Good News for Cakewalk users!

[hFx]

BandLab makes it free from now on!

http://www.soundonsound.com/news/son...kewalk-bandlab

[battema]

Well, that's a bit of a surprise. Very cool though, I guess

I'd been eyeing a transition over to Presonus Studio One, but will give this a bit of a look as well.

Thanks for sharing!

[Vic333]

Been years (15? ... or so) since I've used tried Cakewalk. Perhaps I'll dl it and give it another try.

[progmatist]

I tried it and like it. In particular, the ability to import my DSD purchases and export them as Hi-Res PCM, compatible with my old Fiio X1 player. Another advantage is it saves larger than 2GB files in true W64 format. Even X3 used a format called "W64," but wasn't actually compatible with any other app which also uses the W64 format.

[Supersonic Scientist]

BandLab makes it free from now on!

http://www.soundonsound.com/news/son...kewalk-bandlab

Oh yeah, great...after I just purchased Sonar Pro last July for $499

[progmatist]

^^ It wasn't a total waste. You got all the latest effects and instruments, which are no longer included with the free Bandlab Sonar. That alone is worth at least $499. Plus, you get to upgrade the core program from Pro to Platinum for free.

[progmatist]

After using the BandLab Cakewalk since it became available, I must say I'm considerably less than satisfied. First and foremost, I was noticing random clipping distortion, NOT isolated to the loudest passages as one would expect. Second, my effects were somewhat less than effective. So I went back to my tried and true Sonar X1, and the difference was night and day. The distortion was gone, my effects were doing what they were supposed to, and I noticed the sound in BandLab Cakewalk was lacking in clarity and detail. In Sonar X1, it became more clear and detailed.

After this experience, I'm extremely thankful I got off the upgrade train after Sonar X3, and never paid Gibson the monthly or annual subscription fee for the unnumbered Sonar. I still kind of wish I had gotten off the train after X1 rather than X3. X2 was Cakewalk's Windows Vista, and the user interface "enhancements" of X3 I still find not quite so enhancing.

[battema]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'd been toying with downloading the BandLab version for my laptop, just to have something when I'm traveling or the like (still have X3 at home). Given the price point it's not exactly an issue if it also turns out to be a dud for me, but I'll set my expectations accordingly.

Heh...part of me feels like I should've stayed with X1 as well. I have X3 on a non-networked Windows 7 machine and it crashes ridiculously often (my Arturia V-Collection is borderline unusable...half the plugins lock up X3 and I have to hard shut down the machine to get things rolling again). I know part of that is the fact that my machine is off network; that was ok with my prior computer but things these days really do seem to work best/most consistently when they're able to be online, chattering away with remote servers and receiving the updates automatically.

Maybe I should start trolling eBay for an old multitrack tape machine, start shouting at clouds and raving about kids these days...I know

[progmatist]

Maybe I should start trolling eBay for an old multitrack tape machine, start shouting at clouds and raving about kids these days...I know

Not too long ago, there was an Akai 8-Track cassette deck for $150 on Craig's List. I came this close to buying it, but didn't.

[Plasmatopia]

After using the BandLab Cakewalk since it became available, I must say I'm considerably less than satisfied. First and foremost, I was noticing random clipping distortion, NOT isolated to the loudest passages as one would expect. Second, my effects were somewhat less than effective. So I went back to my tried and true Sonar X1, and the difference was night and day. The distortion was gone, my effects were doing what they were supposed to, and I noticed the sound in BandLab Cakewalk was lacking in clarity and detail. In Sonar X1, it became more clear and detailed.

Have you compared the buffer size settings in both applications?

[progmatist]

Have you compared the buffer size settings in both applications?

Results are identical regardless of ASIO buffer size, or even the actual audio interface or machine used. One machine runs Windows 7 and uses a Steinberg UR22 mkII, the other runs Windows 10 and uses an NI Komplete Audio 6. Same results on both. I should mention, anytime I have any kind of digital distortion or artifacting, my very first step to remedy the situation is to adjust buffer size.

Even if my problem could be traced to buffer size, that would only effect the random and fleeting clipping distortion. It would have zero effect on less effective effects, or loss in clarity and detail in sound quality, which are constant and universal. Those problems would originate deeper down in the app itself, in the way VST effects are implemented for the former, the actual audio engine for the latter.

[Plasmatopia]