Port 2, and so on.

4.	Highlight each device in the Output Ports window and click Move Selected Devices to Top to change its order. Then highlight all the devices that appear in the window to select them for out put

Tip: Be sure to choose MIDI output devices from Tools-MIDI Devices. If you don't do this, you won't hear any of your MIDI instruments when you play songs in Cakewalk.


Using MIDI Devices After Making Driver Changes

If you later add or remove drivers using the Drivers icon of the Windows Control Panel, Cakewalk reacts in the following way:

•	If you remove a Control Panel driver, Cakewalk will not use the device it belongs to the next time you run the program. Any other devices you had selected using the Tools-MIDI Devices command will remain selected.

•	If you add a driver through the Control Panel, Cakewalk does not automatically use it. You must use the Tools-MIDI Devices command to add the new driver to Cakewalk's list.

Note: After you add or remove a driver with the Drivers icon in the Windows Control Panel, you must restart Windows for the change to take effect.


Defining Your MIDI Instrument or Sound Card

Once you have selected your MIDI Input and Output devices, Cakewalk, by default, plays back MIDI sequences using a General MIDI instrument definition. If you are using a synthesizer or sound card that does not adhere to the General MIDI standard, you may want to define that instrument. For information about instrument definitions, see Instrument Definitions.


Support for Multiple Wave Drivers

Cakewalk will make use of one wave driver for playback and one for recording. This means that you can use one sound card for recording and a different one for playback. This is good if you need to hear audio that you previously recorded while you record new audio. (If you have only one sound card that lets you do this, it's called a "full-duplex" sound card.)

You might be thinking, "Great! Now I use a pair of SoundBlasters to do ‘full-duplex' recording." However, there is no guarantee that two different cards will stay in sync. Only multiple drivers on the same card can ever truly be in sync.

If you have more than one installed sound card, Cakewalk has to designate one card as the playback device and one card as the record device. You choose these devices by entering values for Playback Wave Device and Record Wave Device in Tools-Audio Options.

Some sound cards with built-in modems come with a wave driver for internet audio or computer speaker phones. These drivers may cause the Wave Profiler to show errors, and may prevent Cakewalk from running properly. You may need to remove these drivers before starting Cakewalk.


MIDI Files

The Standard MIDI file format is a file interchange format defined by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA). The purpose of the format is to allow for the exchange of MIDI data between different programs. Any program that can read and write MIDI files has a common language with which to talk to other MIDI software. The compact size of MIDI music files makes them particularly useful for delivering music online.

Cakewalk can open standard MIDI files, and can save your projects in standard MIDI file formats. Note that only the MIDI portion of your projects is saved in a standard MIDI file. If your projects contain digital audio, the audio portion of the project will be lost when you save it to a standard MIDI file.

Cakewalk supports two different MIDI file formats, MIDI Format 0 and MIDI Format 1. Format 0 MIDI files contain a single track, with all events stored in that track. Format 1 MIDI files can store up to 256 tracks, just like Cakewalk project files. When you load a MIDI Format 0 file, Cakewalk splits it into 16 separate tracks, based on the MIDI channels assigned to each event. When you save a project to a MIDI Format 0 file, Cakewalk collapses MIDI information from all of its tracks into one single track.

Cakewalk also lets you save and load files in the RIFF MIDI file format. This is a standard Resource Interchange File Format specification that encapsulates a Standard MIDI File of either format 0 or format 1. These files typically have an extension of .RMI.

A disadvantage of MIDI files is that the way the file sounds on playback varies based upon the sound reproduction hardware you are using. The same song sounds very different on two different synthesizers or two different sound cards. Another problem is that the Standard MIDI File specification leaves some details open to interpretation by software and hardware manufacturers.


To Save a Song as a Standard MIDI File or RIFF MIDI File

1.	Choose File-Save As to display the Save As dialog box.

2.	Select the desired format from the Save as Type list.

3.	Enter a file name and click Save.


Supported MIDI File Meta-events

MIDI files can contain meta-events. The types of meta-events that Cakewalk supports are listed in the following table:

MIDI File Meta-event…		How it is represented in Cakewalk…
Meter and key signature		Meter/key signature map entry
Tempo		Tempo change
General text		Track name
General text in the conductor track of a Format 1 file		Markers view markers
Track name		Track name


Features Not Supported by MIDI Files

While the MIDI file format is very flexible and extensive, it cannot store the following parameters that are part of a standard project file: key offset, velocity offset, time offset, and forced channel.

When you save a project to a MIDI file, most of these parameters are applied to the individual events. For instance, if you have assigned track 1 to channel 10 in the Track view, Cakewalk will write the MIDI file so that every event on track 1 has a channel number of 10. When you subsequently load the MIDI file all of those Track view parameters will have vanished. But the music will sound the same, because Cakewalk has made these changes to the events themselves.


Other MIDI File Handling Notes

Here are a few specific points about how Cakewalk works with MIDI files:

•	Cakewalk places Lyric events found in Format 0 MIDI files into Track 4, in accordance with conventions used by karaoke players.

•	Cakewalk inserts any Text or Lyric events found at time 0 in a track into the Comments field in the File Info dialog box, unless the Text or Lyric event is preceded by a Note event.

•	Cakewalk automatically enables the Zero Controllers when Play Stops option (available through the Tools-Project Options command, on the MIDI Out tab) whenever a MIDI file is loaded.

•	If a general MIDI file contains a copyright notice, the File Info window will be displayed automatically when the file is opened.


Special Handling of GM, GS, and XG MIDI Files

General MIDI compatibility of a song file is indicated by the presence of a special System Exclusive message at the beginning of the song. When Cakewalk finds a GM, GS or XG reset message, it assumes that you would like to work within the GM Score Production guidelines. This causes Cakewalk to use special timing for program change information when writing MIDI Files, and allows it to search more aggressively for track parameters when reading MIDI files. The result is that it is easier than ever to create and use General MIDI song files with Cakewalk.

Cakewalk does not enforce or even verify compliance with the GM guidelines for your music data. But Cakewalk does comply with them when generating events that represent track parameters. If necessary, Cakewalk will insert blank setup measures at the start of your song. This makes space for certain events to be inserted at the correct times at the start of each track: bank changes, patch changes, volume, and pan. This means that you can use Cakewalk's track parameters for these settings when composing songs: When you save your work as a MIDI File, Cakewalk will place these events in the track at the specific clock ticks recommended by the guidelines.

You can tell Cakewalk to follow the GM guidelines by loading the "Turn GM System On" sysx bank in the Sysx View (GMSYSTEM.SYX in your Cakewalk directory), and then either inserting a sysx event at time 1:1:0 or using the "Auto" setting for that bank.

When loading a GM file, each track's bank, patch, volume and pan parameters are lifted from the data stream and placed in Cakewalk's Track view for you to see and edit onscreen. The GM mode ensures that all patches, banks and controllers are placed at specified times throughout a setup measure when you save a MIDI file. This ensures that all setup information can be digested by your synthesizer before it starts playback. If you don't have a setup measure in your song, Cakewalk will insert one for you.

If there is no GM, GS, or XG reset System Exclusive message present at the start of your song, Cakewalk will not operate in this GM mode.


If You Have Problems Playing MIDI Files

A MIDI file can cause playback problems in Cakewalk if all of the following are true:

•	The MIDI file is a GM-compatible Standard MIDI Format 1

•	All patches, banks and/or controllers are stored in one track

•	All related note events are stored in a different track

When Cakewalk loads such a file, it may try to "optimize" the program changes, causing incorrect selection of synthesizer voices during playback. (The GM, GS, and XG specifications all recommend the use of Standard MIDI Format 0 for distribution of music data, which would make this problem irrelevant.) If you encounter this problem, simply re-select your instruments and re-save the file.


If You Plan To Publish Your Songs

If you plan to publish your own songs, we encourage you to follow the General MIDI authoring guidelines. These guidelines are quite detailed about the exact layout of many types of song data, and a complete discussion of them is beyond the scope of this document. However, Cakewalk can help you to conform with the GM guidelines if you follow these practices:

•	Always save your master copy of any work in progress in Cakewalk project (.WRK) file format. When you are ready to publish your work, use the File-Save As command to create a Standard MIDI Format 0 file.

•	All of the major publishing guidelines recommend that you use Standard MIDI File Format 0 instead of Format 1. Some sequencers cannot read the more complex Format 1 files, particularly sequencers embedded in some types of hardware such as karaoke players.

•	Load the "Turn GM System On" system exclusive bank (GMSYSTEM.SYX in your Cakewalk directory) in the Sysx view, and set the bank to "Auto Send". This message will not only re-initialize a General MIDI compatible sound module to a known state, but will also tell Cakewalk to generate GM setup measures for your program changes when you save the song in Standard MIDI Format.

•	For best results, you should always place program changes and other MIDI messages in the same tracks as the notes they affect. This keeps the data for each track together as a single unit, and avoids problems that might occur when Cakewalk cannot easily correlate the program changes with the note events.


Initialization Files

Many Windows applications, as well as Windows itself, use files to store information about your preferences and configuration. Often applications store values to these files when you make selections in the program using menus or dialog boxes. However, you can also change these files directly. In some cases, there is no way to change the settings in the application, and changing the file directly is the only way.

This topic documents three initialization files, which are stored in the Cakewalk program folder (by default, C:\program files\cakewalk\cakewalk Cakewalk):

•	CAKEWALK.INI

•	TTSSEQ.INI

•	AUD.INI

To view and edit the CAKEWALK.INI file, choose Tools-Initialization File. Use the Windows Notepad to open and alter any of the three files. There are several other .INI files in the Cakewalk folder, but you should not attempt to edit or modify these files in any way. Changes to these other files could cause Cakewalk to stop operating properly.

Before making any changes to any of the .INI files, you should make a backup copy in case you make a mistake. After you have made your changes, save the file and close Notepad. Cakewalk reads the settings in these files only when it first starts up. Therefore, if you change any settings while Cakewalk is running, you should exit and restart Cakewalk in order for the changes to take effect.

See also:

Initialization Files

Initialization File Format

CAKEWALK.INI

TTSSEQ.INI

Variables in the [MIDI Input Devices] Section

Variables in the [MIDI Output Devices] Section

AUD.INI

Variables in the [Aud] Section


Initialization File Format

Initialization files all follow a common format. They are divided into sections whose names appear in the file in brackets, like this:

[Section Name]

Within each section, variables are of the form:

<variable name>=<value>

For example, the DrawPlayingAudio variable belongs in the [Wincake] section in CAKEWALK.INI, and determines whether the audio waveform is redrawn or not when the display is scrolling during playback. If the value is 0 (FALSE), then the waveforms are not redrawn. If the value is 1 (TRUE), then waveforms are redrawn. To redraw waveforms when scrolling during playback, the entry in the file looks like this:

[Wincake]

DrawPlayingAudio=1

The variable names contain no spaces. They are not case sensitive.


CAKEWALK.INI

Many of the items in CAKEWALK.INI are set using Cakewalk menus and dialog boxes. However, some items can be changed only by using the Tools-Initialization File command or by directly editing this file using the Windows Notepad.

CAKEWALK.INI is divided into different sections. Unless otherwise noted below, all entries should appear in the section that starts with the line:

[Wincake]

For example, if you want to add the line PanicStrength=1 to CAKEWALK.INI, you should put it on the line under [Wincake], like this:

[Wincake]

PanicStrength=1

The following table lists the different variables you can change in CAKEWALK.INI.

Variable		Type		Default value		What it does…
DrawPlayingAudio=<0 or 1>		Boolean		0 (disable)		This line controls whether the audio waveform is redrawn or not when the display is scrolling during playback. By setting the value to 1, you can force the Track and Audio views to always redisplay audio data, even during playback. This is recommended only for very fast machines.
HyphenDir=<drive:path name>		Path		<installation directory>\ttshyph.dll		This determines the location of the Hyphenator extension DLL used by Cakewalk, and is written during instal lation. This should never need to be changed.
PanelsShowWidgetBit maps= <0 or 1>		Boolean		1 (enable)		This line controls whether Cakewalk hides (n=0) or shows (n=1) all widget bitmaps while in Use mode (except those in Image widgets).
PanicStrength=<0 or 1>		Boolean		0 (controller 123 only)		The Panic/Reset button stops playback and turns off any "stuck notes." There are two ways a MIDI note can be turned off: By a note-off message (n=1) or by MIDI controller number 123 ("all notes off"). By default, Panic uses controller 123 only (n=0).
StaffViewChanSeparateVoices=  <0 or 1>		Boolean		1 (enable)		This line specifies whether or not Cakewalk should treat channels assigned to each note as separate voices. This is use ful if you want to force note stems up or down for different voices.
StaffViewPreScanMeasures		Integer		16		This line specifies how far back (in measures) Cakewalk should search for long elements in order to display them in the Staff view. If a long element does not start within the specified time, then it will not be displayed in the Staff view (although it will print).
ToolTempFileDir= <drive:path name>		Path		<Windows TEMP directory>		This line specifies where to store tempo rary .WAV files when launching a third party wave editor from the Tools menu.


TTSSEQ.INI

The TTSESSEQ.INI file can only be changed using the Windows Notepad.

Variables in the [Options] Section

Variable		Type		Default value		What it does…
GeneralMidiSMFs=<0 or 1>		Boolean		1 (enable)		This line controls whether or not Cakewalk cre ates a General MIDI setup measure when load ing Standard MIDI Files
LyricTrack=<num>		Integer		3 (track 4)		This line specifies which track is to contain lyrics from Type 0 Standard MIDI files.
SendLocalOff=<0 or 1>		Boolean		1 (enable)		This line determines whether or not Cakewalk should send a "Local Control OFF" message during startup.
SendLocalOn=<0 or 1>		Boolean		0 (disable)		This line determines whether or not Cakewalk should send a "Local Control ON" message at exit.
SysxDelayAfterF7=<0 or 1>		Boolean		1 (enable)		This setting causes Cakewalk to delay Sysx transmission for a certain amount of time if it encounters an F7 in a Sysx bank. This gives some instruments a required amount of "breathing" time that is necessary to process the Sysx transmission. The default delay is 1/18 of a second, but can be changed by also adding the SysxSendDelayMsecs=<n> line (see below). The possible values are 0 and 1. Their signifi cance is as follows: 0: no delay 1: delay between each Sysx string (F0 … F7)
SysxSendDelayMsecs=<num>		Integer		60		This setting causes Cakewalk to delay a speci fied number of milliseconds if it encounters an F7 in a Sysx bank.
SysxSendPacketSize=<num>		Integer		1024		This line specifies the number of bytes between Sysx transmit delays. Sysx bytes are transmit ted in packets, with a 1/18 second delay between each packet. Setting this value smaller will help slower MIDI devices (synthesizers, etc.) avoid overflowing their internal buffers.
UseCableMetaEvents=<0 or 1>		Boolean		1 (enable)		This line specifies whether or not Cakewalk should use nonstandard "Cable" meta-events for storing Sysx bank port number into Stan dard MIDI files (by default, n=1).


Variables in the [MIDI Input Devices] Section

Variable		Type		Default value		What it does…
MaxInPort=<num>		Integer		15 (16 ports)		This variable determines the maximum number of MIDI input ports. The value is 0 based, so a value of 15 means that the limit is 16 ports.


Variables in the [MIDI Output Devices] Section

Variable		Type		Default value		What it does…
MaxOutPort<num>		Integer		15 (16 ports)		This variable determines the maximum number of MIDI output ports. The value is 0 based, so a value of 15 means that the limit is 16 ports.


AUD.INI

The AUD.INI file can only be changed using the Windows Notepad.


Variables in the [Aud] Section

Variable		Type		Default Value		What it does…
PicCacheMB=<size in MB>		Integer		20		This variable specifies the maximum size of the picture cache. The picture cache is located in the directory specified by the PictureDir=<path> vari able (defaults to <Cakewalk Folder>\Picture Cache)
PictureDir=<drive:path name>		Path		<Cakewalk directory>\Pic ture Cache		This line specifies where to store the picture cache.


Presets

The following is a list of presets provided with Cakewalk audio effects.

See also:

FX Pitch Shifter

FX Audio Effects Pack


FX Pitch Shifter

Preset…		Description…
3rd up		Pitch shift a 3rd up.
3rd down		Pitch shift a 3rd down.
4th up		Pitch shift a 4th up.
4th down		Pitch shift a 4th down.
5th up		Pitch shift a 5th up.
5th down		Pitch shift a 5th down.


Summary of New Features

Cakewalk 8 contains many new features and many significant changes from earlier releases. This appendix highlights the major differences between Version 8 and Version 7.

See also:

MIDI Effects

Improved Audio Streaming

Adjustable Audition Duration

Video Support

Zoom Enhancements

Metronome Enhancements

Record Drop-down List in Record Toolbar

Patch Browser

Show/Hide Gradient Background

New Pop-up Menus

Snap To or Move By Snap Resolution

New Buttons in Markers and Meter/Key Views

Loop and Punch Markers

Go to Folder in File Open Dialog Box

Double-Clicking on Clips

Console View Enhancements

MIDI System Exclusive Echo


MIDI Effects

Cakewalk 8 supports MIDI effects. MIDI effects work in the same manner as audio effects; you can use them in real-time as track inserts in the Console view, or as offline commands.

See also:

MIDI Effects

Using Real-Time Effects


Improved Audio Streaming

You now have independent control over the disk buffer size and the wave buffer size. This allows more efficient streaming of data off the disk, since you may now ask for larger blocks of data to be read at once. This also allows lower latency, since you may now make each wave buffer as small as your system can tolerate.

See also:

Configuring Your Audio Hardware


Adjustable Audition Duration

You can adjust the duration of the offline effects audition in Tools-Global Options.

See also:

MIDI Effects

Audio Effects


Video Support

Cakewalk 8 can play AVI video files. Use the Insert-Video File command to insert a video file. You can insert only one video file in a single project file.

Video playback appears in a new view, the Video view. You may change video playback properties through the Video view's pop-up menu. To remove the video from the project, choose Delete from the pop-up menu.

See also:

Video Playback


Zoom Enhancements

Cakewalk now supports lasso zooming, continuous zooming, and zoom keyboard support.

The Audio view displays a white arrow in one track, near the track number. This arrow indicates which track will be centered when zooming vertically. To move the arrow, press Page-Up or Page-Down.


Metronome Enhancements

A new metronome toolbar has been added.

The count-in can now be specified in measures or beats.

See also:

Setting the Metronome and Tempo Settings


Record Drop-down List in Record Toolbar

There is now a drop-down list in the Record toolbar that lets you select one of three record modes: Sound on Sound, Overwrite, or Auto Punch.

See also:

Recording Modes


Patch Browser

The Patch Browser (available from a button in the Track Properties dialog box) lets you search for patches that contain specific text. The Patch Browser dialog box automatically updates as you're typing, and displays all the patches that contain the text string. The patch search can span multiple banks.

See also:

Choosing the Instrument Sound


Show/Hide Gradient Background

Cakewalk automatically displays a gradient background in the Track view if the system uses more than 256 colors. You can now toggle this gradient background on/off with Tools-Global Options.


New Pop-up Menus

Cakewalk 8 adds many new pop-up menus to views, time rulers, and other objects. It adds new commands to already-existing pop-up menus as well.


Snap To or Move By Snap Resolution

The Snap to Grid dialog now has an option as to whether events should snap to the snap resolution, or move by the snap resolution.

See also:

Defining and Using the Snap Grid


New Buttons in Markers and Meter/Key Views

Toolbar buttons have replaced the old text buttons in the Markers view and Meter/Key view.

See also:

Creating and Using Markers

The Meter/Key View


Loop and Punch Markers

When you enable looping or punch recording, the relevant start and end times appear as markers in the time ruler.

You can set loop and punch points quickly by drag-selecting a region in a time ruler, then choosing Set Loop Points or Set Punch Points from the time ruler pop-up menu. You can drag these markers just as you can drag other markers.

You can select the loop or punch region either by choosing Select Loop Region or Select Punch Region from the time ruler pop-up menu, or by clicking just to the right of the loop/punch start marker.

See also:

Loops

Punch Recording


Go to Folder in File Open Dialog Box

The File Open dialog box has a new Go to Folder option. It is a drop-down listbox containing the names of the various folder types. Selecting one takes you to that folder. The dialog box retains the most recent selection for the next time File Open is used during a session. You can set up folders with Settings-Global Options.


Double-Clicking on Clips

If you double-click on a clip in the Clips pane, a view opens. By default, double-clicking a MIDI clip opens a Piano Roll view, and double-clicking an audio clip opens an Audio view. You can set the type of view opened by double-clicking by choosing View Options from the Clips pane pop-up menu.

See also:

Double-Clicking Clips


Console View Enhancements

Cakewalk 8 includes many new features in the Console view.

•	MIDI modules have patch points added so that you can use MIDI effects in real-time.

•	An Apply Effects button lets you destructively apply MIDI effects to selected MIDI data.

•	The buttons for showing and hiding different module types are gone. You now perform all module selection in the Module Manager.

•	In the Module Manager, you can quickly show or hide several modules by selecting them, then pressing the spacebar. You can multiply select modules by using Ctrl-click and Shift-click, and by using the quick selection buttons to select all the modules of a particular type.

•	The Console view now outlines the current track (used for Auto Thru/Echo). This is the same track that has the focus in the Track view. You can change the current track by clicking to the right of the track's volume fader.

•	You can now navigate the Console view fully using the keyboard. Use Tab or Shift-Tab, as you would in a dialog box, to move from control to control. Hot keys are available for the Console view buttons; the tooltip for each button indicates the corresponding hot key.

•	You can rename the aux buses in the same manner that you name tracks. Click on the bus name and enter the new name. The aux bus names are saved with the project.

•	Console view knobs and faders now have a snap-to position--a position to which the control returns when you double-click it. To set the snap-to position to the current control setting, right-click the control and choose Set Snap-To = Current.

•	The Group pop-up menu in the console displays group colors.

•	Patch points have scroll bars when necessary and not otherwise.

•	The patch point pop-up menu has a Delete command.

See also:

Mixing


MIDI System Exclusive Echo

Cakewalk 8 gives you the option to pass received system exclusive data through to output devices.

See also:

Sysx Echo


Aud Compact Msg
Audio Compact/Clear Audio message

This command removes the contents of the undo history box and checks whether you want to continue.

Click OK to continue.

Click Cancel to stop the command from executing.


Cleanaudio Confirmdelete
Clean Audio Disk – Confirm Delete-All

This confirmation box gives you a chance to stop before deleting all the files selected in the Clean Audio Disk dialog box.

Click OK to continue.

Click Cancel to stop the command from executing.


File Exists

A file with this name already exists.  Continuing to save without changing your file's name overwrites the old file.

Click Yes to continue.

Click No to stop the command from executing.  Save the file with a different name.


Mbox Ok
Ok message box

The message box gives you a warning. Click OK to continue.


Mbox Ok Cancel
Ok-Cancel message box

The message box lets you choose to cancel or continue the operation.

Click OK to continue.

Click Cancel to stop.

When in doubt, click Cancel — you can reconsider and execute the command later if you want.


Mbox Yes No
Yes-No message box

This box gives you a choice of Yes or No.  Click one.


Mbox Yes No Cancel
Yes-No-Cancel message box

This box gives you a choice of Yes, No, or cancel.  Click Yes or No as circumstances dictate, or click Cancel to stop the operation.


RealAudio Encoding Overview

RealAudio™ is an audio encoding scheme, whose purpose is to greatly reduce the bandwidth requirements of digital audio. It is particularly suited – and marketed – for use on the world-wide-web. RealMedia™ is a nifty name for encoding various types of media other than audio; for our purposes there is no difference between the two.

Cakewalk's support for RealAudio makes it much easier to create RealAudio encodings of songs for use as web demos, site audio content, or the like.

It is easy to encode your audio – just use Tools – Export Audio, and select the RealAudio option in the SaveAs Type field. You will then be able to configure the encoding via the RealAudio Settings. and RealAudio Formats


RealAudio Settings

This page provides the most-often-changed parameters for RealAudio™ encoding.

File Name

Title

Copyright

Author

Selective Record

Perfect Play

See also:

RealAudio Encoding Overview

RealAudio Formats


RealAudio Formats

General recommendations:

Your material sounds better at the highest bit rate possible, but there is the unavoidable trade-off between the costs of higher bit rates and their audible advantages.

Selecting several different bit rate levels allows bandwidth negotiation.

to work for you, enabling people to hear your material at the best quality for the bit rates of their connection.

Naturally use of music formats for musical material and voice formats for speech are indicated, as the codes are optimized for each purpose.

Stereo formats trade off bandwidth for stereo, so use these only when stereo is really important.

Try playing back the various formats with your material, to see which suits it best.

14.4 Music

see 14.4 Music flavors

28.8 Music

see 28.8 Music flavors

56k Music

see 56k flavors

ISDN

see ISDN flavors

Dual ISDN

see Dual ISDN flavors

14.4 Voice

see 14.4 Voice flavors

28.8 Voice

see 28.8 Voice flavors

For more detail, see the Progressive Networks document, "Content Creation Guide", in their "devzone library".

RealAudio's creators, Progressive Networks, call the major choices of formats CODECs, whereas they call the minor choices of format flavors. You are limited to one flavor per CODEC for a particular web link, due to the details of how RealAudio supports bandwidth negotiation.

The good news is the interface for Cakewalk's RealAudio encoding constrains you to just those selections which make sense, so you needn't worry about all the details.

See also:

RealAudio Encoding Overview

RealAudio Settings


File Name
The name you indicated in the Save As dialog box. This is a read-only parameter. To change it, cancel from RealAudio Settings  and re-execute File-Utilities-Export-Audio.


Title (RealAudio)
Title of the selection.


Copyright (RealAudio)
Any Copyright notification associated with this selection.


Author (RealAudio)
Typically the composer or producer's name.


Selective Record (RealAudio)
Let's the user save the file to his or her hard drive for later listening off-line.


Perfect Play (RealAudio)
Lets a person with a low-bandwidth connection download a higher resolution version of the selection, trading off download time for higher quality.


14.4 Music (RealAudio)
Mono, low-bandwidth encodings suitable for use with music over 14.4 kbps modems


28.8 Music (RealAudio)
Encodings suitable for music over connections with 28.8k bps modems


56k Music (RealAudio)
Encodings suitable for music over 56k bps modem connections


ISDN (RealAudio)
Supports the moderately high bandwidth capacities of single channel ISDN with mono and stereo encodings.


Dual ISDN (RealAudio)
Supports high bandwidth connections, such as dual channel ISDN connections, with mono and stereo encodings.


14.4 Voice (RealAudio)
Encodings most suitable for speech over 14.4k bps modem connections


28.8 Voice (RealAudio)
Encodings most suitable for speech over 28.8k bps modem connections


Flavors of 28.8 (RA 3.0)
Flavors of 14.4 Music

14.4 Music encoding offers a lower and a higher bitrate encoding. They each work best with different material. More complex material will require the higher bitrate. Here are the details regarding bit rates and bandwidth:

Flavor of 14.4 Music	Bit rate	Bandwidth
Low Bitrate	8 kbps	4.0 kHz
Higher Bitrate	12 kbps	4.0 kHz


Flavors of 28.8 Music

28.8 Music encoding offers three flavors of mono and one of stereo. Each works best with different material.

Flavor of 28.8 Music	Bit rate	Bandwidth
Mono, Narrow Bandwidth	16 kbps	4.0 kHz
Mono, Medium Bandwidth	16 kbps	4.7 kHz
Mono, Wide Bandwidth	16 kbps	5.5 kHz
Stereo	20 kbps	4.0 kHz


Flavors of 56k Music

56k encoding offers the choice of mono vs.stereo.

Flavor of 56k	Bit rate	Bandwidth
Mono	32 kbps	8.0 kHz
Stereo	40 kbps	5.5 kHz


Flavors of ISDN (RA 3.0)

ISDN RA3 encoding offers a choice of mono with wider bandwidth and stereo with reduced bandwidth.

Flavor of ISDN	Bit rate	Bandwidth
Mono	40 kbps	11.0 kHz
Stereo	40 kpbs	8.0 kHz


Flavors of Dual ISDN (RA 3.0)

Dual ISDN RA3 encoding offers a choice of mono with wider bandwidth and stereo with slightly reduced bandwidth.

Flavor of Dual ISDN	Bit rate	Bandwidth
Mono	80 kbps	20 kHz
Stereo	80 kbps	16 kHz


Flavors of 14.4 Voice

14.4 voice encoding offers a choice of various bit rates to trade off quality vs. bit rate.

Flavor of 14.4 Voice	Bit rate	Bandwidth
Low rate	5 kbps	4 kHz
Medium rate	6.5 kbps	4 kHz
Higher rate	8.5 kbps	4 kHz


Flavors of 28.8 Voice

28.8 voice encoding offers two choices: the version 5.0 codec with wide frequency range, or the version 2.0 codec with its wide acceptance.

Flavor of 28.8 Voice	Bit rate	Bandwidth
28.8 RA 2	15.2 kbps	4 kHz
Wideband voice	16 kbps	8 kHz


Flavor
A particular detailed configuration of a CODEC, which often just means mono vs. stereo, and/or various bandwidths.


Codec
A CODEC refers to an (en)COder-DECoder pair.


Bandwidth Negotiation
Process by which a server automatically delivers content to a client according to the capacity of the connection. Users connected with higher bandwidths will get the higher quality and higher bandwidth data, whereas users connected with slower (e.g. modem) connections will get lower bandwidth data.


Insert Track

Track pane/right-click/Insert Track

This command inserts a track above the track on which you right-click.


Delete Track

Track pane/right-click/Delete Track

This command removes the track on which you right-click.


Combine

Clips pane/right-click/Combine

This command combines all selected clips. Right-click on a selected clip and choose the command.

See also:

Splitting and Combining Clips


Select All Siblings

Clips pane/right-click/Select All Siblings

This command selects all clips linked to the selected clip.

See also:

Working with Linked Clips


Group

Console view/right-click on control or button/Group

This command lets you group controls or buttons in the Console view so they work together in ways you specify.

See also:

Using Control Groups


Ungroup

Console view/right-click on control or button/Ungroup

This command lets you remove a control or button in the Console view from its group.

See also:

Using Control Groups


Set Start = Current

Console view/right-click on control/Set Start = Current

This command lets you adjust the start value of a control.

See also:

Using Control Groups


Set End = Current

Console view/right-click on control/Set End = Current

This command lets you adjust the end value of a control.

See also:

Using Control Groups


Event Properties

Audio view/right click/Event Properties

This command lets you edit audio event properties such as starting time, velocity, and name.

See also:

Editing Event Properties


Split

Audio view /right click/Split

This command lets you specify exactly where to break a selected audio event.

See also:

Splitting Audio Events


View Options

Track View/right click on Clips pane/View Options

This command lets you specify display options for clips.

See also:

Displaying Clips


Add Audio Track
Audio

Console view/right-click/Add Track/Audio

This command lets you add an audio track to the console.


Add MIDI Track
MIDI

Console view/right-click/Add Track/MIDI

This command lets you add a MIDI track to the console.


Edit Automation

Console view/right-click module/Edit Automation

This command opens the Controllers pane of the Piano Roll view so you can edit the automation data for the selected module.

See also:

Recording Automation Data


Hide Module

Console view/right-click module/Hide Module

This command makes a module invisible.

See also:

Configuring the Console


Standard

Right-click on toolbar/Standard

This toolbar lets you use the standard file and editing commands. It has the following tools:

New	New command.
Open	Open command
Save	Save command
Cut	Cut command
Copy	Copy command
Paste	Paste command
Undo	Undo command
Redo	Redo command
Print	Print command
About	About command


Loop

Right-click on toolbar/Loop

This toolbar lets you set and edit looping in your project. It has the following tools:

Loop On/Off. Enables looping

Loop From. Displays the From time for looping

Loop Thru: Displays the Thru time for looping

Set Time. Click to set the Loop From and Loop Thru times to the from and thru times set in the Selection toolbar.

Loop and Auto Shuttle properties. Loop and Auto Shuttle command

See Loops.


Markers

Right-click on toolbar/Markers

The Markers toolbar lets you create, edit, and delete markers. It has the following tools:

Marker Menu. Choose a marker from the list to set the Now time to it.

Previous Marker. Previous Marker command

Next Marker. Next Marker command

Insert Marker. Marker command

Markers View. Markers command

See:

Other Ways to Set the Now Time

Markers and the Snap Grid


Metronome

Right-click on toolbar/Metronome

The Metronome toolbar lets you set up your metronome. It has the following tools:

Count In. Specifies the number of count-in measures or beats.

Count-in Measures. The count in is in measures.

Count-in Beats. The count in is in beats.

Metronome During Playback. The metronome will sound during playback.

Metronome During Record. The metronome will sound during recording.

Accent First Beat. The first metronome beat of each measure will be accented.

Use PC Speaker. The metronome uses the PC speaker.

Use MIDI Metronome. The metronome uses MIDI notes.

Metronome Settings. Opens the Global Options dialog box to the Metronome tab, where you can specify the MIDI metronome note options.

See also:

Setting the Metronome and Tempo Settings


Position

Right-click on toolbar/Position

This toolbar lets you work with the Now time. It has the following tools:

Now (Measure, Beat, Tick). Displays and lets you change the Now time in MBT notation.

Now (Hour, Minute, Second, Frame). Displays and lets you change the Now time in SMPTE notation.

Go to From. From command

Go to Thru. Thru command

Now. Slider for moving the Now time graphically.


Record

Right-click on toolbar/Record

This toolbar lets you specify conditions for recording. It has the following tools:

Punch Record On/Off. Enables punch recording

Punch In Time. Displays the From time for punch recording

Punch Out time. Displays the Thru time for punch recording

Set Time. Click to set the punch in and punch out times to the from and thru times set in the Selection toolbar.

Step Record. Step Record command

Record Options. Record Options command

See:

To Use Step Recording

Punch Recording


Select

Right-click on toolbar/Select

This toolbar lets you select from and thru times which the loop and record toolbars can use. It contains the following tools:

Set From = Now. From command

From. From time

Thru. Thru time

Set Thru = Now. Thru command


Sync

Right-click on toolbar/Sync

This toolbar lets you specify a clock source, and hence a synchronization mode, synchronizing the devices for your project. It has the following tools:

Internal Sync. Specifies the clock on the computer motherboard

MIDI Sync. Specifies the clock on an external MIDI device

SMPTE/MTC Sync. Specifies the time code signal recorded on magnetic tape

Audio Sync. Specifies the clock on the computer's sound card

SMPTE/MTC format. Specifies the format for the time code signal recorded on magnetic tape

See:

Project Options-Clock Tab

Synchronization


Tempo

Right-click on toolbar/Tempo

This toolbar displays the current tempo and lets you change it, insert a new tempo at a specified time, change or erase it, and stretch the audio to fit a given tempo. It has the following tools:

Tempo. Displays the current tempo.

Insert Tempo. Tempo Change command.

Tempo Ratio 1. Tempo Ratio 1 command

Tempo Ratio 2. Tempo Ratio 2 command

Tempo Ratio 3. Tempo Ratio 3 command

See:

Using the Tempo Toolbar

Tempo Changes


Transport

Right-click on toolbar/Transport

This toolbar lets you hear how your piece sounds. It has the following tools:

Rewind. Rewind command

Stop. Stop command

Play. Play command

Go to End: Skip to the end of the project

Record. Record command

Reset. Reset command

See Creating a New Project.


Transport (Large)

Right-click on toolbar/Transport (Large)

This toolbar, the larger version of the Transport toolbar, lets you hear how your piece sounds. It also displays and lets you set the meter and key signature. It has the following tools:

Now (Measure, Beat, Tick). Displays and lets you change the Now time in MBT notation.

Now (Hour, Minute, Second, Frame). Displays and lets you change the Now time in SMPTE notation.

Now. Slider for moving the Now time graphically.

Rewind. Rewind command

Stop. Stop command

Play. Play command

Go to End: Skip to the end of the project

Record. Record command

Reset. Resetcommand

Meter/Key. Displays the current time and key signatures. Click it to edit its values. See Meter/Key Change.

See Creating a New Project.


Views

Right-click on toolbar/Views

This toolbar lets you open views. Buttons correspond to commands in the View menu.


Set Loop Points

Right-click on time ruler/Set Loop Points

This command sets the Loop From time to the start time of the selection, and the Loop Thru time to the end time of the selection.

See also:

Loops


Select Loop Region

Right-click on time ruler/Select Loop Region

This command sets the selection start and end times to the Loop From and Loop Thru times.

See also:

Working with Partial Clips


Set Punch Points

Right-click on time ruler/Set Punch Points

This command sets the Punch In time to the start time of the selection, and the Punch Out time to the end time of the selection.

See also:

Punch Recording


Select Punch Region

Right-click on time ruler/Select Punch RegionHID_SET_SNAPPING

This command sets the selection start and end times to the Punch In and Punch Out times.

See also:

Working with Partial Clips


Snap Properties

Right-click on time ruler/Snap Properties

This command lets you set snap options in the Snap to Grid dialog box.

See also:

Defining and Using the Snap Grid


Animate

Video view/right-click/Animate

This command toggles playback of the video during playback of the project.

See also:

Video Playback


Insert

Video view/right-click/Insert

This command inserts a video into the current project.

See also:

Video Playback


Delete

Video view/right-click/

This command deletes the video from the current project.

See also:

Video Playback


Original Size

Video view/right-click/Stretch Options/Original Size

This command displays the video in its original size.

See also:

Video Playback


Stretch to Window

Video view/right-click/Stretch Options/Stretch to Window

This command stretches the video to fill the Video view.

See also:

Video Playback


Preserve Aspect Ratio

Video view/right-click/Stretch Options/Preserve Aspect Ratio

This command stretches the video to fill as much of the Video view as possible, while preserving the original aspect ratio.

See also:

Video Playback


Integral Stretch

Video view/right-click/Stretch Options/Integral Stretch

This command stretches the video to fill as much of the Video view as possible, but only scales the dimensions by integral multiples.

See also:

Video Playback


Full Screen

Video view/right-click/Stretch Options/Full Screen

This command displays the video in full-screen mode.

See also:

Video Playback


M:B:T

Video view/right-click/Time Display Format/M:B:T

This command displays the time in measures, beats, and ticks.

See also:

Video Playback


SMPTE

Video view/right-click/Time Display Format/SMPTE

This command displays the time in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames.

See also:

Video Playback


Frames

Video view/right-click/Time Display Format/Frames

This command displays the time in frames.

See also:

Video Playback


None

Video view/right-click/Time Display Format/None

This command turns off the time display.

See also:

Video Playback


Font

Video view/right-click/Time Display Format/Font

This command opens a dialog where you can set the font used for the time display.

See also:

Video Playback


Black

Video view/right-click/Background Color/Black

This command sets the color of the time display background and the unused portion of the video display to black.

See also:

Video Playback


White

Video view/right-click/Background Color/White

This command sets the color of the time display background and the unused portion of the video display to white.

See also:

Video Playback


Video Properties

Video view/right-click/Video Properties

This command opens a dialog where you can see information about the video and set the video start time.

See also:

Video Playback


Set Snap-to = Current

Console view/right-click on knob or slider/Set Snap-to = Current

This command sets the snap-to position of the control you clicked on to the control's current position. Later, if you double-click the control, it will return to this position.

See also:

The Console View


Set As Current Track

Console view/right-click on track/Set As Current Track

This command makes the track you clicked on the current track.

See also:

The Console View


Delete

Console view/right-click on effect/Delete

This command deletes the effect you clicked on from the patch point.

See also:


Glossary

A

aftertouch

arm

audio

audio clip

audio effects

audio track

automation

B

bank

C

channel

channel aftertouch (ChanAft)

chord

chord symbol

clip

controls

controllers

D

decibel, dB

digital audio

duration

E

effects

event

expression

expression marks

F

frame

frame rate

from time

G

global layout

group

guitar chord grid

H

hairpin symbol

I

inspector menu, context menu

J

K

key aftertouch (KeyAft)

key offset

key signature

kill

L

layout

link, linked clips

locked (SMPTE) time

loop, playback loop

lyrics

M

marker

MBT

MCI command

Media Control Interface command

meter

MIDI

mute

N

normal template

Now time

NRPN

O

offset

overload

P

pan

patch

pedal mark

pitch bend

pitch wheel

port

PPQ

property

Q

quantize

R

record

resolution

RPN

ruler

S

sampling rate

scrub

sensitivity (window)

SMPTE

solo

source

split point

strength

stripping

swing

Sysx

T

take

template

tempo

thru time

tick

time

timebase

time ruler

time signature

track

U

V

velocity

velocity offset

Virtual Jukebox

Virtual Piano

volume

W

wipe

X

xRPN

Y

Z


Help Index


Introduction to Home Studio
Introduction to Home Studio™

Cakewalk Home Studio is a tool for creating sound and music on your desktop computer. It records your ideas, lets you edit, rearrange, and refine them, and plays the result back for you, fully orchestrated, using the instrument sounds you choose. It doesn’t matter what style of music you want to create — Home Studio is at your command as you give your music driving rhythms, soaring melodies, rich harmonies, or whatever the music needs. Whether you’re learning about music or you’re a musician creating demo tapes and lead sheets, Home Studio is ready to help you.

Listen

Arrange and Reorchestrate

Composing with Home Studio

Jam, Practice, and Perform

Publish

What is Home Studio?

Home Studio Basics

Views

The Track View

The Console View

Other Views

Zoom Controls

Computers, Sound, and Music

Connecting Instruments to Your Computer

Starting Home Studio


Listen

Music is the audible art form — it’s meant to be listened to, and listening helps you learn about it. With Home Studio, you can listen while you look at the music, so you can see how the music is put together. Home Studio can open music files that you download from the Internet, too, so there’s a world of musical styles to choose from.


Arrange and Reorchestrate

For centuries, composers have taken music composed for one set of instruments and rearranged it for other instruments. Home Studio makes that process easy, and you can listen to different combinations as you go. The music is on the computer, so it’s never final!

You can start with a piece of sheet music, such as a piano piece or a song that you really like, and record the parts in Home Studio. Or, you can start with the sample files that come with Home Studio or a music file that you got on-line. You can assign different instrument sounds to each part and find out what combinations sound good.


Composing with Home Studio
Compose

There are many reasons to create original music. You might want to write songs, or symphonies, or a soundtrack for a home video. You might need musical snippets or sound effects for your computer or your web site. Home Studio can be your musical sketchpad or your canvas for a fully orchestrated music creation. Cakewalk can help you make a cassette for friends, or a master for your next CD.


Jam, Practice, and Perform

Musicians like to — some would say they need to — play with other musicians. But sometimes, there’s no one around, or you want to practice in private to get ready. Home Studio can take the place of the other musicians. You might record the piano accompaniment for a classical solo or a jazz combo, minus the lead. Then while Home Studio plays, you play along. You can change the tempo or transpose the song to another key. Home Studio can help you develop your improvising and performing skills — and it never loses patience!

Home Studio doesn’t have to stay in your private music studio, either. You can take Home Studio on stage with you to play backup tracks for your band.


Publish

Publishing usually means printing your music; it’s one way to share your finished product with other performers. After you’ve recorded and arranged a song in Home Studio, you can produce printed lead sheets and small scores with lyrics for sharing. You can also share the music files themselves. Home Studio will save your music in a format that you can put on a web site or e-mail to other people.


What is Home Studio?

Home Studio is a recording studio in your computer. It records and plays music, and has tools for fine-tuning each phrase, so that you can express the music you hear in your head. Home Studio plays sounds using the sound card in your PC or a synthesizer attached to your computer. It records and stores your music on your computer’s hard disk.

Home Studio has tools to enhance your music. You can fix wrong notes. You can tighten or relax the rhythm. You can add sound effects like reverb. You can change the balance between parts and enhance the stereo effect. You can add nuances that make you sound like a master instrumentalist.

Because your music is stored in a file on a computer, you can go back to music you’ve created and change it whenever you want. You can transpose the music to another key. You can choose different instruments for a track. You can cut and paste whole sections of the music to rebuild the song with a new form.

You don’t need any musical training to use Home Studio. Home Studio comes with song files that you can remix and rearrange, and you can get files containing all kinds of music from friends, music catalogs, and the Internet.

If you want to create your own music, Home Studio is ready to help. You can record a part using the sounds in the computer or you can record your voice or an instrument using a microphone. You can record several parts and play them together.

If you’re an experienced musician, but new to computers, Home Studio will remind you of a recording studio with tracks and a mixer, and even an on-screen piano keyboard. You’ll find it’s even better than a studio with tape recorders — you can see the music you want to edit. Home Studio provides lots of ways to edit individual notes and musical phrases.

It doesn’t matter whether you have a small home studio or a high-powered, fully equipped professional recording studio. Home Studio helps you make the most of the equipment you have. It acts like the mixer, tape deck, and effects rack in a traditional recording studio. You record tracks and adjust their levels. Your sound sources can be synthesized sounds, or sounds you record yourself. Special control panels let you control the other equipment in your studio. Any gear that accepts MIDI commands can interface with Cakewalk, allowing you to incorporate their settings into a mix.


Home Studio Basics

Home Studio looks and acts like many other Microsoft Windows programs. The menus and toolbars give you quick access to all the features ofHome Studio.

Some menu choices and tools display dialog boxes that let you choose among various options or type in the values you want. If you click in most views, in time rulers, or on certain other items with the right mouse button, you see a pop-up menu that provides quick access to many common operations.

The project is the center of your work in Home Studio. If you’re a musician, a project might contain a song, a jingle, or a movement of a symphony. If you’re a post-production engineer, a project might contain a 30-second radio commercial or a lengthy soundtrack for a film or videotape production. By default, every project is stored in a file (known as a work file). The normal file extension for a Home Studio work file is .wrk.

Home Studio organizes the sound and music in your project into tracks, clips, and events.

Tracks are used to store the sound or music made by each instrument or voice in a project. For example, a song that is arranged for four instruments and one vocalist would normally have 5 tracks—one for each instrument and one for the vocals. Each project can have up to 256 tracks. Some of these tracks may be used in your finished project, while others can hold alternate takes, backup tracks, and variations that you might want to keep for future use.

Clips are the pieces of sound and music that make up your project. A clip might contain a horn solo, a drum break, a bass or guitar riff, a voice-over, a sound effect like the hoot of an owl, or an entire keyboard performance. A track can contain a single clip or dozens of different clips, and you can easily move clips from one track to another.

Events are the individual bits of sound and music that make up a clip. A note played on a piano or bass is an event, as is the pressing of a sustain pedal on a keyboard or the turn of a pitch wheel. Each continuous piece of digital audio in your project is an event.


Views

Your project is displayed in windows on the screen that are known as views. You can have many views open at once, all showing the same project. When you edit a project in one view, the others are updated automatically.


The Track View

The Track view is the main window that you use to create, display, and work with a project. When you open a project file,the Track view is displayed for the project. Closing the Track view closes the project.

The Track view is divided into two sections: the Track pane and the Clips pane. You can change the size of the two panes by dragging the vertical splitter bar that separates the two panes.

The Track pane lets you see and change the initial settings for each track. One track—the current track—is always displayed in color or marked by a rectangle around one cell. To change the current track, move the highlight using the mouse or the keyboard as follows:

Key…		What it does…
Arrow		Moves one cell in any direction
Page Down		Displays the next page of tracks
Page Up		Displays the previous page of tracks
Home		Moves the highlight to the first track in the project
End		Moves the highlight to the last track in the project
The Clips pane shows the clips in your project on a timeline that helps you visualize how your project is organized. Clips contain markings that indicate their contents. The Clips pane lets you select, move, and copy clips from place to place to change the arrangement of music and sound in your project.

The Track view makes it easy to select tracks, clips, and ranges of time in a project. These are the most common selection methods:

To…		Do this…
Select tracks		Click on the track number, or drag over several track numbers
Select clips		Click on the clip, or drag a rectangle around several clips
Select time ranges		Drag in the time ruler, or click between two markers
As with most other Windows programs, you can also use the Shift-click and Ctrl-click combinations when selecting tracks and clips. Holding the Shift key while you click adds tracks or clips to the current selection. Holding the Ctrl key while you click lets you toggle the selection status of tracks or clips.


The Console View

The Console view  is the place where you mix the sounds on all the different tracks to create the final version of your project. You use the Console view to adjust the levels of sound for the different tracks in your project, to change the stereo panning, and to apply real-time effects to an individual track, combinations of tracks, or the final mix.

The mixing console contains several groups of controls. There is one module for each track in your project, and one module for each output device. You can use auxiliary sends (or aux sends) to direct certain tracks to special modules that are known as submixes.

As in the Track view, you can change track settings or record new music or sound in the Console view. You may choose to use one view or the other, or the choice you make may depend on which project you are working on.

The Console View


Other Views

There are a number of other views you can use to display and work on your project. To display these views, select one or more tracks and:

•	Click the icon for the view

•	Choose the view you want from the View menu

•	Right-click on a selected track and choose the view you want from the menu

The Piano Roll view  shows the notes from a single track as they would appear on a player-piano roll. You can move the notes around, make them longer or shorter, and change their pitches by just dragging them with the mouse. You can also use the Piano Roll view to display and edit MIDI velocity, controllers, and other types of information.

The Staff view  displays the notes from one or more tracks using standard music notation, similar to the way the notation would appear on a printed page. You can add, edit, or delete notes; create percussion parts; add guitar chords and other notation markings; and print whole scores or individual parts to share with other musicians.

The Audio view  displays the sound waves that make up one or more audio tracks of your project and provides tools to edit, arrange, and apply effects to audio events.

The Event List view  displays the events in a project individually, so that you can make changes at a very detailed level.

There are several other views that are used for very specific purposes:

View…		How you use it…
Meter/Key		To change the meter (time signature) or key signature or to insert changes in the meter or key signature at specific times in a project
Big Time		To display the Now time in a large, resizable font that you can read more easily
Markers		To add, move, rename, or delete labels for parts of your song that make it easier to move from one point to another
Lyrics		To add and display lyrics for a track
Video		To display a loaded video file
Sysx		To create, display, tore, and edit System Exclusive MIDI messages used to control instruments and other gear that are MIDI capable
StudioWare		To use custom software interfaces to control your MIDI gear
Tempo		To view and edit the project's tempo changes


Zoom Controls

Many of the views contain Zoom tools that let you change the horizontal and vertical scale of the view:

 The zoom tools are used as described in the following table:

Tool…		How you use it…
Zoom out		Click to zoom out incrementally, or press Shift and click to zoom all the way out
Zoom in		Click to zoom in incrementally, or press Shift and click to zoom all the way in
Zoom fader		Click and drag to zoom continuously
Lasso zoom		Click to arm, then click and drag in the view to select the zoom area
Lasso zoom is automatically disarmed after use. Double-click the lasso zoom button to make the selection stick.

You can also zoom with the keyboard:

Key…		What it does…
I		Zoom in vertically and horizontally
O		Zoom out vertically and horizontally
G		Go to (center) the Now time, without zooming
Z		Arm lasso zoom
U		Undo the current zoom


Layouts

You may spend a lot of time making sure that all the views are laid out on the screen just the way you want. When you save your work, you can save the screen layout along with it. You can also save the layout by itself and then use the layout with other projects


Working on a Project

Much of the time spent on a project involves recording and listening to your project or song as it develops. The Transport toolbar, shown below, contains the most important tools and other pieces of information you’ll need to record and play back your project.

Every project has a current time, known as the Now time. As you record or play back a project, the Now time shows your current location in the project. When you open or create a project, the Now time is set to the beginning of the project.

You control recording and playback using tools on the Transport toolbar, which work a lot like the ones on your tape deck or CD player:

As you work with a project, you can use the mute and solo features to choose which tracks are played, or you can create loops to play a particular section over and over again. You can also create markers, which are named time points you add to your project to make it easy to jump to a particular location.


Other Types of Files

You can create and work with several other types of files, in addition to the work files that store your songs and other projects:

File type…		Purpose…
Playlist		To play a series projects and standard MIDI files, one after another
CAL		To write, edit, and run CAL programs that extend which augment functionality
StudioWare		To control external MIDI devices


Computers, Sound, and Music

This section provides some background on the different ways that computers store and play sound and music. Computers work with sound and music in two different forms: MIDI and digital audio.

MIDI

MIDI (short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is the way computers communicate with most sound cards, keyboards, and other electronic instruments. MIDI refers to both the type of cables and plugs used to connect the computers and instruments, and to the language those computers and instruments use to talk to each other. The MIDI standard is accepted and used worldwide. Almost any electronic instrument you buy today will have MIDI connectors and can be used with other MIDI instruments and with your computer’s MIDI interface.

The MIDI language conveys information and instructions, both from the computer to the instrument and from the instrument to the computer. For example, if your computer wants your keyboard to play a note, it sends a MIDI “Note On” message and tells the keyboard which note to play. When your computer wants the keyboard to stop playing that note, it sends another message that stops the note from playing.

The MIDI language has many other instructions, such as messages to change the sound that is used to play the notes (the bank and patch), messages used to work the sustain pedal and the pitch-bend wheel, and others. By sending the right messages at the right times, your computer can control your electronic instrument and make it play music.

MIDI information can be sent on 16 different channels. You can set up your MIDI equipment to listen for messages on all channels or on only a few.

MIDI files contain all the MIDI messages and timing information that are needed to play a song. MIDI files can be read and played by many different programs, including Cakewalk, and can even be played by programs on other types of computers. MIDI files have the extension .MID.

There are several important advantages of the MIDI format:

•	Large amounts of music can be stored in a very compact form

•	Different parts of a piece can easily be assigned to any instrument you can imagine

•	The music contains information on notes, tempos, and key signatures that makes it possible to display and edit the piece using standard musical notation

The primary disadvantage of MIDI is that the quality of the music a listener hears will vary depending on the MIDI equipment the listener is using. For example, MIDI usually sounds much better on an expensive synthesizer than it does on an inexpensive sound card.

Digital Audio

Digital audio is a simple way to record and play sounds of any type. It works like a tape recorder—you record something, then later play it back. Digital audio stores the sound as a long series of numbers.

Sound Waves

Sound waves are vibrations in the air. Sound waves are generated by anything that vibrates; a vibrating object causes the air next to it to vibrate, and the vibration is passed through the air in all directions. When the vibrating air enters your ear, it makes your eardrum vibrate, and you hear a sound. Likewise, if the vibrating air hits a microphone, it causes the microphone to vibrate and send electrical signals to whatever it's connected to.

These vibrations are very fast. The slowest vibration frequency you can hear is about 20 vibrations per second, and the fastest is around 16,000 to 20,000 vibrations per second.

Recording Digital Audio

To record digital audio, your computer monitors the electrical signal generated by a microphone, an electric guitar, or another source. At equal intervals of time (for CD-quality sound, this means 44,100 times a second), the computer measures and saves the strength of the electrical signal from the microphone, on a scale from 0 to 65,535.

That's it. The digital audio data is just a long series of numbers. Later, the computer can send these numbers, in the form of electrical signals, to a speaker. The speaker then vibrates and generates the same sound that was recorded.

The primary advantage of digital audio is the quality of the sound. Unlike MIDI, a digital audio recording is very rich, capturing all the nuances, overtones, and other characteristics of the sound exactly as performed. The main drawback of digital audio is that it takes up a lot of disk space. If you record a 1-minute segment of stereo, CD-quality digital audio, you need about 10 megabytes of disk space to store the resulting file.

On the PC, digital audio is usually stored in wave files, with the extension .WAV. There are many programs available that let you create, play, and edit these files.

More information about digital audio see Editing Audio.


Connecting Instruments to Your Computer

To connect a MIDI keyboard to your computer, you need to have a MIDI adapter cable. One end of the cable should have two 5-pin DIN connectors that connect to your keyboard. At the other end, you need a 15-pin connector to connect to a sound card through its MIDI/joystick port.

If you have a dedicated MIDI interface, lots of electronic music gear, or work with many different music software packages, see Advanced Setup.

Before you attach or detach any cables from your computer, you should shut down your computer and turn off the power to all your equipment. This greatly reduces the chance of electrical damage to your equipment while plugging and unplugging cables.

	To Connect a MIDI Keyboard to Your Computer…
	1.	One of the 5-pin connectors on the MIDI cable is labeled Out. Plug this connector into the MIDI In jack on your electronic keyboard.
	2.	The other 5-pin connector on the MIDI cable is labeled In. Plug this connector into the MIDI Out jack on your electronic keyboard.
	3.	Plug the 15-pin connector on the MIDI cable into the MIDI/ joystick port on your sound card. (If you have a joystick, unplug it, plug in the MIDI cable, and plug the joystick into the pass-through connector on the MIDI cable.)
	To Connect an Electric Guitar to Your Computer…
	1.	Plug your 1/4” mono guitar cable into a 1/8” stereo adapter.
	2.	Plug the 1/8” jack into the microphone input or line input jack on your computer sound card.
	To Connect a Microphone to Your Computer
	1.	If your microphone does not have a 1/8” mono or stereo plug, plug the microphone into a 1/8” adapter.
	2.	Plug the 1/8” jack into the microphone input jack on your computer sound card.
That's it! Now that your instruments are all set to go, you can restart your computer and turn on your keyboard, guitar, and microphone.


Starting Home Studio

Here are a few ways to start the program:

•	Click on the Home Studio icon on your desktop.

•	Click on the Start button, and choose Cakewalk>Cakewalk Home Studio from the Programs menu.

•	Right-click on the desktop, and choose New>Cakewalk Song. When the song icon appears, type a name for the song. Then double-click the icon to start Home Studio

•	Click the Start button, point to Documents, and choose a Home Studio project from the menu.

•	Double-click the Home Studio program or any Home Studio document from the Windows Explorer or the Find menu.

When you start Home Studio, you see the Quick Start dialog box:

The Quick Start dialog box has several options:

Option…		How to use it…
Open a Project		Choose a project from the Open File dialog box to open it
Open a Recent Project		Select a project from the list, and click this button to open it
Create a New Project		Choose a template for the new project in the New dialog box, and click OK to create the project
Find Out More about Cakewalk		Click here to visit Cakewalk on the World Wide Web
If you don’t want to see the Quick Start dialog box in the future, uncheck the box at the bottom of the dialog box, and click Close. You can see the Quick Start dialog box later by choosing Help>Quick Start.


Tutorials

The three tutorials listed in the topics below will give you some hands-on practice learning how to play, record, and mix your projects.

Tutorial 1 - Playing a Song

Tutorial 2 - Recording MIDI and Digital Audio

Tutorial 3 - Audio Editing and Mixing


Tutorial 1 - Playing a Song

The first tutorial teaches you the basics of playing MIDI with Cakewalk. You'll learn how to:

•	open and play a project file

•	make the song repeat automatically

•	use markers

•	speed up or slow down the tempo

•	mute a track and play a track solo

•	change a track's instrument

•	play a track on a MIDI keyboard

•	transpose the song to a different key


Rehearsal Time

You're a member of a garage band preparing to make a demo tape. Although the band practices three nights a week, you'd like a little extra time to work on a solo in one of your songs. Fortunately, one of your fellow performers is also a Cakewalk owner, and has created a project file containing a portion of the song. So, on your off nights, rather than practicing your solo all by yourself, you can load the song into Cakewalk and play along with the other instruments.


Opening a Project File

Cakewalk stores MIDI and digital audio data in project files. The first thing you need to do is load the project file containing your band's song.

1.	If you haven't already done so, start Cakewalk.

2.	Choose File-Open.

3.	In the Open dialog box, select the file TUTORIAL1.WRK. Then click the Open button.

Cakewalk loads the project and opens the Track and Console views. Feel free to move and resize these views to better fit on your screen; we'll be doing a little work in each of these views later in the tutorial.


Playing the Song

Buttons in the Large Transport toolbar, shown below, can control most of Cakewalk's basic playback functions. If you don't see the Large Transport toolbar, then choose View-Toolbars and check Transport (Large).


Starting Playback

To play the song, click the Play button [image], or press the space bar.

Do you hear music? Go ahead, get out your instrument and jam along! If you don't hear anything, see Troubleshooting for some troubleshooting tips.


Restarting the Song

When Cakewalk gets to the end of the song, it will stop. To play the song again, do the following:

1.	Click the Rewind button [image], or press W, to go back to the first measure.

2.	Click the Play button [image], or press the space bar.


Pausing Playback

To temporarily pause playback, click the Play button [image] or the Stop button [image], or press the space bar. Click the Play button again to resume playback.

Certain Cakewalk functions can only be used when the song is paused. If a function or command does not seem to work, try pausing the song.


The Now Time

The Now Time is the current time in the song. In the Clips pane of the Track view, the Now Time is indicated by a vertical line. The Now Time is also shown in the Transport toolbar, both in MBT (measure/beat/tick) format and in time code format (hour/minute/second/frame). During playback, the Now time increases in accordance with the progress of the song.

You can set the Now time of the song by clicking in the ruler in the Clips pane, or (when playback is paused) by dragging the Now slider in the Transport toolbar.

While you are playing along with the song, you may want to keep an eye on the Now time. The Big Time view displays the Now time in a large font, so that you can more easily see it from a distance. To open this view, choose View-Big Time. You can change the time format displayed in the Big Time view by clicking on it. You can change its font by right-clicking on it.

You can create Markers, which allow to reference certain points in a song.


Starting from a Marker

Markers make it easier to find certain points within the song. You may want to set markers at the beginning of each section of your song, or at times with which some event must be synchronized. The Markers toolbar lets you move the Now time to a marker, add a new marker at the Now time, and edit the marker list. If you don't see the Marker toolbar, then choose View-Toolbars and check Markers.

The current song contains several markers. Let's try starting playback from the marker labeled C:

1.	If the song is playing, pause playback by clicking the Stop button [image].

2.	In the dropdown list in the Markers toolbox, select the marker labeled C. The Now time moves to the start of measure 17.

3.	Click the Play button [image].

For more information about markers, see Creating and Using Markers.

Next, let’s look at how you can repeat a song or parts of a song automatically.


Restarting the Song Automatically

Wouldn't it be easier to practice your solo if you didn't have to rewind and restart the song each time it ends? Rather than manually rewinding and restarting the song, you can make Cakewalk automatically jump back to the beginning and keep playing.


Looping over the Entire Song

To control looping, you use the tools in the Loop/Auto Shuttle toolbar. If you don't see this toolbar, choose View-Toolbars and check Loop.

To loop over the entire song, do the following:

1.	Click the Loop From time. The time display changes to an edit box with spin controls.

2.	To loop over the entire song, the loop must start at 1:01:000. If the Loop From time is not already set to 1:01:000, use the keyboard or spin controls to enter this value.

3.	Click the Loop Thru time.

4.	Press F5 to open the Markers dialog box.

5.	Select the marker named <End> and click OK. The Loop Thru time is set to the end of the song.

6.	Click the Loop button [image] to enable looping.

7.	Click Play [image].

When looping is enabled, the time ruler displays special flag markers that indicate the loop start and end times. You can drag these markers to change the loop start and end times.

To turn off looping, click the Loop button again.


Looping Over a Section of the Song

Maybe you would like to practice one section of the song over and over. Or, maybe you'd like one section played repeatedly so that you can practice an extended solo. In either case, you need to set the start and end times of the loop section. Let's have Cakewalk loop over the section between markers C and D:

1.	Click on theLoop From time.

2.	Press F5 to open the Markers dialog box.

3.	In the Markers dialog, select marker C and click OK. The loop start time is set to the marker time.

4.	Click on the Loop Thru time.

5.	Press F5.

6.	In the Markers dialog, select marker D and click OK.

7.	Click the Loop button [image] to turn on looping.

8.	Click Rewind [image]. The song rewinds to the Loop From time.

9.	Click Play [image].

A quicker way of selecting the loop times in the above example would be to simply click in the area between the markers at the top of the Clips pane, and then click [image] to copy the selection start and end times to the Loop/Auto Shuttle toolbar.


Changing the Tempo

If the song is having trouble keeping up with you (or if you're having trouble keeping up with the song!), you can easily speed it up or slow it down. There are two ways to do it: you can change the tempo itself, or you can change the tempo ratio, which determines the tempo based by multiplying it by a user-defined amount. The controls for either of these methods are found on the Tempo toolbar. If you don't see this toolbar, choose View-Toolbars and check Tempo.


Setting the Tempo

Let's pick up the pace a little. Do the following:

1.	With the song playing, click on the tempo. The tempo will be highlighted and spin controls will appear.

2.	Use the spin controls to increase the tempo to 100 beats per minute.

3.	Press Enter. The song will play a little faster.


Changing the Tempo with the Tempo Ratio Buttons

By default, the Tempo Ratio buttons let you play the song at half or double tempo. Try this:

1.	Click the first button [image]. The song slows to half its normal tempo. Note that the actual song tempo (100.00) has not changed.

2.	Click the third button [image]. The song jumps to twice its normal tempo.

3.	Click the middle button [image]. The song returns to its normal tempo.

You can change the ratios of these buttons.


Setting the Tempo Ratios

The tempo ratios can be changed by shift-clicking on them and entering a new number in the dialogue box. By default, they are set to 0.50, 1.00 and 2.00 respectively.


Advanced Tempo Control

This song is a special case in that there is only one tempo for the entire song. If you need to vary the tempo, Cakewalk lets you insert tempo changes into the song. Tempo changes can be inserted individually, so that different sections can be played at different tempos, or can be inserted graphically in the Tempo view. For more information, see Tempo Changes.

Tempo ratios affect the entire song, even if there are tempo changes. Cakewalk always multiplies the current tempo in the song by the tempo ratio to determine the playback tempo.


Muting and Soloing Tracks

Frequently you will want to temporarily turn off one or more instruments in your ensemble. Cakewalk makes it easy to mute the parts you don't want to hear.


Muting a Track

Suppose that you are practicing the piano part for this song and want to hear only the other instruments. Let's mute the piano part. With the song playing, do the following:

1.	In the Track pane, click on the Mute button [image] in the Piano track (track 1). The button turns yellow and the piano part drops out of the song.

2.	To turn the piano back on, click the Mute button again.

Note that the yellow MUTE indicator lights up in the status bar lights up whenever a track is muted. This can be very helpful if there are muted tracks that aren't currently visible on the screen.

Let's try using a different method to mute two tracks simultaneously:

1.	In the Track pane, click the track number (the leftmost column) in the Piano track. The entire track is selected.

2.	While pressing Ctrl, click the track number in the Sax track. Now, both the Piano and Sax tracks are selected.

3.	Choose Track-Mute. Both selected tracks are muted.

You can also mute or un-mute tracks by using the pop-up menu:

1.	In the track pane, click the track number of the Piano track.

2.	While pressing Ctrl, click the track number of the Sax track. Now they are both selected.

3.	Right-click on either selected track. This will open the pop-up menu.

4.	Choose Mute (which should have a check mark beside it). The selected tracks are un-muted.


Playing a Track Solo

If you want to hear one track played all by itself, you could mute all the other tracks. But there's a quicker way to do it: the Solo button. For example, to play the drum part by itself, do the following:

1.	Click the Solo button [image] in the Drum track (track 5). Voila, a percussion solo!

2.	To let the other instruments back into the song, click the Drum track's Solo button again.

Solo is not exclusive--you can let as many instruments as you like into the solo. Note that the green SOLO indicator lights up in the status bar lights up whenever a track is soloed.

Let's use a different method to solo all three percussion tracks:

1.	In the Track pane, click the track number in the Drums track. The entire track is selected.

2.	While pressing Shift, click the track number in the Shaker and Triangle tracks. Now, all three percussion tracks are selected.

3.	Choose Track-Solo.

When you want to let the entire ensemble back into the song, click all the selected (green) Solo buttons again to turn them off. Or, select all soloed tracks and choose Track-Solo, or right-click to open the pop-up menu and turn off the solo from there

Note that Solo takes priority over Mute; if both buttons are selected in a track, the track will be played.


Mute and Solo in the Console View

The Console view contains Mute and Solo buttons identical to those in the Track view. The two sets of buttons are synchronized. For example, do the following:

1.	In the Console view, mute the Bass, Sax, and Drums tracks.

2.	Solo the Piano track.

3.	In the Track view, check that the first track is soloed, and that tracks 2, 3, and 5 are muted. Click the selected Solo and Mute buttons to return the tracks to normal.


Changing a Track's Instrument

If your sound card is like most, its internal synthesizer is capable of producing at least 128 different instrument sounds or patches, plus several dozen percussion sounds. Now you'll find out how to get some of those other instruments into the act. Let's try changing the instrument playing the piano line.


Changing the Patch in the Track View

With the song playing, do the following:

1.	First, solo the Piano track, so that you can hear the piano part more clearly. To do this, click on the Solo button [image] in the Piano track (track 1).

2.	Right-click on any column in the Piano track to open the pop-up menu.

3.	Choose Track Properties to open the Track Properties dialog box.

4.	Find the Patch setting. This setting indicates which patch, or instrument, is used by this track. Right now, the Piano track uses the patch called Acoustic Grand Piano.

5.	To change the patch, select a new patch from the dropdown list.

6.	As soon as you select a patch, Cakewalk immediately starts playing the piano part with that new instrument. Go ahead and have fun trying all the different patches!

7.	When you're done, click OK if you want to keep the patch you have selected at that moment, or click Cancel to go back to the original patch.

8.	Click the Solo button in track 1 again to un-solo the Piano track.

You can also change the patch by clicking in the Patch field and using the + and--keys to increment through the different patches. To do so:

1.	Solo the Piano track, by clicking on the solo button in track 1.

2.	Click in the Patch field in the Piano track, moving the highlight to that field.

3.	Press the + or--key on the numeric keypad.

You may want to experiment with changing all the different instruments used by the song. One thing you should know: changing the instrument on a percussion track (such as the Drum, Shaker, and Triangle tracks in this song) will have no effect. They are played on MIDI channel 10, which in General MIDI is dedicated to percussion; the note determines the instrument, and the patch is irrelevant.


Changing the Patch in the Console View

It's easier to change a track's patch in the Console view. For example, to change the Piano track's patch, click the Patch button in the Piano module and choose a new patch from the menu.


Playing Music on a Keyboard

If you've connected a MIDI keyboard (or other instrument) to your external MIDI interface or the MIDI interface of your sound card, you can play one or more parts of the song on the keyboard instead of the sound card's internal synthesizer. For the purposes of this tutorial, we assume that you want to connect the keyboard to the MIDI in and out of your sound card.


Checking your MIDI device settings

First, let's make sure that Cakewalk is set up to send MIDI output to your keyboard.

1.	Choose Tools-MIDI Devices.

2.	In the Output Ports column, two devices should be selected. The first should be your sound card synthesizer device; the second should be your MIDI out device. The uppermost selected device will correspond to Port 1, the second device to Port 2, etc. For help with these settings, see Setting up Output Devices.

3.	Click OK.


Routing MIDI data to the keyboard

Let's play the Piano track on the MIDI keyboard. First, turn your keyboard on and make sure that it is set up to receive MIDI input on channel 1. Then, do the following:

1.	In the Track view, right-click on any column in the Piano track (track 1) to open the pop-up menu.

2.	Choose Track Properties to open the Track Properties dialog box.

3.	For Port, select your MIDI out device.

4.	Click OK.

Or, if you prefer, the procedure is a little easier in the Console view:

1.	In the Console view, click the Port button in the Piano module.

2.	Choose your MIDI out device from the menu.

If you don't hear anything on your keyboard, see Troubleshooting for some hints on troubleshooting.


Transposing to a Different Key

Sometimes it's useful to move the pitch of the song upward or downward. You may want to bring the song into someone's vocal range, make the song easier to play along with on your instrument, or simply make an aesthetic adjustment.


Transposing with the Transpose Command

Let's raise the pitch of the song by a fifth. With the song playing, do the following:

1.	In the Track pane, drag over the track number for tracks 1 through 4 to select them.

2.	Choose Edit-Transpose.

3.	In the Transpose dialog box, enter the number 7 in the Amount box. You can either type it, or use the spin controls.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk raises all the notes in the selected tracks by seven half steps (for example, C is raised to G, D to A, and so on). The Transpose dialog also has an option for transposing by diatonic steps; see Transposing for more information.

To undo your transposition, choose Edit-Undo, or press Ctrl-Z.

If you want to transpose to a lower key, do the same thing, except enter a negative number in the Transpose dialog's Amount box. For example, to lower the pitch of the song by a fifth, you'd enter "-7".

Note that you do not have to transpose entire tracks at one time; when you learn more about selecting smaller sections of music, you will be able to transpose individual clips, or parts of clips.


Transposing Percussion

You may be wondering why we did not transpose the percussion tracks. As mentioned earlier, in General MIDI each note in the percussion channel is mapped to a particular percussion instrument: a snare, a kick drum, a cymbal, a triangle, etc. Transposing the percussion tracks will not change the pitch of each note, but rather will change the instrument used to play each note! This is not usually the desired effect, so in general you would not use the Transpose command on percussion tracks.

On the other hand, when a track contains events for only one percussion instrument (that is, all the notes are the same pitch), you can change the instrument by transposing the track. For example:

1.	With the song playing, solo the Triangle track (track 7).

2.	To hear the triangle more clearly, click in the Triangle track's Vel+ column and enter a value of 127. This increases the velocities of the triangle notes, which increases their volume. Press Enter.

3.	Select the entire Triangle track by clicking the track number.

4.	Choose Edit-Transpose to open the Transpose dialog box.

5.	In the Amount box, enter -25.

6.	Click OK.

The triangle sound is replaced with the sound of a cow bell.

To undo your transposition, choose Edit-Undo, or press Ctrl-Z.


Transposing with Key+

Another way to transpose a track is to use the Key+ column in the track view. For example, let's raise the Sax track by an octave:

1.	Click in the Sax track's Key+ column.

2.	Enter a value of 12. This raises all the notes in the track by 12 half-steps, or an octave.

3.	Press Enter.

Let’s summarize what we have learned and start Tutorial 2.


End of Tutorial 1

You’ve learned many of the basic elements, including playback, looping, muting and soloing.

In Tutorial 2, you learn about project management and how to record both digital audio and midi.

Tutorial 2 – Recording MIDI and Digital Audio

In Tutorial 3, you learn about mixing and editing.

Tutorial 3 – Audio Editing and Mixing


Tutorial 2 - Recording MIDI and Digital Audio
Tutorial 2--Recording MIDI and Digital Audio

The second tutorial teaches you how to record with Cakewalk. You'll learn how to:

•	set up the metronome

•	record MIDI tracks

•	use loop recording

•	use punch recording

•	record digital audio tracks

Let’s start Tutorial 2!


Rehearsal Time, Part 2

In the previous tutorial, you used Cakewalk to help you rehearse a solo in one of your band's songs. Cakewalk played the backup parts of the song while you played your solo. Now that you've had some time to practice, you'd like to record your solo with Cakewalk so that you can play it back and see how you sound.

Cakewalk lets you record two different types of data: MIDI and digital audio. If you have a MIDI instrument connected to the MIDI In port of your sound card or external MIDI interface, you'll probably want to record your performance as MIDI. Otherwise, you'll need to hook your instrument, preamp, effects rack, mixer, or microphone to the appropriate audio input of your sound card, and record your performance as digital audio.


Opening the Project File

If you haven't already done so, the first thing you need to do is load the project file containing your band's song.

1.	Start Cakewalk.

2.	Choose File-Open.

3.	In the Open dialog box, select the file TUTORIAL1.WRK. Then click the Open button.

Cakewalk loads the project and opens the Track and Console views.


Recording MIDI

Let's record a new MIDI track in the song. If you have no MIDI device to connect to your computer, you can use Cakewalk's Virtual Piano (included with Cakewalk) as a MIDI source. For more information about this tool, see Virtual Piano.


Setting Up the Metronome

Musicians often use a metronome to keep track of the beat. Cakewalk's metronome is more versatile than most real metronomes. It can be configured to sound on playback or recording; it can count off any number of lead-in measures; it can use the PC speaker or a MIDI note; and it can accent the first beat of each measure. It also quickly and accurately follows any tempo changes that happen in the song.

You can set up the metronome with the Metronome toolbar. If you don't see the Metronome toolbar, choose View-Toolbars and check Metronome.

Let's set up the metronome to play two count-in measures on the PC speaker when recording. Here's what to do:

1.	In the Metronome toolbar, click in the Count-in box..

2.	Use the spin control to set the count-in value to 2.

3.	Select the Count-in Measures option (bmc tb-metronome-measures.bmp}.

4.	Deselect the Metronome During Record option [image].

5.	Select the Use PC Speaker option [image].

6.	Deselect the Use MIDI Metronome option [image].

By disabling the Metronome During Record option, you cause the metronome to turn off after the count-in measures. If you would prefer to hear the metronome during the entire song while recording, enable this option instead.


Setting Up Playback

During recording, Cakewalk will play the rest of the song as usual. Depending on what instrumental part of the song you are going to record, you may want to mute one or more tracks, or solo certain tracks. For example, if you are going to record a new piano part, you might want to mute Track 1 so that you're not competing with the old piano part while recording. To mute any track, click the track's Mute button [image].

You can also set other playback options, such as the Tempo ratio, to make your recording session easier.


Recording MIDI (Procedure)
Recording MIDI

Now you'll record a new track in the song. Do the following:

1.	Turn on your instrument and make sure that it is set up to transmit MIDI data.

2.	Double-click the Name column in Track 8 and type a name for your new track.

3.	Make sure that the Source column in Track 8 is MIDI Omni. If it isn't, double-click the Source column and set the Source to MIDI Omni in the Track Properties dialog box.

4.	In Track 8, click the Arm button [image].

5.	In the Transport toolbar, click Record [image].

You'll hear two measures counted in by the metronome, then playback and recording will begin. Go ahead and start playing!

When you finish recording, click the Stop button [image], or press the space bar. If you've played any notes, a new clip will appear in the Clips pane in Track 8. If no new clip appears, see I Can't Record from My MIDI Instrument for some troubleshooting hints.


Listening to the Recording

Let's play back your performance on your sound card. For an added dimension, we'll open a few other views in the process. Do the following:

1.	Double-click in the Source, Port, Channel, or Patch column in Track 8 to open the Track Properties dialog box.

2.	For Port, select your sound card's MIDI synthesizer.

3.	For Channel, select an unused channel, such as 7.

4.	For Patch, select any instrument you like.

5.	Click OK.

6.	Choose View-Piano Roll to open the Piano Roll view.

7.	Choose View-Staff to open the Staff view.

8.	Choose View-Event List to open the Event List view.

9.	Choose Window-Tile in Rows to tile the views.

10.	To return to the start of the song, click the Rewind button [image].

11.	Click Play [image].

It's almost as easy to listen to your performance on your MIDI instrument. For instructions on how to play a track on a MIDI keyboard, refer to the first tutorial.

The Piano Roll, Staff, and Event List views all show the same basic information--the notes in Track 8. The Piano Roll view displays the track as a player piano roll. The Staff view shows notes in traditional music notation. The Event List view lists all MIDI events for the track. When you need to edit a track, you can work in any of these views; on different occasions you may have reason to use different views.

When you're ready to continue, close the Piano Roll, Staff, and Event List views.


Recording Another Take

Maybe your first attempt at recording resulted in a perfect performance, but maybe not. If you'd like to remove your first take and try again, do the following:

1.	Choose Edit-Undo Recording or press Ctrl-Z to undo your recording.

2.	Click Rewind [image], or press W.

3.	The track is still armed for recording, so you don't need to re-arm it.

4.	Click Record [image] or press R.

Alternatively, you could record your next attempt on a new track. That way you can keep all the takes and select the best one later (or combine the best parts of each!) If you record on a new track, be sure to arm the new track for recording, and disarm the previous track.

The "Loop Recording" section (below) shows you a more convenient method for recording multiple takes.


Fine Tuning

After you've recorded a MIDI track, you can use Cakewalk to make automatic adjustments to the timing of notes. For example, the Quantize command rounds off the start times and durations of notes to evenly-spaced note boundaries (quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, etc.). Quantize lets you select full or partial rounding, and even lets you distort the timing into a "swing" beat. For more information on Quantize and other related commands, see Changing the Timing of a Recording.


Saving your Work (Recording MIDI)
Saving your Work

When you have something you'd like to keep, you can save the project:

1.	Choose File-Save As.

2.	In the File Name box, type a new file name, such as My Project.

3.	Click OK.

The project is saved under the new name. From now on, you can click the Save button [image] to save your work.


Loop Recording

If you'd like to record several takes successively, you can set up Cakewalk to loop over the song, or just some section of it. Cakewalk will record a new take during each loop, storing it in a new clip. You can set Cakewalk to place each clip in a new track, or to pile them all in one track.

Let's try recording a few takes of the section between markers A and B, placing each take in a new track.


Setting Up Looping

First, let's set up Cakewalk to loop over the section between markers A and B:

1.	In the Clips pane, click in the ruler between marks A and B. This selects the range of time from marker A to marker B.

2.	In the Loop/Auto Shuttle toolbar, click [image] to set the Loop From and Loop Thru times.

3.	Click the Loop button [image] to turn on looping.


Setting Up the Tracks

Now let's set up the first of the tracks where the takes will be stored:

1.	In Track 9 (or the first available empty track), double-click the Name column and type a name for the track.

2.	Click the Arm [image] button.

3.	Double-click in the Source, Port, Channel, or Patch column to open the Track Properties dialog box.

4.	Set the Source to MIDI Omni.

5.	Set the Port to your sound card's MIDI synthesizer.

6.	Set the Channel to an unused channel, or to the channel you used for your earlier take(s).

7.	For Patch, select any patch.

8.	Click OK.

As usual, you could set the tracks to play back on your MIDI instrument instead by specifying the appropriate Port and Channel.


Loop Recording How to
Loop Recording

Finally, let's record our takes:

1.	Choose Realtime-Record Options to display the Record Options dialog box.

2.	Select the Store Takes in Separate Tracks option to store each new take in a separate track. Each time a new take starts, the settings from the first track will be copied to the new track.

3.	Click OK.

4.	Click Rewind [image].

5.	Click Record [image].

Cakewalk loops over the designated section and records your takes to successive tracks. If you want to erase the most recent take during loop recording, choose Realtime-Reject Loop Take, or press Ctrl-spacebar.

To stop recording, click Stop [image] or press the space bar.


Punch Recording (Tutorial)
Punch Recording

Imagine that one of your takes was close to ideal, except for one or two notes in one measure. Rather than recording another full take, you'd prefer to keep the take but replace that measure.

Punch recording lets you replace a section of a track. The way it works is this: First, you set the start and end times of the punch to the section you want to replace, and turn on punch recording. Then, you arm the track and start recording. You can play along with the original take to get the rhythm and feeling. However, nothing will actually be recorded until the punch start time. During the punch, the material already in the track will be replaced with what you record. When the punch ends, the song will continue to play, but recording will stop.

Let's try it. Suppose you want to replace measures 5 and 6 in the take in Track 8.

1.	In the Record toolbar, click on the Punch In Time..

2.	Type 5 and press Enter.

3.	Click on the Punch Out Time.

4.	Type 7 and press Enter.

5.	Select Auto Punch from the Record Mode drop-down list.

6.	Arm Track 8 and disarm any other tracks that are armed.

7.	If you like, you can mute the tracks containing your other takes, or even solo Track 8.

8.	If looping is still on, click the Loop button to turn it off.

9.	Click Rewind [image].

10.	Click Record [image].

Play along until you are past the punch end time, then click Stop [image]. Replay your take to hear the difference. If it's still not right, try again!

An alternative method is to select measures 5 and 7 by dragging in the time ruler. Then right-click the time ruler and choose Set Punch Points. When Auto Punch is enabled, the time ruler displays special markers that indicate the punch in and punch out times. You can drag these markers to change the punch times.

You can combine loop recording with punch recording; see Punch Recording for details.


Recording Digital Audio

If your instrument is not MIDI-compatible, you must record your solo as digital audio data. To record digital audio, you need some sort of device hooked up to your sound card's line or mic input--an electric guitar, a preamp, a mixer, etc. If nothing else, try playing or singing into a microphone!

To Connect an Electric Guitar to your computer…

1.	Plug your ¼” mono guitar cable into a 1/8” stereo adapter.

2.	Plug the 1/8” jack into the microphone input or line input jack on your computer sound card.

To Connect a Microphone to your computer…

1.	If you microphone does not have a 1/8” mono or stereo plug, plug the microphone into a 1/8” adapter.

2.	Plug the 1/8” jack into the microphone input jack on your computer sound card.


Setting the Sampling Rate

Each Cakewalk project has a parameter that specifies the sampling resolution for all digital audio data in the project. You should set this rate before recording any digital audio.

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options, and click the General tab.

2.	Select a Default Sampling Rate. For CD quality sound, use 44100 Hz.

3.	Click OK.

Lower sampling rates will save disk space, but will result in lower-quality audio. Before embarking on any major project, try sampling at different rates to determine which one best suits your needs.


Setting Up an Audio Track

Let's set up a track for digital audio.

1.	In the Track pane, in the first available empty track, double-click the Name column and enter a name for your new track.

2.	Double-click in the Source column and set the Source in the Track Properties dialog box to your sound card's audio input.


Checking the Input Levels (Recording Digital Audio)
Checking the Input Levels

Before trying to record, you need to check and adjust the audio input levels. If your audio input is too soft, it will be lost in the background noise. If it is too loud, it will overload the input channel and be distorted/ clipped.

Here's how to check the audio input levels:

1.	Open the Console view and click the Arm button [image] in your new audio track. An audio meter will appear next to the track's volume fader.

2.	Perform as you would during recording. Watch the meters respond to the sounds you produce.

3.	If the meters never come even close to the maximum, increase the input level.

4.	If the meters even occasionally reach the maximum, decrease the input level.

The idea is to try to get the input level to rise as high as possible, but without ever reaching the maximum. That way, you get the strongest possible signal without distortion.

If you don't see any movement of the audio meters, you may have an audio input problem. Refer to I Can't Record Any Audio for troubleshooting hints.


Recording Digital Audio (Procedure)
Recording Digital Audio

It's time to record!

1.	If you haven't already set up the metronome, follow the directions in the section "Setting Up the Metronome" (earlier in this tutorial) to set the metronome for a two-measure count-in.

2.	Mute any tracks you don't want to hear while recording, or solo the tracks you do want to hear.

3.	The track is already armed for recording.

4.	In the Transport toolbar, click Record [image].

You'll hear two measures counted in by the metronome, then playback and recording will begin. Go ahead and perform!

When you finish recording, click the Stop button [image], or press the space bar. A new clip will appear in the Clips pane. If no new clip appears, see I Can't Record Any Audio for some troubleshooting hints.


Listening to the Recording

Let's play back your performance. Do the following:

1.	Double-click in the Source, Port, Channel, or Patch column in the new track to open the Track Properties dialog box.

2.	For Port, select your sound card's audio output device.

3.	Click OK.

4.	To return to the start of the song, click the Rewind button [image].

5.	Click Play [image].


Recording Another Take

If you'd like to delete your performance and try again, do the following:

1.	Choose Edit-Undo Recording or press control-Z to undo your recording.

2.	Click Rewind [image].

3.	The track is still armed for recording, so you don't need to re-arm it.

4.	Click Record [image].

Alternatively, you could record your next attempt on a new track.


Loop and Punch Recording

Loop and Punch work the same for digital audio recording as they did for MIDI recording. For more information, refer to the relevant sections above, or to Loop Recording or Punch Recording.


Recording Multiple Channels

If you can gather the entire band around your computer, and if you have the proper equipment, you can record a full performance all at once. If you have several MIDI instruments, you can route their input into your sound card through a MIDI merger; data that arrives on different MIDI channels can be routed to different tracks. Likewise, a typical sound card can record audio on both right and left channels; each can be recorded on a different track.

Let’s summarize what we have learned in this tutorial and look at Tutorial 3.


End of Tutorial 2

In tutorial 2 you learned about recording both MIDI and Digital Audio, including loop and punch recording.

Editing and Mixing is introduced in Tutorial 3 – Audio Editing and Mixing.


Tutorial 3 - Audio Editing and Mixing

The third tutorial teaches you how to edit digital audio and apply audio effects. You'll learn how to:

•	stretch or compress music to fit into a certain period of time

•	edit and rearrange audio data

•	apply effects to audio data

•	apply real-time effects in the Console view

•	control the mix during playback

•	save a project as a Cakewalk Bundle file

•	export a project as a RealMedia file


Audio Engineering

You're an audio engineer. One of your clients has an idea for a 20-second radio spot, and has sent you a script and a project containing some raw material from which to start. Your task is to finish the radio spot.


Opening the Project File

First let's load and play the project file from your client. Do the following:

1.	Start Cakewalk.

2.	Choose File-Open.

3.	In the Open dialog box, select the file RADIOSPOT.BUN. Then click the Open button.

4.	Click Play [image].

The project contains several tracks. Tracks 1 through 6 are MIDI tracks that have an edited version of "Boston Rain," which we'll use as background music for the radio spot.


The Plan

Let's talk about what you need to do to transform this into a 20-second radio spot.

This radio spot needs both music and a script.


Music

Your client likes the edited version of "Boston Rain" as background music, but it is too long for the 20 second spot. There are two choices: you could fade the volume down as you approach the 20-second mark, or you could speed up the music to stretch it out. In this tutorial, we'll use the second option.


Script

Your client has supplied the following script:

Music:		Announcer:
(Edited "Boston Rain")		>From Cakewalk, makers of the world's number-one selling music and sound software, comes Cakewalk Version 8--the most powerful release yet for Windows 95, 98, and NT. (Pause) With Cakewalk, you can produce com plete music and audio projects in one integrated system. (Pause) Cakewalk is available at finer music and computer stores worldwide, or by calling 1-888-CAKEWALK.


Stretching the Music

First, let's speed up the music to fit within 20 seconds.

There are two ways the music can be made to fit: by increasing the tempo, or by keeping the tempo and changing the note start times and durations. In this case we'll do the latter. We need to shorten the music by about 5 percent.

Do the following:

1.	In the Track view, select the area between the markers labeled Start and End.

2.	Select all the MIDI tracks (1 to 6) by dragging over the track numbers.

3.	Choose Edit-Length to open the Length dialog box.

4.	Make sure the Stretch Audio box is checked.

5.	Change the adjustment to 95 percent.

6.	Click OK.

Play the project again and note the difference.


Saving your Work (Stretching the Music)
Saving your Work

Since we are going to do some serious editing later in the tutorial, you may want to save your work as you go along:

1.	Choose File-Save As.

2.	In the File Name box, type an unused file name, such as My RadioSpot.

3.	For Save as Type, select Normal.

4.	Click OK.

The project is saved under the new name. From now on, you can click the Save button [image] to save your work.


Adding the Announcer

Your next task is to record the announcer track. The procedure is similar to the one we used in the last tutorial, although you don't need to set the sampling rate (since it is already set) and you don't need to turn on the metronome (the music will give you timing cues for the beginning and ending of the spot).

To record the announcer track, you'll need a microphone.


Setting Up the Announcer Track

Let's create a new track for the announcer.

1.	In the Track view, select Track 1 by clicking the track number.

2.	Right-click the track number and choose Insert Track from the pop-up menu to insert a new track.

3.	Double-click the Name column and type Announcer for the name of the new track.

4.	Double-click in the Source column to open the Track Properties dialog box.

5.	Set the Source to your sound card's audio input.

6.	For Port, select your sound card's audio output.

7.	Click OK.


Checking the Input Levels (Adding the Announcer)
Checking the Input Levels

Before trying to record, you need to check and adjust the audio input levels. If your audio input is too soft, it will be lost in the background noise. If it is too loud, it will overload the input channel and be distorted/ clipped. You can do this by using the Console view, as we did in the previous tutorial. Please refer to that section if you need to know how to do this.


Recording

Let's record the announcer track.

1.	Make sure that the Announcer track is armed for recording.

2.	In the Transport toolbar, click Rewind [image], then click Record [image].

3.	Read the script, with feeling.

When you finish recording, click the Stop button [image], or press the space bar. A new clip will appear in Track 1 in the Clips pane.

Play back what you've recorded and see how it sounds! If you don't like the results, choose Edit-Undo Recording (or press Ctrl-Z) and try again. It's OK if the announcer voice over doesn't fit exactly…we will be editing it to make it shorter soon.

When you have a recording you like, remember to disarm Track 1 and save your work.


Trimming the Announcer

Our next task is to edit the announcer segment in order to make it fit within the 20 seconds. There are two parts to this. First, we'll trim the beginning of the audio and move the entire voice-over so that it starts at the beginning. Then, we'll remove the pauses or breaths and slide the segments around in time until it fits.


Opening the Audio View

We'll perform our editing work in the Audio view. To set up the Audio view, do the following:

1.	Solo the Announcer track, so that we don't hear the music while we edit.

2.	Select the Announcer track (Track 1) by clicking on the track number.

3.	Choose View-Audio to open the Audio view. The audio data in Track 1 is displayed.

4.	If selected, deselect the snap grid [image].

5.	Select the Snap to Zero Crossing option [image]. With this option, any selections we make will snap to the nearest zero crossing in the audio waveform. This prevents unwanted pops and clicks resulting from any edits we make.

6.	Click the H:M:S:F button [image] to display the ruler in SMPTE time.

7.	Use the horizontal and vertical zoom buttons as necessary to zoom out and in on the waveform.


Trimming the Beginning of the Announcer

Now we'll see how to trim the beginning of the announcer's read. This will eliminate any unwanted silence at the beginning. Do the following:

1.	In the Audio view, select the Scrub tool [image].

2.	Use the horizontal zoom buttons until you can see enough of the event to identify the 3 separate sections.

3.	Click on the event to hear the audio near the beginning of the voice-over. Let go when you have reached the point directly before the first word.

4.	Right-click on the event and choose Split from the pop-up menu.

5.	 Click OK in the dialogue box that appears.

The event has now been split into two events, each of which has the same name. The first portion, which should only be silence, is currently selected.

1.	Right-click on the first portion of the audio event (the one that is only silence) and choose Delete from the pop-up menu.

2.	In the dialogue box that appears, make sure that only Events in Tracks is selected. This means that other items, such as tempo changes and markers, will not be deleted.

3.	Click OK.

The silence that existed before the announcer is now gone, and now, we can move the remaining piece of voice-over so that it begins right at the start of the spot.

1.	Select the Selection tool and then click on the announcer's audio event.

2.	While holding down the mouse button, drag the event so that it starts closer to the beginning of the music. Let go of the mouse button.

3.	In the dialogue box that opens, select the Replace Old with New option and click OK.

4.	Rewind to the beginning of the project and hit play. Listen to where the voice-over begins. If you need to move it earlier, follow steps 1-3 again.


Renaming Audio Events

Now that we've got the announcer starting in the right place, let's rename that single audio event:

1.	Right-click on the announcer audio event.

2.	Choose Event Properties from the pop-up menu.

3.	In the Name field, enter the name Edited V/O.

4.	Click OK

Now, our audio event bears the name Edited V/O, which is more descriptive. Next, we will remove the pauses between sections of the script. You may want to save your work before continuing.


Editing the Announcer

Now that the announcer's read begins at the correct time, we will remove any pauses or breaths that exist. This will allow us to fit the entire read into the allotted time. To do so, we will split the audio and delete the silence in the same way that we trimmed the event above

1.	In the Audio view, select the Scrub tool [image].

2.	Find the beginning of the silence. Right-click and choose Split. Click OK in the dialogue.

3.	Find the end of the silence. Right-click and choose Split. Click OK in the dialogue.

4.	Right-click on the newly defined event, which is comprised entirely of silence. Choose Delete from the pop-up menu and make sure that only Events in Tracks is selected. Click OK.

5.	Repeat this procedure so that all of the silence has bee deleted.

The silence has been deleted, and now we should move the audio that followed it earlier.

1.	Click on the middle section of voice-over and drag it earlier in the track, so that a more natural pause exists between the two sections. Release the mouse button.

2.	In the dialogue that appears, select either Blend Old with New or Replace Old with New, then click OK.

3.	Listen to the read. If the pause seems natural, do the same to the last section. If not, try moving the middle section until the pause is correct.


Combining Audio Events

After you have moved the audio around and finished tightening pauses, you may want to have a single, continuous audio event instead of three separate ones. To do this:

1.	Select all of the events by holding down Shift while clicking on each of them.

2.	Right-click on any of the events and select Combine from the pop-up menu. The events will combine into a single audio event.

If you overlapped any of the events when you moved them, you will be presented with a dialogue asking how to treat the overlapping parts. For more on this see Moving and Copying Clips.

Now, we must make the announcer clip fit in the twenty seconds we have allotted.


Making it Fit

Now that we've edited the announcer event, let's see if it fits in our allotted time. Un-solo the announcer track and press play. Does it fit? If so, move to the next section. If not, then we'll have toadjust it. To do so:

1.	From the Track view, select the announcer event by clicking on it.

2.	Choose Edit-Length.

3.	In the dialogue the appears, make sure that the box next to Stretch Audio is checked.

4.	Adjust the percentage as needed. For example, to shorten the clip by 10 percent, enter 90 percent.

5.	Click OK. Cakewalk processes the audio as requested.

6.	Click Play and listen to the spot. The announcer should now fit in the 20 seconds of the music.

(If it still doesn't fit, you could remove the middle section--but that's cheating.)

You should save your file again now.


Mixing the Radio Spot

Now let's go to the console view and finish the project. We'll apply real-time audio effects to the announcer track, then automate the faders in real time.


Preparing the Console

Before starting, let's make sure the Console view is set up correctly.

1.	If the Console view is not open, choose View-Console.

2.	Click the Module Manager button [image] to open the Module Manager dialog box.

3.	Make sure all options are selected and click OK.


Applying Real-Time Audio Effects

It's quite simple to apply real-time effects to a track.

1.	In the Effects section, right-click and choose Cakewalk-FX Reverb/Chorus. The effect is added to the track.

2.	Double-click an effect to see the settings

3.	Choose Unplugged from the preset list.

Play the project to hear what it sounds like.

At this point we are nearly finished; all that's left is to balance the mix.


Real-time Mixing Control

The Console view is a live mixer. During playback, you can control the main volume and the volume and panning of each track. You can mute and solo tracks. You can turn routing to Aux buses on and off, and change the send levels. And, on MIDI tracks, you can control the Chorus and Reverb and change patches on the fly. Try it now! To learn more about how to use the controls in the Console view, see Mixing.


Grouping Controls

To assist in manipulating the controls, you can tie faders to one another. For example, if you want to increase the volume level on three tracks together, you can assign them to a group. Then, when you move one volume fader, you move them all. You can even have the controls move in opposite directions--for example, to fade one track in and another out.

To group faders:

1.	Right-click on the fader for track 2 (Piano).

2.	In the pop-up menu, choose Group and select A from the drop-down list. This assigns the fader to Group A.

3.	Repeat this for all of the MIDI tracks.

Now, you've grouped all the MIDI track faders. When you move one fader, all of the others follow that movement. If you want to move a single fader independently of the others, hold down the Ctrl key while moving the fader. For more on creating and using control groups, see Using Control Groups.


Automating your Mix

Finally, you can record the movements and settings of the mix, or automate them. To do so:

1.	Rewind to the beginning of the project.

2.	Move the faders, pans and any other controls to the initial settings you desire. You should set up a good balance between voice and music.

3.	Enable Automation recording by clicking on the Record Automation button [image].

4.	Begin playback, and move the faders as needed so that the balance between voice-over and music is maintained through the entire spot. If you want, adjust the pan controls, too.

Near the end of the spot, you may want to fade the music out. To do this:

•	Grab any of the faders for the MIDI tracks and pull it down. Because they are grouped, all will lower.

You've now automated you radio spot. Now let's listen to it again, and watch the faders move automatically:

1.	Rewind to the beginning.

2.	To make sure the faders show their current value, select the Update option [image].

3.	Click Play.

You'll see the faders move just the way they moved when you recorded their movements. When you're done tweaking the mix, disable the Record Automation [image] button.

For more information about automation and the Console view, see Recording Automation Data.


Saving the Project

If you've been good, you've been saving your work all along. So far, though, you've been saving the project as a normal Cakewalk project file (extension.WRK). The normal Cakewalk file contains all the project's musical data, as well as screen layout and other project information. However, this file does not contain the project's digital audio data. Those data are managed automatically by Cakewalk and stored in a different location. By managing the digital audio data, Cakewalk is able to store the data more efficiently and save disk space. If you work with large samples, this can be quite significant.

If you would like to send your Cakewalk project to other people, though, you need to create a file containing all the project's data, including the digital audio data.

For step by step instructions:

Saving the Project as a Bundle File

Saving the Project as a RealMedia File


Saving the Project as a Bundle File

A Bundle file (extension .BUN) is similar to a normal project file, but it also contains the project's digital audio data. Bundle files must be opened and played with Cakewalk. To save the project as a Bundle file, do the following:

1.	Choose File-Save As.

2.	Select Cakewalk Bundle from the Save as Type list.

3.	Enter a file name in the File Name box.

4.	Click Save.

Back to the tutorial menu


Saving the Project as a RealMedia File

RealMedia is a format intended for publishing audio content on the World-Wide Web. A RealMedia metafile (extension .RTS) contains file references and instructions for playing audio, video, text, and other content in real time across an Internet connection. When you save your project as RealMedia, Cakewalk writes up to three files: the RealMedia metafile, a MIDI file (extension .MID) containing the project's MIDI tracks, and a RealAudio file (extension .RA) containing the project's audio tracks.

To save your project as RealMedia, do the following:

1.	Select all the tracks in your project by dragging over the track numbers.

2.	Choose Tools-Export Audio.

3.	Select RealMedia Metafile from the Save as Type list.

4.	Enter a file name. This name will be used as a base for all three files.

5.	Click Save.

6.	Since the project contains audio data, the RealAudio Settings dialog box opens.

7.	For Title, type RadioSpot.

8.	For Author, type your name.

9.	Consult the online help for assistance in deciding what other options are suitable for publishing RealMedia on your web site.

10.	Click OK.

Back to the tutorial menu


Playing Sound and Music

When you play your song, you have full control over the tempo or speed of playback, which tracks are played, which sound cards or other devices are used to produce the sound, and what the tracks sound like.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It

Controlling Playback

Track by Track Playback

Changing Track Settings

Video Playback


The Now Time and How to Use It

Every project has a current time, known as the Now time, which keeps track of where you are in a project. The Now time appears in both the large Transport toolbar and the Position toolbar, in two formats:

The measure, beat, and tick number (MBT) identify the Now time in musical time units. Ticks are subdivisions of quarter notes.

Times expressed in measure, beat, and tick (MBT) format:

Time...	What it means...
1:01:000	First beat of the first measure
9:04:000	Fourth beat of the ninth measure
4:02:060	The 60th tick of the second beat of the fourth measure
The second time format is commonly referred to as the SMPTE time. SMPTE is the acronym for the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. In this format, time is measured in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. It's not necessary for a project to begin at time zero in this format--any arbitrary time can be used to represent the start of a project.

Times expressed in SMPTE format (assuming that zero is the start time):

Time...	What it means...
00:00:00:00	The beginning of the project
00:05:10:00	Five minute and ten seconds from the beginning of the project
01:30:00:00	One hour and thirty minutes into the project
00:00:00:05	Five frames into the project
Cakewalk provides many ways to set the Now time.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change the Now Time

See also:

Displaying the Now Time in Large Print

Other Ways to Set the Now Time


To Change the Now Time

Change the Now time in one of these ways:

•	Click at the desired time in the time ruler in the Track, Piano Roll, Staff, or Audio view

•	Click on the Now time in the transport toolbar, enter the desired time, and press Enter

•	Choose Go-Time or press F5, enter the desired time, and click OK

•	Click on an event in the Event List view

When entering a time in MBT format, the beat and tick value are optional. You can use a colon, space, or vertical bar to separate the parts of the Now time:

You enter…	The Now time is set to…
2	2:00:000
2|1	2:01:000
4 2 0	4:02:000
9:1	9:01:000
5|1:30	5:01:030
When entering a time in SMPTE format, you can enter a single number (hours), two numbers (hours and minutes), three numbers (hours, minutes, and seconds) or all four numbers.

If you click in the time ruler while the snap grid is enabled, the Now time snaps to the nearest point in the grid. By setting the grid size to a whole note or quarter note you can easily set the Now time to a measure or beat boundary.

You can also use the buttons and the scroll bar in the Transport toolbar to adjust the time.


Displaying the Now Time in Large Print

Cakewalk can display the Now time in large print, so that it's easier to see when you are far away from your monitor (for example, when you're at your keyboard or other MIDI instrument), or when several people need to read the Now time from a distance.

For step by step instructions:

How to Display the Big Time View


To Display the Big Time View

1.	Choose View-Big Time to display the Big Time view.

2.	Change the settings acccording to the table:

To do this…	Do this…
Switch time format	Click on the view to toggle between MBT and SMPTE time
Change font or color	Right-click on the view, select the font and color you want, and click OK
Change the size of the view	Drag any corner of the view to change its size
Cakewalk ignores font styles and effects such as strikeout and underline.


Other Ways to Set the Now Time

There are a variety of commands and keyboard shortcuts you can use to set the Now time:

Command	Shortcut	What it does
Go-Time	F5	Lets you enter the Now time in the toolbar or in a dialog box
Go-From	F7	Sets the Now time to the From time (the start time of the current selection)
Go-Thru	F8	Sets the Now time to the Thru time (the end time of the current selection)
Go-Beginning	Ctrl-Home	Sets the Now time to the begin ning of the project
Go-End	Ctrl-End	Sets the Now time to the end of the project
Go-Previous Measure	Ctrl-PgUp	Sets the Now time to the start of the previous measure
Go-Next Measure	Ctrl-PgDn	Sets the Now time to the start of the next measure
If your project has markers, you can use the Marker toolbar to set the Now time.

To do this…	Do this…
Skip to the next marker	Click [image] on the Marker toolbar (or press Ctrl-Shift-PgDn)
Skip to the previous marker	Click [image] on the Marker toolbar (or press Ctrl-Shift-PgUp)
Jump to any marker	Select the marker name from the list in the Marker toolbar, or press F5 when typing a Now time in the Transport tool bar
For more information about markers, see Creating and Using Markers.


Controlling Playback

Controlling playback is very simple, and you have your choice of tools, menu commands, or shortcut keys for most common operations:

When you start playback, the Now time updates continuously to show the current time. When you stop playback, the Now time stops at the point in time where you stopped. When you start playback again, it continues from the same point in time.

If the Now time is advancing but you don't hear any sound, see Troubleshooting.

For step by step instructions:

How to Start and Stop Playback

See also:

Handling Stuck Notes

Loops


To Start and Stop Playback

To do this…	Do this…
Start playback	Press the spacebar, click [image], or choose Realtime-Play
Stop playback	Press the spacebar, click [image], or choose Realtime-Stop
Rewind to the start of the project	Click [image], press the W key, or choose Realtime-Rewind
Skip to the end of the project	Click


Handling Stuck Notes

Under MIDI, the events that turn notes on are separate from the events that stop notes from playing. Normally, when you stop playback, Cakewalk attempts to turn off all notes that are still playing. Depending on how your equipment is configured, it's possible for notes to get stuck in the "on" position. The Realtime-Reset command stops all notes from playing.

Note: You can control the MIDI messages that are set by Realtime-Reset. See Initialization Files for more information.

For step by step instructions:

How to Clear Stuck Notes


To Clear Stuck Notes

•	Choose Realtime-Reset, or click [image] in the toolbar.


Loops

Sometimes you want to listen to one portion of a project over and over, either so you can play along and rehearse, or because you want to edit that section of the project while it is playing, and hear the results as you make changes. Cakewalk has a playback loop feature that makes this simple.

Loops are defined in the Loop/Auto Shuttle toolbar. To set up a loop, you do three things:

•	Set the start time of the loop

•	Set the end time of the loop

•	Enable looping

That's all there is to it. From then on, Cakewalk will automatically jump back to the start of the loop when it reaches the end.

When looping is enabled, the loop times are indicated by special flag markers in the time ruler.

The Loop/Auto Shuttle dialog box contains three additional settings that affect the details of how looping operates:

Option...	How it works...
Rewind to Start Time on Stop	Whenever you stop playback for any reason, Cakewalk rewinds immediately to start of the loop (this option is off by default)
Stop at the end time	Playback does not proceed beyond the end of the loop
Loop continuously	When playback reaches the end of the loop and rewinds to the start, playback continues automatically (this option is on by default)
With the default option settings, Cakewalk will play the loop over and over again, continuously. You can stop and resume playback at any point during the loop.

If you start playback before the loop start time, Cakewalk will play until the loop end time is reached, and then jump back to the loop start time. If you start playback after the loop end time, the loop is ignored.

Rewind operates slightly differently when looping is in effect. The first time you Rewind, the Now time is set to the start of the loop. If the Now time is already at the start of the loop, Rewind takes you to the beginning of the project. From then on, Rewind switches back and forth between the loop start time and the start of measure 1.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set Up a Playback Loop

How to Change the Loop Settings

How to Cancel a Playback Loop


To Set Up a Playback Loop

1.	Set the loop start and end times in one of the following ways:

•	Drag the mouse between two points in the time ruler of the Track, Piano Roll, Staff or Audio view to select a range of times, and then click [image] to copy the selection time to the loop time

•	Click between two markers in the Track, Piano Roll, Staff or Audio view to select a range of times, and then click [image] to copy the selection time to the loop time

•	Type the loop start and end times directly into the toolbar

•	Select a range of times, then right-click in the time ruler and choose Set Loop Points (this method makes step 2 unnecessary)

2.	Click [image] to turn on looping.


To Change the Loop Settings

1.	Click [image] or choose Realtime-Loop and Auto Shuttle to display the Loop/Auto Shuttle dialog box.

2.	Check the options you want to use.

3.	Click OK when you are done.


To Cancel a Playback Loop

•	Click [image] in the toolbar to disable looping.


Track by Track Playback

Cakewalk lets you play back any combination of tracks at one time by changing the track status. There are four different status settings that are available for each track:

Status...	What it means...
Normal	The track is played as usual
Mute	The track is not played, but you can turn it back on while playback is in progress
Archive	The track is not played, and you must stop playback to re-enable it
Solo	Only those tracks which are designated as solo tracks are played; all others are muted.
While playback is in progress, you can mute and un-mute tracks in any combination, so you can hear only the tracks that you want. You can change the status of a track in the Track view, in the Console view, or using commands on the Track menu.

The track status is saved with the Cakewalk project file. If you save a Cakewalk project as a standard MIDI file, however, all tracks are saved without any mute, solo, or archive indicators.

See also:

Silencing Tracks

Soloing Tracks


Silencing Tracks

When a track is muted, Cakewalk processes the track while playback is in progress so that you can un-mute the track without stopping playback. If you have lots of muted tracks, this can place a heavy load on your computer. Archived tracks, on the other hand, don't place any load on your computer. Therefore, if there are tracks you want to keep, but don't need to play, you should archive them instead. Archived tracks are indicated by the letter A in the Mute button that is displayed in the Track and Console views.

When you mute or un-mute a track while playback is in progress, there may be a slight delay before you hear the effect of the change. This is to be expected, and does not indicate a hardware or software problem.

For step by step instructions:

How to Mute or Un-mute Tracks

How to Archive or Un-archive Tracks


To Mute or Un-mute Tracks

•	To mute or un-mute an individual track, click the Mute button in the Track or Console view

•	To mute or un-mute several tracks at once, select the tracks and choose Track-Mute; or select the tracks, right-click, and choose Mute from the menu


To Archive or Un-archive Tracks

1.	Select one or more tracks in the Track view

2.	Choose Track-Archive, or right click and choose Archive from the menu to toggle the archive status of selected tracks


Soloing Tracks

Sometimes you want to hear a single track, or a few tracks at once, without having to go to the effort of muting all the other tracks. You can do this by soloing the tracks you want to hear.

As soon as any track is marked as a solo track, Cakewalk ignores all mute settings and plays only the track or tracks that are set to solo. Any number of tracks at one time can be marked as solo tracks. All of these tracks will play together. As soon as the solo status of the final solo track is turned off, Cakewalk once again plays back tracks based on their mute settings.

For step by step instructions:

How to Solo or Un-solo Tracks


To Solo or Un-solo Tracks

•	To solo or un-solo an individual track, click the Solo button in the Track or Console view

•	To solo or un-solo several tracks at once, select the tracks and choose Track-Solo; or select the tracks, right-click, and choose Solo from the menu


Changing Track Settings

Each track in a project contains either MIDI or audio information, and has a variety of settings that determine how the track sounds. By changing these settings, you can change the sound of your project. For audio tracks, you control the volume, the stereo panning, and the output device that is used to produce the sound. For MIDI tracks, you control many additional settings, including the type of instrument sound that is used to play the notes stored in the track.

Here is a summary table of the different track parameters and how they are used. The following parameters apply to all types of tracks:

Setting...	What it means...	See…
Number	A sequential track number, ranging from 1 to 256, used only for reference.	Changing the Order of Tracks
Name	A name that you assign to the track for easy reference
Source	The input source for the track, used in recording	Choosing a Source
Port	The output device through which this track is played. Also indicates whether the track con tains MIDI or audio data	Assigning Tracks to Ports
Volume	The starting volume level for the track, ranging from 0 (silent) to 127 (maximum volume)	Adjusting Volume and Pan
Pan	The stereo distribution of the output, ranging from 0 (hard left) to 127 (hard right), with a value of 64 indicating sound that is centered left-to-right	Adjusting Volume and Pan
Vel+	The change in velocity (volume) that will be applied to notes in this track on playback, ranging from 127 to +127	Adjusting the Note Velocity (Vel+)
The following parameters apply only to MIDI tracks:

Setting...	What it means...	See…
Channel	The MIDI channel through which the notes will be played	Assigning a MIDI Channel (Chn)
Bank	The set of patch names available for this track	Choosing the Instrument Sound (Bank and Patch)
Patch	The instrument sound that will be used for playback	Choosing the Instrument Sound (Bank and Patch)
Key+	The number of steps by which the notes in this track are transposed on playback (e.g., 12 to transpose up one octave)	Adjusting the Key
Size	The total number of MIDI events stored in the track
Time+	An offset applied to the start time of the events in the track	Adjusting the Time Alignment
Track settings are shown in the track pane--the left half of the Track view.

You can rearrange and resize the columns of the track pane as shown below:

To do this...	Do this...
Change the size of the track pane	Drag the divider that separates the track pane and clips pane to the left or right
Resize a column	Move the mouse to the top of the col umn and drag the column divider to the right or left
Move a column	Click on the column name and drag it to the left or right
See also:

Changing Values in the Track Pane

Setting up Output Devices

Assigning Tracks to Ports

Choosing the Instrument Sound (Bank and Patch)

Another Way to Assign a Patch to a Track

Adjusting Volume and Pan

Assigning a MIDI Channel (Chn)

Adjusting the Key/Transposing a Track (Key+)

Adjusting the Note Velocity (Vel+)

Adjusting the Time Alignment of a Track (Time+)


Changing Values in the Track Pane

You can change the values in the Track pane in a number of ways.

•	Move the highlight to the cell you want to change (using either the mouse or the arrow keys) and type the new value

•	Double-click on the cell, and then type the new value

You can also change numeric values as shown below:

To do this...	Do this...
Change the value by 1	Press the - or + key on your numeric keypad, or click on the spinner control
Change the value by 10 (for Key+, by 12)	Press the [ or ] key, or right-click on the spinner control
Enter a new value	Type the new value from the keyboard and press Enter
You can use the mouse to change values in the Track pane. Click and hold the mouse button on the value you want to change, and then move the mouse forward or backward until you reach the value you want. For numeric fields, you can press and hold both mouse buttons to change the value by increments of 10.

There are a few special shortcuts for setting certain parameters:

Parameter…	Shortcut…
Source	Hold the Shift key and click in the cell to cycle through the available sources
Key+	Right-click and the [and] keys change the value by 12 (a full octave) instead of 10
You can also edit track properties in the Track Properties dialog box. To open this dialog box:

•	Move the highlight to the track's Source, Port, Chn, Bank, or Patch column, then press Enter

•	Double-click in the track's Source, Port, Chn, Bank, or Patch column

•	Right click on any column in the track and choose Track Properties

You can change the value of a track parameter for several tracks at once using commands on the Track-Property menu. For example, to assign a group of tracks to the same output port, select the tracks you want to assign, and then choose Track-Property-Port. These menu commands can also be used to change the settings for individual tracks.

All track parameters are saved with a Cakewalk project. However, if you export a project to a standard MIDI file, several of the parameters (Key+, Vel+, Time+, and Chn) are applied to the MIDI data as the file is exported. Other parameters, including Source, Port, Mute, Solo, and Archive, are lost when you export the project to a MIDI file. For more information, see MIDI Files.

The following sections contain more information about many of the parameters in the Track view. For more information about the track source and the track Arming button, see Preparing to Record.


Setting up Output Devices

The port setting for a track determines which piece of hardware will be used to produce the sound stored in your project. In a very simple equipment setup, you might have only a computer equipped with a basic sound card. In this case, you want to play all MIDI and audio output through the sound card on your computer.

If your equipment setup also includes a MIDI keyboard attached to the MIDI port on your sound card, you can choose to route MIDI data directly to the sound card, or through the sound card MIDI port to the keyboard. If you choose the former, the music will play from your computer speakers. If you choose the latter, the sound will play from the speaker attached to your keyboard. You can even choose to send some MIDI information to each of these devices so that they both play at once.

You can purchase MIDI interfaces that plug into your parallel or serial port that add additional MIDI ports to your computer. For more information on complex system configurations, see Advanced Setup.

If your computer has several MIDI ports, you choose the ones you want to use and put them in a particular order using the Tools-MIDI Devices command. From then on, MIDI Port 1 refers to the first selected MIDI output, MIDI Port 2 to the second selected MIDI output, and so on. The port number is based solely on the order in which the selected ports appear in the MIDI Devices dialog box. As a result, the port numbers used in Cakewalk may not match the port numbers that appear on your external multiport MIDI device.

When Cakewalk is installed, a single MIDI output device is selected--the best available MIDI synthesizer that Cakewalk can locate. This is usually an internal synthesizer on your computer's sound card. You may have other devices that sound better, so experiment by selecting different devices in the MIDI Devices dialog box.

Your computer is usually equipped with at least one audio device--your computer sound card. Your own setup may have several different audio output devices. Or, you may have a multi-channel sound card that presents itself to your computer as though it was several different devices, one for each stereo pair. In Cakewalk, you choose one audio device for all your audio output.

For step by step instructions:

How to Choose MIDI Devices


To Choose MIDI Devices

1.	Choose Tools-MIDI Devices to display the MIDI Ports dialog box.

2.	Click on any MIDI device in the Output Ports list.

3.	Click Move to Top to move the selected devices to the top of the list.

4.	When all devices are selected in the order you want, click OK.

The first selected MIDI output device is assigned to Port 1, the second to Port 2, and so on.


Assigning Tracks to Ports

You assign each track to a MIDI or audio port using the Port column in the Track view. From then on, material on that track will be sent to the appropriate output device. In the above example, you could send tracks 1 through 8 to the MIDI synthesizer on your computer sound card, tracks 9 through 12 to your MIDI keyboard, and tracks 13 through 16 to your audio device.

Note: If you rearrange your MIDI output devices after making port assignments, you may find MIDI information going to instruments other than ones you expect. Also, Cakewalk allows you to define instruments that are associated with certain output ports and channels. If you use this feature, the name of the port changes to reflect the instrument you have chosen. For more information about instrument definitions, see Instrument Definitions.

For step by step instructions:

How to Assign a Track to a Port


To Assign a Track to a Port

1.	Move the highlight to the Port column of the track you want to assign.

2.	Press the + or - key until the port you want is displayed.

You can also change the port value in a variety of other ways, as described in Changing Values in the Track Pane. To change the port setting for more than one track at a time, select the tracks you want to change and choose Track-Property-Port.


Choosing the Instrument Sound (Bank and Patch)

Electronic keyboards and synthesizers often contain hundreds or thousands of different sounds. Each sound is known as a patch. The name comes from the early days of synthesizers, where you physically rewired (using patch cords) the oscillators and modulators to produce different sounds. Patches are normally organized into groups of 128, called banks. Most instruments have between 1 and 8 banks, though MIDI supports up to 16,384 banks of 128 patches each (that's over 2 million patches).

The bank and patch settings in the Track view control the initial bank and patch of a track during playback. Every time Cakewalk starts playback at the beginning of a song, the bank and patch settings for the track are set to these initial values.

Many instruments have descriptive names for the banks and patches. Cakewalk stores these names in an instrument definition. For more information about instrument definitions, see Instrument Definitions. If you are using an instrument that supports general MIDI, your patch list contains the 128 sounds that are defined by the general MIDI specification.

Note to Experts: Different MIDI instruments use different types of commands to change banks. Cakewalk supports four different methods for changing banks. For information about the bank selection method that should be used with your MIDI gear, see the User's Guide for your MIDI equipment.

A single MIDI channel can only play one patch at a time on each instrument assigned to that channel. Therefore, if two or more MIDI tracks are set to the same port and channel but have different bank and patch settings, the patch of the highest-numbered track will be used for all of the tracks.

In some projects you want the sound played by a track to change while playback is in progress. You can accomplish this using the Insert-Bank/ Patch Change command. When you start playback in the middle of a song, Cakewalk searches back through the track to find the correct patch to use--either the initial bank and patch, or the most recent bank/patch change. Note that the track view only shows the initial bank and patch, even while a different bank and patch are being played back. The only way to see and edit a bank/patch change is in the Event List view. For more information, see The Event List View.

When a track contains audio, Cakewalk interprets the patch as an indicator of the type of audio information contained in the track, such as vocals, drums, or woodwinds. When you do certain types of audio editing, Cakewalk uses this information to try to preserve the quality of the audio.

For step by step instructions:

How to Assign a Bank and Patch to a Track

Another Way to Assign a Patch to a Track

How To Insert a Bank/Patch Change


To Assign a Bank and Patch to a Track
To Assign an Initial Bank and Patch to a Track

1.	Double-click on the Source, Port, Channel, Bank, or Patch column on the track you want to change.

2.	In the Track Properties dialog box, select the desired bank and patch from the drop-down lists.

3.	To search for a patch containing specific text, click the Patch Browser button to the right of the drop-down lists.

4.	Click OK.


Another Way to Assign a Patch to a Track

1.	Move the highlight to the Patch column of the track you want to assign.

2.	Press the + or - key until the patch you want is displayed.

You can also change the patch and bank values in a variety of other ways, as described in Changing Values in the Track Pane. To change the bank and patch settings for more than one track at a time, select the tracks you want to change and choose Track-Property-Bank or Track-Property-Patch.


To Insert a Bank/Patch Change

1.	Move the highlight to the track whose bank and patch you want to change.

2.	Set the Now time to the time at which you want the change to occur.

3.	Choose Insert-Bank/Patch Change to display the Bank/Patch Change dialog box.

4.	Select a bank and patch from the lists.

5.	Click OK.

Cakewalk inserts a change in bank and patch. When you play back the song, the initial bank and patch shown in the track view will be used up to the point where the bank/patch change takes place. You can remove a bank/patch change in the Event List view.


Adjusting Volume and Pan

The Volume and Pan settings control the initial volume and pan of a track during playback. Every time Cakewalk starts playback, the volume and pan settings for the track are set to these initial levels.

In some projects you want the volume or panning of a track to change while playback is in progress. You can accomplish this using the Console, Piano Roll, or StudioWare views. For more information, see Mixing, More About Editing, or StudioWare.

Cakewalk processes the volume and pan settings by transmitting MIDI volume and pan events (controllers 7 and 10, respectively) when playback starts. For these controllers to work, you must assign a channel to the track using the Chn parameter. If two or more MIDI tracks are set to the same port and channel but have different volume or pan settings, the settings for the highest-numbered track will prevail.

Note also that not all keyboards and synthesizers respond to these events. Check the manual that came with your keyboard or synthesizer for more information.

For step by step instructions:

How Set the Initial Volume and Pan Settings


To Set the Initial Volume and Pan Settings

1.	Move the highlight to the Volume or Pan column of the track you want to change.

2.	Press the + or - key until the value you want is displayed. Use the [ or ] key to increase or decrease the value by 10.

You can also change the pan and volume settings in a variety of other ways, as described in Changing Values in the Track Pane. To change the volume or pan setting for more than one track at a time, select the tracks you want to change and choose Track-Property-Volume or Track-Property-Pan.


Assigning a MIDI Channel (Chn)

MIDI transmits information on 16 channels, numbered 1 through 16. Every MIDI event is assigned to a particular channel. Some MIDI equipment can accept MIDI information on only a single channel. This channel may be pre-assigned, or you may be able to change it. Other MIDI equipment, including many electronic keyboards and synthesizers, can accept information on several different MIDI channels at once. Usually, these devices use a different instrument sound for each channel.

On playback, the channel number is used to direct the MIDI information to a particular piece of equipment. A single track can contain events on many different MIDI channels. The Chn parameter in the Track view redirects all events in the track to the specified channel, ignoring the actual channel number stored with each event. If this parameter is left blank, all events in the tracks are sent to their original channels.

This parameter does not affect the channel information that is stored with each MIDI event. When the track is displayed in other views, like the Piano Roll or Event List view, you will see the original channel that is stored in the file. You can edit the actual channel values in those views.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set the Channel for a Track


To Set the Channel for a Track

1.	Move the highlight to the Channel (Chn) column of the track you want to change.

2.	Press the + or - key until the channel you want is displayed.

You can also change the channel setting in a variety of other ways, as described in Changing Values in the Track Pane. To change the channel assignment for more than one track at a time, select the tracks you want to change and choose Track-Channel.


Adjusting the Key/Transposing a Track (Key+)

Each MIDI note event has a key number, or pitch. On playback, the key offset (Key+) parameter transposes all notes in the track by the designated number of half-steps. The value can range from -127 to +127. A value of 12 indicates that notes will be played back one octave higher than they are written.

This parameter does not affect the actual note number that is stored for each note event. When the clip is displayed in other views, like the Piano Roll, Staff, or Event List view, you will see the original notes as they are stored in the file. To permanently change the pitches, you can either edit them individually or use the Edit-Transpose command.

If the key offset value transposes the key number (MIDI note) outside the allowable MIDI range (0 to 127), the key number will be transposed to the lowest or highest octave within that range.

You can use the Key+ parameter to assist in preparing scores for instruments whose music is written in other than "concert" key (such as Bb trumpet). For more information, see Music Notation for Nonconcert Key Instruments.

When you edit the Key+ parameter, pressing [ or ] or right-clicking on the spinner control changes the value by 12 instead of by 10. This makes it easy to transpose by octaves.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set the Key Offset for a Track


To Set the Key Offset for a Track

1.	Move the highlight to the Key column of the track you want to change.

2.	Press the + or - key to change the key by a single semitone. Use the [ or ] key to change the key by 12 semitones (one octave).

You can also change the key offset in a variety of other ways, as described in Changing Values in the Track Pane. To change the key offset for more than one track at a time, select the tracks you want to change and choose Track-Property-Key+.


Adjusting the Note Velocity (Vel+)

Each MIDI note event has a velocity, which represents how fast (or how hard) the key was struck when the track was recorded. On playback, the velocity offset parameter adjusts the velocity data for all notes in the track by the designated amount. The value can range from -127 to +127. The effect of changing velocities depends on the synthesizer. Some synthesizers do not respond to velocity information at all. On others, the effect varies depending on the sound or patch you have chosen. Normally, higher velocities result in louder or brighter sounding notes.

This parameter does not affect the velocity that is stored for each note event. When the clip is displayed in other views, like the Piano Roll, Staff, or Event List view, you will see the original velocities as they are stored in the file. You can edit the actual velocity values in those views.

Velocity is also meaningful for digital audio tracks--those that are assigned to an audio output port. Every audio clip consists of one or more audio events. Each audio event has an associated velocity--a number between 0 and 127--which represents an amount by which the event's volume will be boosted or cut on playback. A velocity of 0 mutes audio events; a velocity of 127 represents +18 dB; a velocity of 103 represents +0 dB. The track velocity functions as a master volume for all audio clips in the track.

Velocity is different from volume in that it is an attribute of each individual event, rather than a controller that affects an entire MIDI channel. Here's an example of where this distinction might be important. Suppose you have several tracks containing different drum parts. All of these parts would probably be assigned to MIDI channel 10 (that's the default channel for percussion in General MIDI). If you change the volume setting for any track that uses channel 10, all of the different drum parts--regardless of what track they're in--would be affected. If you change the note velocity for one of the drum tracks, it will be the only one whose volume is affected.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set the Velocity for a Track


To Set the Velocity for a Track

1.	Move the highlight to the Vel+ column of the track you want to change.

2.	Press the + or - key until you reach the value you want. Use the [ or ] key to increase or decrease the value by 10.

You can also change the velocity offset in a variety of other ways, as described in Changing Values in the Track Pane. To change the velocity offset for more than one track at a time, select the tracks you want to change and choose Track-Property-Vel+.


Adjusting the Time Alignment of a Track (Time+)

Each event takes place at a known time point in the project. On playback, the time offset (Time+) parameter adjusts the time for events in the track by the designated amount. The value can be as small as a single clock tick, or as large as you want.

This parameter can be used to make a part play behind the beat or in front of it, or to compensate for tracks that sound rushed or late. The time shift can be used to create a chorus or slap echo effect, by making a copy of a track and then applying a small offset to the copy. You can use larger time offsets to shift a track earlier or later by several beats or measures.

Note that you cannot shift any event earlier than 1:01:000. For example, if the first event in the tract starts at 2:01:000, you cannot shift the start time earlier by more than one measure.

This parameter does not affect the time that is stored for each note event. When the clip is displayed in other views, like the Piano Roll, Staff, or Event List view, you will see the original times as they are stored in the file. You can edit the actual time values in those views, or use the Edit-Slide command.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set the Time Offset for a Track


To Set the Time Offset for a Track

1.	Move the highlight to the Time+ column of the track you want to change.

2.	Press the + or - key until you reach the value you want.

You can also change the time offset in a variety of other ways, as described in Changing Values in the Track Pane. To change the time offset for more than one track at a time, select the tracks you want to change and choose Track-Property-Time+.


Video Playback

Cakewalk's Insert-Video File command lets you include an AVI video in your project. This video is shown in real time as your project plays.

The Video view displays the current time (as in the Big Time view) and the video itself. The display in the Video view is synchronized with the Now time, giving you convenient random access to the video stream. This makes it easy to align music and digitized sound to the video.

Commands in the Video view's pop-up menu let you set the time display format, the size and stretch options for the video display, and other options.

Note: The project's video file is saved in the project by reference only; the actual video data remains in the original file.

For step by step instructions:

How to Load a Video File Into the Project

How to Delete the Video From the Project

How to Enable or Disable Video Playback

How to Set the Time Display Format

How to Set the Video Display Format

How to Set the Background Color


To Load a Video File Into the Project

1.	If the video file contains audio data that you want to load, select a blank track in the Track view to receive the audio data.

2.	Choose Insert-Video File, or choose Insert from the Video view's pop-up menu.

3.	Select a file.

4.	Check the Show File Info option to see information about the file.

5.	Check the Import Audio Stream option if you want to load the file's audio data.

6.	Click Open.

Cakewalk loads the video file and displays it in the Video view. If you chose to import audio data, the data is placed in a clip on the selected track (stereo data is placed in clips in two consecutive tracks).


To Delete the Video From the Project

•	Right-click in the Video view and choose Delete.

Cakewalk removes the video from the project. Note that imported audio data is not deleted.


To Enable or Disable Video Playback

•	Right-click in the Video view and choose Animate.


To Set the Time Display Format

•	Click the time display to cycle between MBT, SMPTE, and Frames.

OR

•	Right-click in the Video view and choose an option from the Time Display Format menu:

To do this…	Do this…
Select a time format	Choose M:B:T, SMPTE, or Frames
Change font or color	Choose Font and select new font characteristics
Turn off the time display	Choose None


To Set the Video Display Format

•	Right-click in the Video view and choose an option from the Stretch Options menu:

To do this…	Do this…
Display the video in its original size	Choose Original Size
Stretch the video to fill the Video view	Choose Stretch to Window
Stretch the video as much as possible while preserving the original aspect ratio	Choose Preserve Aspect Ratio
Make the video display as large as possible, but only enlarge by integral multiples	Choose Integral Stretch
Display the video in full screen mode	Choose Full Screen
Cakewalk adjusts the video display according to the selected option. The stretch option is used to recalculate the video display size whenever you resize the Video view.


To Set the Background Color

•	Right-click in the Video view and choose a color option from the Background menu.


Creating a Project

You can add sound or music to a Cakewalk project in many different ways. You can record your own material using a MIDI-equipped instrument, use a microphone or other audio input to record digital audio information, or import sound or music data from an existing digital data file.

You can also input new material using your computer keyboard or mouse. For more information on entering music using musical notation, see Notation and Lyrics.

For more information on entering music using the Piano Roll view, see The Piano Roll View. For more information using the Event List view, see The Event List View.

See also:

Creating a New Project

Preparing to Record

Recording Music from a MIDI Instrument

Recording Audio

Loop Recording

Punch Recording

Step Recording

Importing Music and Sound

MIDI Input and Echo Controls


Creating a New Project

You can add music and sound to an existing project or to a new project. Just as in any Windows program, you open an existing project file using the File-Open command, and create a new project file using the File-New command.

When you create a new Cakewalk project, there are some additional parameters you can set to make it easier to work on your project. These include:

•	Meter and Key signature

•	Metronome and tempo settings

•	Audio sampling rate

See also:

Creating a New Project File

Setting the Time Signature and Key Signature

Setting the Metronome and Tempo Settings

Setting the Audio Sampling Rate


Creating a New Project File

Cakewalk includes a set of templates you can use to create a new project. These templates include common types of ensembles, such as Rock Quartets, Jazz Trios, and Classical Full Orchestra. When you create a new project using one of these templates, Cakewalk creates a project that has MIDI settings predefined so that one track is set up for each of the instruments in the ensemble. Cakewalk also includes an empty template (called the Normal template) which is completely blank. If you are creating a new project that will contain only audio material (and no MIDI material), use the Normal template.

You can create your own template files, and use them as the basis for other new projects. For more information, see Using Layouts and Templates.

For step by step instructions:

How to Create a New Project


To Create a New Project

1.	Choose File-New to display the New Project File dialog box.

2.	Select a template from the list.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk creates the new project and displays it in the Track view.


Setting the Time Signature and Key Signature

By default, a new Cakewalk project is in 4/4 time and in the key of C major. You can change these settings to use any desired time signature or key. These settings apply to all the tracks in a project. You cannot set different time or key signatures for different tracks.

The time or key signature of a project can change at any measure boundary. To insert changes in the time or key signature, use the View-Meter/ Key command to display the Meter/Key view, or use the Insert-Meter/ Key Change command.

If you are creating a new project that will contain only audio material (and no MIDI material), you do not need to set the time and key signature.

The key signature controls how Cakewalk displays notes in the Staff view, the Event view, and elsewhere. The time signature, or meter, tells Cakewalk the number of beats per measure and the note value of each beat. Common meters include:

•	2/4 (two beats per measure, each quarter note gets a beat)

•	4/4 (four beats per measure, each quarter note gets a beat)

•	3/4 (three beats per measure, each quarter note gets a beat)

•	6/8 (six beats per measure, each eighth note gets a beat)

The top number of a meter is the number of beats per measure, and can be from 1 through 99. The bottom number of a meter is the value of each beat; you can pick from a list of values ranging from a whole note to a thirty-second note.

The meter determines the following:

•	Where the metronome accents are placed

•	How the Now time is displayed

•	How the Staff view is drawn

•	How grid lines are displayed in the Piano Roll view.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set the Meter and Key Signature


To Set the Meter and Key Signature

1.	Click [image] to open the Meter/Key view.

2.	Select the first (and only) meter/key change in the list.

3.	Click {bmp vb-meterkeyview-change.bmp} to open the Meter/Key Signature dialog box.

4.	Enter the top and bottom meter values in the two boxes.

5.	Choose the key signature from the Key Signature list.

6.	Click OK.

The meter and key signature are set and displayed in the Large Transport toolbar.


Setting the Metronome and Tempo Settings

The metronome counts off each beat in a measure, so you can hear the tempo of your project. You can choose to have the metronome sound during recording, during playback, or both. When you start recording, Cakewalk can play one or more measures of metronome clicks before recording actually begins. This can help you "get in the groove" before you actually start performing. These measures are called the count-in. By default, there is a one-measure count-in.

When you create a new project, you should set up the metronome to play during the count-in and while recording. If you are adding material to an existing project, you might only need the metronome for the count-in.

You can customize the metronome sound to use your PC speaker or any note on a MIDI instrument. By default, Cakewalk uses a hi-hat cymbal sound from a general MIDI drum kit for the metronome, but you can change this setting to anything you like by changing the MIDI port, MIDI channel, and duration. You can also choose the note and velocity (volume) to use for the first beat of each measure and for all other beats. The metronome settings are stored separately with each project, so you can use different settings for each one.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set the Tempo and Metronome for a New Project

How to Change your Metronome Settings

How to Set MIDI Metronome Sounds from your Instrument


To Set the Tempo and Metronome for a New Project

1.	In the Metronome toolbar, select the Metronome during Recording [image] and Metronome during Playback [image] options.

3.	Set the count-in to 1 or more if you want to hear a count-in before recording begins. Select Count-in Measures [image] or Count-in Beats [image].

4.	Select Use PC Speaker [image] and/or Use MIDI Metronome [image].

5.	Press R or click [image] to start recording. The count-in will play, and the Now time will start to advance.

6.	Adjust the tempo using the tempo controls in the toolbar until the metronome plays the tempo you want.

7.	Press the Spacebar or click [image] to stop recording

8.	Press W or click [image] to rewind back to the beginning of the piece.

Your tempo and metronome settings are now ready. When you save the project file, the metronome and tempo settings will be saved as well.


To Change your Metronome Settings

1.	Open the Metronome Settings dialog box in one of the following ways:

•	Click Metronome Settings [image] in the Metronome toolbar.

•	Choose Tools-Project Options and click the Metronome tab.

2.	Change the metronome settings as indicated in the table:

To do this…	Do this...
Enable the metronome during playback	Check Playback
Enable the metronome during recording	Check Recording
Enable the count-in	Enter the number of measures for the count-in in the Count-in box, and select Measures or Beats
Accent the first beat of each measure	Check Accent First Beat
Use the PC Speaker sound	Check Use PC Speaker
Use a MIDI note as the sound	Check Use MIDI Note and select the port, channel, and other settings
3.	Click OK when you are done.

Your metronome settings will be saved with the project file.


To Set MIDI Metronome Sounds from your Instrument

1.	Select a track in the Track view that is assigned to the MIDI device that you want to use for the metronome sound.

2.	Click Metronome Settings [image] in the Metronome toolbar.

3.	Make sure the Port and Channel settings match those for the current track in the Track view.

4.	Click on the Key item in either the First Beat or the Other Beats section.

5.	Play a note on your MIDI instrument. The note number and velocity are entered automatically.

6.	Click OK when you are done.

Your metronome settings will be saved with the project file.


Setting the Audio Sampling Rate

Each Cakewalk project has an audio sampling rate that indicates the level of accuracy with which audio data are stored. The same sampling rate is used for all of the digital audio in a project. When you create a new project, you must select a sample rate before you start recording audio.

Cakewalk lets you select from four different sampling rates: 11025 Hz, 22050 Hz, 44100 Hz, and 48000 Hz. The default is 44100 Hz, the same rate as audio CDs. A higher sampling rate produces better quality sound. However, a higher sampling rate also means that each audio clip takes up more memory and disk space, and requires more intensive processing by your computer. If you have an older computer, or a slow hard drive, you might be better off with a lower sampling rate. For more information, see Improving Performance with Digital Audio.

If you are creating a new project that will contain only MIDI material (and no audio), you do not need to set the audio sampling rate. If you import audio from a wave file or other digital audio file, the sampling rate will be set automatically to your default setting.

Note for Experts: If you are planning to move your project to a DAT or some other media via a digital transfer, set your sampling rate to match the target unit. For example, use 44100Hz for a project that will be mastered to a CD, so that no sample rate conversion is required.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set the Sampling Rate for a Project


To Set the Sampling Rate for a Project

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options to display the dialog box that is appropriate for your hardware.

2.	Select the desired sampling rate from the Default Sampling Rate list.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

The sampling rate will be saved with the project file.


Preparing to Record

To prepare for recording you need to do the following:

•	Set the recording mode

•	Choose your input source or sources

•	Arm one or more tracks for recording

•	Check your recording levels (Audio only)

•	Set the Now time to the point where recording should start

•	Start recording

After you record, you can use the Undo command to erase the most recently recorded material. You can use the Redo command to restore the recording, and toggle between Undo and Redo as many times as you like.

See also:

Recording Modes

Choosing a Source

Arming Tracks for Recording

Auto Arming


Recording Modes

Any material you record is stored in a new clip. If you record into several tracks at once, one clip is created in each track. If you record into a track that already contains clips, you can choose one of three recording modes that determine what happens to those existing clips:

Recording Mode	How it Works
Sound on Sound	The new material is merged with any existing material. This means that any existing clips on the track are left unchanged, and all newly recorded material is stored in brand new clips. While recording, you will be able to hear material from existing clips.
Overwrite	The new material replaces (overwrites) any existing material. This means that portions of existing clips may be "wiped clean" to make room for newly recorded material. While recording, you will not be able to hear material from existing clips.
Auto Punch	Recording only takes place between the punch-in and punch-out times. The new material replaces (overwrites) any existing material.
For step by step instructions:

How Choose a Recording Mode


To Choose a Recording Mode

Do one of the following:

•	Select a mode from the drop-down list in the Record toolbar.

•	Choose Realtime-Record Options or click [image] to display the Record Options dialog box, and select the desired mode.


Choosing a Source

To record into a track, you must choose a source for the music or sound to be recorded. Usually, you choose MIDI Omni to record material from a MIDI instrument, or the left or right channel of a digital audio device (such as a sound card) to record audio material. The source for each track is displayed in the Source column of the Track window, and at the bottom of each module in the Console window.

When you choose MIDI Omni as the input source for a track, Cakewalk merges together material from all MIDI sources (ports) and instruments. This means you don't have to worry about port, channel, or other MIDI settings. Sometimes, you may want to record different MIDI channels into different tracks. To learn how to do this, see Recording Channel by Channel.

While each track can have a different source, it is also possible for several tracks to have the same source. If you record the same material into several different tracks at once, the resulting material will be stored in linked clips. For more information about linked clips, see Working with Linked Clips.

For step by step instructions:

How to Choose a Source in the Track View

How to Choose a Source in the Console View


To Choose a Source in the Track View

1.	Double click in the Source column of a track to display the Track Properties dialog box.

2.	Choose a source from the Source list, and click OK

OR

1.	Click in the source column of the track you want to set.

2.	Press the + or - key until you reach the source you want.


To Choose a Source in the Console
To Choose a Source in the Console View

•	Click on the Source button and choose a source from the list.


Arming Tracks for Recording

Cakewalk lets you record any number of tracks at one time. You indicate the tracks you want to record by arming the tracks. You can arm a single track, or several tracks at one time. Each track records material received though its own input source.

For step by step instructions:

How to Arm a Track for Recording


To Arm a Track for Recording

•	In the Track view, click the track arm button (labeled R)

•	In the Console view, click the track arm button (labeled R)

•	Select one or more tracks in the Track view, then right-click and choose Arm from the menu.

The track arm buttons in both the Track view and Console view are displayed in red to indicate that the track is armed for recording. The indicators will change to solid red when you start recording.


Auto Arming

As a convenience feature, and for compatibility with earlier versions, Cakewalk automatically arms the current track to record using MIDI Omni as the source if no other source is specified and no other track is armed. As you move the highlight from track to track in the track pane, you will see that the MIDI Omni source is displayed in red for the current track only when no other source has been specified. This indicator shows that the track is auto-armed.

This feature lets you start recording a new track simply by making it the current track and pressing R or clicking the Record button in the toolbar. When you do so, Cakewalk automatically activates the Arm indicator for that track. Auto-arming makes it possible to inadvertently record over existing material in the current track. To prevent this, simply assign a source to each track before recording. If a source is assigned to a track, Cakewalk will not record on that track unless the track has been armed.


Recording Music from a MIDI Instrument

Once you have set your tempo, metronome, source, and armed one or more tracks, you are ready to start recording.

For step by step instructions:

How to Record MIDI

See also:

Virtual Piano


To Record MIDI

1.	Set the Now time to the point in the project where you want to start recording.

2.	Click [image], press R, or choose Realtime-Record. If your metro nome count-in is turned on, it will play the count-in.

3.	Play or perform the material you want to record.

4.	Click [image], press the space bar, or choose Realtime-Stop to stop recording.

Cakewalk displays a clip containing the new material in the Track window. To listen to the new material, set the Now time to the start of the clip and press the space bar or click [image]. If you're not happy with the recording, use Undo to erase the new material.

If you do not see a new clip in Track window, you may have a problem with MIDI input. See Troubleshooting, for more information.


Virtual Piano
Virtual Piano Utility

Even if you don't have a real MIDI instrument, you can still record MIDI in your projects using the Virtual Piano. The Virtual Piano is a utility that lets you use your computer keyboard and mouse to make music.

When you click on the keys with the mouse or play notes using your computer keyboard, the Virtual Piano converts the information to MIDI data and sends it to Cakewalk. for complete information about the virtual Piano, use the on-line help system.

For step by step instructions:

How to Use the Virtual Piano


To Use the Virtual Piano

1.	Choose Tools-MIDI Devices to display the MIDI Ports dialog box.

2.	Make sure that Virtual Piano is highlighted in the Input Ports box.

3.	Click OK to close the MIDI Ports dialog box.

4.	Choose Tools-Virtual Piano to start the Virtual Piano.

5.	To read the on-line documentation, choose Help-Contents.


Recording Audio

There are a couple of other important considerations in recording audio. First, many popular audio cards that come with personal computers are half-duplex sound cards. If you are recording audio with a half-duplex sound card, you won't be able to hear any existing audio while recording additional audio. This is a limitation of the sound card--a half-duplex card can record audio or play back audio, but it cannot do both at once.

If you have full-duplex sound card, and you "drop into" overwrite recording on the fly, there may be some slight delay until existing material is muted, due to buffering latency. To enable full-duplex operation on a sound card that supports it, choose Tools-Audio Options, and click Advanced.

Before you record audio, you should check your input levels. If the levels are too soft, you may end up with too much hiss and background noise in your recording. If the level is too loud, your recording will be inaccurate or distorted. To check your audio levels, use the audio meters in the Console view. To adjust the input levels, you must use your sound card's software mixer program (or the Windows 95 mixer), or an external hardware mixer for certain sound cards.

The audio meters indicate the volume at which the audio will be recorded in units called decibels (dB). The meter values range from -90dB (soft) to 0dB (loud). In order to maximize the dynamic range of your recording, you want to set the levels as high as possible without exceeding 0dB.

When the audio level exceeds 0dB, some of the audio information is lost. This is known as an overload. Many sound cards use clipping to deal with an overloaded signal, which can result in distortion of the audio signal. As a result, you should avoid letting the meter level exceed 0dB.

Note to Experts: Since Cakewalk is a digital recorder, a level of 0dB indicates digital zero. Digital distortion will occur at 0dB. You will not get analog compression or warmth from "pushing" the input levels. If you are transferring data from a DAT or other device, you may want to calibrate the input levels of your sound card with the output levels of other devices in your studio. This will ensure that 0dB on one unit will appear as 0dB in Cakewalk

For step by step instructions:

How to Check the Input Levels

How to Record Audio


To Check the Input Levels

1.	In the track view, set the sources for the tracks you want to record, and arm the tracks for recording.

2.	Choose View-Console or click [image] on the toolbar to display the Console view. Meters will be displayed for the tracks that are armed.

3.	Perform as you plan to while recording at the same volume, with the same attack, and so on.

4.	As you perform, watch the meters respond. If they are always hovering near the same level, then you should turn up the input volume. On the other hand, if they move all the way to 0 dB, even for an instant, then you need to turn down the input level.

5.	When you are satisfied that your input level is correct, you are ready to record.

Once you have set your sampling rate and input levels, you are ready to start recording. If the meters do not move, check your sound card software's mixer program and make sure that you have the proper source enabled for recording.

When you record audio, Cakewalk actually stores each audio clip in a separate file. These files have the same format as a wave (.WAV) file, but have special names and are stored in a separate directory on your hard disk. Cakewalk automatically manages these audio files for you, making it easier for you to manage your projects. If you want to work with these files directly, or to learn more about how Cakewalk stores audio data, see Digital Audio Data Management.


To Record Audio

1.	Set the audio sources for the track or tracks you want to record.

2.	Arm the tracks for recording

3.	Set the Now time to the point in the project where you want to start recording.

4.	Click [image], press R, or choose Realtime-Record. If your metronome count-in is turned on, it will play the count-in measure.

5.	Play or perform the material you want to record.

6.	Click [image], press the space bar, or choose Realtime-Stop to stop recording.

Cakewalk displays a clip containing the new material in the Track window. To listen to the new material, set the Now time to the start of the clip and press the space bar or click [image]. If you're not happy with the recording, use Undo to erase the new material.

If you do not see a new clip in Track window, you may have a problem with audio input. See Troubleshooting for more information.


Loop Recording

In recording a vocal or instrumental section, you might want to record several different takes, so that you can choose the one you like best. You might even want to record several takes so that you can combine them to double up a part, or to merge together the best parts of each one.

Normally, to record each take you would have to arm a track, start recording, perform the take, and then stop recording. You can record multiple takes more easily using a feature called loop recording. Loop recording lets you start recording once, and record as many takes as you like all in a single step.

To use loop recording, you follow these steps:

•	Enable looping

•	Set the start and end time of the loop

•	Start recording by pressing R or clicking [image] in the toolbar

Cakewalk then loops between the start and end time, allowing you to record one take on each pass. Cakewalk creates a clip for each take. You have two choices for where these takes are stored:

•	All clips can be stored in a single track, where they are "stacked" on top of one another in the Track view.

•	Each clip can be stored in a different track. Cakewalk automatically places each take into a new, empty track. No existing tracks are changed in any way.

When you stack takes, you hear all the previous takes as you record each new take. When you store takes in different tracks, each take is automatically muted as you record the next one. You choose the option you want from the Record Options dialog box.

When you finish recording, the Undo command erases all of your takes in a single step.

For step by step instructions:

How to Use Loop Recording


To Use Loop Recording

1.	Select the source for the track or tracks you want to record, and arm the tracks for recording.

2.	Set the loop start and end time.

3.	Choose Realtime-Record Options or click [image] in the Record toolbar to display the Record Options dialog box.

4.	Choose to stack all takes in a single track or to store them in separate tracks.

5.	Set the Now time to the point in the project where you want to start recording.

6.	Click [image], press R, or choose Realtime-Record. If your metro nome count-in is turned on, it will play the count-in measure.

7.	Play or perform the material you want to record. At the end of the loop, Cakewalk will return to the start of the loop and you can record the next take.

8.	If you want to erase the most recent take while loop recording is underway, choose Realtime-Reject Loop Take or press Ctrl-Spacebar

9.	Click [image], press the space bar, or choose Realtime-Stop when you want to stop recording.

The takes are stored in the manner you requested.


Punch Recording

Suppose you are happy with most of a track, but want to replace one small section--perhaps as small as a couple of notes. This is where punch recording comes in handy, because it lets you record new material only within a specified range of times.

For example, suppose you recorded a 32-bar keyboard solo, but made some mistakes in the 24th and 25th bar. With punch recording, you play the entire solo again, so you make sure you can get the feel you want. However, only the bars you want to correct are actually recorded. That way, you don't have to worry about introducing new mistakes elsewhere in the recording. When you use punch recording, Cakewalk deletes any existing material between the start and end time of the punch.

To use punch recording, follow these steps:

•	Enable punch recording

•	Set the start and end time of the punch

•	Start recording by pressing R or clicking the [image] button in the toolbar

The Recording toolbar shows the punch settings. When punch recording is enabled, the punch times are indicated by special arrow markers in the time ruler.

After you punch record, choosing Undo both discards any new material you recorded and restores the original material that had been deleted.

You can also combine loop and punch recording to record several takes of a punch. Say you are working on that perfect take of a guitar solo, and you need to hear a couple of bars of the song as "pre-roll" before you punch in. By combining looping with punch, you can have each take begin before you start to play, and still have the solo cut-in at the appropriate instant.

For step by step instructions:

How to Punch Record

How to Use Punch While Looping


To Punch Record

1.	Select the source for the track or tracks you want to record, and arm the tracks for recording.

2.	Select Auto Punch from the Record Mode drop-down list in the Record toolbar.

3.	Set the start and end times in one of the following ways:

•	Enter the times directly in the toolbar

•	Select a range of time and click [image] in the recording toolbar

•	Select a range of time, then right-click in the time ruler and choose Set Punch Points

4.	Set the Now time to a point where you want to start playback.

5.	Click [image], press R, or choose Realtime-Record. If your metronome count-in is turned on, it will play the count-in measure.

6.	Play or perform the material you want to record.

7.	Click [image], press the space bar, or choose Realtime-Stop to stop recording.

The material you play during the punch time will be recorded in the chosen track, replacing any existing material.


To Use Punch While Looping

1.	Select the source for the track or tracks you want to record, and arm the tracks for recording.

2.	Set the loop start and end time.

3.	Set the punch start and end times, as described previously.

4.	Choose Realtime-Record Options or click [image] in the Record toolbar to display the Record Options dialog box.

5.	Choose to stack all takes in a single track or to store them in separate tracks.

6.	Set the Now time to the beginning of the loop.

7.	Click [image], press R, or choose Realtime-Record. If your metro nome count-in is turned on, it will play the count-in measures.

8.	Play or perform the material you want to record. At the end of the loop, Cakewalk will return to the start of the loop and you can record the next take.

9.	If you want to erase the most recent take while loop recording is underway, choose Realtime-Reject Loop Take or press Ctrl-Spacebar.

10.	Click [image], press the space bar, or choose Realtime-Stop when you want to stop recording.

The takes are stored in the manner you requested.


Step Recording

Sometimes you want to record material from a MIDI instrument, where the material you want to perform is difficult to play. One way to make this easier is to slow the tempo of the piece while you are recording until it is slow enough to play. Step recording is another method that lets you record from a MIDI instrument without having to worry at all about your timing.

To use step recording, you set a step size, such as a quarter note. Then, you simply record one step at a time, taking as much time as you need to play each step. You can also set a note duration that is independent of the step size. If the duration is shorter than the step size, rests will be inserted between each note and the next step. If the duration is longer than the step size, the notes will overlap with the notes recorded at the next step.

You use the Step Record dialog box to perform step recording. The step size and the duration can each be set to one of three things:

Setting…	How to use it…
A particular note value	Simply select the note value from the list
A dotted note value	Select the note value and check the Dotted option
A number of MIDI ticks	Click Other, enter the number of MIDI ticks, and click OK
When you select the Dotted option, the note durations applies to both the step size and the duration if the Follow Step Size option is enabled.

The Auto Advance option automatically advances recording to the next step when all MIDI input stops. For example, if you press the three keys that make up a C major chord, as soon as you release all three keys, Cakewalk automatically advances to the next step. This makes it very easy to record a series of chords that are spaced at regular intervals.

With Auto Advance disabled, you must click Advance each time you want to advance to the next step. While this requires some more effort, it also provides you with even more flexibility. For example, with Auto Advance disabled, you do not even need to play the notes at a single step at the same time! You can play any number of notes one at a time, and they will all be recorded at the same step, until you click the Advance button. You can even record notes of different durations at the same step--simply record the notes of one duration, change the duration, and play more notes, without clicking Advance.

You can click Delete to erase the notes you recorded in a single step. If Auto Advance is enabled, the Delete button deletes the notes played at the prior step, and it also backs up a step so you can re-record the notes at that step. With Auto Advance disabled, the Delete button erases any notes you have recorded at the current step.

For step by step instructions:

How to Use Step Recording

See also:

Step Pattern Recording

Recording Channel by Channel


To Use Step Recording

1.	Select the source for the track or tracks you want to record, and arm the tracks for recording.

2.	Set the Now time to the point in the project where you want to start recording.

3.	Choose Realtime-Step Record or click [image] in the Record toolbar to display the Step Record dialog box.

4.	Follow the instructions in the table:

To do this...	Do this...
Record the next step	Play the note(s) you want on your MIDI instrument
Erase the most recent step	Click Delete
Skip a step (add rests)	Click Advance without playing any notes
Move forward or backward one step	Click the scroll arrows in the scroll bar
Move forward or backward	Drag the indicator in the scroll bar one measure
Jump to a particular Now time	Enter the measure, beat, and tick number next to the scroll bar
Change the step size	Pick the step size you want from the Step Size list
Change the note duration	Pick the duration you want from the Duration list
Stop recording and save your work	Click Keep or press Enter
Stop recording and discard	Click Close or press Esc your work
Advance to the next step	With Auto Advance disabled, click the Advance button
5.	Click OK when you are finished step recording.

As always, you can use the Undo and Redo commands after you have finished recording. Note that these commands erase or restore all the material you recorded while in step record mode.


Step Pattern Recording

The Pattern option lets you define a repeating rhythmic pattern of notes and rests so that you can use step recording more efficiently. For example, suppose your project is in 4/4 time, and one track has a pattern that is two measures long: quarter notes in the first measure and on the first 2 beats of the second measure, followed by a half-note rest on the last two beats. This pattern has 6 quarter notes followed by two quarter-note rests.

When you use step recording with auto advance, you can play the six quarter notes, and Cakewalk will automatically advance to the next step. However, to skip over the rests, you need to click the Advance button two times.

With pattern recording, you define a pattern that indicates where the rests appear in the pattern. Cakewalk will then skip over the rests automatically, so you don't need to click the Advance button at all.

Cakewalk displays patterns as a combination of digits (which represent beats that contain notes) and dots (which represent beats that contain rests). The pattern described above looks like this:

1 2 3 4 5 6 . .

Here is another example:

1 2 . 4

This pattern automatically skips over every third beat; Cakewalk interprets this pattern as "one, two, rest, four."

Here is one final example based on 4/4 time, with a step size of eighth note triplets (twelve steps per measure):

1 2 3 4 . 6 7 . 9 0 . 2

No matter how you enter a pattern, Cakewalk display the digits in sequence, with periods replacing digits at each step where a rest would occur. You can create patterns with up to 64 steps.

For step by step instructions:

How to Use Pattern-Based Step Recording


To Use Pattern-Based Step Recording

1.	Select the source for the track or tracks you want to record, and arm the tracks for recording.

2.	Set the Now time to the point in the project where you want to start recording.

3.	Choose Realtime-Step Record to display the Step Record dialog box.

4.	Click in the Pattern box

5.	Press any number key to indicate a beat at which notes will be played.

6.	Press the spacebar, period, or the letter R to indicate a beat on which there is a rest.

7.	When the pattern is complete, click elsewhere in the dialog box.

8.	Step record as before.

From now on, after you record each step, Cakewalk automatically advances past all rests to the next step on which notes will be played. To stop pattern-based step recording, simply delete the pat tern from the pattern box.


Recording Channel by Channel

Most MIDI instruments are capable of sending information on several different channels at once. When you select MIDI Omni as the input source for a track, Cakewalk records into that one track MIDI data from all the different MIDI devices and channels that are hooked up to your computer. However, you have the option to be more selective, recording material from different MIDI channels into different tracks. You can even group some of the channels together, or record some channels in several different tracks at once.

Here are some examples of when this feature might be useful:

•	There are several performers, each playing a different MIDI instrument. By setting each instrument to transmit MIDI n a different channel, you can record each player's performance into a separate track, even though they are all playing at the same time.

•	You are using a MIDI guitar controller and want to record the notes played on each string on a separate track.

•	Your electronic keyboard has a built-in auto accompaniment feature that plays a drum part and an accompaniment while you play lead. You want to record each of these three parts into a different track in a Cakewalk project.

•	You have a MIDI sequence stored on a floppy disk or on your synthesizer's built-in sequencer, and you want to record each channel onto a different track.

The Track Sources dialog box is used to set individual MIDI channels or groups of channels as the source for one or more tracks. Once you have set specific channels as the source for a track, you can change back to MIDI Omni or some other source using the + and - keys in the track view, or by using the Track Sources dialog box.

For step by step instructions:

How to Assign Channels to Different Tracks


To Assign Channels to Different Tracks

1.	Choose Track-Property-Sources to display the Track Sources dialog box.

2.	Select one or more tracks by highlighting them in the list. Use the Shift or Ctl keys to select more than one track.

3.	Set the source for the selected tracks as follows:

To do this...	Do this...
Leave the source empty	Check the None box
Use MIDI Omni as the source	Check the MIDI Omni box
Use an audio source	Check the Audio box and select an audio source from the list
Use one or more MIDI channels as the source	Check the MIDI Channels box, and check off the channels you want to include.
4.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk shows new track sources in the Source column of the track view.


Importing Music and Sound

While recording is perhaps the most common way of adding material to a Cakewalk project, there are several other methods you can also use. Cakewalk lets you import music into a project from several different types of digital data files, including MIDI files, audio files in wave (.WAV) format, and other Cakewalk project files.

See also:

Importing Wave (.wav) Files

Importing Material from Another Cakewalk Project

Importing MIDI Files

Saving Your Work

Labeling your Projects

File Statistics


Importing Wave (.WAV) Files

Cakewalk lets you insert digital audio information stored in wave file format into any track of a project. If the wave file you are importing is in stereo, then the left channel will be stored in one track, and the right channel in the following track.

If the wave file is the first piece of digital audio in your project, then the sampling rate for the project is set based on your default sampling rate. If the sampling rate from the wave file does not match the sampling rate in your project, then it will be converted to the current project's sampling rate.

If the file is stereo, you have the options to import the left and right channels into separate tracks, or to merge them into a single mono track.

For step by step instructions:

How to Insert a Wave File


To Insert a Wave File

1.	Set the Now time and current track to indicate where the audio should be placed.

2.	Choose Insert-Wave File to display the Open dialog box.

3.	Select the wave file you want to import. Cakewalk displays information about the file at the bottom of the dialog box.

4.	Click Play to listen to the wave file before importing.

5.	If the file is stereo, check the Stereo Split box if you want to split the channels into separate tracks.

6.	When you are done, click Open.

Cakewalk loads the audio data from the wave file and places it in the selected track at the Now time.


Importing Material from Another Cakewalk Project

You use the Edit-Copy and Edit-Paste commands to import material from one project to another using the Windows clipboard. The project that contains the material you want to import is the source project. The project into which the material is imported is the target project.

Normally, if you copy material from several different tracks to the Windows clipboard, the information will be pasted back into separate tracks. You can, as an option, choose to paste all the material from the clipboard into a single destination track in the target project.

You can also copy material from one project to another by displaying the Track view for both projects side by side, and then using drag-and-drop editing.

For step by step instructions:

How to Import Material from Another Project


To Import Material from Another Project

1.	Open the source project, or click in the Track view for that project.

2.	In the Track view, select the material you want to import.

3.	Choose Edit-Copy to display the Copy dialog box

4.	Make sure that Events in Tracks is checked, and click OK.

5.	Open the target project, or click in the Track view for that project.

6.	Set the Now time and current track to indicate where the mate rial should be placed.

7.	Choose Edit-Paste to display the Paste dialog box.

8.	Check Paste to One Track if you want all material imported into the current track.

9.	Click OK.

Cakewalk imports the material and displays it in the Track view.


Importing MIDI Files

You can create a new Cakewalk Project from a MIDI file simply by opening the file. Cakewalk takes material from the file and places it into one or more tracks in the Track view. For more information about MIDI files and how Cakewalk works with them, see MIDI Files.

For step by step instructions:

How to Import Information from a MIDI File Into an Existing Project


To Import Information from a MIDI File Into an Existing Project

1.	Open the MIDI file as a new, separate project.

2.	Choose Edit-Select-All.

3.	Choose Edit-Copy to display the Copy dialog box

4.	Make sure that Events in Tracks is checked, and click OK.

5.	Open the target project, or click in the Track view for that project.

6.	Set the Now time and current track to indicate where the mate rial should be placed.

7.	Choose Edit-Paste to display the Paste dialog box.

8.	Check Paste to One Track if you want all material imported into the current track.

9.	Click OK.

Cakewalk imports the material and displays it in the Track view.


Saving Your Work (Definition)
Saving Your Work

Like most Windows programs, you use the File-Save and File-Save As commands to save your work. Normally, you save your projects in the standard project file format, with a file extension of .WRK. This file contains all of your MIDI data and all of your project settings. Any digital audio that is part of your project is stored in a separate file, as described in Digital Audio Data Management.

Cakewalk also lets you save files in two other formats, as described in the table:

File type...	Extension...	Explanation...
Standard MIDI	.MID	Used to transfer MIDI-only songs to other software products that support Standard MIDI files. See MIDI Files for more information.
Bundle	.BUN	A single file that includes all the material in your project: MIDI data, projects that con tain digital audio, when you want to back up your work or transfer a project to a dif ferent computer. See Backing up Projects with Digital Audio for more information.
If you have made changes to a project and then attempt to close the project, either by closing the Track view or by choosing File-Close, Cakewalk asks if you want to save the changes you have made. This prevents you from accidentally losing your work. You can tell whether changes have been made to a project by looking for an asterisk (*) after the project name in the Cakewalk title bar.

Cakewalk has an Auto Save feature that periodically saves your work into a special backup file. You can request automatic backups at fixed time intervals or every time a certain number of changes have been made to the file. When the limit is reached, the file is saved automatically. If your original project is called MYPROJECT.WRK, the Auto Save version is called AUTO SAVE VERSION OF MYPROJECT.WRK.

If there is a power failure or if you make a significant mistake, you can recover the last-saved version of your project by opening this file. You should then save your song under a different name by using the File-Save As command.

For step by step instructions:

How to Save a Project

How to Change the Auto Save Settings


To Save a Project

1.	Choose File-SaveAs to display the Save As dialog box.

2.	Select the type of file you want to save from the Save as Type list.

3.	Enter a file name and click Save.

Cakewalk saves the file.


To Change the Auto Save Settings

1.	Choose Tools-Global Options and click the General tab.

2.	To enable Auto Save, set either the number of minutes or the number of changes between saves.

3.	To disable Auto Save, set both values to zero.

4.	Click OK.

From now on your projects are saved automatically according to the settings you entered.


Labeling your Projects

Cakewalk lets you attach subtitles, composer credits, copyright, and other information to your projects, as shown in the table:

Title	The title for your song; prints automati cally at the top of a Staff view printout.
Subtitle	For a subtitle or dedication; prints directly below the title in a Staff view printout.
Instructions	Use for performance instructions; prints flush left in a Staff view printout.
Author	Put your name here if you are the com poser. Prints flush right in a Staff view printout.
Copyright	Copyright information prints flush right, under the author name, in a Staff view printout.
Keywords	Put keywords describing the song here for future reference.
Comments	Free text comments. Type as much as you like. You can enter approximately the same amount of text as you can in Windows Notepad.
This information is displayed in the File Info window, which is displayed using the File-Info command. If the File Info window is open when you save a file, then this window is displayed automatically the next time the file is opened. This is useful if:

•	You share files with others and want them to see special instructions when they open the file

•	You want your copyright information to be displayed automatically

If the File Info window is closed when you save the file, it will not be automatically displayed the next time the file is opened.

Although you cannot use Edit menu commands while working in the File Info window, standard Windows hot keys like Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C, and Ctrl-V can be used to cut, copy, and paste text. Ctrl-Z can be used to undo your last edit.

For step by step instructions:

How to Display and Edit Project Information


To Display and Edit Project Information

1.	Choose File-Info to display the File Info window.

2.	Edit the information as desired.

3.	If you want the File Info window to display automatically, save the file.

4.	Click Stats to see statistics about the contents of the file.

5.	Choose File-Print Preview if you want to print the project infor mation

6.	Close the File Info window.


File Statistics

The File Statistics dialog box displays the following information about the contents of the project file:

Statistic...	What it means...
Created	The date the project was first saved.
Editing time	The total time that you've had the project open from the time it was cre ated to the last time it was saved This does not include time spent editing the project since you last saved it, if you want to update this value, save the project.
Revision	Each time you save a file that has been changed, this number is incremented. If you open a project, make no changes, and then save it, the revision number is not changed. The total number of events in the project.
Events	The total number of events in the project.


MIDI Input and Echo Controls

Cakewalk gives you fine control over a variety of MIDI settings. You can filter out MIDI input information to eliminate information you don't want to record, and you can control the way that Cakewalk echoes MIDI input to any connected output devices.

See also:

Input Filtering

MIDI Echo

Local Control


Input Filtering

Cakewalk lets you filter out specific types of MIDI messages, or filter the MIDI input stream channel by channel. Any MIDI information that is filtered out is neither recorded nor echoed to any other MIDI devices.

You can use the message type filter to screen out resource-intensive MIDI messages like key and channel aftertouch. By default, Cakewalk records all types of events except these two.

You can use message type filtering to record short System Exclusive (Sysx) messages in real-time. These will end up in the track as Sysx data events, which can hold System Exclusive messages up to 255 bytes long. Leave the Buffers setting at 128 unless you experience data not being recorded. For more information about Sysx, see System Exclusive Data.

For step by step instructions:

How to Filter Event Types

How to Filter by Channel


Input Filtering

Cakewalk lets you filter out specific types of MIDI messages, or filter the MIDI input stream channel by channel. Any MIDI information that is filtered out is neither recorded nor echoed to any other MIDI devices.

You can use the message type filter to screen out resource-intensive MIDI messages like key and channel aftertouch. By default, Cakewalk records all types of events except these two.

You can use message type filtering to record short System Exclusive (Sysx) messages in real-time. These will end up in the track as Sysx data events, which can hold System Exclusive messages up to 255 bytes long. Leave the Buffers setting at 128 unless you experience data not being recorded. For more information about Sysx, see System Exclusive Data.

For step by step instructions:

How to Filter Event Types

How to Filter by Channel


To Filter Event Types

1.	Choose Tools-Global Options and click the MIDI Filter tab.

2.	Check the message types that you want to have recorded.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

From now on, Cakewalk records only the types of events you have chosen.


To Filter by Channel

1.	Choose Tools-Project Options and click the MIDI Input tab.

2.	Check the channel numbers from which you want to record.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk records events from the channels you have chosen, and excludes events from the other channels.


MIDI Echo

Cakewalk lets you control the echo of MIDI data from your MIDI inputs to your MIDI ouputs--that is, from your master keyboard to one or more of your sound modules. This function is known as MIDI thru, and is configured using the Project Options dialog box.

There are three different echo modes, as shown in the table:

Mode...	How it works...
None	Disables MIDI echo entirely
Manual	Enables MIDI echo, and lets you manu ally control the mapping of inputs to outputs, as described below
Auto (default)	Enables MIDI echo and maps data auto matically by following the parameters of the current track view. The Auto mode allows you to use the Track view as a list of selectable MIDI echo mapping desti nations.
If you select the manual echo mode, you can control the routing and processing of MIDI echo data, as shown in the table:

Setting...	What it means...
Port	The desired destination port. Blank means that the port is not mapped.
Channel	The desired destination channel. Blank means that the channel is not mapped.
Key	The desired note transposition, if any.
Velocity	The desired velocity transposition, if any.
For step by step instructions:

How to Configure MIDI Echo


To Configure MIDI Echo

1.	Choose Tools-Project Options and click the MIDI Input tab.

2.	Select the echo mode you want (None, Manual, or Auto) from the Echo Mode list.

3.	If you chose Manual as the echo mode, configure the mapping the way you want.

4.	Click OK when you are done.

From now on, Cakewalk echoes MIDI according to these settings.


Local Control

As described in My Keyboard Doubles Every Note I Play, you should normally disable the Local Control setting on your master keyboard to prevent notes from being doubled. Notes you play on the keyboard are then transmitted to Cakewalk, echoed back to the synthesizer, and played only once.

When Cakewalk starts, it sends a special MIDI message that attempts to disable Local Control automatically. Most modem synthesizers respond to this message. If yours does not, you will need to disable Local Control every time you turn it on for use with Cakewalk.

If your synthesizer does not let you disable Local Control (this is rare), you can use the Local On Port setting in the Project Options dialog box to indicate the number of the output port connected to your synthesizer. Cakewalk will then refrain from sending MIDI echo data to that port. In this configuration you may need to turn your synthesizer's volume control up and down from time to time, to avoid hearing it play along with your other modules. If this situation doesn't apply to you, the Local On Port should be set to 0. Note that the Virtual Piano will not record if the Local On Port is set to any value other than zero.


Basic Editing and Arranging

The Track view makes it easy to arrange your songs and other projects. From one location, you can select, copy, move, and rearrange the parts of your project, using menu commands or drag and drop tools. Markers provide easy-to-use reference points and labels for the different parts of your project, and the snap grid makes it easy to align your clips to the desired time points. Cakewalk also has a variety of tools and commands for changing the tempo of your song.

See also:

Arranging Tracks

Arranging Clips

Working with Partial Clips

Markers and the Snap Grid

Working with Linked Clips

Splitting and Combining Clips

Tempo Changes


Arranging Tracks

Cakewalk provides a variety of commands that let you work with the tracks in your project. Here are some of the things you can do:

You can…	Here's why…
Rearrange the tracks in the track view so that they appear in a differ ent order	This makes it easier to see and work with a subset of tracks, like the rhythm section, or the vocals and vocal backing tracks, or all muted tracks.
Make copies of a track.	Copying a track and then adding a time offset or changing the patch is an easy way to double a part. You can also copy and then transpose a track to add har mony.
Erase or delete a track.	Tracks and clips that you are no longer using in your project are distracting and takes up space in your project file.
All the commands you use to arrange tracks work on selected tracks. The current track (the one containing the highlight) is always selected. You can select additional tracks as shown in the table:

To do this…	Do this…
Select a track	Click on the track number in the track view. The track is selected, and all other tracks are deselected
Select several adjacent tracks	Press and hold the left mouse button on the first track in the group, drag the mouse to the last track in the group, and release the mouse button
Select all tracks	Click in the gray button above the track numbers
Add or remove a single track from the selection	Hold the shift key and click on the track number to add it to the selection; hold the Ctrl key and click on the track num ber to toggle its selection status
See also:

Changing the Order of Tracks

Copying Tracks

Erasing Tracks


Changing the Order of Tracks

There are several ways you can change the order of tracks in the Track view

•	Drag a track to a new position in the Track view

•	Use the Track-Sort command to rearrange the tracks in order based on the track name, status, or other setting

•	Insert new, blank tracks between existing tracks

For step by step instructions:

How to Drag a Track to a New Position

How to Sort the Tracks

How to Insert a Blank Track


To Drag a Track to a New Position

1.	Position the mouse over the Name column for the track you want to move

2.	Press and hold down the mouse button. The cursor changes to an up/down arrow.

3.	Drag the track to its new location, and release the mouse but ton.

Cakewalk rearranges and renumbers the tracks.

You can sort the tracks in a project based on several parameters, in either ascending or descending order:

Sort by…	What happens…
Name	Ascending puts track in alphabetic order, descending puts them in reverse order
Size, port, or channel	Ascending puts them in increasing numeric order, descending puts them in decreasing numeric order
Muted, archived, selected	Ascending puts qualifying tracks at the end, descending puts them at the begin ning
No matter how you sort, blank tracks are always moved to the end of the list.

Note that track numbers are used for reference only. When you rearrange the order of tracks, they are automatically assigned sequential numbers based on the order in which they are displayed in the Track view.


To Sort the Tracks

1.	Choose Track-Sort to display the Sort Tracks dialog box.

2.	Select the attribute by which to sort from the Sort By list.

3.	Select the order in which to sort from the Order list.

4.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk sorts the tracks according to the settings you chose.


To Insert a Blank Track

1.	Move the highlight to any track.

2.	Press Insert.

Cakewalk shifts the current track and all other tracks down by one, and inserts a blank, new track at the location of the highlight. You can also insert tracks using the Insert-Track command. Right-click on any track in the track pane to access this command from the pop-up menu


Copying Tracks

When you copy a track using the Track-Clone command, you can choose to copy the track properties, the clips and events in the track, or both. You can also choose the destination track. By default, Cakewalk copies the entire track to the next open track.

Cakewalk also lets you copy entire tracks and individual clips in a track using the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands, and using drag and drop editing. For more information, see Moving and Copying Clips.

For step by step instructions:

How to Copy a Track


To Copy a Track

1.	Move the highlight to any track.

2.	Choose Track-Clone to display the Clone dialog box.

3.	Check the Events or Properties box to indicate which items you want to copy.

4.	Enter the destination track number in the To Track box.

5.	Click OK when you are done.


Erasing Tracks

You can easily delete, or kill, an entire track, including all of the track properties and all of its clips and events. Sometimes, you only want to erase, or wipe, the contents of a track, leaving the track properties as they are. If you kill or wipe a track by mistake, you can use Undo to restore the deleted material.

When you kill or wipe a track, the track information is not placed on the Windows clipboard. To remove material from a track and place it on the clipboard, use the Edit-Cut command instead.

For step by step instructions:

How to Delete Tracks

How to Wipe Tracks


To Delete Tracks

1.	Select the track (or tracks) you want to delete.

2.	Choose Track-Kill, or right-click on one of the selected tracks and choose Delete Track.

Cakewalk deletes the current track, and renumbers the other tracks accordingly. You can also delete a track using the Delete Track command. Right-click on any track in the track pane to access this command from the pop-up menu.


To Wipe Tracks

1.	Select the tracks you want to wipe.

2.	Choose Track-Wipe.

Cakewalk deletes all clips and events from the selected tracks, but leaves the track properties intact.


Arranging Clips

The Track view provides many ways for you to rearrange, copy, and paste clips to arrange your music the way you want. The easiest is to select the clips or portions of clips you want to arrange, and then drag and drop them wherever you want. You can drag and drop clips in the Track view even while playback is in progress. You can also arrange clips via the clipboard using the Edit-Cut, Edit-Copy and Edit-Paste commands, which work like those in almost all Windows programs.

See also:

Displaying Clips

Moving and Copying Clips


Displaying Clips

Clips are displayed as rectangles in the clips pane. Their position and length show you at a glance their starting times and lengths. You can control three aspects of their appearance:

•	Color - By default, clips containing MIDI and audio information are drawn in different colors, so that you can easily distinguish them. You can change these default colors, or customize the color of any individual clip.

•	Name - You can also assign each clip a descriptive name, which is displayed in the upper-left corner of the clip.

•	Contents - At your option, clips can be displayed with a graphical representation of the events in the clip. The effect is slightly different for MIDI and audio information.

To inspect the clip contents more closely, use the zoom tools to increase the size in which clips are displayed. Note that displaying the contents of each clip makes your computer work a little harder. As a result, if your computer has an older, slower CPU you may want to turn off the display of clip contents.

For step by step instructions:

How to Display Clip Names and Contents

How to Change Clip Names

How to Change Clip Colors


To Display Clip Names and Contents

1.	Right-click in the clips pane, and choose View Options from the menu.

2.	Check the Display Clip Names option to show clip names, or leave it unchecked to hide them.

3.	Check the Display Clip Contents option to show clip contents, or leave it unchecked to hide them.

4.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk modifies the clips pane to show the information you want.


To Change Clip Names

1.	Select the clips you want to rename.

2.	Right-click on one of the selected clips and choose Properties. Cakewalk opens the Clip Properties dialog box.

3.	Enter a name for the selected clips, and click OK.

Cakewalk renames the selected clips.


To Change Clip Colors

1.	Select the clips whose color you want to change.

2.	Right-click on one of the selected clips and choose Properties. Cakewalk opens the Clip Properties dialog box.

3.	Select a color as follows:

To do this	Do this...
Use the default color	Check the Default Color box
Use a custom color	Click the Choose Color button and pick a color from the Color dialog box
4.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk changes the color of the selected clips.


Selecting Clips

Before you move, copy, edit, or delete clips you need to select them. There are several ways to select whole clips, as shown in the table:

To do this…	Do this…
Select a single clip	Click on the clip in the Track view
Select several clips at once	Drag a rectangle around the clips
Select all the clips in a track	Click on the track number in the Track view
Select a portion of one or more clips	Press and hold the Alt key and drag across the clips
Add clips to the selection	Hold the Shift key and either click on the clips or drag a rectangle around the clips
Add or remove clips from the selection	Hold the Ctrl key and either click on the clips or drag a rectangle around the clips
Add or remove all clips in a track from the selection	Hold the Ctrl key and click on the track number


Moving and Copying Clips

You can copy or move clips using drag and drop editing or the Cut, Copy and Paste commands. If you copy or move clips into tracks that contain existing material, you need to let Cakewalk know how to combine the two. You have three options:

Option…	How it Works…
Blend Old and New	Events in the copied or moved clip are placed into a new clip that overlaps with the existing clip. This is the same effect as sound-on-sound recording
Replace Old with New	Events in the copied or moved clip are placed into a new clip, and any overlap ping events in the existing clip are erased. This is the same effect as over write recording
Slide Over to Make Room	The existing clips are shifted in time to make room for the new clips, so they will not overlap. If you check the Align to Measures option, shifted clips are always aligned to measure boundaries; otherwise the clips are placed end to end
When you use the Edit-Paste command to add information to a track that contains existing material, there is one final option you can choose.

Option…	What it means…
Paste as New Clips	New clips are created containing the events on the clipboard, exactly as described in the preceding table
Paste into Existing Clips	The events on the clipboard are merged into any existing clips that occupy the same region of time. This means you will never end up with clips that overlap
Note that if you copy or move clips to new, empty tracks, you don't have to worry about these settings. In this case, the track properties that go with the clips are automatically applied to the new track.

When you use drag and drop editing:

•	You can set the above options every time you perform an edit, or set them once and have the same settings carry over automatically. Check or uncheck the Ask This Every Time box to indicate your preference.

•	If you drag to the edge of the clips pane, it will scroll automatically in the direction you drag.

•	If you change your mind while dragging clips, press the Escape key to cancel the operation.

Cakewalk also lets you move and copy clips between projects.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change the Drag and Drop Settings

How to Move Clips Using Drag and Drop

How to Move Clips Using Cut and Paste

How to Move a Clip to a Specific Start Time

How to Copy Clips Using Drag and Drop

How to Copy Clips Using Copy and Paste

How to Delete Clips


To Change the Drag and Drop Settings

1.	Right-click in the clips pane and choose Drag and Drop Options from the menu. Cakewalk displays the Drag and Drop Options dialog box.

2.	Select the options you want.

3.	To display this dialog box every time you drag and drop, check the Ask This Every Time box.

4.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk sets your drag and drop settings accordingly.


To Move Clips Using Drag and Drop

1.	Select the clips you want to move.

2.	Position the mouse over one of the selected clips.

3.	Press and hold down the left mouse button. A rectangle is dis played around the selected clips.

4.	Drag the clips to their new location, and release the mouse but ton.

5.	If necessary, select the options you want from the Drag and Drop Options dialog box, and click OK.

Cakewalk moves the clips to their new location.


To Move Clips Using Cut and Paste

1.	Select the clips you want to move.

2.	Choose Edit-Cut to display the Cut dialog box.

3.	Select the options you want and click OK. Cakewalk cuts the clips from the project and places them on the Windows clip board.

4.	Click in the track pane to set the current track to be the one where clips should be pasted.

5.	Set the Now time to be the time at which the clips should be pasted.

6.	Choose Edit-Paste to display the Paste dialog box.

7.	Select the options you want and click OK.

Cakewalk places the clips in their new location.


To Move a Clip to a Specific Start Time

1.	Select the clip you want to move.

2.	Right-click on the selected clip and choose Properties. Cakewalk opens the Clip Properties dialog box.

3.	Enter a new start time, or use the spinners or keyboard to change the start time.

4.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk moves the clip to the start time you chose.


To Copy Clips Using Drag and Drop

1.	Select the clips you want to copy.

2.	Position the mouse over one of the selected clips.

3.	Press and hold down the Ctrl key.

4.	Press and hold down the left mouse button. A rectangle is dis played around the selected clips.

5.	Drag the clips to their new location, and release the mouse but ton.

6.	If necessary, select the options you want from the Drag and Drop Options dialog box, and click OK.

Cakewalk copies the clips to their new location.


To Copy Clips Using Copy and Paste

1.	Select the clips you want to copy.

2.	Choose Edit-Copy to display the Copy dialog box.

3.	Select the options you want and click OK. Cakewalk copies the clips to the Windows clipboard.

4.	Click in the track pane to set the current track to be the one where clips should be pasted.

5.	Set the Now time to be the time at which the clips should be pasted.

6.	Choose Edit-Paste to display the Paste dialog box.

7.	Select the options you want and click OK.

Cakewalk copies the clips to their new location.


To Delete Clips

1.	Select the clips you want to delete.

2.	Choose Edit-Delete or press Delete.

Cakewalk deletes the selected clips.


Working with Partial Clips

Cakewalk lets you select, copy, move, and delete portions of a project even if they do not match clip boundaries. There are two ways to do this.

•	Directly select portions of one or more clips.

•	Select a range of times and one or more tracks. Cakewalk automatically selects the portions of clips that are in both the selected time range and the selected tracks.

You can then copy, move, or delete the material the same way you do with whole clips. Once you start limiting your selection to partial clips, you cannot select entire clips or tracks in the normal fashion until you completely clear the selection first.

When you select portions of a clip, Cakewalk may round off the start and end times of your selection based on the snap grid. For more information, see Defining and Using the Snap Grid.

When you move, delete, or copy partial clips, you must select one other option:

Option…	How it works…
Split Audio Events	If this option is checked, audio events will automatically be split into parts as needed when you cut, copy, paste, or move them. If this option is not checked, Cakewalk will cut, copy, paste, or move the entire event, even if only a portion is selected.
For step by step instructions:

How to Select a Portion of a Clip

How to Select a Portion of Several Clips

How to Select Partial Clips Using Time Ranges and Tracks

How to Clear the Partial Clip Selection


To Select a Portion of a Clip

1.	Press and hold the Alt key.

2.	Drag the mouse across part of a clip.

Cakewalk highlights the selected portion of the clip. You can edit this portion of the clip using all the normal editing commands.


To Select a Portion of Several Clips

1.	Press and hold the Alt key.

2.	Drag the mouse across part of several clips in adjacent tracks.

Cakewalk highlights the selected portions of all the clips. You can edit these portions of clips using all the normal editing commands.


To Select Partial Clips Using Time Ranges and Tracks

1.	Select a range of time in one of the following ways:

•	Drag the mouse in the time ruler

•	Click between two markers to select the time between the markers

•	Use the F9 and F10 keys to set the beginning and end selection times

•	Select a clip (Cakewalk selects the range of time covered by the clip)

•	Choose Edit-Select-By Time, enter the start and end time, and click OK

2.	Select one or more tracks by clicking, Shift-clicking, or Ctrl-click ing on the track numbers in the Track view.

3.	To adjust the start and end time of the selection, hold the Shift key while clicking on the time ruler.

The relevant portions of clips in the selected tracks are highlighted. You can edit these portions of clips using all the normal editing com mands.


To Clear the Partial Clip Selection

You can clear the time-restricted selection in any of the following ways:

•	Click in an empty area of the clips pane to completely clear the selection

•	Choose Edit-Select-None or press the Num-5 key (the number 5 on the numeric keypad--NumLock must be off) to completely clear the selection

•	Click on a single clip in the clips pane to clear the time selection and select the clip


Markers and the Snap Grid

Cakewalk has a collection of features you can use to simplify and speed the work you do arranging your projects. Here are a few of the most important things you can do:

•	Show gridlines on measure boundaries in the Track view

•	Define and use a snap grid to make drag and drop editing more accurate

•	Create markers to identify and work with key time points in your project

See also:

Showing Gridlines

Defining and Using the Snap Grid

Creating and Using Markers


Showing Gridlines

Displaying gridlines, or vertical rules, in the clips pane of the Track view, makes it easy to see at a glance how clips align with each other, how they align with measure boundaries, and when they start and end.

For step by step instructions:

How to Show or Hide Gridlines


To Show or Hide Gridlines

1.	Right-click on the Track view and choose View Options from the menu.

2.	To show gridlines, check the Display Vertical Rules box. To hide gridlines, make sure the Display Vertical Rules box is not checked.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk displays the Track view as you requested.


Defining and Using the Snap Grid

Cakewalk lets you define a snap grid that makes it easier to arrange clips and select time ranges. To use the snap grid, enable the snap feature and set an interval, such as a whole note, half note, or quarter note. From then on, when you move or copy clips or markers or perform a selection using the time ruler, items will be snapped to the nearest point on the snap grid.

You can also use the grid to move clips by a certain interval, rather than snap them to the interval. Moving by an interval can be useful during drag-and-drop operations, if your events are not exactly aligned with measure or note boundaries.

In addition to choosing a standard note duration for the snap interval, you can also enter a number of clock ticks. At the normal timebase of 120 ticks per quarter note, a sixteenth note snap interval represents 30 ticks.

The snap grid in each view is independent. For example, you can enable the snap grid in the Track view without enabling it in the Piano Roll, Audio, or Staff views. You can also enable the grid in several different views, with different grid intervals in each one.

For step by step instructions:

How to Enable or Disable the Snap Grid

How to Change the Snap Options


To Enable or Disable the Snap Grid

1.	To enable the snap grid, click the [image] button.

2.	To disable the snap grid, click the [image] button once again.


To Change the Snap Options

1.	Shift-click the [image] button to display the Snap to Grid dialog box.

2.	Select the note duration you want, or enter a number of ticks.

3.	Select Snap To to align selections and clips to the grid, or Move By to move clips by the grid interval.

4.	Click OK.

All time selections and drag and drop editing operations use the new snap grid interval.


Creating and Using Markers

Markers are a way of associating a name with a time point in your project. You use markers to name sections of a song, to mark "hit points" in a film score, or simply to provide a shortcut for working with any time point in a project. Markers make it easy to:

•	Jump to a specific time point in a project

•	Select a portion of a project

•	Enter a time in any dialog box, by pressing F5 and selecting the marker you want

You can see and work with markers in four ways:

•	They are displayed in the time ruler at the top of the Track, Audio, Staff, and Piano Roll view

•	The marker toolbar lets you add markers and jump to specific marker locations

•	The Markers view displays all markers and lets you add, edit, and delete markers

•	You can press F11 while playback is in progress to add a marker on the fly

The time associated with a marker can be expressed in musical time or as a locked SMPTE time. If a marker has a musical time (measures, beats, and ticks), the marker stays at that musical time regardless of changes in tempo. If a marker has a locked SMPTE time (hours, minutes, seconds, and frames), the marker stays at the same time even when the tempo is changed.

Cakewalk takes the current snap grid settings into account when you move or copy markers. For example, if the snap grid is set to even measure boundaries, any time you move or copy a marker, the marker will be snapped to the beginning of the nearest measure. You are allowed to have any number of markers at a single time point.

To display the Marker view, choose View-Markers or click [image] on the toolbar. From the Markers view, you can use the File-Print and File-Print Preview commands to print a listing of markers.

You can add markers while playback is stopped, or while playback is in progress ("on the fly"). When you add a marker while playback is stopped, you can enter a name for the marker, and either use the Now time or enter a different time. When you add a marker on the fly, the marker is named automatically and assigned the Now time. Using the Markers view, you can edit the names and times whenever you want.

For step by step instructions:

How to Add a Marker

How to Add a Marker on the Fly

How to Edit a Marker

How to Copy a Marker

How to Lock or Unlock Several Markers

How to Move a Marker

How to Delete a Marker

How to Delete Markers from the Markers View

How to Jump to a Marker

How to Select a Time Range Using Markers


To Add a Marker

1.	There are five ways to add a new marker:

•	Click [image] in the toolbar

•	Press F11

•	Choose Insert-Marker

•	Click [image] in the Markers view

•	Ctrl-click in the marker section of the time ruler

Cakewalk displays the Marker dialog box.

2.	Enter a name for the marker in the Name box.

3.	The time is set to the Now time. If you want, use the spinners to change the time or type a new marker time.

4.	Check the Locked to SMPTE box if you want to lock the marker to the SMPTE time.

5.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk adds the marker and displays it in the time ruler and Mark ers view.


To Add a Marker On the Fly

•	Click [image] in the toolbar, or Press F11.

Cakewalk adds a marker at the Now time, and displays it in the time ruler and Markers view.


To Edit a Marker

1.	Either right-click on the marker in the time ruler, or select a marker in the Markers view and click [image]. Cakewalk displays the Marker dialog box.

2.	Change the marker name, time, or other settings as desired.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk updates the marker in the time ruler and Markers view.


To Copy a Marker

1.	Press and hold the Ctrl key.

2.	Drag a marker in the time ruler of the Track, Audio, Staff, or Piano Roll view. Cakewalk display the Marker dialog box.

3.	Enter the desired marker settings and click OK.

Cakewalk copies the marker and displays it in the time ruler and Markers view. You can also cut and paste markers directly from the markers view.


To Lock or Unlock Several Markers

1.	In the Markers view, select one or more markers. Use the Ctrl and Shift keys if necessary to modify the selection.

2.	Select or deselect [image].

Cakewalk updates the markers.


To Move a Marker

•	Drag the marker in the time ruler.

Cakewalk updates the marker time and shows it at the new location.


To Delete a Marker

1.	Press and hold the left mouse button while pointing to a marker in the time ruler.

2.	Press Delete and release the mouse button.

Cakewalk deletes the marker. You can use Undo if you make a mis take.


To Delete Markers from the Markers View

1.	In the Markers view, select one or more markers. Use the Ctrl and Shift keys if necessary to modify the selection.

2.	Click [image] or press Delete.

Cakewalk deletes the selected markers. You can use Undo if you make a mistake.


To Jump to a Marker

There are many different ways to jump to a specific marker:

•	Select a marker from the drop-down list in the marker toolbar to jump to that marker

•	Click the Now time in the toolbar, press F5 to display a list of markers, select the marker you want, and click OK

•	Press F5 twice to display a list of markers, select the marker you want, and click OK

•	Click on a marker in the Markers view to set the Now time to that marker

•	Click [image] or [image] in the Marker toolbar to jump to the next or previous marker.

•	Choose Go-Next Marker or Go-Previous Marker to jump to the next or previous marker.


To Select a Time Range Using Markers

You can select a range of times by clicking in the marker section of the time ruler:

•	Click to the left of the first marker to select the time between the start of the project and the first marker.

•	Click to the right of the last marker to select the time between the marker and the end of the project.

•	Click between two markers to select the time between the markers.

•	If looping is enabled, click to the right of the Loop Start marker to select the loop region

•	If punch recording is enabled, click to the right of the Punch In marker to select the punch region


Working with Linked Clips

Cakewalk makes it easy to repeat a pattern over and over using a feature called linked clips. Linked clips always have the same contents, name, and display color. Any change you make to one of the clips will automatically apply to all of them. Any number of clips may be linked with each other.

To create linked clips, simply check the linked clips option in the Copy dialog box or the Drag and Drop Options dialog box. Linked clips are displayed with a dotted border, so they are easy to spot. You can also identify linked clips using the Clip Properties dialog box or the Select All Siblings command.

You can easily unlink linked clips, and then edit them individually. You have two options when unlinking linked clips:

Option…	How it works…
New linked group	The clips you selected will still be linked to each other, but won't be linked to any clips that are not selected
Independent	Every selected clip will be completely independent
Once you have unlinked linked clips, you cannot re-link them except by using Undo.

If you attempt to copy only a portion of a linked clip, the copy will not be linked to the original. Copies of a clip can be linked to the original only when you select and copy the entire clip.

For step by step instructions:

How to Make Linked Copies of a Clip Using Drag and Drop

How to Make Linked Copies of a Clip Using Copy and Paste

How to Unlink Linked Clips

How to Select the Clips that are Linked to Another Clip


To Make Linked Copies of a Clip Using Drag and Drop

1.	Right-click in the clips pane and choose Drag and Drop Options to display the Drag and Drop Options dialog box.

2.	Check the option labeled Copy Entire Clips as Linked Clips.

3.	Click OK.

4.	Select the clips you want to copy.

5.	Position the mouse over one of the selected clips.

6.	Press and hold down the Ctrl key.

7.	Press and hold down the left mouse button. A rectangle is dis played around the selected clips.

8.	Drag the clips to their new location, and release the mouse but ton.

9.	If necessary, confirm the options in the Drag and Drop Options dialog box, and click OK.

Cakewalk creates copies of the selected clips that are linked to the originals. Any change you make to one of the clips is applied to all linked clips.


To Make Linked Copies of a Clip Using Copy and Paste

1.	Select the clips you want to copy.

2.	Choose Edit-Copy to display the Copy dialog box.

3.	Make sure you check the option labeled Copy Entire Clips as Linked Clips.

4.	Select other options as desired and click OK. Cakewalk copies the clips to the Windows clipboard.

5.	Click in the track pane to set the current track to be the one where clips should be pasted.

6.	Set the Now time to be the time at which the clips should be pasted.

7.	Choose Edit-Paste to display the Paste dialog box.

8.	Select the options you want and click OK.

Cakewalk creates copies of the selected clips that are linked to the originals. Any change you make to one of the clips is applied to all linked clips. If you make multiple copies, by pasting multiple repeti tions, all copies of the clip will be linked together.


To Unlink Linked Clips

1.	In the Track view, select the clips you want to unlink.

2.	Right-click on any selected clip and choose Unlink from the menu. Cakewalk displays the Unlink Clips dialog box.

3.	Select the unlink option you want, and click OK.

Cakewalk unlinks the clips and updates the Track view accordingly. From now on, any changes you make to one of the clips are applied only to remaining linked clips, if any.


To Select the Clips that are Linked to Another Clip

1.	Select one or more clips in the Track view.

2.	Right-click on any selected clip and choose Select All Siblings from the menu.

Cakewalk selects any clip that is linked to one of the currently selected clips.


Splitting and Combining Clips

Cakewalk provides several commands that are used to split and combine clips. Specifically, you can:

•	Split a clip into several smaller clips

•	Create a new clip from a selected portion of an existing clip

•	Combine adjacent or overlapping clips into a single, longer clip

The following table summarizes the commands you can use:

To do this…	Use this command…	Notes…
Split clips into parts	Split	Works on all selected clips
Create a new clip from part of an exist ing clip	Edit-Create Clips	Erases the selected por tion of the existing clip, and moves the material into a new, separate clip
Combine several clips into one	Combine	If the selected clips are in separate tracks, the new clip is placed in the first of these tracks
The Split command lets you split clips four different ways:

Option…	How it works…
Split at Time	Splits selected clips at a specific point in time. By default, the split occurs at the Now time, but you can choose any time you want
Split Repeatedly	Splits selected clips at regular intervals, beginning at a specified time, with a specified duration. For example, you could split a long clip into 4-bar clips starting at measure 5.
Split at Markers	Splits selected clips at any marker loca tion. This option is available only if your project has markers.
Split when Silent	Removes "silent" stretches of one mea sure or more from selected clips. The presence in a measure of any event including those that make no sound, such as a patch change or lyric event will cause that measure to be retained.
While the Split command works for both MIDI and audio clips, the Split tool in the Audio view provides more precise control that is often required for audio material. In particular, this other command provides sample accurate editing and snap-to-zero capability.

Note that the Undo and Redo commands work with all three of these editing commands.

For step by step instructions:

How to Split Clips into Smaller Clips

How to Combine Clips

How to Split Material into New, Separate Clips


To Split Clips into Smaller Clips

1.	Select the clips you want to split.

2.	Right-click on any selected clip, and choose Split from the menu. Cakewalk shows the Split dialog box.

3.	Select the Split option you want to use, and enter the settings you want to use.

4.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk splits the selected clips according to your instructions.


To Combine Clips

1.	Select the clips you want to combine.

2.	Right-click on any selected clip and choose Combine from the menu.

Cakewalk combines the selected clips into a single, new clip. If the selected clips were on different tracks, the resulting clip is placed in the first of these tracks.


To Split Material into New, Separate Clips

1.	Select a portion of one or more existing clips.

2.	Choose Edit-Create Clips, or right-click on any selected clip and choose Create Clips from the menu.

Cakewalk creates new clips from the selected material.


Tempo Changes

Your project can incorporate all kinds of tempo changes including step changes from one tempo to another, gradual increases (accelerandos) or decreases (ritardandos), or almost any other type of change you can imagine. The tempo changes you add to your song become part of the project, and are saved with the project file.

You can add tempo changes to your project in four ways:

•	Using the Tempo toolbar

•	Using the Insert-Tempo Change and Insert-Series of Tempos commands

•	By drawing tempo changes graphically in the Tempo view

When you change the tempo of a project that contains audio, Cakewalk will, at your option, stretch or shrink the audio wave to fit the new tempo. Otherwise, the MIDI tracks will speed up or slow down while the audio tracks will play at the same speed.

Sometimes you don't want to adjust the speed of your audio. Here are some examples:

•	If your project contains background music and a voice-over, you might want to change the tempo of the background music without altering the voice-over

•	If you're trying to modify the speed of some MIDI tracks to match a sampled drum groove, you want to leave the audio unchanged

When you insert a tempo change using a dialog box, the Stretch Audio checkbox lets you decide whether or not to stretch or shrink the audio portions of your project. You can also designate that an audio clip should never be stretched by setting the track patch to be "Unstretchable."

See also:

Using the Tempo Toolbar

Using the Tempo Commands

Using the Tempo View


Using the Tempo Toolbar

The Tempo toolbar displays the current tempo, and lets you change the tempo. When you enter a new tempo directly in the toolbar, you change the most recent tempo setting in the project.

The tempo ratio buttons temporarily change the speed of playback, without affecting the actual tempo that is stored with your song. During playback, the tempo is multiplied by the current tempo ratio. By default, the three tempo ratios are 0.50 (half speed), 1.00 (normal speed) and 2.00 (double speed). You can change the tempo ratios that are associated with each button.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change the Current Tempo in the Tempo Toolbar

How to Set the Tempo Ratio

How to Change the Tempo Ratio Values


To Change the Current Tempo in the Tempo Toolbar

1.	Click on the current tempo in the Tempo toolbar.

2.	Type a new value or use the spinners to change the tempo value.

3.	Press Enter.

Cakewalk changes the current tempo to the desired value. If Stretch Audio is enabled, after a ¾ second delay, Cakewalk shrinks or stretches the song's audio events to conform to the new tempo. Lowering the tempo will shrink the audio; raising the tempo will stretch the audio.


To Set the Tempo Ratio

You can set the tempo ratio in several ways:

•	Click one of the tempo ratio buttons.

•	Choose Realtime-Tempo Ratio 1, 2, or 3.

•	Press Ctrl-1, Ctrl-2, or Ctrl-3.

Cakewalk changes the speed of playback.


To Change the Tempo Ratio Values

1.	Shift-click one of the tempo ratio buttons to display the Tempo Ratio dialog box.

2.	Enter a new value for the tempo ratio.

3.	Click OK.

From now on, that tempo ratio button uses the ratio you entered.


Using the Tempo Commands

The Insert-Tempo Change and Insert-Series of Tempos commands can be used to change the existing tempo of a project or to introduce one or more tempo changes at various points in the project. You can enter tempo values directly, introduce smooth increase or decreases in tempo, or even use your mouse to "tap out" the tempo you want for some portion of a project.

For step by step instructions:

How to Insert a Tempo Change

How to Insert a Series of Tempos

How to Modify the Most Recent Tempo Change


To Insert a Tempo Change (Using the Tempo Commands)
To Insert a Tempo Change

1.	Click [image] in the toolbar or choose Insert-Tempo Change to display the Tempo dialog box.

2.	Check the Insert a New Tempo box.

3.	Enter a new tempo in one of the following ways:

•	Type a value in the Tempo field

•	Click the arrows to change the value

•	Tap a new tempo in the space indicated in the dialog box

4.	Enter a starting time for the new tempo.

5.	Check the Stretch Audio option if you want audio to be modified.

6.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk inserts a tempo change at the designated time point.


To Insert a Series of Tempos

1.	Choose Insert-Series of Tempos to display the Insert Series of Tempos dialog box.

2.	Enter a starting tempo, ending tempo, and step size.

3.	Enter a starting and ending time for the series of tempo changes.

4.	Check the Stretch Audio option if you want audio to be modified.

5.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk erases any existing tempo changes between the starting and ending time, and inserts a series of tempo changes that change smoothly between the starting and ending time. This command never inserts more than one tempo change on the same clock tick.


To Modify the Most Recent Tempo Change

1.	Choose Insert-Tempo Change to display the Tempo dialog box.

2.	Check the Change the Most Recent Tempo box.

3.	Enter a new tempo in one of the following ways:

•	Type a value in the Tempo field

•	Click the arrows to change the value

•	Tap a new tempo in the space indicated in the dialog box

4.	Check the Stretch Audio option if you want audio to be modified.

5.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk changes the most recent tempo to the new value.


Using the Tempo View

The Tempo view provides a graphic display of the tempo. In the Tempo view you can use your mouse to draw tempo changes directly onto the graph. Choose View-Tempo or click [image] on the toolbar to display the Tempo view.

If an entire project has a single tempo, the graph shows a straight horizontal line.

The [image] button in the toolbar determines whether or not audio will be modified. If the button is depressed, audio will be stretched when you introduce tempo changes. If not, audio material will not be affected by tempo changes.

The Tempo view has several tools you can use to add or modify tempo changes:

Tool…	Name…	What it's for…
	Line	Draw a straight line indicating a steady increase or decrease in tempo
	Draw	Draw a custom curve indicating changes in tempo
	Erase	Eliminate tempo changes already in place for some portion of a project
If you make a mistake using any of these tools, you can use Undo to correct the error. When you use the Draw tool, the speed with which you drag the mouse determines the density of tempo events. To insert a larger number of relatively small tempo changes, move the mouse slowly. To insert a smaller number of relatively large tempo changes, drag the mouse quickly.

For step by step instructions:

How to Insert a Tempo Change in the Graph

How to Steadily Increase or Decrease the Tempo

How to Draw a Series of Tempo Changes

How to EraseTempo Changes


To Insert a Tempo Change in the Graph

1.	Select the [image] tool or the [image] tool.

2.	Click in the graph at any desired time point and tempo level.

Cakewalk introduces a tempo change at the indicated point.


To Steadily Increase or Decrease the Tempo

1.	Select the [image] tool.

2.	Drag a line in the graph from the starting time and tempo to the ending time and tempo.

Cakewalk introduces a series of tempo changes.


To Draw a Series of Tempo Changes

1.	Select the [image] tool.

2.	Drag the cursor across the graph, adjusting the tempo level as you move left to right.

Cakewalk introduces a series of tempo changes.


To Erase Tempo Changes

1.	Select the [image] tool.

2.	Drag the mouse over the graph to highlight the region you want to erase in red.

3.	Release the mouse button when you have highlighted the desired region.

Cakewalk deletes all tempo changes in the area you marked. The last tempo setting prior to the erased region will now be in effect in that region.


More About Editing

Cakewalk lets you edit the events in your songs in dozens of different ways. The Piano Roll view lets you add and edit notes, controllers, and automation data interactively, using a graphic display. Cakewalk's many editing commands can improve the quality of recorded performances, filter out certain types of events, and modify the tempos and dynamics of your songs. Finally, the Event List view lets you see and modify every detail of your project.

Cakewalk has many additional commands and features for working with audio. For more information, see Audio Editing.

See also:

The Piano Roll View

Selecting and Editing Events

Changing the Timing of a Recording

Searching for Events

Controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, and Automation Data

The Event List View

MIDI Effects


The Piano Roll View

The Piano Roll view displays all notes and other events from a single track in a grid format that looks much like a player piano roll. Notes are displayed as horizontal bars, and drum notes as diamonds. Pitch runs from bottom to top, with the left vertical margin indicating the pitches as piano keys or note names. Time is displayed running left to right with vertical measure and beat boundaries. The Piano Roll view makes it easy to add, edit, and delete notes from a track.

The Piano Roll view has two panes: the note pane and the controllers pane. When you first open a Piano Roll window, the note pane is full-size and the controllers pane is hidden at the bottom. Double-click the gray splitter bar to maximize the controllers pane, or drag the splitter bar as high as you want.

See also:

Opening the view

Selecting and Editing Notes

Percussion, Drum Notes, and Note Names

Controllers Pane


Opening the view

There are four ways to open the Piano Roll view:

•	Select the track you want to see, then click

•	Select the track you want to see, then choose View-Piano Roll

•	Right-click on a track and choose Piano Roll from the pop-up menu

•	Double-click on a MIDI clip in the Clips pane

If several tracks are selected, the current track is displayed. You can always switch to a different track--simply click the [image] button (or press T) and select the track you want. If you pick a blank track, Cakewalk creates a new track automatically.

The Piano Roll view lets you edit notes and controllers during playback or recording, in real time. This means you can loop over a portion of your project, and hear any change you make on the next loop. The Piano Roll view also shows notes on-screen as you record them.

Like the Track view, the Piano Roll view includes zoom tools that let you change the vertical and horizontal scale of the view. The Piano Roll view also has a Snap to Grid button. For more information on this feature, see Defining and Using the Snap Grid.


Selecting and Editing Notes

The Piano Roll view is a very convenient place to select, edit, and copy notes within a single track. There are several ways to select notes in the Piano Roll view:

•	Click and drag in the time ruler to select notes (and other MIDI events) that start playing within the time range

•	Use the Select tool [image] to select notes

•	Click or drag the piano "keys" to select all notes of the given pitch(es)

You can use Shift-Click to add notes to the selection, and Ctrl-Click to toggle between adding to or removing from the selection.

You can add notes to a clip simply by clicking in the note pane with the pencil tool. Cakewalk remembers the velocity, duration, and channel of the note that you most recently moved, edited, or deleted, and uses these same characteristics for new notes automatically. You can edit notes freely, using the mouse to change the start time, pitch, or duration. You can also right-click on any note to edit the start time, pitch, duration, velocity and channel of that note. You can move and copy notes beyond the boundary of the clip in which they are located. When you drop the notes, they will be placed into whatever clip occupies the time at which you dropped them.

The Piano Roll view also lets you scrub the track that is currently displayed. The scrub tool lets you drag a vertical bar over the view so that you can hear the notes in the track. You can scrub forward or backward at any speed. Scrubbing can be handy when you want to locate a bad note, or listen to the effects of changes you have made, without playing back at normal speed.

For step by step instructions:

How to Select Notes with the Selection Tool

How to Select All Notes of Certain Pitches

How to Edit a Note

How to Change Note Velocity or Channel

How to Move Notes

How to Copy Notes

How to Add a Note

How to Erase a Note

How to Erase Several Notes

How to Select and Erase Notes

How to "Scrub" the Song


To Select Notes with the Selection Tool

1.	Click [image] to select the Select tool.

2.	Select notes as shown in the table:

To do this...	Do this...
Select a single note	Click on the note
Select several notes at once	Drag a rectangle around the notes you want to select
Add to the selection	Hold the Shift key while selecting notes
Toggle the selection	Hold the Ctrl key while selecting notes
Selected notes are highlighted in the Piano Roll view, and the time selection is set to the range of note start times.


To Select All Notes of Certain Pitches

Click on the piano keys or note names on the left side of the note pane as shown in the table:

To do this...	Do this...
Select all notes of a single pitch	Click on the piano key or note name
Select all notes of several pitches	Drag a across the keys or note names
Add to the selection	Hold the Shift key while clicking on a piano key or note name
Toggle the selection	Hold the Ctrl key while clicking on a piano key or note name


To Edit a Note

1.	Click [image] to select the Draw tool.

2.	Edit notes as described in the table:

To do this...	Do this...
Change the start time	Drag the left edge of the note ineither direction. The note duration stays the same, but the start time is shifted.
Change the pitch	Drag the middle of the note up or down
Change the duration	Drag the right edge of the note in either direction
If the snap grid is enabled and set to Snap To, the start time of each note is restricted to points on the snap grid, and the length of each note is restricted to an even multiple of the snap increment. For example, if the snap increment is set to a quarter note, you can move notes only to quarter-note boundaries, and you can increase or decrease the duration only by quarter notes. If the snap grid is set to Move By, notes can only be moved by multiples of the snap increment.


To Change Note Velocity or Channel

1.	Right-click a single note to display the Note Properties dialog box.

2.	Edit the start time, pitch, duration, velocity, or channel as desired.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk updates the note event accordingly. Note that you can also edit note velocity in the controllers pane. For more information, see Velocity, Pitch Wheel, and Aftertouch.


To Move Notes

1.	Click [image] or press S to select the Select tool.

2.	Select one or more notes.

3.	Drag the selected notes to a new location.

4.	If necessary, set Drag and Drop options in the Drag and Drop dialog box.

Cakewalk moves the selected notes.


To Copy Notes

1.	Click [image] or press S to select the Select tool.

2.	Select one or more notes.

3.	Press and hold the Ctrl key.

4.	Drag the selected notes to a new location.

5.	If necessary, set Drag and Drop options in the Drag and Drop dialog box.

Cakewalk copies the selected notes.


To Add a Note

1.	Click [image] or press D to select the Draw tool.

2.	Press and hold the left mouse button in the Piano Roll view. Cakewalk adds a new note.

3.	Drag the note to the desired location.

4.	Release the left mouse button.


To Erase a Note

1.	Click [image] or press E to select the Erase tool.

2.	Click on any note to delete it.


To Erase Several Notes

1.	Click [image] or press E to select the Erase tool.

2.	Drag the cursor across notes to delete them.

3.	Release the mouse button when you are done.


To Select and Erase Notes

1.	Click [image] or press S to select the Select tool.

2.	Select one or more notes.

3.	Press the Delete key to delete the notes.


To "Scrub" the Song

1.	Click [image] or press B to select the Scrub tool.

2.	Press and hold the left mouse button in the Piano Roll view. Cakewalk displays a vertical line and plays any notes that are underneath the line.

3.	Drag the line to the left or right, at any desired speed.


Percussion, Drum Notes, and Note Names

If you are editing a track that is routed to a percussion instrument, the Piano Roll view automatically configures itself in drum mode. In drum mode, the piano "keys" are replaced by the names of the various percussion instruments. This means it is easy to change percussion notes from one instrument to another, or to select and edit the notes played by a single percussion instrument.

You can also manually reconfigure the view to display in drum mode or to use note names that are defined as part of any instrument definition. For more information about instrument definitions, see Instrument Definitions.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change to/from Drum Mode


To Change to/from Drum Mode

1.	Right-click on the left side of the note pane (where the piano keys or note names are displayed) to display the Note Names and Drum Mode dialog box.

2.	To use the note names from the assigned instrument (the default), click Use the Assigned Instrument Settings. Click Configure to change the instrument definitions.

3.	To override the default setting, click Use These Settings Instead, and select the note names and mode you want to work with.

4.	To display diamond-shaped notes instead of rectangular boxes, check the Drum Mode box.

5.	Click OK when you are done

The Piano Roll view is updated with the settings you request.


Controllers Pane

The controllers pane, the lower half of the Piano Roll view, lets you edit MID, controller, velocity, pitch wheel, and other data. For more information, see Controllers, RPNs, NPRNs, and Automation Data.


Selecting and Editing Events

Cakewalk has many other editing commands that you can use to modify the events that make up your project. Here are some of the things you can do:

•	Transpose events, clips, tracks or an entire project to a different key

•	Shift events to an earlier or later time

•	Stretch or shrink material to a different length

•	Modify the note velocities

The following sections describe these editing commands and how to use them. Cakewalk also has some special commands you can use to modify or "clean up" a performance, or to search for or select events that meet certain criteria. For more information, see the topics listed below.

See also:

Transposing

Shifting Events in Time

Inserting Measures into a Project

Stretching and Shrinking Events

Adding Crescendos and Descrescendos


Transposing

The Edit-Transpose command transposes the pitches of note events up or down by a fixed number of steps. It does so by changing the MIDI key numbers of note events. Simply enter the number of half-steps--a negative number to transpose down, a positive number to transpose up.

Cakewalk can also perform diatonic transposition, which shifts all the notes up and down the major scale of the current signature by the designated number of steps. For instance, if you specify an amount of +1 and the key signature is C-major, a C becomes a D (up a whole step), an E becomes an F (up a half step), and so on. Diatonic transposition assures you that the transposed notes fit with the original key signature.

As an option, you can choose to transpose selected audio clips along with any selected MIDI clips. Cakewalk uses pitch-shifting to perform the transposition. You can transpose audio only a single octave in either direction (-12 to +12), and you cannot transpose audio when you are using diatonic transposition.

For step by step instructions:

How to Transpose Selected Events


To Transpose Selected Events

1.	Select the tracks, clips, or events you want to transpose.

2.	Choose Edit-Transpose to display the Transpose dialog box.

3.	Use the spinners or enter the number of steps to transpose.

4.	Check Diatonic Math if you want to transpose along the major scale of the current key.

5.	Select Transpose Audio if you want to pitch-shift selected audio clips.

6.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk transposes the selected events.


Shifting Events in Time

The Track view lets you move entire clips forward or backward in time either using drag and drop editing, or by changing the start time of selected clips. The Edit-Slide command is slightly more flexible--you can use it to shift individual events and markers (or selected events and markers) either forward or backward in time. This has an effect that is similar to the Time+ parameter in the Track view. However, the Edit-Slide command modifies the time stored with each event, while the Time+ parameter simply applies a temporary change during playback.

You can also use the Edit-Slide command to move markers located within the selection. If you have selected any locked markers, Cakewalk will ask whether they should slide too.

For step by step instructions:

How to Shift Events in Time


To Shift Events in Time

1.	Select the events and/or markers you want to shift.

2.	Choose Edit-Slide to display the Slide dialog box.

3.	Check the types of event you want to slide (events and/or markers)

4.	Entire the number of measures, ticks, seconds, or frames to slide. Enter a negative number to shift material earlier.

5.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk shifts the selected events and/or markers. Note that you cannot slide any event earlier than 1:01:000. For example, if the current selection starts at 2:01:000, you cannot slide events earlier by more than one measure.


Inserting Measures into a Project

The Insert-Time/Measures command lets you insert any number of blank measures, ticks, seconds, or frames into a project. You can insert the blank measures (or other period of time) into all tracks or into one or more selected tracks. If you insert the blank time into the entire project, all events in each track--markers, meter and key settings, and tempo changes--are shifted automatically by default. If you insert the blank time into one or more selected tracks, only the events in those tracks are shifted by default. You can always choose which types of events should be shifted.

For step by step instructions:

How to Insert a Single Blank Measure into a Project

How to Insert Blank Time or Measures into a Project

How to Insert Blank Time or Measures into Selected Tracks


To Insert a Single Blank Measure into a Project

1.	Press the 5 key on the numeric keypad to make sure that no track or time range is selected.

2.	Set the Now time to the place where you want to insert the measure.

3.	Choose Insert-Time/Measures to display the Insert Time/Measures dialog box.

4.	Verify that the settings are correct and click OK.

Cakewalk inserts a blank measure at the Now time.


To Insert Blank Time or Measures into a Project

1.	Press the 5 key on the numeric keypad to make sure that no track or time range is selected.

2.	Select the range of time you want to insert by dragging in the time ruler.

3.	Choose Insert-Time/Measures to display the Insert Time/Measures dialog box.

4.	If necessary, adjust the time at which blank space will be inserted.

5.	Choose the length of time to insert by entering a number and selecting the units you want from the list.

6.	Select the types of events that should be shifted automatically from the Slide list.

7.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk inserts the desired amount of blank time into the project.


To Insert Blank Time or Measures into Selected Tracks

1.	Select the range of time you want to insert by dragging in the time ruler.

2.	Select one or more tracks by clicking on the track numbers.

3.	Choose Insert-Time/Measures to display the Insert Time/Measures dialog box.

4.	If necessary, adjust the time at which blank space will be inserted.

5.	Choose the length of time to insert by entering a number and selecting the units you want from the list.

6.	Select the types of events that should be shifted automatically from the Slide list.

7.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk inserts the desired amount of blank time into the project.


Stretching and Shrinking Events

The Edit-Length command can be used to stretch or shrink a portion of a project. Edit-Length lets you stretch or shrink the selection by a fixed percentage and makes the adjustment by altering the individual events. A value of 200 percent, for example, stretches the selection to twice its original length, while a value of 50 percent shrinks the selection to half its original length.

This command offers the option to stretch audio events along with the MIDI information. Sometimes you don't want to adjust the speed of your audio. Here are some examples:

•	If your project contains background music and a voice-over, you might want to change the tempo of the background music without altering the voice-over

•	If you're trying to modify the speed of some MIDI tracks to match a sampled drum groove, you want to leave the audio unchanged

•	If your audio consists solely of sound effects, you most likely do not want to adjust them

Audio can be stretched or condensed up to a factor of 4 (e.g., it can be shrunk to as little as 25 percent of its original length, or expanded to as much as 400 percent of its original length).

You can also use the Edit-Length command to alter only the start times or the durations of notes. For example, changing the durations of notes to 50 percent of their original length can create a staccato effect.

For step by step instructions:

How to Stretch or Shrink Using Percentages


To Stretch or Shrink Using Percentages

1.	Select the events you want to change.

2.	Choose Edit-Length to display the Length dialog box.

3.	Choose to change the Start Times and/or Durations of selected notes by checking the boxes.

4.	If you want to stretch selected audio events, check the Stretch Audio box.

5.	Use the spinners or type in the desired percent change in length.

6.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk modifies the length of selected events.


Adding Crescendos and Decrescendos

You can edit note velocities in the controllers pane of the Piano Roll view, which lets you draw shapes other than straight line changes. For more information, see Using the Controllers Pane.


Changing the Timing of a Recording

When you record a performance, there can easily be systematic problems you'd like to correct. For example, the note timing may not have been as accurate as you would like. Or, you may have recorded without using a metronome, and strayed from the tempo in one direction or another.

Cakewalk lets you modify the timing of a clip. The Quantize command alters the timing of the notes in your recording so that they fit a time grid. The grid can have fixed time intervals, or intervals that are based on some existing note pattern.

See also:

Quantizing


Quantizing

Quantizing is one of the most important editing functions in Cakewalk. You use this feature to correct timing errors you make when recording from a MIDI instrument, or to adjust the timing of audio events.

Very few musicians are capable of performing in perfect time. As you play, you are likely to strike some notes slightly before or after the beat, or to hold some notes slightly longer than you intended. The Quantize command can help to correct these types of timing mistakes. Quantize adjusts the start time and duration of selected notes so that they line up with a fixed size grid

This command has quite a few settings, making it very flexible and powerful. In addition, it lets you create, save, and re-use presets. This means that once you find the settings you like, you can save them and then apply them to other projects in a consistent way.

Settings:

Resolution

Offset

Duration

Strength

Swing

Window

Other Settings

For step by step instructions:

How to Use the Quantize Command


Resolution

The resolution indicates the spacing of the grid. You can use any value from a whole note down to a thirty-second note triplet. You can also specify resolution in clock ticks. A rule of thumb is to select a resolution that matches the smallest note in the region you are quantizing. If you are quantizing a run of sixteenth notes, use a sixteenth note as the resolution. If you are quantizing a mix of sixteenth and eighth notes, you should still use a sixteenth note.


Offset

Normally, the resolution grid is aligned evenly with the start of measures and beats. As an option, you can shift the grid earlier or later by any desired number of clock ticks. If the resolution is a quarter note, and you've set the offset to +3 ticks, then a note that is originally near 1:01:000 would be moved to 1:01:003--three ticks beyond the beat boundary.


Duration

As an option, Cakewalk can adjust the duration of note events so that each note ends one clock tick before the start of the nearest resolution-sized note. This ensures that the notes do not overlap, which can cause problems on some synthesizers. The adjustment may lengthen the duration of some notes, and shorten the duration of others.


Strength

The human ear is tuned to the slight "imperfections" we hear from most musicians. If you quantize a song so that all notes are perfectly in position, it may end up sounding mechanical or rigid. To avoid this, Cakewalk lets you adjust the strength of the adjustment. A strength of 100 percent indicates that all notes are moved so that they are in perfect time, while a strength of 50 percent means that all notes are moved half-way towards the desired position. This lets you "tighten up" the timing as much as you want, without going too far.


Swing

Many songs do not have notes positioned on a perfectly even time grid. For example, songs with a "swing" feel, though they may be written all using eighth notes, are often played more like eighth note triplets, with the first note extended and the second one shortened. The swing option lets you distort the timing grid so each pair of notes is spaced unevenly, giving the quantized material a swing feel.

A swing value of 50 percent (the default) means that the grid points are spaced evenly. A value of 67 percent means that the time between the first and second grid points is twice as long as the time between the second and third points.


Window

When you quantize some portion of a song, notes that are very far from the grid should probably not be moved at all. The window, or sensitivity setting lets you decide how close to the resolution grid a note must be located for quantize to move it.

A window of 100 percent includes all notes, and guarantees that all notes will be shift to lie exactly on the grid. The window extends half the resolution distance before and after the quantization point. A window of 50 percent extends only a quarter of the way toward the adjacent quantization points.


Other Settings

Like many other editing commands, the Quantize command has an option to stretch audio. This option changes the duration of audio events as if they were MIDI notes. If you want, you can also restrict the types of events that are affected by the quantize commands to only notes, lyrics, and audio events. If you select this option, Cakewalk will not modify other events, like controllers.


To Use the Quantize Command

1.	Select the material you want to quantize using any of the selection tools and commands.

2.	Choose Edit-Quantize to display the Quantize dialog box.

3.	Select a preset from the list, or enter the settings you want according to the table:

Setting...	What to do...
Resolution	Select a note size or enter the number of clock ticks
Change	Check the event types and characteristics you want to change
Options	Enter values for Strength, Swing, Window, and Offset
4.	Click Audition if you want to hear how the quantization will sound; press Stop to stop auditioning the change.

5.	Make adjustments as necessary.

6.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk quantizes the selected MIDI information and audio event. You can use Undo to restore the material to its original state.


Searching For Events

The events in a project have many different parameters. For example, all MIDI notes have a channel, starting time, pitch, velocity, and duration. Controllers have a controller number and value. Cakewalk makes it simple to find, select, and modify events that have certain values for specific attributes. Here are some of the things you can do, and the commands that you would use:

Action...	Command...
Search through a song to find the first event that has specific attributes, and then search again to find the next such event	Go-Search, Go-Search Next
Select all the events in a song that have the specified attributes	Edit-Select by Filter
Modify an existing selection to keep only those events that have the specified attributes	Edit-Select by Filter
These capabilities can help you find problem spots or errors in a project, or make systematic changes to events that have particular attributes. All of these capabilities rely on the use of an event filter, which lets you select the types of events you want to work with, and the range of values in which you are interested.

See also:

Event Filters

Searching for an Event

Selecting Events

Example - Splitting Left-Hand and Right-Hand Parts


Event Filters

When you select individual clips, or select portions of clips by dragging the time ruler, you automatically select all the events that fall within the designated time range. Sometimes you need finer control over which events are selected. For example, you might want to:

•	select the notes that are played in a certain octave, so you can copy them to another track

•	select notes that have a velocity below a certain threshold

•	find the first patch change event on a particular track

•	select all notes that occur on the 3rd beat of any measure

Different types of event have different parameters, as shown in the table:

This event type...	Has these parameters...
Note	Pitch, velocity and duration
Key Aftertouch	Pitch and pressure value
Controller	Controller number and value
xRPN	xRPN number and value
Patch Change	Bank and patch numbers
Channel Aftertouch	Pressure value
Pitch Wheel	Value
The event filter only accepts events that meet all the specified ranges. This means that a note event must fall within the pitch range, the velocity range, and the duration range in order to be included. The event filter can also be used to accept events that occur in a range of channel numbers, beats, and clock ticks.

You can choose either to include or to exclude the events that meet the specified criteria. To exclude events within the designated range, and select the ones outside the designated range, check the exc checkbox for that value range.

The event filter can also be used to identify several "special" event types: audio, System Exclusive events, Lyrics, MCI commands, and a few others. You do not enter a range of values for these "special" events; Cakewalk finds all events of the types you select.

The All and None buttons help you set up the event filter the way you want:

Click this button...	To do this...
All	Set the event filter to include all events. You can then modify the value ranges to narrow down your search, or uncheck the types of events you want to exclude.
None	Set the event filter to not include any events. Starting from a blank slate, you can check off the types of events you want to find or select, and enter the desired ranges of values.
In any place in the event filter where you would normally enter a pitch string, you can also enter the pitch by pressing a key on your MIDI keyboard. Also, you can use the question mark in place of the octave number as a "wild card." This lets the event filter accept a single note, regardless of the octave. For example, the pitch string "C?" will match a C in any octave. Use wild card octave numbers only for the minimum range value. The maximum value is not needed and its value is ignored.


Searching for an Event

The Go-Search command is used to find the next event (searching forward from the Now time) that meets the criteria you lay out in an event filter. Once you have found the first such event, you can find the next event that meets the criteria using the Go-Search Again command (or by pressing F3).

For step by step instructions:

How to Search for an Event


To Search for an Event

1.	Choose Go-Search to display the Event Filter dialog box.

2.	Set up the event filter to find the events you want.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk finds the next event that meets the criteria, and sets the Now time to the start time of that event. To find the next occurrence, press F3 or choose Go-Search Again.


Selecting Events

The Edit-Select by Filter command is used to refine a selection by applying an event filter to an initial selection. You can use this command any number of times to refine the selection even further. Before using this command, use any of the selection commands and tools to create an initial set of selected event. You can use the Edit-Select All command to select all events in the current view.

The Track view cannot display individual selected events. As a result, the Edit-Select by Filter command will not necessarily change the appearance of the Track view. Cakewalk applies the event filter rule, but the change is not visible. However, once you change the selection in any way (for example, by clicking on a track number, or by clicking in the time ruler), the effects of the event filter are erased. If you want to use the filter, you must choose Edit-Select-by Filter again, and click OK to use the same filter values.

Note: The shading of a clip in the Track view indicates how many of the events in the clip are selected. If the clip is shown in solid black, all events in the clip are selected. If a portion of a clip is shown in medium gray, all the events in that time range are selected. If the clip is shown in light gray, only some of the events in the shaded time range are selected.

For step by step instructions:

How to Select Events Using the Event Filter

Example - Splitting Left-Hand and Right-Hand Parts


To Select Events Using the Event Filter

1.	First, select an initial set of tracks, clips, or events.

2.	Choose Edit-Select-by Filter to display the Event Filter dialog box.

3.	Set up the event filter to find the events you want.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk searches the currently selected events, and weeds out those that do not meet the requirements of the event filter.


Example - Splitting Left-Hand and Right-Hand Parts

Suppose you recorded a keyboard riff on Track 1, but want to split the left and right hands apart into separate tracks so you can edit them separately. Suppose that all the right-hand notes are above C4. Here's how to proceed:

1.	Select all of Track 1 by clicking on the track number in the Track view.

2.	Choose Edit-Select-By Filter to display the Event Filter dialog box.

3.	Click the None button to clear the dialog box.

4.	Check the Note checkbox, and enter a minimum value of C4. The maximum should already be set to C9.

5.	Click OK. Cakewalk selects all the notes from C4 up.

6.	Choose Edit-Cut to move the selected notes to the clipboard.

7.	Choose Edit-Paste and paste the events to a different track.


Controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, and Automation Data

Cakewalk projects contain a lot more information than the notes and digital audio files that are at the heart of your work. Controllers, RPNs and NRPNs (xRPNs, for short) are special types of events used by MIDI software and hardware to control the details of how MIDI music is played. Automation data are used to adjust volume, pan, and other parameters of MIDI and audio tracks on the fly, while playback is in progress.

Cakewalk lets you enter or edit controller, xRPN, and automation data in several ways:

•	Using the Controllers pane in the Piano Roll view

•	Using the Insert-Series of Controllers command

•	Using the automation features of the Console view and StudioWare panels

•	Event by event in the Event List view

Editing these data in the Controllers pane gives you the most flexibility. You can examine the controllers in graphical form, and edit them even while recording or playback is in progress. This means you can loop over a portion of your project, and hear any change you make on the next loop.

For more information on automation, see Mixing and StudioWare. For more information about the Event List view, see The Event List View.

See also:

Controllers

RPNs and NRPNs

Automation Data

Velocity, Pitch Wheel, and Aftertouch

Using the Controllers Pane


Controllers

Controllers are pedals, knobs, and wheels on your electronic instrument that you use to change the sound while you're playing. For example, a sustain pedal and a modulation wheel are two controllers commonly found on keyboards.

Controllers let you control the detail and character of your music. Say you're playing a guitar sound on your synthesizer, but it sounds lifeless and dull. That's partly because a guitar player doesn't just play notes one after another--he often bends or slides on the strings to put emotion into his playing. You can use controllers in the same way, creating bends, volume swells, and other effects that make sounds more realistic and more fun to listen to.

Your computer can work the controllers on your electronic instrument by sending MIDI Controller messages. The MIDI specification allows for 128 different types of controllers, many of which are used for standard purposes. For example, controller 7 is normally used for volume events, and controller 10 is normally used for pan. Every controller can take on a value ranging from 0 to 127.

The Piano Roll toolbar contains several drop-down lists that let you select the controller you want to see and edit. The contents of these lists depend on the port and channel settings, and on the instrument assigned to that port and channel. Different instruments use controllers in different ways. Cakewalk lets you use instrument definitions to define the names that go with each controller number. For more information on instrument definitions, see Instrument Definitions.

Note: Cakewalk has automatic searchback for all continuous controller data, to ensure that the correct controller values are in effect regardless of where you start playback. Suppose you start playback halfway through a song. Cakewalk searches back from that point to find any earlier controller values that should still apply.


RPNs and NRPNs

RPNs (Registered Parameter Numbers) and NRPNs (Non-Registered Parameter Numbers) are similar to controllers, except that both the parameter number and data value can be any number between 0 and 16,383.

When RPNs and NRPNs are transmitted via MIDI or stored in a standard MIDI file, they are converted into four separate controller messages. Cakewalk detects incoming xRPN messages from MIDI inputs or files and reassembles them into a single RPN or NRPN event. This provides the convenience of single RPN or NRPN events in Cakewalk plus compatibility with existing files, equipment, and software. The following table shows the controller numbers Cakewalk uses for RPN and NRPN events:

Message	Parameter Number MSB Controller	Parameter Number LSB Controller	Data Value MSB Controller	Data Value LSB Controller
RPN	101	100	6	38
NRPN	99	98	6	38


Automation Data

Both the Console view and the StudioWare view allow you to record automation data that define changes in volume and pan throughout a project. The automation data can include step changes recorded using the snapshot button, or continuous changes recorded while using the knobs, faders, and buttons.


Velocity, Pitch Wheel, and Aftertouch

Cakewalk lets you display and edit several other types of data the same way you do controller data. These data include:

•	MIDI note velocities

•	MIDI pitch wheel or pitch-bend messages

•	MIDI channel aftertouch (ChanAft) values

•	MIDI key aftertouch (KeyAft) values

Remember that note velocity is an attribute of each note, and not a completely separate event. You cannot add or remove velocity events in the Controllers pane, but you can use the line and draw tools to adjust the velocity values for existing notes. You can edit individual note velocities in the Note Properties dialog box, described in Changing Note Properties.


Using the Controllers Pane

The Controllers pane is the most powerful and flexible way to edit controller, RPN, NRPN, automation, velocity, pitch wheel and aftertouch data. The Controllers pane is the lower half of the Piano Roll view.

The Controllers pane looks like a graph; the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the event values. Each event appears as a single vertical line, and the height of this line shows the value of the event. The Controllers pane shows events for all the clips in a single track. You can only see one type of controller at a time, and you can only see the events on a single MIDI channel. The exception is velocity data, which are not channel specific. You can zoom in and out on the Controllers pane using the zoom and unzoom buttons on the toolbar. To zoom all the way in or out in a single step, hold the Shift key while you click on the tool.

Selection methods in the Controllers pane are similar to those in other views. Here is a summary:

•	Click on a controller to select it

•	Shift-click to add other controllers to the selection

•	Ctrl-click to toggle the selection state of a controller

•	Drag a rectangle around several controllers to select them

•	Click and drag in the time ruler to select all controllers in a time range

•	Click between two markers to select the controllers that lie between the markers

The Controllers pane has several tools you can use to add or modify events:

Tool...	Name...	What it's for...
	Select	Select controller events, so you can delete them
	Line	Draw a straight line indicating a steady increase or decrease in controller value
	Draw	Draw a custom curve indicating changes in controller value
	Erase	Erase controller changes already in place
Note that you can also add controllers using the Insert-Series of Controllers command. If you make a mistake using any of these tools or commands, you can use Undo to correct the error.

When you use the Draw tool, the speed with which you drag the mouse determines the density of controller events. To insert a larger number of controller events with relatively small changes in value, move the mouse slowly. To insert a smaller number of controller events with relatively large changes in value, drag the mouse quickly.

Creating a change that sounds smooth does not always require making the value change by one on each tick. Bigger jumps may sound very gradual if the tempo is fast. Also, many devices round off the Controller values. For example, many instruments respond to volume controller values of 100 and 101 with exactly the same loudness. Using too high a density of Controller events can backfire by making the computer work so hard during playback that it is unable to keep up. This will usually cause hiccups or poor timing during playback.

Note: Cakewalk includes a CAL program (Thin Controller Data.CAL) you can use to reduce the density of controller events in a track.

For step by step instructions:

How to Display Controller, RPN, NRPN, Velocity, Pitch-Bend, or Aftertouch Data

How to Display Automation Data

How to Insert a Controller Value

How to Draw a Linear Series of Controllers

How to Draw a Series of Controller Value Changes

How to Insert a Series of Controllers

How to Remove or Erase Controllers


To Display Controller, RPN, NRPN, Velocity, Pitch-Bend, or Aftertouch Data

1.	Select the track whose controller or xRPN data you want to see, by clicking on the track number in the Track view.

2.	Choose View-Piano Roll to display the Piano Roll view.

3.	Drag the horizontal splitter bar so that the Controllers pane is visible.

4.	Choose the data you want to see according to the table:

To see this...	Do this...
Controller data	Select Control from the first drop-down list in the toolbar, and then choose the controller and channel from the second and third drop-down lists
RPN or NRPN data	Select RPN or NRPN from the first drop-down list in the toolbar, choose which RPN or NRPN you want from the second drop-down list, and choose the channel from the third drop-down list
Velocity data	Select Velocity from the first drop-down list
Pitch-bend data	Select Wheel from the first drop-down list, and the MIDI channel from the third drop-down list
Aftertouch data	Select ChanAft from the first drop-down list, and the MIDI channel from the third drop-down list
Cakewalk displays the data in the controllers pane.


To Display Automation Data

1.	In the Console view, right-click a control to display the pop-up menu.

2.	Choose Edit Automation Data.

Cakewalk opens a new Controllers pane, and configures it to display automation data for the control.


To Insert a Controller Value

1.	Select the data type, controller or xRPN number, and channel (if applicable) from the lists in the toolbar.

2.	Select the [image] tool or the [image] tool.

3.	Click in the Controller pane view at any desired time point and value.

Cakewalk adds a controller at the indicated point.


To Draw a Linear Series of Controllers

1.	Select the data type, controller or xRPN number, and channel (if applicable) from the lists in the toolbar.

2.	Select the [image] tool.

3.	Drag a line in the Controller pane from the starting time and value to the ending time and value.

Cakewalk adds a series of controllers, and erases any existing controller values in the same time interval.


To Draw a Series of Controller Value Changes

1.	Select the data type, controller or xRPN number, and channel (if applicable) from the lists in the toolbar.

2.	Select the [image] tool.

3.	Drag the cursor across the Controllers pane, adjusting the value as you move left to right.

Cakewalk adds a series of controllers, and erases any existing controller values in the same time interval.

Tip: When using the [image] tool, you can press and hold the Shift key to draw a straight line.


To Insert a Series of Controllers

1.	Choose Insert-Series of Controllers to display the Insert Series of Controllers dialog box.

2.	Select the controller type from the Insert list.

3.	Select the controller number or type from the Number list.

4.	Use the spinners or enter the desired MIDI channel.

5.	Enter a starting and ending value in the Begin and End boxes.

6.	Enter a starting and ending time in the From and Thru boxes.

7.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk inserts a series of controller events with values that change smoothly over time from the starting to the ending value indicated in the dialog box. This command never inserts more than one event on the same clock tick. If any controllers of the type you have selected already exist in the time region, Cakewalk deletes these before inserting the new ones.


To Remove or Erase Controllers

1.	Select the data type, controller or xRPN number, and channel (if applicable) from the lists in the toolbar.

2.	Select the [image] tool

3.	Drag the mouse over the desired region to highlight the region you want to erase.

4.	Release the mouse button when you have highlighted the desired region.

Cakewalk deletes all controllers of the selected type.

Note that you cannot delete velocity events in the Controllers pane. You must delete the notes that have those velocities.


The Event List View

The Event List view shows events in a list format. You can insert, delete, or modify any kind of event, including notes, pitch wheel data, velocity, MIDI controllers, patch changes, wave files, lyrics, text strings, MCI commands, System Exclusive meta-events, and more.

There are three ways to open the Event List view:

•	Select one or more tracks and choose View-Event List

•	Select one or more tracks and click [image] in the toolbar

•	Right-click on a track in the track view and choose Event List from the pop-up menu.

The events in the selected tracks are listed one per line, from top to bottom. As you move the highlight through the event list, Cakewalk updates the Now marker (time display). During playback, the event list scrolls to display the events at the current time. The event list may jump to keep up, but it will always be in the right neighborhood, and the highlight will be on the correct event when playback stops. Any time you change the Now time, the event list is updated and the highlight is moved to the event that will be played next.

When the Event List view includes more than one track, events are mixed together in chronological order. For example, if you select tracks 1 and 3 when you open the Event List view, you see a single list of intermingled events from tracks 1 and 3. You can have any number of Event List views, each containing any number of tracks, open at the same time. You can change the tracks shown in the Event List view by clicking the [image] button and selecting the tracks you want.

See also:

Event List Overview

Editing Events and Event Parameters

Note Events

MCIcmd Events


Event List Overview

Each line of the Event List view shows a single event along with all of its parameters. There are many different types of events. All share the following parameters:

•	The time of the event, displayed in SMPTE (hours:minutes:seconds:frames) format.

•	The time of the event, displayed in musical (measures:beats:ticks) format.

•	The event type, or kind of event.

The remaining parameters vary by event type. Here is a summary listing of the parameters that apply to each type of event.

Short Name...	Type of Event...	Parameters...
Note	MIDI note	Pitch (MIDI key number), velocity (0-127), duration (beats:ticks, or simply simply ticks), MIDI channel (1-16)
KeyAft	MIDI key aftertouch	Pitch (MIDI key number), pressure amount (0-127), MIDI channel (1-16)
Control	MIDI controller change	Controller number (0-127), controller value (0-127), MIDI channel (1-16)
Patch	MIDI patch change	Bank select method, bank number, number or name of the patch, MIDI channel (1-16)
ChanAft	MIDI channel after touch	Pressure amount (0-127), MIDI channel (1-16)
Wheel	MIDI pitch wheel posi tion	Wheel position (-8192 to 8191, where the center is 0)
RPN	Registered Parameter Number	Parameter number (0-16383), parameter value (0-16383), MIDI channel (1-16)
NRPN	Non-registered Param eter Number	Parameter number (0-16383), parameter value (0-16383), MIDI channel (1-16)
Sysx Bank	System Exclusive data bank	Sysx bank number (0-255)
Sysx Data	System Exclusive data message	Sysx message up to 255 bytes long
Text	Text	Text
Lyric	Lyric	Text (a single word or syllable)
MCIcmd	Windows Media Control Interface (MCI) command	MCI command text
Wave Audio	Digital audio wave	Name, velocity (0-127), and number of sam ples
Expression	Staff view expression marking	Text of expression mark
Hairpin	Staff view dynamics marking	Direction (crescendo or diminuendo) and duration
Chord	Staff view chord sym bol	The name of the chord
Here are some notes about events and their parameters:

•	The Channel parameter in the Track view can force an event to play on a different MIDI channel than the one shown in the event list.

•	Pedal marks entered in the Staff view are displayed in the Event List view as controller events.

•	Many keyboards do not support key aftertouch and channel aftertouch. Consult the User's Guide for your keyboard for more information.

•	When you double-click the value of a patch event, Cakewalk displays the Bank/Patch Change dialog box. For more information about bank and patch changes, see To Insert a Bank/Patch Change.

•	See System Exclusive Data, for more information about system exclusive banks.

•	See Audio Editing, for more information about audio events.

See also:

The Event List View


Editing Events and Event Parameters

The Event List view lets you add, delete, or change events one by one. You can also print the list of events, or audition the events one at a time to see how they sound.

You can change the parameters of any event by moving the rectangular highlight to the cell you want to change and doing one of the following:

•	Type a new value and then press Enter

•	Press the - and + keys on the numeric keypad to decrease or increase values by a small amount

•	Press the [ and ] keys to decrease or increase values by a larger amount

•	Click and hold the mouse button, and then drag the mouse up or down to change the value by a small amount

•	Click and hold both mouse buttons, and then drag the mouse up or down to change the value by a larger amount

•	Double-click on a cell and then enter or choose a new value

If you change the time of an event, it may also change its position in the event list. The Event List view follows that event to its new location.

If you try to change the event type (kind of event), Cakewalk lets you select the kind of event you want from a dialog box. When you change one kind of MIDI event into another kind of MIDI event, Cakewalk preserves the parameters as fully as possible.

For step by step instructions:

How to Insert a New Event

How to Delete an Event

How to Delete Several Events

How to Print the Event List

How to Play Events Step by Step


To Insert a New Event

1.	Move the highlight to the point at which you want to insert an event.

2.	Press Insert, or click [image]. Cakewalk makes a copy of the highlighted event.

3.	Edit the event kind as necessary.

4.	Edit the event time and other parameter values as required.

If the event list is initially empty, Insert creates a default note event.


To Delete an Event

1.	Move the highlight to the event you want to delete.

2.	Press Delete, or click [image].

Cakewalk deletes the event.


To Delete Several Events

1.	Select the events you want to delete by clicking in the first column of the Event list view.

2.	Choose Edit-Cut.

Cakewalk deletes the selected events.


To Print the Event List

1.	Choose File-Print Preview to display a preview of the printed event listing.

2.	Click the Zoom button (or just click the page) to zoom in and out, and use the Page Up, Page Down, and arrow keys to review the pages.

3.	Click Print to print the event list, or click Close to close the Preview window without printing.


To Play Events Step by Step

1.	Using the keyboard, hold the Shift key and press the space bar to play the currently highlighted event. If the event is a note event, it plays until you release the space bar.

2.	When you release the space bar, the highlight moves to the next event.

3.	Continue pressing the space bar to play events one by one.

4.	To edit the last event you heard, release the Shift key.

The highlight moves back to the last event you heard, so you can make changes. You can also audition a single event using the mouse. Ctrl-click on an event to play the event. If the event is a note or wave event, it plays until you release the mouse button.


Note Events

There are three Values parameters for note events:

•	A pitch, which represents the MIDI key number as a note and an octave. Pitch may also be indicated by a note name, if there is an assigned instrument definition that uses a note name list.

•	A velocity (0 to 127), which is how fast the key is struck. Some keyboards don't transmit or receive velocity messages.

•	A duration, which is how long the note lasts. This amount is shown in beats:ticks format. (If the note lasts less then one beat, then only the number of ticks is shown.)

Note names may also represent percussion instruments, and lists of such note names are sometimes associated with a particular percussion patch. The note C3, for example, may really be "kick drum." If a patch is associated with a percussion note name list, the name of the percussion instrument appears in Event List view rather than a note and an octave from the piano keyboard.

Cakewalk uses the following notation to display flats and sharps in this and other views:

Character...	Meaning...
b	flat
#	sharp
"	double flat
x	double sharp


MCIcmd Events

Media Control Interface (MCI) commands are special events that let you control other multimedia hardware and software (e.g., CD-ROM drives, laserdiscs, sound cards, animations, video) during playback. MCI commands are part of the multimedia extensions in Windows. MCIcmd events have one parameter--the command line text of the MCI command. Here are some examples:

This command...	Does this...
PLAY C:\TRAIN.WAV	Plays the wave file train.wav
PLAY D:\VIDEOS\VACATION.AVI	Plays the video file vacation.avi from the VID EOS folder
SET CDAUDIO TIME FORMAT TMSF PLAY CDAUDIO 3	Plays a specific track from the CD drive
STOP CDAUDIO	Stops the CD from playing
While MCI commands can be used to play wave files, these files are played at their normal speed and are not necessarily synchronized with MIDI or other audio data. By contrast, wave audio events (described below) are played in lock-step synchronization with MIDI and other audio data.

For complete documentation of Windows MCI commands, search for MCI on the Microsoft World-Wide Web site.


MIDI Effects

Cakewalk provides the ability to use plug-in MIDI effects. Using plug-in effects is similar to using the MIDI processing commands described earlier in the chapter. The overall procedure is as follows:

•	Select the MIDI data to be affected.

•	Choose the effect you want from the Edit-MIDI Effects menu or from the pop-up menu's MIDI Effects menu.

•	Set effect parameters (or select a preset if you've made one for this purpose).

•	Click Audition to preview the music with the effect applied.

•	Click OK to apply the effect to the selected MIDI data.

If you're not happy with the result, choose Edit-Undo before doing any additional work.

MIDI effects can be applied to whole or partial clips. For example, you can apply an echo to just one note.

MIDI effects can also be applied to MIDI tracks in real time (during playback) in the Console view. Unlike any of the processing described so far, using effects in real time is nondestructive. This means that the MIDI data itself is not modified. See Using Real-Time Effects for more information on real-time effects.

See also:

Using Presets

Quantizing

Adding Echo/Delay


Using Presets

The MIDI effects dialog boxes support the use of presets. Presets are a way to store dialog box settings so that you can apply the exact same processing or effect again in the future. The following table tells you how to use presets:

To do this...	Do this...
Save the current settings as a preset	Enter a preset name and click the Save button
Use a preset	Select the preset from the dropdown list
Delete a preset	Select the preset, then click the Delete button


Quantizing

The Quantize command moves events to (or towards) an evenly-spaced timing grid. The Quantize effect is similar to the Edit-Quantize command. For more information, see Quantizing.

The quantize effect parameters are as follows:

Parameter/Option...	Meaning...
Start Times	Quantize event start times.
Durations	Quantize event durations.
Resolution	The spacing of the grid used for quantization.
Tuplet	Specify the resolution as a tuplet note, for example 5 notes in the time of 4.
Strength (%)	The strength of the adjustments. 100% indicates perfect quantization; otherwise, the command moves the notes only part way towards the desired position.
Swing (%)	The distortion of timing used to produce a "swing" feel to the echo. A value of 50% indicates a straight rendition; negative and positive values produce distortion of the timing grid. For more information about swing, see Swing.
Window (%)	The sensitivity of quantization. A value of 100% causes all notes to be quantized. Lower values cause the effect to not quantize notes that are far from the timing grid.
Offset (Ticks)	The offset of the quantization grid from the start of measure boundaries. A value of 0 indicates perfect alignment. Values less than 0 shift the grid points earlier; values greater than 0 shift the grid later.
Randomize	Causes a random time offset to be added to or subtracted from each new event time. You must also specify the maximum offset, as a percentage of the quantization resolution.
For step by step instructions:

How to Quantize MIDI Data


To Quantize MIDI Data

1.	Select the data to be affected.

2.	Choose MIDI Effects-Quantize from the Edit menu or from the pop-up menu to open the Quantize dialog box.

3.	Set the quantization parameters, as described in the table above.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk applies the specified quantization to the selected data.


Adding Echo/Delay

The Echo Delay command creates a series of repeating echoes of each note. The echo notes can decrease or increase in velocity, and can be transposed from the original by regular intervals.

The parameters used to specify the echo/delay effect are as follows:

Parameter/Option...	Meaning...
Decay (%)	The reduction in velocity with each echo. A value greater than 100% indicates an increase in velocity.
No. Echoes	The number of echo notes for each original note. If the velocity reaches 0 before the specified number of echoes, the effect generates no more echo notes.
Delay	The delay between successive echo notes.
Delay Units	The units used to specify the delay. You may specify delay in ticks, in milliseconds, or as a note duration.
Tap	The delay you specify by tapping the control with the mouse.
Swing (%)	The distortion of timing used to produce a "swing" feel to the echo. A value of 0% indicates a straight rendition; negative and positive values produce distortion of the timing grid. For more information about swing, see Swing.
Transpose (Steps)	The number of steps to transpose each echo note from the previous. You can specify a Diatonic or Chromatic scale.
For step by step instructions:

How to Apply Echo/Delay to MIDI Data


To Apply Echo/Delay to MIDI Data

1.	Select the data to be affected.

2.	Choose MIDI Effects-Echo Delay from the Edit menu or from the pop-up menu to open the Echo Delay dialog box.

3.	Set the echo/delay parameters, as described in the table above.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk applies the specified echo effect to the selected data.


Audio Editing

The Audio view lets you edit and arrange audio events. You can perform basic tasks such as cut, copy, paste, and move; apply simple audio processing such as volume change, fades, and equalization; and use sophisticated audio effects such as stereo chorus and reverb. The Audio view lets you see your audio events on a timeline, arranged by track, to help you visualize the organization of your project's audio data.

The Audio view is similar in appearance to the Clips pane of the Track view, and many of the same selection and editing techniques apply. An important difference is that the Track view shows audio clips, which may contain one or more events, while the Audio view shows each event individually.

Most of the audio processing commands and audio effects described in this topic and the topics listed below can be used from the Track and Event List views as well, by selecting one or more audio clips or events, then choosing the desired command from the Edit-Audio or Edit-Audio Effects menu. Plug-in effects can also be applied to audio data nondestructively, in real time, in the Console view. For more information, see Mixing.

See also:

Digital Audio Fundamentals

The Audio View

Basic Audio Editing

Basic Audio Processing

Audio Effects


Digital Audio Fundamentals

Digital audio is a numeric representation of sound; it is sound stored as numbers. In order to understand what the numbers mean, you need to start with the basic principles of acoustics, the science of sound.

See also:

Basic Acoustics

Waveforms

Recording a Sound

The Decibel Scale

Audio Events

Managing Audio Data


Basic Acoustics

Sound is produced when molecules in the air are disturbed by some type of motion produced by a vibrating object. This object, which might be a guitar string, human vocal cord, or a garbage can, is set into motion because energy is applied to it. The guitar string is struck by a pick or finger, while the garbage can is hit perhaps by a hammer, but the basic result is the same: they both begin to vibrate. The rate and amount of vibration is critical to our perception of the sound. If it is not fast enough or strong enough, we won't hear it. But if the vibration occurs at least twenty times a second and the molecules in the air are moved enough, then we will hear sound.


Example-A Guitar String

To understand the process better, let's take a closer look at a guitar string.

When a finger picks a guitar string, the entire string starts to move back and forth at a certain rate. This rate is called the frequency of the vibration. Because a single back and forth motion is called a cycle, we use a measure of frequency called cycles per second, or cps. This measure is also known as Hertz, abbreviated Hz. Often the frequency of vibration of an object is very fast, so we can also express the frequency in thousands of cycles per second, or kilohertz (abbreviated kHz).

The actual distance the string moves is called its displacement, and is proportional to how hard the string is plucked. A greater displacement results in a louder sound.The displacement of the string changes as the string vibrates. It is first pulled back by the pick. When released, it moves back through the resting position and onward to its outer limit, then back again through the resting position to the other side, and so on. This pattern repeats continuously until the friction of the molecules in the air gradually slows the string to a stop. As the string vibrates, it causes the molecules of air around it to vibrate as well. The vibrations are passed along through the air as sound waves. When the vibrations enter your ear, they make your eardrum vibrate, and you hear a sound. Likewise, if the vibrating air hits a microphone, it causes the microphone to vibrate and send out electrical signals.

In order for us humans to hear the sound, the frequency of the vibration must be at least 20 Hz. The highest frequency sound we can hear is theoretically 20 kHz, but in reality, it's probably closer to 15 or 17 kHz. Other animals, and microphones, have different hearing ranges.

If the simple back-and-forth motion of the string was the only phenomenon involved in creating a sound, then all stringed instruments would probably sound much the same. We know this is not true, of course; the laws of physics are not quite so simple. In fact, the string vibrates not only at its entire length, but at one-half its length, one-third, one-fourth, one-fifth, etc. These additional vibrations (overtones) occur at a rate faster than the rate of the original vibration (the fundamental frequency), but are usually weaker in strength. Our ear doesn't hear each frequency of vibration individually, however. If it if did, we would hear a multi-note chord every time a single string were played. Rather, all these vibrations are added together to form a complex or composite sound that our ear perceives as a single tone.

This composite waveform still doesn't account for the uniqueness of the sound of different instruments. For example, stringed instruments usually have a resonator. In the case of the guitar, the resonator is the big block of hollow wood to which the string is attached (the guitar body). This has a major impact on the sound we perceive when a guitar is played as it actually enhances or amplifies some of the vibrations produced by the string, and diminishes or attenuates others. The ultimate effect of all the vibrations occurring simultaneously, being altered by the resonator, adds up to the sound we know as guitar.


Waveforms

A sound wave can be represented in many different ways: as a mathematical formula, as a series of numbers, or graphically as a waveform. A waveform displays the size, or amplitude, of the vibration as a function of time.

Waveforms from different instruments and sound sources are quite different from one another, both in appearance and sound. Each has it's own characteristic shape, or envelope, and each has its own complex combination of frequency components, which can change across the duration of the sound.

The center line of a waveform is the zero line; it corresponds to the rest position (displacement of 0) of the original vibrating object. (A waveform for perfect silence would be a horizontal line at zero.) Back and forth motions of the vibrating object translate to upward (positive) and downward (negative) excursions of waveform amplitude.

The waveform crosses the zero line twice during each complete vibration. These zero-crossings are important in digital audio processing-they are good places to cut waveforms apart and splice them together. If waveforms are cut or spliced at other locations, clicks and pops can occur. The maximum amplitude of the waveform in each vibration is also important: it determines the strength of the vibration, and thus the loudness of the sound.


Recording a Sound

To record digital audio, your computer monitors the electrical signal generated by a microphone (or some other electroacoustical device). Because the signal is caused by a sound, the signal strength varies in direct proportion to the sound's waveform. The computer measures and saves the strength of the electrical signal from the microphone, thus recording the waveform.

There are two important aspects of this measuring process. First is the sampling rate-the rate at which the computer saves measurements of the signal strength. It is a known fact of physics that you must measure, or sample, the signal at a rate at least twice that of the highest frequency you wish to capture. For example, suppose you want to record a moderately high note on a violin-say the A whose fundamental frequency is 440 Hz-and all overtones up to five times the fundamental. The highest frequency you want to capture is 2,200 Hz, so you need to measure the electrical signal from the microphone at least 4,400 times per second.

Since humans can hear frequencies well above 10 kHz, most sound cards and digital recording systems are capable of sampling at much higher rates than that. Typical sampling rates used by modern musicians and audio engineers are 22 kHz, 44.1 kHz, and 48 kHz. The 44.1 kHz rate is called CD-quality, since it is the rate used by audio compact discs.

The other important aspect of the measuring process is the sampling resolution. The sampling resolution determines how accurately the amplitude of each sample is measured. At present, the music industry has settled on a system that provides 65,536 different values to assign to the amplitude of a waveform at any given instant. Thus, each sample saved by your computer requires 2 bytes (16 bits) to store, since it takes 2 bytes to store a number from -32,768 to 32,767. The scaling of the electrical input signal level to amplitude value is determined by your audio hardware, and by the position of your input level control.

What if the amplitude of the sampled signal gets too high, such that a 16-bit number is not large enough to represent it? What typically happens is that the signal is clipped-cut off at the maximum value. Clipping is not usually desirable, and may have unpleasant audible effects. Sudden irregularities in the waveform of any type can cause clicks, pops, and distortion of the original sound.


The Decibel Scale

In acoustics, the decibel (dB) scale is a scale for measuring the relative loudness of two sounds. For example, environmental noise is often measured as follows:

L = 20 log (p/p0)

where L is the sound pressure level (in dB), p is the sound pressure amplitude, and p0 is a reference amplitude of 20 micropascals (less than one billionth of atmospheric pressure). On this scale, a barely audible sound (p = p0) has a sound pressure level of 0 dB, normal conversation (p = 1,000*p0) is at a level of around 60 dB, and a jet engine at close range (p = 1,000,000*p0) is at a level of around 120 dB.

Similar decibel scales are used in other branches of science and engineering to measure electrical power levels and other signal levels, always with respect to some reference level.

In Cakewalk, decibels are used in several places:

•	to scale the amplitude of the waveform (3dB Louder and 3dB Quieter commands)

•	to indicate volume levels of audio tracks in the Console view

•	to indicate the effects of filters and equalizers

The reference level (0 dB) usually corresponds to the current loudness of the sound. A positive change in decibels makes the sound louder; a negative change makes the sound quieter.


Audio Events

You should have a good idea of what is contained in a Cakewalk audio event. An audio event contains a long series of numbers, or samples, representing the fluctuating amplitude of a waveform. Audio events are typically quite large-hundreds of kilobytes to many megabytes in size. By comparison, a MIDI event takes only a few bytes to store.

The Audio view lets you see your audio waveforms in great detail; you can zoom in until you see the individual samples. For easier viewing, Cakewalk displays the amplitude of the waveform as a percent in the range -100% to +100%.

You should also now be aware of some things to watch out for when editing your audio data. First, if you cut audio events apart or splice them together, you should do so at zero-crossings in the waveform, in order to avoid sudden changes in amplitude that may cause clicks and pops. Second, you should beware of clipping. Clipping of the audio waveform can occur if you record a signal at too high of a record level, or if you apply audio processing or effects that increase the waveform amplitude too much. If you accidentally cause the waveform to clip, you should undo the command and try again with different parameters.

Clipping can also occur in other situations-for example, if you try to play or mix several loud audio tracks together, the aggregate signal strength may at times exceed the clipping limit, and the output signal will be distorted. To correct the problem, you can reduce the velocity parameter of loud audio events, or reduce the track volume in the Console view.


Managing Audio Data

Because of the great size of audio events, Cakewalk uses an intelligent scheme for storing audio events on disk so as to conserve disk space and minimize the time it takes to load and save data. Audio data is not stored directly in your project file, but rather in separate files in a special directory.

You can also export your project's MIDI and audio data in RealMedia format; see Preparing Audio for Distribution for more information.


The Audio View

The Audio view displays audio events on a timeline, arranged by track.

There are five ways to open the Audio view:

•	In the Track view, select the tracks you want to see, then click the Audio View button [image].

•	In the Track view, select the tracks you want to see, then choose View-Audio

•	Right-click on an audio track or clip in the Track view and choose Audio from the menu

•	Double-click on an audio clip in the Clips pane

•	Double-click on an audio event in the Event List view

You can always change the tracks that are displayed--click the Pick Tracks button [image] and select the tracks you want.

The Audio view lets you edit, delete, copy, and move events during playback or recording, in real time. This means you can loop over a portion of your project, and hear any change you make on the next loop.

Like many other views, the Audio view includes zoom tools that let you change the vertical and horizontal scale of the view. When multiple tracks are displayed, a white arrow in the track number column indicates which track is centered when zooming vertically. You can use the Page Up and Page Down keys to move this arrow between tracks.

See also:

Snap-to Options

Ruler Units


Snap-to Options

The Audio view has several "snap-to" features. First, the Audio view has a Snap-to grid button [image]. For more information on this feature, see Defining and Using the Snap Grid.

The Audio view also has a Snap to Zero Crossing button [image]. This feature snaps selection times to the nearest zero-point crossing in the audio waveform. By cutting, pasting, and looping audio events at zero crossings, you minimize the audio glitches that occur when a waveform starts or ends, or when one waveform is spliced to another.

The current X and Y coordinates of the mouse pointer are displayed to the right of the tools. The X coordinate is shown in the current ruler units, rounded to the nearest Snap unit. The Y coordinate displays the waveform amplitude.


Ruler Units

Like the rulers in other views, the Audio view ruler can display time in measures, beats, and ticks (MBT) or in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames (SMPTE). The Audio view can also display the ruler in Samples -- the number of digital audio samples since the beginning of the project, based on the sampling rate of the project's digital audio data.

You can select the units you want by clicking one of the three Time Ruler Units buttons, or cycle among the three options by double-clicking the time ruler.


Basic Audio Editing

The Audio view lets you perform basic editing tasks such as cut, copy, paste, delete, drag-and-drop move and copy, split, and combine. You can apply simple linear fades and swells graphically with the Draw tool. The Scrub tool lets you audition portions of audio by dragging the mouse.

Use the Selection tool [image] to make selections. Selection methods in the Audio view are similar to those in other views. Here is a summary:

To do this...	Do this...
Select a single event	Click on the event
Select several events at once	Drag a rectangle around them
Select part of an event	Press Alt and drag over a portion of one or more events
Add events to the selection	Press Shift and either click on the events or drag a rectangle around the events
Add or remove events from the selection	Press Ctrl and either click on the events or drag a rectangle around the events
Add or remove events in a track from the selection	Click on the track number
Select events in a time range	Drag in the time ruler
Select events between two mark ers	Click between the markers
Remove all selections	Click in an empty area outside of any event


Editing Event Properties

Audio events have three properties that you can change: a name, a starting time, and a velocity.

The name of an event is used in the Audio view and Event List view. You can assign any name to help you remember the contents of the event.

The term velocity is borrowed from MIDI, where it indicates the speed with which a key was struck, and thus its loudness. Cakewalk assigns a velocity to each audio event as a means of letting you control and adjust its volume. The velocity of an audio event is a number between 0 and 127, with a velocity of 103 corresponding to the natural loudness of the waveform. Higher velocities increase the volume, lower values decrease the volume. The default relationship of velocity and volume (in decibels) is as follows:

dB = (Velocity - 103) x .75

Changing the event velocity does not change the audio waveform data. Rather, the velocity is used by Cakewalk as a scaling factor during playback.

Note that you can also edit some audio event properties in the Event List view or the Clips pane of the Track view.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change an Audio Event's Name

How to Change the Velocity of an Event

How to Change an Event's Time


To Change an Audio Event's Name

1.	Position the pointer over the left portion of the name (the pointer changes to an I-beam), then click.

2.	Type a new name and press Enter. Press Esc if you want to cancel the change.

OR

1.	Right-click on the audio event and choose Event Properties.

2.	Type a new name in the Name box.

3.	Click OK.

The Audio view displays the new event name in the upper left corner of the event.


To Change the Velocity of an Event

1.	Click on the fader knob in the lower-left corner of the event.

2.	Drag the pointer upward to increase the velocity, or downward to decrease the velocity.

OR

1.	Right-click on the audio event and choose Event Properties.

2.	Enter a new velocity in the Velocity box.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk will use the new velocity to determine the audio event vol ume during playback.


To Change an Event's Time

1.	Right-click on an audio event and choose Event Properties.

2.	Enter a new starting time in either the Time box (MBT) or the Sample box (samples since the start of the project).

3.	Click OK.

The Audio view displays the event at the new starting time.


Moving, Copying, and Deleting Audio Events

Events can be cut, copied, pasted, and deleted with Edit menu commands, or moved and copied with drag-and-drop techniques. These work the same in the Audio view as they do in the Clips pane of the Track view. For more information, see Basic Editing and Arranging.


Splitting Audio Events

You can split long audio events into shorter ones. This lets you extract and rearrange individual sounds, adjust timing and alignment, and apply effects selectively. Audio events can be split with the Scissors tool, or with the Split command.

For step by step instructions:

How to Split Events with the Scissors Tool

How to Split Events with the Split Command


To Split Events with the Scissors Tool

1.	Click the Scissors tool [image].

2.	Split events according to the table:

To do this...	Do this
Split an event into two events	Click on the event at the time you want to split it
Split an event at two points at once	Click on the event at the first time, then drag a rectangle to the second time
When using the Scissors, split times are always rounded to the nearest snap-to unit.

Tip: To minimize pops and clicks, use the Snap to Zero Crossing feature.


To Split Events with the Split Command

1.	Select the event(s) to be split in the Audio view.

2.	Right-click on one of the selected events and choose Split from the menu.

3.	Enter the split point in the specified units, or press F5 to pick a marker.

Cakewalk splits the audio event at the time you specified. Each new event has the same name and velocity as the original event.


Combining Audio Events

Individual audio events in the same track can be combined into a single event with the Combine command.

When you combine events that overlap, you have two choices as to what happens to the overlapping audio:

Option		Meaning
Polyphonic		Overlapping events are mixed together
Monophonic		An overlapping event cuts off the one before it
If you combine several events that do not overlap and have identical velocities, the new event has the same velocity as the original events. If you combine events that overlap or that have different velocities, the relative volumes of the events are preserved when they are combined and the new audio event is assigned a velocity of 103 (unity gain.)

Note that the Combine command in the Audio view is different from the Combine command in the Track view.

For step by step instructions:

How to Combine Events


To Combine Events

1.	Select the events to be combined in the Audio view.

2.	Choose Edit-Audio-Combine, or right-click on one of the events and choose Combine from the menu.

3.	If any of the events overlap, Cakewalk displays the Combine Audio Events dialog box. Select an option and click OK.

The events are combined into a single event. Overlapping events are combined in the manner you specified. Empty space between events is filled with silence in the new event.


Applying Fades with the Draw Tool

A fade is a gradual increase or decrease in volume. An increase in volume is a "fade-in" or "crescendo"; a decrease in volume is a "fade-out" or "decrescendo." In the Audio view, the Draw tool lets you draw a linear envelope around a waveform, in order to apply a fade to an audio event.

The height of the envelope at each point in time determines the multiplicative factor that will be applied to the waveform at that point. The zero-crossing line of the waveform corresponds to an envelope height of 0 percent, the maximum amplitude line corresponds to 100 percent.

For step by step instructions:

How to Apply a Fade or Swell


To Apply a Fade or Swell

1.	Click the Draw tool [image].

2.	Click in an event at the starting point of the fade or swell.

3.	Drag toward the right to the end of the fade or swell. You'll see two mirror-image horizontal lines that indicate the shape of the envelope.

4.	Drag up or down to change the slope of the envelope. The waveform changes to show you the effect of the envelope.

5.	Release the mouse button to apply the envelope.

Press Shift when making your initial click, or while dragging, to snap to the nearest 25% increment. Press Esc while dragging to cancel the operation.

Tip: If you drag back over the starting time at a different volume level, the starting volume is changed to the new one.


Scrubbing

You can use the Scrub tool to locate or audition a particular sound or passage as you drag the mouse. As the mouse moves, its position is tracked by short snippets of audio. You can scrub a single event, or scrub all events displayed in the view. The default snippet length is 100 milliseconds (1/10 of a second), but you can change this setting if you prefer a longer or shorter value.

For step by step instructions:

How to Audition Audio with the Scrub Tool

How to Change the Snippet Length


To Audition Audio with the Scrub Tool

1.	Click the Scrub tool [image].

2.	Click and drag the pointer over audio events.

3.	If you hold the mouse steady at a single point, the same snippet repeats over and over.

To hear the events in all displayed tracks, drag with the Scrub tool in the horizontal ruler.


To Change the Snippet Length

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the Advanced tab.

2.	Set the Scrub snippet length as desired.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk uses the new options the next time you scrub in the Audio view.


Basic Audio Processing

Audio processing commands let you modify audio data according to some rule or algorithm. The rule can be as simple as reversing the audio data or multiplying it by a certain factor, or as complex as performing a Fourier analysis and selectively amplifying or attenuating sounds at certain frequencies. Among the basic audio processing commands are ones to increase and decrease volume, to reverse the data, and to perform equalization.

Audio processing commands can work on both whole and partial events. For example, suppose you want to make certain words in a vocal passage softer. You can select the portion of the audio event containing those words, then apply the 3db Quieter command one or more times.

You should listen to the results of your work after each audio processing command. If you don't like what you hear, you can use Edit-Undo to restore your audio data to its previous state.

Many of the dialog boxes associated with Cakewalk's audio processing and effects commands have two important features: Audition and Presets.

The Audition button is used to auditionthe processed audio data. When you click Audition, Cakewalk processes the first few seconds of your data, then plays it repeatedly until you click Stop. This helps you to get an idea of whether the settings in the dialog box are producing the desired effect.

The audition duration is three seconds by default. You can change this value by choosing Tools-Global Options.

Presets are a way to store dialog box settings so that you can apply the exact same processing or effect again in the future. The following table tells you how to use presets:

To do this...		Do this...
Save the current settings as a pre set		Enter a preset name and click the Save button
Use a preset		Select the preset from the drop down list
Delete a preset		Select the preset, then click the Delete button
Many audio processing and effects presets are supplied with Cakewalk. See Presets for a list.


Increasing or Decreasing Volume

Cakewalk provides three commands to boost or cut the volume of audio data. The 3dB Louder and 3dB Quieter commands are used to increase or decrease the volume by 3 decibels, respectively. For more information on the decibel scale, see The Decibel Scale. You can apply these commands several times in succession to get a larger boost or decrease. The Normalize command "normalizes" the audio data-it boosts the volume until the maximum amplitude is reached somewhere in the data. By normalizing the data, you achieve the maximum possible volume without distortion or clipping. In addition, you can use the draw tool to adjust the volume of all audio events on a track in a single step.

Like all the audio processing commands, these commands work by modifying the waveform data. You can achieve volume changes nondestructively by changing the event velocity, as discussed in Editing Event Properties.

When increasing or decreasing the volume of audio events, you should consider the following points:

•	Normalize and 3 dB Louder raise the noise floor-that is, while they increase the volume of the signal, they also amplify the noise it contains. (This is true when you raise the volume by other means, too.)

•	3 dB Louder, if applied to a signal that is already fairly loud, may cause the waveform to exceed the maximum amplitude and clip.

•	Normalize, by raising the waveform amplitude to the maximum, puts the signal in danger of being clipped if you subsequently apply a command or effect that boosts the signal slightly. If this occurs, you may have to back up and apply 3 dB Quieter to the normalized signal before the other processing.

•	Each application of 3 dB Quieter erodes the signal structure slightly; you cannot repeatedly apply 3 dB Quieter, then use 3 dB Louder to return to the original waveform.

•	Due to the nature and limitations of digital audio, the sum of all audio signals played together (including the effects of event velocity) cannot exceed the 16-bit waveform amplitude limit. Even though no individual event is clipped, the combination may cause distortion.

If the selection contains any loud signals, Normalize may not seem to have any effect. This is because the volume increase is determined by the loudest audio in the selection. If an audio event contains segments that are too quiet and others that are loud, you should probably split off the quiet segments into separate events and then normalize those.

For step by step instructions:

How to Boost Audio Volume by 3 Decibels

How to Decrease Audio Volume by 3 Decibels

How to Normalize Audio Data

How to Adjust the Volume of Audio Events


To Boost Audio Volume by 3 Decibels

1.	Select the audio data to be affected.

2.	Choose Edit-Audio-3dB Louder, or right-click and choose 3dB Louder from the menu.

Cakewalk increases the volume of the selected audio by 3 dB.


To Decrease Audio Volume by 3 Decibels

1.	Select the audio data to be affected.

2.	Choose Edit-Audio-3dB Quieter, or right-click and choose 3dB Quieter from the menu.

Cakewalk decreases the volume of the selected audio by 3 dB.


To Normalize Audio Data

1.	Select the audio data to be affected.

2.	Choose Edit-Audio-Normalize, or right-click and choose Normalize from the menu.

Cakewalk increases the volume of the selected audio to the maximum it can reach without clipping.


To Adjust the Volume of Audio Events

1.	Click [image] to select the Line tool.

2.	Click on the track number in the Audio view.

3.	Drag the mouse up or down to adjust the volume.

Cakewalk reverses the selected audio data.


Reversing Audio Data

By reversing audio data, you can make it play backwards. You may wish to do this to obtain unusual sounds for special effects.

The Reverse command does not reverse the musical position of audio data.

For step by step instructions:

How to Reverse Audio Data


To Reverse Audio Data

1.	Select the audio data to be affected.

2.	Choose Edit-Audio-Reverse, or right-click and choose Reverse from the menu.

Cakewalk reverses the selected audio data.


Equalizing Audio Data

Equalization lets you boost or decrease the volume of sounds at different frequencies. For example, you can boost the bass, cut high-frequency hiss, or brighten mid-range vocals.

Cakewalk provides a graphic equalizer that lets you boost or decrease the volume of audio events in ten frequency bands. The width of each band doubles as you go from low to high frequencies; thus, the centers of the bands are each an octave apart.

Boosting the audio signal too much may result in clipping or distortion. If this occurs, you may need to undo the command, then decrease the volume one or more times with the 3dB Quieter command before equalization.

For step by step instructions:

How to Equalize Audio Data


To Equalize Audio Data

1.	Select the audio data to be modified.

2.	Choose Edit-Audio-Graphic EQ, or right-click and choose Graphic EQ from the menu, to open the Graphic EQ dialog box.

3.	Select a preset, or adjust the sliders to the desired equalization.

4.	Click Audition to hear a preview of the first three seconds of the selected audio with the equalization applied.

5.	Click OK when the settings are the way you want.

Cakewalk applies the specified equalization to the selected audio.

For a list of presets supplied with Cakewalk, see Presets.


Audio Effects

Cakewalk provides the ability to use plug-in audio effects using Microsoft's DirectX technology. Some audio plug-in effects are supplied with Cakewalk. Others can be purchased from third-party software manufacturers, and appear automatically in Cakewalk's menus once they are installed on your system. This section describes the effects that are included with Cakewalk.

Using plug-in effects is similar to using the audio processing commands described above. The overall procedure is as follows:

•	Select the audio data to be affected.

•	Choose the effect you want from the Edit-Audio Effects menu

•	Set effect parameters (or select a preset).

•	Click Audition to preview the audio with the effect applied.

•	Click the Bypass button to turn off the effect temporarily, so you can Audition the signal both with and without the effect.

•	Click OK to apply the effect to the selected audio data.

If you're not happy with the result, choose Edit-Undo before doing any additional audio processing. Note that the Bypass button is available in all Cakewalk effects, but may not be available in third-party effects.

Audio effects can be applied to whole or partial events. For example, you can apply reverb to a single word in a vocal event, or apply a delay to one guitar note.

Like MIDI effects, audio effects can be applied in real time (during playback) in the Console view. Unlike any of the audio processing discussed so far, using effects in real time is non-destructive. This means that the audio event data itself is not modified, and no new audio files are created. See Mixing for more information on real-time effects.

Note: Offline effects may cause your audio events to grow in size. For example, when you apply reverb, your event may need to grow to accommodate the tail end of an echo.


Mixing Audio Effects

The dialog box for each plug-in effect has a Mixing tab that provides three options for processing the data.

Option		Meaning
Process In-Place, Mono to Mono		Audio is processed event-by-event, in mono format. The processed output of the plug-in replaces the original event's data, in-place. (If the plug-in produces only stereo output, Cakewalk automatically converts the audio to mono.) This option is best for effects like Time/Pitch Stretching and Parametric Equalization.
Process In-Place, Creating Stereo Output Tracks		Audio is fed into the plug-in, event-by-event, in mono format. A new pair of stereo tracks is inserted beneath each selected track, and the stereo output of the plug-in is placed into this stereo pair. (If the plug-in produces only mono output, Cakewalk automatically con verts it to stereo.) If you check Keep Original Data, Cakewalk won't delete the original audio data. This lets you create stereo "wet only" tracks for finer mixing control. If you leave Keep Original Data unchecked, the processed data will replace the original audio events.
Create a Send Submix		All selected audio tracks are mixed down into a stereo submix. This stereo submix is fed into the plug-in, in stereo. The stereo out put of the plug-in is placed into two brand new tracks, which you choose. If you check Keep Original Data, Cakewalk won't delete the original audio data. If you leave it unchecked, the processed data will replace the original audio events.


Applying Reverb and Chorus

The Cakewalk FX-Reverb/Chorus commands let you add reverberation and chorus effects to your digital audio. Reverb adds many small echoes to a signal to create the illusion of spaciousness. By changing the parameters, you can simulate a stage, a hall, an arena, or a variety of other room types. The reverb parameters are as follows:

Parameter/Option...	Meaning...
Decay Time	The decay time of the echoes in seconds. Increasing this value makes the room sound larger.
Blend	Crossfades between the original, unprocessed signal and the processed signal.

Chorus "fattens" the audio to make one instrument sound like many. When many people sing together, for example, each of their voices is slightly out of tune and off the beat. Therefore, detuning and delaying the signal makes many instruments sound richer, including guitars, vocals, and strings. The chorus parameters are as follows:

Parameter/Option...	Meaning...
Modulation Rate (Hz)	The frequency of the LFO. This controls the rate of detuning.
Modulation Depth (ms)	The depth of the LFO (low-frequency oscillator). Depth controls the amount of detuning. Setting this very high will result in an obviously out-of-tune sound. A lower setting creates subtle chorusing.
Blend	Crossfades between the original, unprocessed signal and the processed signal.
For step by step instructions:

How to Apply Reverb to Audio Data

How to Apply Chorusing to Audio Data


To Apply Reverb to Audio Data

1.	Select the audio data to be affected.

2.	Choose Audio Effects-Cakewalk FX-Reverb/Chorus from the Edit menu or from the pop-up menu to open the Cakewalk FX Reverb/Chorus dialog box.

3.	Set the reverb parameters, as described in the table above.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk applies the reverb effect to the selected data.


To Apply Chorusing to Audio Data

1.	Select the audio data to be affected.

2.	Choose Audio Effects-Cakewalk FX-Reverb/Chorus from the Edit menu or from the pop-up menu to open the Cakewalk FX Reverb/Chorus dialog box.

3.	Set the chorus parameters, as described in the table above.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk applies the specified chorus effect to the selected data.


Shifting Pitch

The Cakewalk FX-Pitch Shifter command raises or lowers the pitch of an audio signal, while leaving the duration of the audio event unchanged. The pitch shift parameters are as follows:

Parameter/Option		Meaning
Pitch		The amount by which the pitch is changed, in semitones.
Dry Mix (%)		The volume of the original, unprocessed signal passed to the output.
Wet Mix (%)		The volume of the processed signal passed to the output.
Feedback Mix (%)		The amount of pitch-shifted signal that is fed into a delay line.
Delay Time (ms)		The length of the delay in milliseconds.
Mod. Depth (ms)		The amount the delay time will vary.
This is a fast pitch shifter that uses minimal computation time.

For step by step instructions:

How to Apply Pitch Shift to Audio Data


To Apply Pitch Shift to Audio Data

1.	Select the audio data to be affected.

2.	Choose Audio Effects-Cakewalk FX-Pitch Shifter from the Edit menu or from the pop-up menu to open the Cakewalk FX Pitch Shifter dialog box.

3.	Set the pitch shift parameters, as described in the table.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk applies the pitch shift to the selected data.


Notation and Lyrics

The topics listed below describe three Cakewalk views that are used to edit the musical aspects of your project.

•	Cakewalk's Staff view lets you see and edit your composition in standard notation. You can add, move, and delete notes with your mouse. You can add chord names, guitar chord grids, expression marks, hairpin symbols, pedal marks, and lyrics. And, you can print professional-quality notation of a complete arrangement or individual parts, with up to 24 staves per page.

•	The Meter/Key view lets you view, insert, and edit meter and key changes at any measure boundary in the song.

•	The Lyrics view lets you edit a track's lyrics, and can be used to cue you with the lyrics during playback or recording.

See also:

The Staff View

Basic Musical Editing

Chords and Marks

Working with Percussion

Printing

The Meter/Key View

Working with Lyrics


The Staff View

The Staff view displays MIDI note events as musical notation. For some musicians, this may be the most familiar and comfortable view in which to work. The Staff view provides many features that make it possible for you to compose, edit, and print music.


Opening the Staff View

There are three ways to open the Staff view:

•	In the Track view, select the MIDI tracks you want to see, then click the Staff View button

•	In the Track view, select the MIDI tracks you want to see, then choose View-Staff

•	Right-click on a track in the Clips pane and choose Staff from the menu

You can always change the tracks that are displayed-click the Pick Tracks button [image] and select the tracks you want.

The Staff view lets you edit, delete, copy, and move notes during playback or recording, in real time. This means you can loop over a portion of your project, and hear any change you make on the next loop. You can "freeze" the Staff view from automatic scrolling during playback by pressing the Scroll Lock key.

Like many other views, the Staff view includes zoom tools that let you change the vertical and horizontal scale of the view. The Staff view also has a Snap to Grid [image] button. For more information on this feature, see Defining and Using the Snap Grid.


Staff View Layout

The Staff view can display up to 24 staves of standard notation. When you open the Staff view window, Cakewalk automatically picks a clef for each track--Bass or Treble--by looking at the range of pitches in the track. If a track has notes that fall into both clefs, or no notes at all, Cakewalk automatically splits the track into two staves, Treble and Bass. You can change the assignment of clefs with the Staff View Layout dialog box.

When you split a track into Treble and Bass staves, you must select a split point. Notes at or above the split are placed into a treble staff, notes below the split are placed into a bass staff.

Percussion settings are discussed in Working with Percussion.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change the Staff View layout


To Change the Staff View layout

1.	Click the Layout button [image] to open the Staff View Layout dialog box.

2.	Select a track from the list. The Clef option shows the track's clef.

3.	Select a new clef from the list.

4.	If you select Treble/Bass, select a Split point.

5.	If you select one of the Percussion options, click Percussion Settings to set up the appearance of percussion notes.

6.	Repeat steps 2-5 for other tracks.

7.	Click Close when you are done.

Cakewalk displays tracks using the new staff settings.

Tip: If a piano part's left-hand and right-hand parts overlap, a split point will not correctly separate the two parts into Treble and Bass staves. You may prefer to put the two parts into two separate tracks.


Basic Musical Editing

The Staff view's tools let you edit a song by manipulating the elements of standard music notation. Using these tools, you can create and edit notes, chord symbols (guitar fretboards), pedal marks, expression marks, hairpins, and lyrics.


Inserting Notes

You can add notes to your composition with simple point-and-click techniques. To help with your composing, Cakewalk gives you audio feedback as you place each note.

Six buttons let you select a notehead size ranging from a whole note to a 32nd note. Buttons to the right of the notehead buttons let you select dotted note or triplet modifiers. Selecting a notehead size also sets the snap time resolution to increments where the selected notehead can be legally placed.

You may want to pick a different Snap to grid value for a particular note. For example, if you want to insert a half note in the last quarter note position in a measure (in order to get two tied quarter notes), you must set the snap resolution to a quarter note. Cakewalk will automatically convert the half note to two tied quarter notes. The same method can be used to insert a syncopated note, such as a quarter note at an eighth note position.

You may also wish to disable the Fill Durations and Trim Durations options before you enter notes on the staff. This will allow you to see the true durations of all the notes you enter. These options are discussed in Changing the Way Notes are Displayed.

For step by step instructions:

How to Change the Staff View layout


To Change the Staff View layout

1.	Click the Draw tool [image].

2.	Select a notehead size, and a modifier (dot or triplet) if desired.

3.	Click on an empty space in the staff.

4.	If desired, drag the note horizontally or vertically to a new time or pitch.

Cakewalk places the new note in the staff.


Selecting Notes

Use the Selection tool {pic} to make selections. Selection methods in the Staff view are similar to those in other views. Here is a summary:

To do this...		Do this...
Select a note or other symbol		Click on it
Select several symbols at once		Drag a rectangle around them
Add symbols to the selection		Press Shift and either click on the symbols or drag a rectangle around the events
Add or remove symbols from the selection		Press Ctrl and either click on the symbols or drag a rectangle around the events
Select symbols in a time range		Drag in the time ruler
Select symbols between two markers		Click between the markers
Remove all selections		Click in an empty area
Note: Tied notes must be selected together, since the series is really just a single MIDI note. To select tied notes, you must click or drag a rectangle around the first note of the series.


Moving, Copying, and Deleting Notes

Selections can be cut, copied, pasted, and deleted with Edit menu commands. The techniques are similar to those used in other views. Selections can also be dragged and dropped to copy or move them. To help you keep track of your current position while dragging, you can keep an eye on the time and pitch locator in the upper-right corner of the Staff view.

Notes can be dragged horizontally, to a new time, or vertically, to a new pitch or staff. When you drag a note up or down to a new pitch, the note normally snaps to the notes in the current key signature (diatonic scale). This makes it easy to drag notes quickly among pitches that are in the current key. But you can also drag in half-steps (chromatic scale) by clicking the right mouse button while dragging. Right-clicking again returns you to the diatonic scale.

If you need to transpose more than a few notes, use the Edit-Transpose command. For more information, see Transposing.

For step by step instructions:

How to Move Single Note

How to Move Several Notes

How to Copy One or More Notes

How to Erase Notes with the Eraser

How to Audition with the Scrub Tool


To Move a Single Note

1.	Click the Select tool [image] or the Draw tool [image].

2.	Click the note to be moved.

3.	Drag the note to a new time, pitch, or staff.

Cakewalk moves the note to the new location.


To Move Several Notes

1.	Click the Select tool [image].

2.	Select the notes to be moved.

3.	Click on one of the selected notes.

4.	Drag the notes to a new time, pitch, or staff.

Cakewalk moves the notes to the new location.


To Copy One or More Notes

1.	Click the Select tool [image].

2.	Select the notes to be copied.

3.	Press and hold the Ctrl key.

4.	Drag the notes to a new time, pitch, or staff.

Cakewalk inserts copies of the notes at the new location.


To Erase Notes with the Eraser

1.	Click the Erase tool [image].

2.	Click on any notehead to erase the note.

3.	To erase several notes, click and drag the eraser.

Any notes whose notehead is touched by the eraser will be deleted.


To Audition with the Scrub Tool

1.	Click the Scrub tool [image].

2.	Click in the staff to display the vertical scrub line.

3.	Drag the mouse horizontally to move the scrub line.

Cakewalk plays any notes the scrub line passes over.


Changing Note Properties

The Staff view lets you edit all the MIDI parameters for a note, including those not normally portrayed by standard musical notation. Note properties are as follows:

Property		Meaning
Time		The starting time of the note
Pitch		The note's pitch
Velocity		The note's velocity (0 to 127)
Duration		The note's duration, in ticks or in beats and ticks
Channel		The MIDI channel on which the note is played
For step by step instructions:

How to Edit a Note's Properties


To Edit a Note's Properties

1.	Right-click on the note to open the Note Properties dialog box.

2.	Edit the note's properties, as described in the table.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk changes the note's parameters, moving it to a new pitch or time if necessary.


Working with Triplets

The Staff view places certain limitations on the use of triplets. The limitations are:

•	Triplets must occur in full sets of three.

•	All three steps in a triplet must be notes (no rests) of the same basic duration.

•	There can be no ties in or out of the triplet.

In most cases, the Staff view can recognize triplets in MIDI data. However, the slight timing inaccuracies inherent in live performances can complicate the detection of triplets. If working from performance data, you may find it useful to quantize the notes closer to exact triplet positions using the Edit-Quantize command. See Quantizing for details.

For step by step instructions:

How to Enter a Triplet


To Enter a Triplet

1.	Turn on the Snap to Time option.

2.	Click the Draw tool [image].

3.	Click the appropriate notehead button.

4.	Select the Triplet option [image].

5.	Enter the first note at the desired location in the staff.

Cakewalk inserts all three triplet notes at the same pitch. You can then drag the second and third notes to their correct pitch locations.


Beaming of Rests

The Staff view supports beaming of rests, a practice that is popular with rhythmically complex music. Beam lengths are extended to include rests that are integral parts of the beamed group of notes. Short stems, called stemlets, extend from the beam toward the rest. This makes the rhythms easier to read, because the beat boundaries are made clear.

For step by step instructions:

How to Enable Beaming of Rests


To Enable Beaming of Rests

1.	Click the Layout button [image] to open the Staff View Layout dialog box.

2.	Select the Beam Rests option.

3.	Click OK.

Thereafter, the Staff view beams rests as though they were notes.


Changing the Way Notes are Displayed

Unlike musical notation programs, Cakewalk uses the MIDI events themselves as the permanent representation of the music; thus, the Staff view is only an interpretation of a MIDI performance.

MIDI notes do not always correspond exactly to notes on a staff. Whereas a staff defines precise grid-like starting times and durations for notes, a MIDI note can start at any arbitrary time during the song, and last for any length of time. If you record a performance from a MIDI keyboard, for example, you'll find that some notes may start slightly before the beat, and some a little after, and that the notes end a little late or a little early. Although these slight imperfections are what gives a performance its "human" quality, you don't necessarily want to see all these imperfections notated with excruciating precision.

The Staff view has two options you can select to affect the way MIDI notes are displayed on the staff:

Option		Purpose
Fill Durations		Visually rounds up note durations to the next beat, or the next note, whichever comes first.
Trim Durations		Visually rounds down note durations if they extend a little way past the start of the next note.
On the other hand, if you are entering notes into the Staff view with the mouse, Fill and Trim Durations may produce confusing results. For example, with Fill Durations, an inserted eighth note in 4/4 time would look like a quarter note until you insert another eighth note immediately following it. It is recommended that you turn off the Fill Durations and Trim Durations options when entering notes; these options are more appropriate for looking at notes you recorded.


Using Enharmonic Spellings

Any musical note can be referred to by several different names. For example, C#3 and Db3 identify the same pitch, as do G4 and Abb4. The most appropriate name depends upon the current key signature, but can also depend on musical context.

Cakewalk uses a set of rules to automatically add accidentals (sharps or flats) to notes based on the current key signature. These rules cover the most common musical situations and usually lead to pleasing results. However, there is no guaranteed right way to resolve accidentals. Doing so ultimately requires knowledge regarding what key or scale is being evoked--knowledge that only the composer possesses. For example, if a modulation is being prepared, then the new key signature has not yet been completely established, and the harmony has already begun to shift. In fact, there may not even be a scale in a diatonic sense: chromatic scales, for instance, are supposed to sharp on the way up and flat on the way down. Because no set of rules will suffice for all situations, the composer needs the ability to override any default choice.

Notes in Cakewalk normally do not have a forced enharmonic spelling. This means they will automatically change to match the default for a new key signature. If you specify spelling that matches the default choice, Cakewalk will drop any forced spelling and switch back to default behavior. Otherwise, the forced spelling is remembered for that note, and will not change to follow the key signature. If you change the pitch of a note by some other means (for instance, by dragging it up or down), it will lose any forced spelling, because it very likely no longer applies to the new pitch. Enharmonic spelling overrides for each note are saved in the project file.

When you type a note's enharmonic spelling, use the following table as a guide:

Accidental		Character		Example		Displays As
Flat		b		Cb5
Sharp		#		C#5
Double flat		"		C"5
Double sharp		x		Cx5
For step by step instructions:

How to Change a Note's Enharmonic Spelling


To Change a Note's Enharmonic Spelling

1.	Right-click on the note to open the Note Properties dialog box.

2.	In the Pitch textbox, type a new spelling for the note.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk displays the note with the new enharmonic spelling.

You can change enharmonic spellings in other views, such as the Event List view, by similarly typing a new spelling wherever the note pitch is displayed as a text string.


MIDI Channels and Voices

If you set notes to different MIDI channels in the Staff view, they will automatically be forced into separate voices. This gives you greater control over voice assignment and beaming, and is especially important in keyboard and percussion notation. The use of different MIDI channels is conceptually linked to the use of different instruments. Therefore, setting notes to different channels gives you a useful way to show separate voices, whether the track has a forced channel or not.

You can disable the forced mapping of MIDI channels by choosing Tools-Initialization File, and adding the following line:

 StaffViewChanSeparateVoices = 0


Chords and Marks

The Staff view lets you add and edit chord symbols, dynamic markings, hairpin symbols, and pedal events. Like notes, these symbols are placed in the score with the Draw tool. They can be selected, cut, copied, pasted, deleted, and dragged and dropped. With the exception of pedal marks, though, these symbols have no audible effect; they serve only to enhance and clarify the printed score.


Adding Chord Symbols

The Staff view lets you enter chord symbols above the staff. You can enter both ordinary chord names and guitar chord symbols, which display both the chord name and fingering. Cakewalk has a large number of predefined chords from which you can choose. You can also define and save your own chords.

If a track is split into Treble/Bass staves, chords are allowed only above the upper (Treble) staff.

Cakewalk stores its library of chords in the file CHORDS.LIW. The chords in the library are sorted into groups. You can add and remove chords from the library, create new groups (i.e. for alternative guitar tunings), and add chords from a different library file.

You edit chords in the Chord Properties dialog box. Chord properties are shown in the following table:

Property		Meaning
Time		The time of the chord, in measure, beat, and tick (MBT) format
Name		The name of the chord
Group		The chord group
The Chord Properties dialog box also lets you draw guitar chord grids and manage the chord library.

You can suppress the display of all guitar chord diagrams by deselecting the Show Chord Grids option in the Staff view's Layout dialog box. With this option disabled, only chord text appears.

For step by step instructions:

How to Add a Chord Symbol

How to Move a Chord Symbol

How to Edit a Chord Symbol

How to Add a Guitar Chord Grid

How to Manage the Chord Library


To Add a Chord Symbol

1.	Click the Draw tool [image].

2.	Select the Chord tool [image].

3.	Position the pointer above the staff. (The pointer changes to a pencil when you are in a legal position.)

4.	Click to place a chord symbol.

Cakewalk inserts a copy of the most recently added chord (by default, C). You can then edit the symbol to display the chord you want.


To Move a Chord Symbol

1.	Click the Draw tool [image].

2.	Drag the chord symbol to a new location.


To Edit a Chord Symbol

1.	Right-click on the symbol to open the Chord Properties dialog box.

2.	Edit information about the chord according to the table:

To do this...	Do this...
Move a chord in time	Change the Time property.
Give the chord a new name	Select a chord from the dropdown list, or type a new name. Use "#" for sharp and "b" for flat.
Add descriptive text to the	Type the text in square brackets chord name after the chord name. The text does not appear in the Staff view.
See a different set of chords	Select a group from the list. This option only applies if you have created a custom chord library.
3.	If desired, add a guitar chord grid (see below).

4.	Click OK.

The Staff view displays the chord with the new properties, moving it to a new time if necessary.


To Add a Guitar Chord Grid

1.	Right-click on the chord symbol to open the Chord Properties dialog box.

2.	Follow the instructions in the table:

To do this...	Do this...
Display a blank chord grid	Click New Grid.
Place a dot on the grid	Select the finger number (1-4, or T for Thumb), then click on the grid at the appropriate string and fret location
Assign an open string	Select O, then click on the string
Assign a muted string	Select X, then click on the string
Change the finger assigned	Click on the dot repeatedly to cycle to a dot through the fingers
Insert a fret designation	Click to the right of the grid and enter the number of the index finger fret in the Chord Fret Number dialog box.
Play the chord (Audition)	Click Play.
Remove the chord grid	Click Remove Grid.
3.	Click OK.

The Staff view displays the chord with the new guitar chord grid.


To Manage the Chord Library

1.	Right-click on the chord symbol to open the Chord Properties dialog box.

2.	Follow the instructions in the table:

To do this...	Do this...
Add a chord to the library	Select a group, enter a name in the Name box, enter a guitar grid (if desired), and click Save.
Delete a chord from the current	Select the chord from the group list and click Delete.
Add a new group	Type a name for the group in the Group textbox and click Save.
Delete a group	Select a group from the list and click Delete.
Merge chords from an external	Click the Import buttons and chord library select a file.
3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk saves the chord library with the changes you made.


Adding Expression Marks

Expression marks tell a performer how to interpret the notes and durations on the page. They provide a necessary supplement to simple notation, in which notes have only pitch and duration, but no hint of how loudly, softly, or smoothly, they are to be played. Dynamic marks--from ppp for "very quietly" through fff for "quite loudly"--allow notation to convey volume instructions. Expression marks are also needed to specify other aspects of performance, such as whether a passage is to be played legato or staccato. Finally, expression marks can be used to convey to the performer the composer's suggestions or requirements as to how a passage should be interpreted. In such cases the language used can leave much to the imagination, as in with majesty or abrasively.

Expression marks do not change the underlying MIDI data. They only provide information to the reader on how a piece should be performed.

If the track is split into Treble/Bass staves, expression marks are allowed only below the Treble staff.

When entering an expression mark, you can leave a dangling hyphen at the end of an expression mark to insert automatic spaced hyphens until the next expression mark. For example:

cresc. 	- - - ff

It is often desirable to terminate such a series of hyphens with a blank expression mark. For example:

accel. 	 - - -

Expression text is italicized in the Staff view. Standard dynamic markings also appear bold.

For step by step instructions:

How to Add an Expression Mark

How to Edit an Expression Mark


To Add an Expression Mark

1.	Click the Draw tool [image].

2.	Select the Expression tool [image].

3.	Position the pointer below the lowest note in the staff. (The pointer changes to a pencil when you are in a legal position.)

4.	Click to open an insertion box.

5.	Type the expression mark text. Press Esc to abort the operation.

6.	Press Enter, or press Tab or Shift-Tab to move to the next or previous mark, respectively.

Cakewalk inserts the new expression mark below the staff.


To Edit an Expression Mark

1.	Right-click on the expression mark to open the Expression Text Properties dialog box.

2.	Edit the time and text of the expression mark as desired.

3.	Click OK.

The Staff view displays the expression mark with the new text, moving it to a new time if necessary. You can also use the Draw tool and click directly on an expression mark to change its text.


Adding Hairpin Symbols

Some musical phrases vary dynamically, increasing or decreasing in loudness for dramatic effect. Cakewalk lets you insert traditional crescendo and diminuendo hairpin symbols that convey this information to a performer.

If the track is split into Treble/Bass staves, hairpin symbols are allowed only below the Treble staff.

For step by step instructions:

How to Add a Hairpin Symbol

How to Edit a Hairpin Symbol


To Add a Hairpin Symbol

1.	Click the Draw tool [image].

2.	Select the Hairpin tool [image].

3.	Position the pointer below the staff. (The pointer changes to a pencil when you are in a legal position.)

4.	Click to place a hairpin symbol.

Cakewalk inserts a copy of the most recently added hairpin symbol, which you can edit as desired.


To Edit a Hairpin Symbol

1.	Right-click on the hairpin symbol to open the Hairpin Properties dialog box.

2.	Edit the starting time, duration, and type of the hairpin as desired.

3.	Click OK.

The Staff view displays the hairpin symbol with the new properties, moving it to a new time if necessary.


Adding Pedal Marks

Pedal marks traditionally indicate where the sustain pedal of a piano is to be pressed, and for how long. With Cakewalk, you can achieve the same effect by inserting a pair of symbols indicating when the sustain pedal controller is to be turned on (down) and when it is to be turned off (up). Unlike chord symbols, expression marks, and hairpin symbols, each pedal symbol corresponds to a MIDI event. The other symbols are purely ornamental, intended to provide a composer with a way to communicate suggestions or requirements to performers.

Pedal event parameters are as follows:

Parameters		Meaning
Time		The time of the event, in measures, beats, and ticks (MBT)
Channel		The MIDI channel on which the event will be sent
Value		The event value. A value of 127 depresses the pedal, a value of 0 raises it. (Some advanced synthesizers sup port values between 0 and 127 for "partial pedaling.")
If the track is split into Treble/Bass staves, pedal marks are allowed only below the Bass staff.

You can suppress the display of all pedal marks by deselecting the Show Pedal Events option in the Staff view's Layout dialog box.

For step by step instructions:

How to Add a Pedal Mark

How to Edit a Pedal Event


To Add a Pedal Mark

1.	Click the Draw tool [image].

2.	Select the Pedal tool [image].

3.	Position the pointer below the staff. (The pointer changes to a pencil when you are in a legal position.)

4.	Click to place a pedal mark.

Cakewalk inserts a pair of pedal symbols (a pedal down and a pedal up.) You can click and drag either symbol to a new time.


To Edit a Pedal Event

1.	Right-click on the pedal symbol (pedal down or pedal up) to open the Pedal Event Parameters dialog box.

2.	Edit the pedal event parameters, as described in the table above.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk changes the pedal event parameters, moving the symbol to a new time if necessary.


Working with Percussion

The Staff view can display percussion tracks on a five-line percussion staff or on a single percussion line. The staff usually displays notes for a drumset or multiple percussion instruments; the line is used to display notes for a single instrument (although it need not be so).

Cakewalk lets you control the appearance of percussion staffs in considerable detail. You can display percussion notes using several different types of noteheads and articulation symbols, and you can map any percussion sound to any position on the percussion staff. (In a percussion track, each MIDI note value designates a different percussion instrument; mapping lets you display any instrument in any position on the staff, regardless of the underlying MIDI note value.) You can save your settings as a preset, and use them again on other tracks and in other projects. Cakewalk supplies a standard preset based on the General MIDI percussion standard and popularly accepted percussion staff positions and noteheads.


Setting up a Percussion Track

Before you use the percussion capabilities of the Staff view, your percussion track should be set up correctly. This will allow you to hear the proper sounds when placing notes and during playback, and will allow you to see the correct percussion instrument names rather than generic note names in the Piano Roll view, Event List view, and Percussion Notation dialog box.

For step by step instructions:

How to Set up a Percussion Track


To Set up a Percussion Track

1.	Right-click on the track in the Track pane and choose Track Properties to open the Track Properties dialog box.

2.	Assign the port and channel for your percussion instrument. For example, if the port is assigned to a sound card that supports General MIDI, use channel 10.

3.	Click Instruments to open the Assign Instruments dialog box.

4.	Make sure that the port/channel combination used by your track is assigned to a percussion instrument definition. For example, channel 10 of a General MIDI port should be assigned to the General MIDI Drums instrument definition.

5.	Click OK in both dialog boxes.

Cakewalk shows the new track port and channel in the Track view, and will use the proper percussion instrument names in the Piano Roll view, Event List view, and Percussion Notation dialog box.

For more information about instrument definitions, see Instrument Definitions.


Setting up a Percussion Staff or Line

The first time you display a percussion track in the Staff view, Cakewalk picks a default percussion clef for the track. Tracks with only one note value are assigned the Percussion Line clef. Tracks with multiple note values are assigned the Percussion Staff clef.

If you want to change a Percussion Staff to a Percussion Line or vice versa, or if you want to change another type of staff to a percussion staff, you can do so in the Staff View Layout dialog box. If you change a track's clef to a non-percussion clef, the percussion notation settings will be lost.

The lowest and highest lines on the Percussion clef are E5 and F6, respectively. The Percussion Line represents E5.

By default, percussion staffs are given Cakewalk's default note bindings and notehead assignments. If you want to use your own notation, or if you want to set up the appearance of a percussion line, you need to use the Percussion Notation Key dialog box. In this dialog, the percussion sounds and staff positions that are bound have an asterisk near their names. When you select a bound percussion sound, a line joins the sound to its staff position. Each percussion sound can only be bound to a single position, but each position may be bound to several sounds. You can use different notehead types and articulation symbols to visually distinguish the sounds.

For step by step instructions:

How to Assign a Percussion Staff or Line to a Track

How to Set up a Track's Percussion Notation Key


To Assign a Percussion Staff or Line to a Track

1.	Click the Layout button [image] to open the Staff View Layout dialog box.

2.	Select your percussion track from the list.

3.	Select Percussion Staff or Percussion Line from the Clef dropdown list.

4.	Click Percussion Settings to set up the appearance of percussion notes (see below).

5.	Click Close.

Cakewalk changes the track's clef to the selected percussion clef.


To Set up a Track's Percussion Notation Key

1.	Click the Layout button [image] to open the Staff View Layout dialog box.

2.	Select your percussion track from the list.

3.	Click Percussion Settings to open the Percussion Notation Key dialog box.

4.	Set up the percussion notation key according to the following table:

To do this...	Do this...
Map (bind) a percussion sound to a line or space on the staff	Select the sound (or corresponding MIDI note) in the MIDI Note list, select the intended position in the percussion staff in the Display As list, then click Bind.
Set the notehead and articulation mark for a percussion sound	Select the sound in the MIDI Note list, then select a Notehead Type and Articulation Symbol. (Only bound sounds can be assigned a notehead type and articulation symbol other than the default.)
Set the default staff position, notehead type, and articulation symbol for unbound percussion sounds	Select the default position in the Display As list, select a Notehead Type and Articulation Symbol, then click Default Note.
Remove a binding	Select the percussion sound in the MIDI Note list, then click Unbind. Unbound notes are displayed in the default position.
Load a preset	Select the preset from the Preset list.
Save your settings as a preset	Click the Save button [image] and enter a preset name.
Clear all bindings	Click Zap All.
Select notes in the note lists with a MIDI keyboard.	Click in the MIDI Note or Display As list, then strike a key on your keyboard
5.	Click OK to close the Percussion Notation Key dialog box.

6.	Click Close to close the Staff View Layout dialog box.

The Staff view shows the percussion clef with the note bindings and noteheads you assigned.


Ghost Strokes

In percussion notation, parentheses around a note mean that it is a "ghost stroke", played very lightly and barely heard. Cakewalk supports ghost strokes by displaying parentheses around any percussion note event with velocity less than 32 (a fixed, arbitrary threshold). If necessary, you can adjust the Vel+ parameter of the track and the velocities of the individual notes to effectively move this threshold without changing the way the note sounds.


Printing

The Staff view provides printing support of standard musical notation in nine staff sizes. The Staff view prints general project information from the File Info dialog box (see Labeling Your Projects) at the beginning of the score, including the song's title (or file name), subtitle (dedication), playing instructions, author/composer, and copyright. In addition, Cakewalk identifies the track(s) by number and name, and numbers each measure and each page.

Cakewalk lets you select a size for your printed score. Engravers have nine standardized sizes of the five-line staff. The vertical distance between the lines of each staff is called its rastral size, or measurement. Each rastral size has a number and is used by publishers for a specific genre of musical composition.

Number		Trade names		Genre usage
0		Commercial or Public		Wire-bound manuscript
1		Giant or English		Elementary band and orchestra books; instruction booklets
2 or 3		Regular, Common, or Ordinary		Sheet music for, for example, concertos and classics
4		Peter		Folios, works for organ, etc.
5		Large middle		Band/wind ensemble music; sheet music
6		Small middle		Chorals; condensed sheet music
7		Cadenza		Pocket editions; cues in piano parts; military marches
8		Pearl		Thematic advertisement; ossia clarification
For step by step instructions:

How to Print a Score


To Print a Score

1.	Make sure the Staff view is the current window.

2.	Choose File-Print Preview.

3.	If you want, click Zoom or click in the music, to zoom the view in and out.

4.	Click the Configure button to select a rastral size.

5.	When zoomed out, you can press Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End to navigate between pages.

6.	Click Print.

Cakewalk displays the Windows Print dialog box, from which you can set up your printer and prints the score.

Alternatively, you can choose File-Print and skip the print preview window.


The Meter/Key View

The Meter/Key view lets you enter meter and key changes on measure boundaries. Meter and key changes affect all tracks.


What is Meter?

The meter -- also known as the time signature -- describes how to divide time into rhythmic pulses. When you set the meter, you are specifying the number of beats per measure and the note value of each beat. Common meters include:

•	2/4 (two beats per measure, quarter note gets a beat)

•	4/4 (four beats per measure, quarter note gets a beat)

•	3/4 (three beats per measure, quarter note gets a beat)

•	6/8 (six beats per measure, eighth note gets a beat)

The top number of a meter is the number of beats per measure, and can be from 1 through 99. The bottom number of a meter is the value of each beat; you can pick from a list of values ranging from a whole note to a thirty-second note.

The meter affects several things in Cakewalk:

•	Metronome accents

•	How measure, beat and tick (MBT) times are calculated and displayed

•	How the Staff view is drawn

While Cakewalk in general allows meters to have up to 99 beats per measure, the Staff view cannot display such measures. You will receive an error message if you try to use the Staff view with meters exceeding its capacity.

Usually the easiest approach to working with meter changes is to set all of them up before doing any recording. Use the Meter/Key view or the Insert-Meter/Key Change command to add meter changes at the desired measures.


What is Key?

In musical terms, a key is a system of related notes based on the tonic (the base pitch) of a major or minor scale. A key signature is a group of sharps or flats placed immediately to the right of the clef sign. The key signature tells a performer that certain notes are to be systematically raised or lowered.

There are fifteen different key signatures -- seven with sharps, seven with flats, and one without either. The fifteen key signatures correspond to fifteen different major scales, and to fifteen different minor scales (for example, the key signature for C major is the same as for A minor).

The key signature affects several things in Cakewalk:

•	The key signature controls how Cakewalk displays notes. In the Event List view and some dialog boxes, Cakewalk converts the MIDI pitch number to labels like Db (D-flat in the key of C).

•	The Staff view uses the key signature to display notation correctly.

The key signature only affects how Cakewalk displays pitches for you. Changing the key signature does not affect the MIDI key number (pitch) stored with each note. To actually transpose pitches, use the Transpose command or edit notes individually by using the Piano Roll, Event List, or Staff views.

Frequently you use only one key signature for an entire song. The default key is C. You can change these defaults by creating your own default template file. For more information, see Templates.


Opening the Meter/Key View

To open the Meter/Key view, click [image] or choose View-Meter/Key.

The Meter/Key view displays a list of meter/key changes in the project. There is always an entry for measure 1, because there must always be a meter and key signature for the song. The default meter is 4/4 and the default key is C. You can change these defaults by creating your own default template file. For more information, see Templates.

Each meter/key change has the following properties:

Property		Meaning
At Measure		The measure where the meter/key change takes place
Beats per Measure		The number of beats per measure-the upper number in the time signature
Beat Value		The note length of a beat-the lower number in the time signature. 2 corresponds to a half note, 4 to a quarter note, 8 to an eighth note, etc.
Key Signature		The key signature


Adding and Editing Meter/Key Changes

The Meter/Key view displays a list of all the meter/key changes in the song. You can add, delete, or edit meter/key changes by clicking the buttons at the top of the view. Meter/key changes can also be inserted into the project with the Insert-Meter/Key Change command.

For step by step instructions:

How to Add a Meter/key Change

How to Delete a Meter/key Change

How to Move a Meter/key Change

How to Edit a Meter/key Change


To Add a Meter/key Change

1.	Open the Meter/Key view.

2.	Click Add [image] , or choose Insert-Meter/Key Change, to open the Meter/Key Signature dialog box.

3.	Enter information about the new meter/key change.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk inserts the meter/key change into the project. The meter/ key change will appear in the Staff view at the appropriate measure.


To Delete a Meter/key Change

1.	Select the meter/key change to be deleted from the list.

2.	Select additional meter/key changes by using Shift-click and Ctrl-click.

3.	Select the Confirm option if you want to be prompted to confirm deletion.

4.	Click Delete [image].

Cakewalk removes the meter/key change from the project. Note that you cannot delete the first meter/key change from measure 1 of a project.


To Move a Meter/key Change

1.	Select the meter/key change to be moved.

2.	Click Add [image].

3.	Edit the Measure parameter to the meter/key change's new measure.

4.	Click OK.

5.	Select the original meter/key change again.

6.	Click Delete [image].

Cakewalk removes the original meter/key change, and inserts a copy of it at the new measure.


To Edit a Meter/key Change

1.	Select the meter/key change to be edited.

2.	Click Change [image] to open the Meter/Key Signature dialog box.

3.	Edit the meter/key change properties.

4.	Click OK.

Cakewalk changes the properties of the meter/key change.


Working with Lyrics

Cakewalk lets you create, edit, and display lyrics -- words and syllables associated with notes in a track. Lyrics can be the words to a song, the text of a vocal passage, a narration to be read along with the music, cues of some type, or text totally unrelated to the music. Each word or syllable in the lyrics must be associated with a note in a MIDI track. Each MIDI track can have its own lyrics.

Although lyrics can logically be associated with digital audio data, you cannot actually place lyrics in an audio track. If you want to create lyrics for an audio track, you must create an auxiliary MIDI track to hold the lyrics.

You can enter and edit lyrics in two ways:

•	Using the Lyrics tool in the Staff view

•	Using the Lyrics view

The Staff view is usually the preferred location for entering lyrics, since you can see the notes with which the lyrics are associated. The Lyrics view can also be used for entering or editing lyrics, but its main strength is that it can display lyrics in a larger, more readable format. You might use the Lyrics view to display song lyrics during recording and playback, so performers can see the words and sing along. You can make the font size in the Lyrics view as large as desired, so that the lyrics can be read at a distance from the monitor. During playback, the current line in the lyrics is enclosed in a box and the current word is highlighted.

Lyric events are similar to text events. Like any other event, they occur at a particular time. They contain text, just like general-purpose text events, but generally they contain only a single word (or syllable of a word). As events, Lyrics can be edited in the Event List view (see The Event List View).


Adding and Editing Lyrics in the Staff View

The Staff view displays lyrics below their associated track. If the track is split into Treble/Bass staves, lyrics are aligned with notes in both staves, but are displayed below the Treble staff.

When a lyric word or syllable spans multiple notes, a trailing underline or series of regularly spaced hyphens is automatically drawn, following conventional lyric notation practice.

For step by step instructions:

How to Add Lyrics to a Track

How to Edit Lyrics


To Add Lyrics to a Track

1.	Click the Draw tool [image].

2.	Select the Lyrics tool [image].

3.	Position the pointer below the staff, under the first note to be assigned lyrics. (The pointer changes to a pencil when you are in a legal position.)

4.	Click to open an insertion box.

5.	Follow the instructions in the table:

To do this...	Do this...
Enter a word or syllable	Type it in the insertion box
End the word or syllable and	Type a space, tab, or hyphen move to the next note
Skip over a note	Type a space or hyphen
Move back to the previous note	Press Shift-Tab
6.	Press Enter when you are done.

Cakewalk displays the new lyrics below the staff.


To Edit Lyrics

1.	Click the Draw tool [image].

2.	Click on the word you want to change.

3.	Edit the word as desired.

4.	Press Enter.

Cakewalk replaces the old word with the new one.


Opening the Lyrics View

There are three ways to open the Lyrics view:

•	In the Track view, select the track whose lyrics you want to see, then click

•	In the Track view, select the track whose lyrics you want to see, then choose View-Lyrics

•	Right-click on a clip in the Clips pane and choose Lyrics from the menu

The Pick Track button [image] opens a dialog where you can select the track whose lyrics you want to see. Select the desired track, then click OK.

To select a font for the display, use one of the following:

Option/Button		Purpose
Font A		Selects the first font. By default, this is a small font useful for editing.
Font B		Selects the second font. By default, this is a larger font useful for reading lyrics at a distance.
Font		Opens a dialog where you can select a font. The selected font is then assigned as Font A or B (depending on which is currently selected).


Adding and Editing Lyrics in the Lyrics View

Lyrics appear in the Lyrics view as a stream of syllables, each one associated with a note in the track. In this context, a syllable is any continuous string of characters, without a hyphen. For example, "love," "desire," and "infatuation" are all syllables; each one would be associated with a single note. If you want to break a word into multiple syllables, you must hyphenate the word. For example, "de-sire" would map onto two notes, since it is now two syllables long.

You can enter the lyrics marking the syllables the way you want, or simply type the text in normally and use automatic hyphenation to break the text into syllables. This means you can add lyrics to a project by copying and pasting them from another application (such as a word processor), and then hyphenate them automatically.

To extend a single syllable over more than one note, you can use extra hyphens, separated by spaces. For example, in "Oh - say can you see…", the "Oh" is extended over two notes. If a track contains no lyrics yet, the display will show only a series of hyphens (one for each note in the track).

If you enter more syllables than there are notes in the track, Cakewalk assigns the extra lyrics times at quarter note intervals.

For step by step instructions:

How to Enter Lyrics in the Lyrics View

How to Edit Lyrics in the Lyrics View

How to Hyphenate the Lyrics


To Enter Lyrics in the Lyrics View

1.	Click in the upper left corner of the view to position the cursor at the start of the text.

2.	Follow the instructions in the table:

To do this...	Do this...
Enter a word or syllable	Type it
End a word or syllable and move	Type a space or hyphen to the next note
Break a line for easier viewing	Press Enter


To Edit Lyrics in the Lyrics View

Editing in the Lyrics view follows standard Windows conventions for cursor movement, selection, cut, copy, paste, and delete. When you pause, Cakewalk will update all lyric events in the track.


To Hyphenate the Lyrics

1.	If you want, select a portion of the lyric text. If you do not select any text, all the lyrics will be hyphenated.

2.	Click the Hyphenate button.

Cakewalk hyphenates the lyrics.


Mixing

The topics listed below describe the Console view, a live digital mixer that gives you full track-by-track control over recording and playback of your project. Using the Console view, you can:

•	set track parameters such as port, channel, bank, and patch, and source

•	mute and solo tracks

•	arm tracks for recording

•	monitor your input devices with track level meters

•	control volume and panning

•	control MIDI track chorus and reverb

•	add real-time effects to digital audio

The Console view supports automation, which lets you record and play back volume and pan changes and MIDI reverb and chorus settings.

The Console view also lets you record the digital audio portions of a project, including all real-time effects and control movements, as a stereo pair of audio tracks. You can use the mixed-down tracks to create a CD master or to publish your work on the World Wide Web.

See also:

The Console View

Mixing MIDI

Routing and Mixing Digital Audio

Using Real-Time Effects

Using Control Groups

Using Remote Control

Recording Automation Data


The Console View

The Console view contains all the controls you need to mix your project. To open the Console view click the Console view button or choose View-Console.

Mixing MIDI

Routing and Mixing Digital Audio

Using Real-Time Effects

Using Control Groups

Using Remote Control

Recording Automation Data

For step by step instructions:

How to Choose the Modules that are DIsplayed

How to Hide a Module

How to Change the Meter Display

How to Change the Number of Aux Buses

How to Choose Balance or Pan Controls

How to Set the Volume Taper

How to Set the Snap-to Position of a Knob or Fader

How to Insert a New Track

How to Rename a Track or Aux Bus

Sound controls in the Console view are grouped in modules. There are four types of module:

Module type...		What you can do...
MIDI track		Set the track's output port, channel, bank, and patch; set the input source and monitor input levels; mute, solo, and arm the track; set channel volume, panning, chorus, and reverb levels.
Audio track		Set the track's output port; set the input source and moni tor input levels; mute, solo, and arm the track; set track vol ume and panning; apply real-time effects, send audio data to aux buses.
Aux bus		Receive input from one or more audio tracks, apply real-time effects, and send the results to an output port.
Main		Apply real-time stereo master effects; monitor output levels using meters; control the stereo volume of audio output to an audio port.
One module is always outlined with a broken line. This corresponds to the track with the focus in the Track view. You can change the focus by clicking to the right of the module's volume fader.

The Console view contains buttons, sliders, and knobs. Knobs can be adjusted in four different ways:

•	Click along the outer edge of the knob to move the knob to that position

•	Drag the outer edge of the knob in a circular motion to set the desired position

•	Click on the center of the knob and drag the mouse up or down to adjust the knob

•	Double-click the center of the knob to return it to its snap-to position

Volume and pan faders also have snap-to positions; double-click a fader's knob to return the fader to its snap-to value.

The controls and effects patch points all have tooltips associated with them. To see a description of a particular control or effect, simply rest the cursor over the item for a few seconds.

See also:

Configuring the Console


Configuring the Console

The Console view can be reconfigured in a variety of ways. You can:

•	Choose the modules that you want to see

•	Adjust the display of audio meters and clip indicators

•	Change the number of aux buses

•	Choose to use balance or pan controls on aux buses and main outputs

•	Set control snap-to positions

•	Insert new tracks

•	Name tracks and aux buses

You can adjust the modules that are displayed by type or individually using tools in the Console view toolbar.

Meters are helpful in determining the relative volumes of your audio tracks, and in detecting and preventing overload. By default, the Console view displays output level meters in Main output modules at all times, and displays record level meters in individual tracks whenever they are armed and have an audio input source. The display of meter, however, can place a considerable load on your computer. Showing only the peak indicators, or hiding the meters entirely, can reduce the load on your computer. This may increase the number of audio tracks and real-time effects you can play back at one time.

There are three options you can access from the Tools-Audio Options command that affect the layout and operation of the Console view. First, Cakewalk lets you control the number of aux buses that appear in the Console view. If you are not planning to make use of any aux buses, you can reduce this number to zero to save space and make the Console view more compact.

Second, Cakewalk lets you choose between two modes of operation for the stereo pan/balance controls:

Mode...		What it means...
Balance		Constant audio is not maintained as the signal is swept across the stereo field. As the balance control is moved toward the left channel, for example, the vol ume of the right channel is gradually reduced to zero, while the left channel volume is left unchanged.
Pan (Constant Power)		Constant audio is maintained as the signal is swept across the stereo field. As the pan control is moved, both the right and left channel volumes are changed to ensure that the total power delivered to the two chan nels remains constant.
Third, Cakewalk offers two tapering options for how MIDI volume and velocity are combined to produce actual gain values. With either option, the actual effective gain on an audio track is the product of two gain contributions. One contribution comes from the track volume. The other comes from the event velocity and track velocity offset.

The track volume gain contribution is the same regardless of the taper. If the MIDI volume is m, then the gain contribution gVolume is as follows:

gVolume = (m ^ 2)/(127 ^ 2)

The velocity contribution depends on the taper you've chosen. If the sum of the event velocity and the track velocity offset is v, then the velocity contribution gVelocity is as follows:

Tapering option…	Velocity contribution…
Linear	gVelocity = (v - 103) * 0.75 (approximate)
Quadratic	gVelocity = (v ^ 2) / ((127 ^ 2) / 4)
For step by step instructions:

How to Choose the Modules that are DIsplayed

How to Hide a Module

How to Change the Meter Display

How to Change the Number of Aux Buses

How to Choose Balance or Pan Controls

How to Set the Volume Taper

How to Set the Snap-to Position of a Knob or Fader

How to Insert a New Track

How to Rename a Track or Aux Bus


To Choose the Modules that are Displayed

1.	Click the Module Manager button [image] to open the Module Manager dialog box.

2.	In the module list, check those modules you would like displayed in the Console view, and uncheck the rest. You can use Shift-click, Control-click, or the quick select buttons to select multiple modules; press Space to check or uncheck all the selected modules at once.

3.	Click OK.


To Hide a Module

•	Right-click on the module and choose Hide Module.


To Change the Meter Display

•	Use the tools in the Console view toolbar as described in the table:

Tool...	How it works...
	When pressed, Record level meters are displayed when a track has an audio input source and is armed for recording
	When pressed, Playback level meters are displayed on all Main outputs
	When pressed, peak indicators are displayed instead of meters. The peak indicators light if the signal is clipping


To Change the Number of Aux Buses

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options to display the Audio Options dialog box.

2.	Enter the desired number of aux buses in the Number of Aux Buses box.

3.	Click OK.

The next time you start Cakewalk, the Console view will contain the designated number of aux buses.


To Choose Balance or Pan Controls

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the General tab.

2.	Select Balance Control or Constant Power in the MIDI Pan Mapping box.

3.	Click OK when you are done.

Cakewalk interprets MIDI pan messages as you requested.


To Set the Volume Taper

1.	Choose Tools-Audio Options and click the General tab.

2.	Select Linear Scale or Quadratic Taper from the MIDI Volume Mapping list.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk combines volume and velocity according to the settings you have chosen.


To Set the Snap-to Position of a Knob or Fader

1.	Set the control to the desired position.

2.	Right-click on the control and choose Set Snap-To = Current.

From now on, the control returns to this position when double-clicked.


To Insert a New Track

1.	Right-click on an empty area in the Console view.

2.	Choose Add Track-Audio or Add Track-MIDI.

Cakewalk adds a new track to the project.


To Rename a Track or Aux Bus

1.	Click on the module name.

2.	Type a new name.

3.	Press Enter.

If you rename a track, the new name is copied to the Track view.


Mixing MIDI

Each MIDI track in your project is assigned a strip in the Console view. A MIDI strip looks like this:

The chorus, reverb, pan, and volume controls work by sending controller messages to your MIDI device. As you move the knobs and faders for these controls, the controller value is shown in the Console view toolbar. These messages are merged into the stream of MIDI data sent to the output port. (Note that not all MIDI devices support chorus and reverb controller messages.)

Tip: You can control the level of all MIDI tracks at once by grouping the MIDI faders. For more information, see Using Control Groups.

You can control the mixing and playback of a MIDI track as follows:

To do this...		Do this...
Add a realtime audio effect to the track		Right-click in the Effects patch point and select an effect from the list (for more information, see Using Real-Time Effects)
Remove an effect		Select the effect, then press Delete
Select the output port		Click the Port button and select one from the list
Select the channel		Click the Channel button and select one from the list
Select the bank		Click the Bank button and select one from the list
Select the patch		Click the Patch button and select one from the list
Set the Chorus level		Adjust the Chorus knob
Set the Reverb level		Adjust the Reverb knob
Mute the track		Click the Mute button
Solo the track		Click the Solo button
Arm the track for recording		Click the Arm button
Set the Pan level		Adjust the Pan fader
Set the Volume level		Adjust the Volume fader
Select the input source		Click the input source button and select one from the list
When moving the Volume fader, the Value box in the toolbar displays the level from a scale of 0 (minimum) to 127 (maximum). When you move the Pan slider, the Value box displays the pan value on a scale that ranges from 0 (hard left) to 64 (center) to 127 (hard right).


Routing and Mixing Digital Audio

The Console view lets you route and mix your digital audio data in a number of different ways. The "wiring diagram" for digital audio in the Console view looks like this:

Audio events in each track are processed by any real-time audio effects you have patched in place, passed through the track pan control and volume fader, and then sent to the designated main output, in stereo.

Any audio track can be tapped, before or after the track volume control, and sent to one or more aux buses. An aux bus can tap any number of audio tracks. Each track's data passes through the track's send level knob on its way to the aux bus.

The audio in each aux bus passes through the send level and pan controls, is processed by any real-time effects you have patched, sent through the return level and pan controls, and then sent to the designated main output, in stereo.

At the main output, all audio data from audio tracks and aux buses that were routed to the main are mixed together and processed by the main's real-time effects. Finally, the data passes through the master volume faders, and is sent to the output port.

See also:

Audio Track Modules

Aux Buses

Audio Main Output Module


Audio Track Modules

You control the mixing and playback of an audio track as follows:

To do this...		Do this...
Add a realtime audio effect to the track		Right-click in the Effects patch point and select an effect from the list (for more information, see Using Real-Time Effects)
Remove an effect		Select the effect, then press Delete
Send audio data from the track to an aux bus		Select the corresponding Aux Send Enable and set the Aux Send Level (for more information, see Aux Buses)
Mute the track		Click the Mute button
Solo the track		Click the Solo button
Arm the track for record ing		Click the Arm button
Set the Pan level		Adjust the Pan control
Set the Volume level		Adjust the Volume fader
Select the output port		Click the output port button and select one from the list
Select the input source		Click the input source button and select one from the list
When moving the Volume fader and Aux Send Level knobs, the Value box in the toolbar displays the value in dB (decibels). A value of 0 dB indicates full signal strength; negative values indicate an attenuated signal. When you move the Pan slider, the Value box displays the pan value on a scale that ranges from 0 (hard left) to 64 (center) to 127 (hard right).


Aux Buses

Aux buses are useful for mixing together different audio tracks (in stereo) and applying effects to the mix. You can mix the tracks at different volume levels by adjusting each track's aux send level. Each track's Pan control is used to determine its right/left position in the mix.

You control the aux bus as follows:

To do this...		Do this...
Send audio data from an audio track to the aux bus		In the audio track's strip, press the Aux Send Enable button corresponding to the aux bus
Set the level of the audio data sent to the aux bus		In the audio track's strip, set the Aux Send Level corresponding to the aux bus
Bypass all input audio tracks' volume faders		Press the Pre-Fader Enable button
Set the input level to the aux bus		Adjust the Send level
Set the input panning to the aux bus		Adjust the Send balance
Add a real-time audio effect to the bus		Right-click in the Effects patch point and select an effect from the list (for more information, see Using Real-Time Effects)
Remove an effect		Select the effect, then press Delete
Set the output level		Adjust the Return level
Set the output panning		Adjust the Return balance
Select the output port		Click the output port button and select one from the list
As with Audio strips, the Value box in the toolbar displays the send and return levels in decibels, and the send and return balance values on a scale of 0 to 127.


Audio Main Output Module

Here's what you can do in the main:

To do this...		Do this...
Add a real-time audio effect to the mix		Right-click in the Effects patch point and select an effect from the list (for more information, see Using Real-Time Effects)
Remove an effect		Select the effect, then press Delete
Set the output volume		Adjust the Left or Right Volume fader
As you drag the volume sliders, the Value box in the toolbar displays the volume level in decibels.


Using Real-Time Effects

Earlier, you learned how to use Cakewalk's MIDI effects and audio effects to modify your song's MIDI and digital audio data. In the Console view, plug-in effects can be used nondestructively, in real time. Cakewalk lets you use up to two real-time effects at once. These effects can be placed in any patch points you choose.

For example, suppose you want to add a reverb effect to a track containing a recorded violin solo. You could do it in two different ways:

•	Select the track's data in the Track or Audio view and use the Edit-Audio Effects-Cakewalk FX-Reverb/Chorus command

•	In the Console view, patch the Cakewalk FX Reverb/Chorus effect in the track's patch point

Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

In the first ("offline") case, you are applying a "destructive" edit. The digital audio data itself is modified. Although this may be exactly what you want, it does limit your options. If you want to modify the effect parameters slightly, or remove the effect and try a different effect, you must use the Undo command, or revert to a saved copy of the original data.

In the second case, you are applying the effect nondestructively--the digital audio data in your track is not changed, but simply altered on the fly during playback. This means you can experiment with effects parameters, bypass effects, or remove them entirely at any time. Since most effects require complex numeric calculations, real-time effects processing puts a heavy load on your computer's CPU. If you use too many effects, the CPU will not be able to keep up and playback will sound choppy and disconnected.

Real-time effects can also be applied to a submix in an aux bus, or to a main output. For example, rather than patching separate reverb effects in each of several guitar tracks, you can mix the guitar tracks together in an aux bus and apply a single reverb effect to the submix. This makes much more efficient use of CPU time. Patching effects on an aux bus or main output also opens up new creative possibilities.

There are several reasons why you might want to apply effects offline (destructively):

•	If you want to apply more effects than your CPU can handle, applying some of the effects offline will reduce CPU usage during playback.

•	If you want to apply effects to an individual audio event or clip, rather than the whole track, it is simpler to do so using offline effects.

See also:

Effects Parameters

How to Use Real-Time Effects

Applying MIDI Effects


Effects Parameters

Each effect in an effects patch point has its own independent set of parameter values. For example, you can apply a short reverb in one track and a long reverb in another track. The dialog boxes for real-time effects contain the same parameters as described in MIDI Effects and Audio Effects. There are a few differences:

•	You can adjust the parameters while playback is in progress, so there is no need for an Audition button

•	For audio effects, ecause mixing is handled through the Console view, there is no Mixing tab

•	You do not need to click OK for the effect to be applied

See MIDI Effects and Audio Effects for descriptions of the effects and their parameters.


To Use Real-Time Effects

It is very easy to use the Console view's real-time effects. Here's what to do:

To do this...		Do this...
Add a real-time effect to a MIDI track, audio track, aux bus, or main		Right-click in the Effects patch point and select an effect from the list
Change the order in which effects are used		Drag the effects up or down in the patch point list
Edit an effect's parameters		Double-click on the effect to open the effect's dialog box
Move an effect to a different patch point		Drag the effect to another patch point
When you place an effect in the patch point, an abbreviated name is used to describe the effect. Sometimes the limited space makes it difficult to identify the effect. If this occurs, simply rest the cursor over the effect for a moment, and a tooltip will pop up to display the full name of the effect.


Applying MIDI Effects

The Console view lets you destructively apply the MIDI effects in a track's patch point. This makes it easy for you to experiment with MIDI effects before you commit to them on a more permanent basis.

For step by step instructions:

How to Apply MIDI Effects Destructively


To Apply MIDI Effects Destructively

1.	In the Track view, select the clips to be affected.

2.	In the Console view, click [image] to open the Apply MIDI Effects dialog box.

3.	If desired, select the option to delete the effects after applying them.

4.	Click OK.

If you don't delete the effects after applying them, they continue to be applied during playback, even though they have already been applied once.


Using Control Groups

Cakewalk lets you link faders, knobs, or buttons in the Console view into groups. Groups are collections of controls whose movements are linked together. For example:

•	Two volume faders can be grouped so that when you increase or decrease the volume of one track, the volume of the other track changes in exactly the same way.

•	Four mute buttons can be grouped so that when you click on the mute button to mute track 1, tracks 1 and 2 are muted and tracks 3 and 4 are un-muted.

The Console view identifies knobs and faders that are grouped using a colored group indicator that is displayed on the controls in each group. The controls in group A are displayed with a red indicator, the controls in group B with a green indicator, and so on. Faders and knobs can be grouped together. Buttons can only be grouped with other buttons.

When you group buttons together, the way they work is based on their position when you create the group:

•	Buttons that are in the same position when grouped will turn on and off together at all times

•	Buttons that are in opposite positions when grouped will always remain in opposite positions

With faders and knobs, you have several additional options. There are three general types of groups: absolute, relative, and custom.

For step by step instructions:

How to Add a Control to a Group

How to Remove a Control from its Group

How to Set the Group Type to Relative or Absolute

How to Create a Custom Group

How to Adjust the Start Value of a Control

How to Adjust the End Value of a Control


Absolute

The range of motion in all controls in the group is identical. When you move one control in the group, all other controls in the group move the same amount in the same direction. The controls do not necessarily need to start at the same level.

An example:

The controls are grouped in this position.

The first control is raised to maximum volume.

The first control is lowered to minimum volume.


Relative

The range of motion for controls in the group is not the same. All controls in the group have the same value at one point--zero for send, return, and volume levels, and center for pan controls.

An example:

The volume controls are grouped in this position.

The first control is raised to the maximum volume.

The first control is lowered to zero volume.


Custom

Sometimes you want to define a more complex relationship between the controls in a group. For example:

•	You want two controls two operate in reverse--when one fader drops, the other increases

•	You want two volume faders grouped so that they are locked together at maximum level, but drop at different rates

•	You want two faders to be locked together with the same range of motion, but a third fader grouped with them to have a different range of motion

Custom groups let you set the range of motion for each control in the group by entering a starting and ending value. As any one control in the group is moved from is starting position to its ending position, the other controls in the group exercise their full range of motion.

When you have defined a custom group, you can adjust the starting and ending position of each control using the Group Settings dialog box or using pop-up menus on the controls in the group.


To Add a Control to a Group

1.	Right-click on the control.

2.	Choose a group from the Group submenu.

Cakewalk adds the control to the group. Knobs and faders are highlighted with the group's color indicator.


To Remove a Control from its Group

1.	Right-click on the control.

2.	Choose Ungroup from the menu.

Cakewalk removes the control from the group and displays the control with the neutral color indicator.


To Set the Group Type to Relative or Absolute

1.	Right-click on any control in the group and choose Group Properties to display the Group Properties dialog box.

2.	Select Absolute or Relative as the group type.

3.	Click OK.

Cakewalk uses the type to determine the range of motion for the group's controls.


To Create a Custom Group

1.	Right-click on any control in the group and choose Group Properties to display the Group Properties dialog box.

2.	Select Custom as the group type. The starting and ending values for each control are displayed.

3.	To change the starting or ending value for a control, click on the control in the list and enter new values in the Start and End box.

4.	To swap the starting and ending value, click the Swap button.

5.	Click Close when you are done.

Cakewalk uses the type to determine the range of motion for the group's controls.


To Adjust the Start Value of a Control

1.	Set the control to the desired starting value.

2.	Right click on the control.

3.	Choose Set Start = Current.

Cakewalk sets the start value of the control.


To Adjust the End Value of a Control

1.	Set the control to the desired ending value.

2.	Right click on the control.

3.	Choose Set End = Current.

Cakewalk sets the end value of the control.


Using Remote Control

Cakewalk lets you use a MIDI device to remotely control knobs, buttons, and sliders in the Console view. For example, you can:

•	Use a key on your keyboard to temporarily mute a track

•	Work the send level in an Aux Bus with your pitch bend wheel

•	Set the main volume levels with NRPN messages

If you set up remote control for a grouped control, the remote control works all controls in the group.

The type of MIDI message used to work a control is selected in the Remote Control dialog box. The options are as follows:

Message Option		Message Effect on Buttons		Message Effect on Sliders and Knobs
None		No remote control		No remote control
Note On		The button state is tog gled		The slider/knob is alternately maximized and minimized
Note On/Off		The button state is tog gled when Note On is received, and toggled again when Note Off is received		The slider/knob is maximized when Note On is received, and minimized when Note Off is received
Controller		Not applicable		The slider/knob value is set to the controller value
Wheel		Not applicable		The slider/knob value is set to the wheel value, with the values mapped from their original range of 8,192 to 8,191 to a range of 0 to 127
RPN		Not applicable		The slider/knob value is set to the RPN value, with the values mapped from their original range of 0 to 16,383 to a range of 0 to 127
NRPN		Not applicable		The slider/knob value is set to the NRPN value, with the values mapped from their original range of 0 to 16,383 to a range of 0 to 127
For step by step instructions:

How to Set up Remote Control for a Knob, Button, or Fader


To Set up Remote Control for a Knob, Button, or Fader

1.	Right click on the control and choose Remote Control from the menu.

2.	Select the remote control type, as described in the table above.

3.	Set the note or controller number if applicable.

4.	Click OK.

You can now work the control from your MIDI device.


Recording Automation Data

You can move the knobs and faders in the Console view while playing back a project to adjust the playback levels and panning. In addition, you can record changes that you make to these controls so that the changes become a part of your project. Recording changes so that they play back automatically is known as automation.

For step by step instructions:

How to Record a Snapshot while Playback is Stopped

How to Record a Snapshot while Playback is in Progress

How to Record Control Changes in Real-Time

How to View and Edit a Control's Automation Data

There are two general approaches to recording control movements:

Approach...		How it works...
Snapshot		You set all the controls to the values you want, and then create a "snapshot" of these settings at a partic ular Now time. When you play back the project later, all the controls will snap back to these settings when you reach the appropriate Now time.
Real-time Recording		You move controls in any way you like during either recording or playback. The changes you make are recorded so that they become part of your project. When you play back the project later, the controls move exactly as you recorded them.
The first approach is useful, for example, when your project contains a variety of distinct sections, and you want to make a sudden change in one or more settings between the sections.

The latter approach is most useful when you want to create smooth transitions from one section to another. For example, you could crossfade two audio tracks, or gradually change the stereo balance on an aux bus. Once you record these changes, they will play back along with your project automatically.

Cakewalk is smart about recording data in real time. Automation data is only recorded for the controls you actually manipulate, and only for the period of time in which you adjust the control. This lets you record automation data in multiple passes--the first time through you record one control's movements, the second time you record a different control's movements, etc.

The Console view lets you record and re-record automation data as many times as necessary. When you record new movements for a control, any old events for that control during the same time interval are replaced by the newer ones. Movements of other controls are unaffected.

You can re-record moves again and again until you've got the movement exactly how you want it. You can also edit automation data using the Controllers pane in the Piano Roll view.

Automation data for an individual track is saved as a series of controller events on the corresponding track. Automation data for an aux bus or main is saved as a series of controller events on a special track, with a track name of "Console Automation Data." This track is displayed in the track view; deleting the track will remove all aux and main automation data. However, this track is not displayed in the Console view.

There are three tools in the Console view toolbar that are used to control recording and automation:

Icon...		Tool...		What it's for...
		Update		Makes the knobs and faders in the console update automatically during playback
		Snapshot		Records a "snapshot" of the current position of all knobs and faders
		Record		Activates real time recording of all knob and fader movements
If you are not happy with the automation data you recorded, you can always use Undo to remove it. The automation data you record using the Console view can be displayed and edited using either the Controllers pane in the Piano Roll view, or the Event List view. For more information on the Controllers pane, see Controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, and Automation Data. For more information on the Event List view, see The Event List View.


To Record a Snapshot while Playback is Stopped (Recording Automation Data)
To Record a Snapshot while Playback is Stopped

1.	Set the Now time to the point in the project where you want the settings to take effect.

2.	Adjust the knobs and faders to the desired settings.

3.	Click [image].

Cakewalk records a snapshot of the current control settings.

If the Now Time is the very beginning of the project, then the snapshot will change the track parameters to match the controls in the panel, instead of recording automation events.


To Record a Snapshot while Playback is in Progress (Recording Automation Data)
To Record a Snapshot while Playback is in Progress

1.	Make sure the [image] button in the Console view toolbar is not pressed so that update is disabled.

2.	Change the Now Time to a few bars or seconds before the time you wish to take the snapshot.

3.	Adjust the knobs and faders to the desired settings.

4.	Start playback.

5.	When you have reached the appropriate time, click on the Snapshot button.

Cakewalk records a snapshot of the current control settings.


To Record Control Changes in Real-Time (Recording Automation Data)
To Record Control Changes in Real-Time

1.	Make sure the [image] button in the Console view toolbar is pressed so that update is enabled.

2.	Make sure the [image] button in the Console view toolbar is pressed so that automation recording is enabled.

3.	Set the Now time to a few bars or seconds before the time at which you want to record knob and fader movements.

4.	Click [image] or press the Space bar to start playback.

5.	Adjust the controls as you wish while playback is in progress.

6.	When you are done, click [image] or press the Space bar to stop playback.

7.	Click the [image] button in the Console view toolbar to turn off real-time recording.

Cakewalk saves controller messages for any knob or slider you moved during playback. The data replaces any previous data in that time period, for that controller, on that track.

NOTE: If any recorded track’s Volume or Pan property is null (“---“), set it to match the first Volume or Pan controller event in the track.


To View and Edit a Control's Automation Data

1.	Right-click on the control and choose Edit Automation Data.

2.	In the Controllers pane of the Piano Roll View, edit the controller data as desired.

For more information about editing controller data in the Piano Roll view, see More About Editing.


Preparing Audio for Distribution

You can use Cakewalk to prepare audio files or hybrid audio/MIDI files for distribution via the Word-Wide Web or other electronic means. Three formats are supported:

Format...		Definition...
Wave		The standard digital audio format used under Windows, with a file extension of .WAV
RealAudio		Digital audio encoded and compacted for streaming over Internet, with a file extension of .RA
RealMedia		A hybrid file that incorporates both RealAudio and MIDI data in a form that can be streamed over the Internet (see below for more information)
If your audio hardware is configured for stereo playback, Wave files are created in stereo; if your audio hardware is configured for monophonic playback, the Wave file is created in mono.

The Tools-Export-RealMedia command is used to export an entire project as MIDI and audio data. When you export a project to RealMedia format, Cakewalk writes up to three files: a RealMedia metafile (extension .RTS), a MIDI file (extension .MID) containing the project's MIDI tracks, and a RealAudio file (extension .RA) containing the project's audio tracks. RealNetworks is expected to release an updated RealMedia player that will stream RealMedia format files in the second quarter of 1998.

If your project contains audio data, the RealAudio Settings dialog box lets you define the settings for the RealAudio data, as follows:

Option		Meaning
Title		Title of the file.
Author		Author of the file.
Copyright		Copyright statement.
Enable Selective Record		Lets people save the file to their hard drive for later lis tening off-line.
Enable Perfect Play		Lets people with low-bandwidth connections download a higher resolution version of the audio, at the expense of download time.
Formats		The RealAudio formats saved in the file.
You may select several formats if you wish. The RealAudio 2.0 formats are good for backwards compatibility with older players, and for 14.4 Kb capability. The remaining formats let you select Mono or Stereo playback. Stereo formats trade bandwidth for stereo, so use these only when the stereo aspect is important.

For step by step instructions:

How to Export Audio to Wave File Format

How to Export Audio to RealAudio Format

How to Save a Project in RealMedia Format


To Export Audio to Wave File Format

1.	Select the track or tracks you want to export.

2.	Choose Tools-Export Audio to display the Export Audio dialog box.

3.	Select Wave from the Save as Type list.

4.	Enter a file name and click Save.

The audio is exported to the Wave file.


To Export Audio to RealAudio Format

1.	Select the track or tracks you want to export.

2.	Choose Tools-Export Audio to display the Export Audio dialog box.

3.	Select RealAudio from the Save as Type list.

4.	Enter a file name and click Save to display the RealAudio Settings dialog box.

5.	Select options as described in the table above and click OK.

The audio is compacted and exported to the RealAudio file.


To Save a Project in RealMedia Format

1.	Choose Tools-Export Audio to display the Export Audio dialog box.

2.	Select RealMedia from the Save as Type list.

3.	Type a file name in the File Name box. This name will be used as a base for all three files.

4.	Click OK.

5.	If the project contains audio data, the RealAudio Settings dialog box opens. Select options as described in the table above.

6.	Click OK.

The audio is compacted and exported to the RealAudio file.

Cakewalk saves the RealMedia metafile, and the corresponding MIDI and RealAudio files as appropriate. To use the file on the web, upload the files to your web site and create a link from your web page to the .RTS file. If you selected multiple formats, they will automatically work correctly to support bandwidth negotiation.


Technical Support

If you need more information than you can find in the User's Guide or the on-line help, here are two great places to look:

•	Check the Support page of our World Wide Web site (www.cakewalk.com) for updated technical information and answers to frequently asked questions

•	Post messages to the Cakewalk user community using one of the Cakewalk newsgroups. For more information about the newsgroups, visit www.cakewalk.com.

You can also get technical support directly from Cakewalk. In order to obtain technical support, you must submit the product registration card that is included with your Cakewalk product, or register your product on our World Wide Web site. You can obtain technical support for this product in the following ways:

•	E-mail your questions to support@cakewalk.com. Be sure to include your serial number in your e-mail.

•	Call Cakewalk Technical Support at (617) 441-7891 on weekdays, 10:00AM to 6:00PM, Eastern time. Be sure to have your serial number ready when you call.

Technical support hours, policies, and procedures are subject to change at any time. Check our web site for the latest support information.


Edit Menu

The Edit menu has the following commands:

Undo

Redo

History

Select

Cut

Copy

Paste

Delete

Create Clips

Audio Submenu

Audio Effects

MIDI Effects

Slide

Quantize

Length

Transpose


Undo

Edit/Undo

This command reverses your last action. Successive Undos cancel preceding actions in reverse order. To redo the action, see Redo.

To undo previous actions, see History.


Redo

Edit/Redo

This command cancels a just-previous Undo command.


History

Edit/History

This command displays a history of your actions. You can set how many actions you want the Undo History dialog box to preserve.

Use the Undo History dialog box to jump to a previous time in the history of the project. Then you can continue from that point, causing the history from that action on to disappear. Alternately, you can then jump to another time.

See also:

Tips & Tricks


Select Submenu

Edit/Select

The Select submenu has the following commands:

All

None

By Filter…

By Time…

From = Now

Thru = Now

From = Start

Thru = End


Select/All
All

Edit/Select/All

This command selects everything in all open views. Any action affects all selected objects.


None

Edit/Select/None

This command cancels all selections, with the result that nothing is selected.

To clear a partial clip selection, see Working with Partial Clips.


By Filter command and Event Filter  Select Some dialog box
Select by Filter

Edit/Select/By Filter

This command lets you change a selection to keep only events with the criteria you specify.

See also:

Selecting Events

Searching for Events


By Time command and Select by Time dialog box
Select by Time

Edit/Select/By Time

This command lets you specify times from which and through which Cakewalk selects.

To select partial clips by time, see Working with Partial Clips.


From = Now

Edit/Select/From = Now

This command lets you specify the Now time as the time from which a selection extends.


Thru = Now

Edit/Select/Thru = Now

This command lets you specify the Now time as the time through which a selection extends.


From = Start

Edit/Select/From = Start

This command lets you specify the start of a piece as the time from which a selection extends.


Thru = End

Edit/Select/Thru = End

This command lets you specify the end of a piece as the time through which a selection extends.


Cut

Edit/Cut

This command lets you remove from the project and put on the clipboard any selected objects. You can specify the kinds of objects to cut in the Cut dialog box.

You can paste the contents of the clipboard elsewhere. See Paste.

See also:

Moving and Copying Clips

Erasing Tracks


Copy

Edit/Copy

This command lets you put on the clipboard any selected objects. You can specify the kinds of objects to copy in the Copy dialog box.

You can paste the contents of the clipboard elsewhere. See Paste.

To remove rather than copy objects, see Cut.

To make copies of linked clips, see Working with Linked Clips.

See also:

Moving and Copying Clips

Working with Partial Clips

Importing Material from Another Cakewalk Project

Importing MIDI Files


Paste

Edit/Paste

This command lets you put the contents of the clipboard into any appropriate place in your project. You can specify what, where, and how to paste in the Paste dialog box.

To put data on the clipboard, see Cut, Copy.

See also:

Moving and Copying Clips

Importing Material from Another Cakewalk Project

Importing MIDI Files


Delete

Edit/Delete

This command removes selected objects from the project. It doesn't put them on the clipboard, so they can not be subsequently pasted. You can specify the kinds of objects to remove in the Delete dialog box.

See also:

Moving and Copying Clips

Working with Partial Clips


Create Clips

Edit/Create Clips

This command lets you create new clips from existing ones.

See also:

Splitting and Combining Clips


Audio Submenu

Edit/Audio

The Audio submenu has the following commands:

Combine

Graphic EQ…

3dB Louder

3dB Quieter

Normalize

Reverse


Combine command and Combine Audio Events dialog box
Combine

Edit/Audio/Combine

This command lets you combine selected audio clips into a single clip. If you combine overlapping clips, you need to specify how to deal with the overlap in the Combine Audio Events dialog box.

See also:

Combining Audio Events


Graphic EQ

Edit/Audio/Graphic EQ

This command lets you equalize your audio over ten frequency bands, that is, ten octaves.

See also:

Equalizing Audio Data


3dB Louder

Edit/Audio/3dB Louder

This command sets selected clips or tracks to play 3 decibels louder.

See also:

Basic Audio Processing


3dB Quieter

Edit/Audio/3dB Quieter

This command sets selected clips or tracks to play 3 decibels more softly.

See also:

Basic Audio Processing


Normalize

Edit/Audio/Normalize

This command lets you increase the volume of the selected clips or tracks to the maximum level possible before clipping.

See also:

Basic Audio Processing


Fade/Envelope

Edit/Audio/Fade/Envelope

This command lets you specify accurately the shape of a fade for a selection, clip, or track. You can specify one of the following curves, which the Fade/Envelope dialog box displays for you:

Exponential Fade In

Exponential Fade Out

Inverse Exponential Fade In

Inverse Exponential Fade Out

Linear Fade In

Linear Fade Out

Alternately you can manipulate any curve in the dialog box to look exactly as you want.


Crossfade command and Fade/Envelope dialog box
Crossfade

Edit/Audio/Crossfade

This command lets you specify accurately the shape of a crossfade for two overlapping audio events. You can specify one of the following curves, which the Fade/Envelope dialog box displays for you:

Exponential Fade In

Exponential Fade Out

Inverse Exponential Fade In

Inverse Exponential Fade Out

Linear Fade In

Linear Fade Out

Alternately you can manipulate any curve in the dialog box to look exactly as you want.


Reverse

Edit/Audio/Reverse

This command makes selected audio events play backwards. It doesn't affect the order of events.

See also:

Basic Audio Processing


Audio Effects

Edit/Audio Effects

This command displays a submenu of all audio effects available to you.

See also:

Audio Effects


MIDI Effects

Edit/MIDI Effects

This command displays a submenu of all MIDI effects available to you.

See also:

MIDI Effects


Slide

Edit/Slide

This command lets you slide selected events and markers back and forth in time. You can specify events, markers, or both, and how far to move them, in the Slide dialog box.

See also:

Shifting Events in Time


Quantize

Edit/Quantize

This command rounds off start times and durations of notes so they can display reasonably on a staff or play back with precision, rather than with irregularities, the way humans play them.

See also:

Changing the Timing of a Recording


Length

Edit/Length

This command lets you stretch and shrink a selection by a fixed percentage, or to multiply the start times, durations of notes, or both by a percentage.

See also:

Stretching and Shrinking Events


Transpose

Edit/Transpose

This command lets you transpose the selected notes, clips, tracks, or project up or down. Use the Transpose dialog box to specify how many half-steps up or down the selection should go. Twelve half-steps specifies an octave.

See also:

Transposing


File Menu

The File menu has the following commands:

New

Open

Close

Save

Save As

Info

Print

Print Preview

Print Setup

Send

Recent File

Exit


New

File/New

This command lets you choose a template and open a file for a new project.

See also:

Creating a New Project File


Open

File/Open

This command lets you open an existing project.

Look in

Select the directory in which Cakewalk stores the file that you want to open.

File name

Type or select the filename you want to open.

Files of type

Select the type of file you want to open.

Go to Folder

Go to one of the predefined cakewalk folders. See Tools-Global Options.


Close

File/Close

This command closes the current project.

It requests confirmation if you haven't saved your changes. To save your changes click Yes in the confirmation box. If you don't want to save your changes, click No.


Save

File/Save

This command saves any changes you have made to the current project since the last time you saved.

See also:

Saving Your Work


Save As

File/Save As

This command lets you save a project with the name, directory, and format you specify.:

Save in

Select the directory in which you want to store the file.

File name

Type or select the filename you want to open.

Save as type

Select the type of file you want to save your project as.

See also:

Saving Your Work


Info

File/Info

This command lets you store information about the project. Press the Stats button to see file statistics.

See also:

Labeling Your Projects

To Display and Edit Project Information

File Statistics


Print

File/Print

This command lets you specify how to print the Staff view, the Event List view, and the Lyrics view. It displays the Print dialog box.

Printer

This is the active printer and printer connection. Choose the Setup option to change the printer and printer connection.

Print Range

Specify the pages you want to print:

All	Prints the entire document.
Pages	Prints the range of pages you specify in the From and To boxes.
Copies

Specify the number of copies you want to print for the above page range.

Collate

Prints copies in page number order, instead of separated multiple copies of each page.

Properties button

Opens a dialog box that lets you specify whatever your printer allows.


Print Preview

File/Print Preview

This command lets you see what the Staff view, Event List view, or Lyrics view will look like when printed.

For the Staff view, the Configure button in the Print Preview dialog box lets you choose from a number of standard staff sizes. You can see which fits your needs best.


Print Setup

File/Print Setup

This command and dialog box lets you specify whatever options your printer can handle for printing the active view. It displays the Print Setup dialog box.

Printer

This is the active printer and printer connection. Choose the Setup option to change the printer and printer connection.

Print Range

Specify the pages you want to print:

All	Prints the entire document.
Pages	Prints the range of pages you specify in the From and To boxes.
Copies

Specify the number of copies you want to print for the above page range.

Collate

Prints copies in page number order, instead of separated multiple copies of each page.

Properties button

Opens a dialog box that lets you specify whatever your printer allows.


Send

File/Send

This command makes the project an attachment to a message in your mailer.


Recent File

File/Recent File list

The recent file list at the bottom of the File menu lets you choose any file you have opened recently. Choosing a file in the list opens it immediately.


Exit

File/Exit

This command closes Cakewalk.

It requests confirmation if you haven't saved your changes to any open projects. To save your changes click Yes in the confirmation box. If you don't want to save your changes, click No.


Go Menu

The Go menu has the following commands:

Time

From

Thru

Beginning

End

Previous Measure

Next Measure

Previous Marker

Next Marker

Search

Search Next


Time

Go/Time

Puts the Now time in the position toolbar into editing mode, so you can type in a new Now time.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It

Other Ways to Set the Now Time


From

Go/From

This command sets the Now time to the From time.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It


Thru

Go/Thru

This command sets the Now time to the From time.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It


Beginning

Go/Beginning

This command sets the Now time to the beginning of the project.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It


End

Go/End

This command sets the Now time to the end of the project.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It


Previous Measure

Go/Previous Measure

This command sets the Now time to the beginning of the previous measure.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It


Next Measure

Go/Next Measure

This command sets the Now time to the beginning of the next measure.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It


Previous Marker

Go/Previous Marker

This command sets the Now time to the previous marker.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It

Creating and Using Markers


Next Marker

Go/Next Marker

This command sets the Now time to the next marker.

See also:

The Now Time and How to Use It

Creating and Using Markers


Search

Go/Search

This command lets you find the next event (searching forward from the Now time) that meets criteria you specify in the Event Filter-Search dialog box.

See also:

Searching for Events


Search Next

Go/Search Next

This command lets you find the next event using the criteria for your previous Search command.

See also:

Searching for Events


Help Menu

The Help menu has the following commands:

Help Topics

View README.RTF

Quick Start

Tip of the Day

Cakewalk Web Site

Register Online

About Cakewalk


Help Topics

Help/Help Topics

This command opens the entire help system. You can look for topics in the table of contents, in the index, and in the finder.


View README.RTF

Help/View README.RTF

This command tells you all about the current version of Cakewalk.


Quick Start

Help/Quick Start

This command gives you access to a number of ways to get started.

The Quick Start dialog box has several options:

Option	How to use it
Open a Song	Choose a project from the Open File dialog box to open it.
Create a New Song	Choose a template for the new project in the New dialog box, and click OK to create the project
Learn How to Use Cakewalk	Click here to display the on-line Cakewalk tutorials.
Find Out More about Cakewalk	Click here to visit Cakewalk on the World Wide Web
If you don't want to see the Quick Start dialog box in the future, uncheck the box at the bottom of the dialog box, and click Close. To see it again later, choose Help-Quick Start.


Tip of the Day

Help/Tip of the Day

This command offers you a tip on a good way of doing something in Cakewalk.


Getting Started

Help/Help Topics opens the entire help system. The Contents contains a list of topics, grouped into categories. The Index contains a list of keywords and phrases linked to the appropriate topics. Use the Find feature to find any word or words within the entire help file.

How to Use Help

Contacting Cakewalk

Tutorials

Troubleshooting

Glossary

See also:

Introduction to Home Studio

Playing Sound and Music

Creating a Project

Using Layouts and Templates

Advanced Setup


Getting Started

Help/Help Topics opens the entire help system. The Contents contains a list of topics, grouped into categories. The Index contains a list of keywords and phrases linked to the appropriate topics. Use the Find feature to find any word or words within the entire help file.

Tutorials

Glossary


How to Use Help

Cakewalk includes a searchable, context sensitive help system which allows you to quickly find a topics, procedures and reference information. The help system intuitive and dynamic, allowing you to move to related topics easily.Tere are no pages to turn or index to flip through, and if printed documentation is your preference, you can print a topic or group of topics. Within the on-line help there are tips and frequently asked questions (FAQs) which give straight forward answers to many of the most common inquiries. In addition to on-line help there are TECHniques. TECHniques are multimedia files which take you through many of the tasks you will most often need to perform.

Other resources, such as Cakewalk’s site on the World Wide Web and newsgroups, are useful for getting the very latest information.

Technical support is available for all registered users.

Learn more about these help resources:

On-line Help and Multimedia TECHniques Files
Internet Resources
Contacting Cakewalk


On-line help and TECHniques

How to use the on-line help system
How to use context sensitive help
How to use TECHniques


Using On-line Help

The on-line help system is a powerful tool, so it is important to know how to use it to its full potential. The following is a description of each of the help menu tabs.

Contents

Click on the Contents tab to view the Contents for this help file. The Contents file is organized into headings, sub-headings and topics. Headings represent a category of topics. Under each heading are sub-headings, representing a segment of the larger heading category and/or topics. Double-click on a heading entry to see subheadings and/or topics in that heading. Double-click on a topic to open it.

Index

Click on the Index tab to view the Index for this help file. The Index file is an alphabetical listing of keywords in the help file. Follow the instructions for entering a word or part of a word in field 1. A list of possible topic matches appears in field 2. Double-click on a topic to open it.

Find

Click on the Find tab to open Find. Find works like the Index, but its search is not limited to keywords in the help file. With Find, you can search for any word or phrase in the entire help file. To find a word or phrase, enter it in the field 1. In field 2 a list of words appears. Click on one of the list items. In field 3 a list of topics appears. Each of the topics in field 3 contains the selected word or phrase. Double-click on a topic to open it.

To customize your search, click on the Options button. The Find Options dialog appears. The following table describes each of the options in the Find Options dialog box:

Option	Result
Searching for topics containing all the words you typed in any order	Find searches for the words you typed in each topic without regard to their order.
Searching for topics containing at least one of the words you typed	Find returns a match for every topic that contains at least on of the words you entered.
Show words that begin with the character you type	Find searches for words which begin with the characters you typed.
Show words that contain the characters you type	Find searches for words which contain the characters you typed.
Show words that end with the characters you type	Find searches for words which end in the characters you typed.
Show words that match the characters you type	Find searches for words that exactly match the characters you typed.
Begin searching after you click the Find Now button	Find begins to search the help file only after you click on the Find Now button.
Begin searching immediately after each keystroke	Find begins to search immediately after the first character is entered in field 1.


Context Sensitive Help

You can get help for any menu item, dialog box and window in two ways. If there is a Help button in a dialog box, you can click on it for context sensitive help or if there is no button, as with a menu item or a window, press the F1 key to invoke context sensitive help.


TECHniques

TECHniques are audio/video tutorials that show exactly how to perform some of the most common tasks. Follow this procedure to invoke the TECHniques:

1.	Insert the CD in your drive.

The Cakewalk CD Autorun dialog appears. If it does not appear, double-click on My Computer and double-click on your CD drive.

2.	Click on Cakewalk TECHniques Tutorials.

The Cakewalk TECHniques Tutorials dialog box appears.

3.	Click on the TECHnique you want.


Internet Resources

Use the following resources via the internet:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Check out the FAQ page on the Cakewalk website.

Updates

Open the Products Page and select the product you want to upgrade

Newsgroups

Swap tips, tricks and stories about Cakewalk products in Newsgroups.


Contacting Cakewalk

Send an e-mail to Cakewalk Technical Support at support@cakewalk.com.


Cakewalk Web Site

Help/Cakewalk Web Site

This command opens your web browser at the Cakewalk web site's home page.


Register Online

Help/Register Online

This command opens Cakewalk's on-line form so you can register your new product.


About Cakewalk

Help/About Cakewalk

This command displays copyright, version number of the product, and your licensing information.


Insert Menu

The Insert menu has the following commands:

Bank/Patch Change

Meter/Key Change

Tempo Change

Time/Measures

Marker

Wave File

Video File

Series of Controllers

Series of Tempos


Bank/Patch Change

Insert/Bank/Patch Change

This command lets you change a track's sound during playback or recording.

See also:

Choosing the Instrument Sound (Bank and Patch)

Track Properties


Meter/Key Change

Insert/Meter/Key Change

This command lets you set the meter and key signature of a project or any part of a project.

See also:

Setting the Time Signature and Key Signature

Adding and Editing Meter/Key Changes


Tempo Change

Insert/Tempo Change

This command lets you specify a new tempo at a specified point.

See also:

Using the Tempo Commands


Time/Measures

Insert/Time/Measures

This command lets you insert the amount of time you specify at the point you indicate in the music. You can specify what events to slide over to make room for the new amount of time.

See also:

Inserting Measures into a Project


Marker

Insert/Marker

This command lets you add a marker where you specify in the music.

See also:

Creating and Using Markers


Wave File

Insert/Wave File

This command lets you import digital audio information stored in wave file format into any track (or, for stereo, two tracks) of a project.

See also:

Importing Wave (.WAV) Files


Video File

Insert/Video File

This command lets you add a digitized video file to your project.

See also:

Video Playback


Series of Controllers

Insert/Series of Controllers

This command lets you change controller event values smoothly over a specified time range.

See also:

Using the Controllers Pane


Series of Tempos

Insert/Series of Tempos

This command lets you change tempo smoothly over a specified time range by inserting a series of tempo changes.

See also:

Using the Tempo Commands

Controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, and Automation Data


Realtime Menu

The Realtime menu has the following commands:

Play

Record

Rewind

Stop

Reset

Step Record

Loop and Auto Shuttle

Record Options

Reject Loop Take

Update Patch Cache

Tempo Ratio 1

Tempo Ratio 2

Tempo Ratio 3


Play

Realtime/Play

This command starts playback.

See also:

Controlling Playback


Record_1
Record

Realtime/Record

This command starts recording.

See also:

Preparing to Record

Recording Music from a MIDI Instrument

Recording Audio


Rewind

Realtime/Rewind

This command rewinds to the start of the project.

To rewind with looping, see Loops.

See also:

Controlling Playback


Stop

Realtime/Stop

This command stops playback.

See also:

Controlling Playback


Reset

Realtime/Reset

This command stops all notes from playing and clears stuck notes.

See also:

Handling Stuck Notes


Step Record

Realtime/Step Record

This command lets you specify step size and not duration so you can record things that are hard to play a step at a time.

See also:

Step Recording


Loop and Auto Shuttle

Realtime/Loop and Auto Shuttle

This command lets you specify start and stop times for looping, and whether you want the loop to start over again.

See also:

Loops


Record Options

Realtime/Record Options

This command lets you specify the disposition of clips recording into tracks already holding other clips. The command also lets you specify whether to record takes in sequential tracks or stacked in a single track.

See also:

To Choose a Recording Mode

To Use Loop Recording


Reject Loop Take

Realtime/Reject Loop Take

This command erases the most recent take during loop recording.

See also:

To Use Loop Recording


Update Patch Cache

Realtime/Update Patche Cache

This command is enabled only if you're using one or more sound cards which require "patch caching". After making changes to your song which result in patch change events being added, changed, or deleted, you may need to choose Update Patch Cache to force the sound card to load the required sounds from disk storage.


Tempo Ratio 1

Realtime/Tempo Ratio 1

This command changes the speed of playback.

See also:

Using the Tempo Toolbar


Tempo Ratio 2

Realtime/Tempo Ratio 2

This command changes the speed of playback.

See also:

Using the Tempo Toolbar


Tempo Ratio 3

Realtime/Tempo Ratio 3

This command changes the speed of playback.

See also:

Using the Tempo Toolbar


Tools Menu

The Tools menu has the following commands:

MIDI Devices

Instruments

Audio Hardware

Audio Options

Project Options

Global Options

Colors

Compact Audio Data

Clean Audio Disk

Export Audio

SoundFonts

Initialization File

Virtual Piano

You may see other commands on this menu, depending on what tools you have installed.


MIDI Devices

Tools/MIDI Devices

This command lets you choose the MIDI ports you want to use.

See also:

Setting up Output Devices


Instruments command and Assign Instruments dialog box
Instruments

Tools/Instruments

This command lets you choose one or more port/channel configurations and assign an instrument to it or them.

See also:

Instrument Definitions


Audio Hardware

Tools/ Audio Hardware

This command lets you select your audio device.

See also:

Audio System Configuration


Audio Options

Tools/Audio Options

This command lets you configure your audio setup.

See also:

Setting the Audio Sampling Rate

Configuring the Console

Recording Audio

Scrubbing

Managing Audio Files


Project Options

Tools/Project Options

This command gives you access to options you might want to set for a particular project.

Metronome tab

This tab lets you set metronome options.

MIDI Input tab

This tab lets you control the echo of MIDI data from your MIDI inputs to your MIDI outputs.

MIDI Out tab

This tab lets you configure MIDI sync.

See also:

Synchronization

Setting the Metronome and Tempo Settings

MIDI Echo


Global Options

Tools/Global Options

This command gives you access to options you might want to set for many projects.

General tab

This tab lets you set project display and performance options.

MIDI Filter tab

This tab lets you specify MIDI filter options.

Folders tab

This tab lets you specify and change directories for all your folders.

Drag and Drop tab

This tab lets you specify how you want drag and drop to work.

See also:

Input Filtering

Moving and Copying Clips


Colors

Tools/Colors

This command lets you choose and change the colors for most things that Cakewalk displays.


Compact Audio Data

Tools/Compact Audio Data…

This command puts all the digital audio used in a project into a single digital audio file.

See also:

Compacting Audio Files


Clean Audio Disk

Tools/Clean Audio Disk

This command lets you delete digital audio files which are no longer in use from the wavedata folder.

See also:

Deleting Unused Audio Files


Export Audio

Tools/Export Audio

This command exports your audio data to the type of file you specify.

If you choose to export as RealMedia Metafile, it exports an entire project as MIDI and audio data.

See also:

Preparing Audio for Distribution


SoundFonts

Tools/SoundFonts

This command lets you import SoundFont banks.

SoundFont files contain data for patches. They are available from vendors and you can create them using the Vienna editor from Creative.

To use SoundFonts, you must have a Creative Labs AWE 32 or AWE 64 sound card and have the SoundFont Management System installed.

When Cakewalk opens a WRK or MID file, it looks for a SF2 file in the same folder with the same base name. If one exists, Cakewalk uses it. Use the Locations button to specify folders where Cakewalk should look. Use the Attach button in the SoundFont Banks dialog box to override this behavior and specify a different SoundFont file to use with the song.

Cakewalk saves SoundFont file names in (WRK) files, but not in Standard MIDI (MID) files.


Initialization File

Tools/Initialization File

This command lets you specify which initialization file Cakewalk should use on starting up, with what options.

See also:

Initialization Files


Virtual Piano

Tools/Virtual Piano

This command lets you play the virtual piano to record MIDI in your projects.

See also:

Virtual Piano

Local Control


Global Options

Tools/Global Options

This command gives you access to options you might want to set for many projects.

General tab

This tab lets you set project display and performance options.

The Enable StudioMix controller checkbox at the bottom of the General tab activates the StudioMix buttons on the View toolbar and in the Console view.

MIDI Filter tab

This tab lets you specify MIDI filter options.

Folders tab

This tab lets you specify and change directories for all your folders.

Drag and Drop tab

This tab lets you specify how you want drag and drop to work.

See also:

Input Filtering

Moving and Copying Clips


Track Menu

The Track menu has the following commands:

Property Submenu

Mute

Archive

Solo

Arm

Clone

Kill

Wipe

Sort


Property Submenu

Track/Property

The Property submenu has the following commands:

Name

Port

Sources

Channel

Key+

Vel+

Time+

Bank

Patch

Volume

Pan


Name

Track/Property/Time

This command lets you assign a name to a track for easy reference.

See also:

Track Properties


Port

Track/Property/Port

This command lets you specify the output device though which to play the selected track. It also specifies whether the track contains MIDI or audio data.

See also:

Setting up Output Devices

Assigning Tracks to Ports

Track Properties


Sources

Track/Property/Sources

This command lets you specify the input source for a track for recording purposes.

See also:

Choosing a Source

Track Properties


Channel

Track/Property/Channel

This command specifies the MIDI channel through which to play the notes.

See also:

Assigning a MIDI Channel (Chn)

Track Properties


Key+

Track/Property/Key+

This command lets you specify how many half-steps the notes in this track should be transposed on playback. 12 half-steps make an octive.

See also:

Adjusting the Key/Transposing a Track (Key+)

Track Properties


Vel+

Track/Property/Vel+

This command lets you designate the change in velocity (volume) to be applied to notes in this track on playback, ranging from -127 to +127.

See also:

Adjusting the Note Velocity (Vel+)

Track Properties


Time+

Track/Property/Time+

This command lets you apply an offset to the start time of the events in the track.

See also:

Adjusting the Time Alignment of a Track (Time+)

Track Properties


Bank

Track/Property/Bank

This command lets you choose the bank, or set of patch names, available for this track.

See also:

Choosing the Instrument Sound (Bank and Patch)

Track Properties


Patch

Track/Property/Patch

This command lets you choose the patch, or instrument sound, to use for playback.

See also:

Choosing the Instrument Sound (Bank and Patch)

Track Properties


Volume

Track/Property/Volume

This command lets you specify the starting volume level for the track, ranging from 0 (silent) to 127 (maximum volume).

See also:

Adjusting Volume and Pan


Pan

Track/Property/Pan

This command lets you specify the stereo distribution of the output, ranging from 0 (hard left) to 127 (hard right), with a value of 64 indicating sound that is centered left-to-right.

See also:

Adjusting Volume and Pan


Mute

Track/Mute

This command silences the specified track for playback.

See also:

Track By Track Playback

Silencing Tracks


Archive

Track/Archive

This command silences the specified track for playback. You must stop playback to change a track's archive status.

See also:

Track By Track Playback

Silencing Tracks


Solo

Track/Solo

This command solos the specified track, meaning it plays while all other tracks do not. Each track set to solo plays back.

See also:

Track By Track Playback

Soloing Tracks


Arm

Track/Arm

This command lets you specify a track or track for recording.

See also:

Arming Tracks for Recording

Auto Arming


Clone

Track/Clone

This command copies a track with either its properties, its clips and events, or both. You can specify a destination.

See also:

Copying Tracks


Kill

Track/Kill

This command deletes one or more tracks entirely, including all its track properties and all its clips and events. Cakewalk does not put killed information on the clipboard for later copying.

To delete track contents but leave track properties, see Wipe.

See also:

Erasing Tracks


Wipe

Track/Wipe

This command deletes track contents but leaves track properties intact. Cakewalk does not put wiped information on the clipboard for later copying.

To delete both track contents and track properties, see Kill.

See also:

Erasing Tracks


Sort

Track/Sort

This command lets you arrange tracks in order according to any of several criteria. You can sort in ascending or descending order.

See also:

Changing the Order of Tracks


View Menu

The view menu has the following commands:

Piano Roll

Event List

Staff

Audio

Lyrics

StudioWare

Console

Video

Big Time

Markers

Tempo

Meter/Key

Sysx

Layouts

Toolbars


Piano Roll

View/Piano Roll

The Piano Roll view consists of the note pane and the controllers pane.

Note pane

In this pane you can add, edit, and delete notes from a track. You can also convert it for convenience in editing percussion.

Controllers pane
View/Console/right click on control/Display Automation Data/Controllers Pane

In this pane you can edit controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, automation, velocity, pitch wheel, and aftertouch data, during playback or recording, in real time.

See also:

The Piano Roll View


Event List

View/Event List

The Event List view displays all the events project as a list. You can insert, delete, or change any kind of event.

See also:

Event List Overview

The Event List View


Staff

View/Staff

The Staff view lets you see and edit your composition in standard notation.

See also:

The Staff View


Audio

View/Audio

The Audio view lets you edit, delete, copy, and move audio events during playback or recording, in real time.

See also:

Audio Editing


Lyrics

View/Lyrics

The Lyric view lets you edit a track's lyrics. You can use it to to cue yourself or your group with the lyrics during playback and recording.

See also:

Working with Lyrics


StudioWare

View/StudioWare

The StudioWare view, a dynamic console strip, lets you manipulate the controls on any external MIDI device from graphical controls on your screen.

See also:

StudioWare


Console

View/Console

The Console view, a live digital mixer, gives you full track-by-track control over recording and playback of your project.

See also:

The Console View


Video

View/Video

The Video view lets you load digitized video files and play them back with your project.

See also:

Video Playback


Big Time

View/Big Time

The Big Time view lets you see the Now time from a distance while recording. Right-click to edit font, style, size, and color. Drag on a corner to resize the view.

See also:

Displaying the Now Time in Large Print


Markers

View/Markers

The Markers view, lets you add, move, rename, or delete markers (labels) for places in your song. The markers make it easier to move from one point to another.

See also:

Creating and Using Markers


Tempo

View/Tempo

The Tempo view shows the tempo of your project. You can use the mouse to draw tempo changes directly onto the graph.

See also:

Using the Tempo View


Meter/Key

View/Meter/Key

The Meter/Key view lets you set and change the meter and key signature for any project or part of a project, over all its tracks.

See also:

The Meter/Key View


Sysx

View/Sysx

The Sysx view gives you 256 banks to hold MIDI System Exclusive messages.

See also:

System Exclusive Data


Layouts command and Window Layouts dialog box
Layouts

View/Layouts

This command lets you create, edit, save, and delete a global layout, to be applied either to a particular project or to any project you choose.

See also:

Layouts


Toolbars

View/Toolbars

This command lets you select which toolbars are displayed.


Window Menu

The Window menu has the following commands:

Cascade

Tile in Rows

Tile in Columns

Arrange Icons


Cascade

Window/Cascade

This command lets you arrange multiple opened windows in an overlapped fashion.


Tile in Rows

Window/Tile in Rows

This command arranges multiple opened windows from top to bottom down the screen.


Tile in Columns

Window/Tile in Columns

This command arranges multiple opened windows from side to side across the screen.


Arrange Icons

Window/Arrange Icons

Use this command to arrange the icons for minimized windows at the bottom of the main window.


Getting Started

See the following topics:

Introduction
Tutorials
Playing Sound and Music
Creating a Project
Using Layouts and Templates
Advanced Setup


Editing and Mixing

See the following topics:

Basic Editing and Arranging
More About Editing
Audio Editing
Mixing
Notation and Lyrics


Working with MIDI

See the following topics:

System Exclusive Data
Instrument Definitions
MIDI Files


Working with External Devices

See the following topics:

StudioWare
Synchronization


Troubleshooting

See the following topics:

Frequently Asked Questions
Tips & Tricks


Menus

See the following topics:

File Menu
Edit Menu
View Menu
Insert Menu
Realtime menu
Go Menu
Track Menu
Tools Menu
Window Menu
Help Menu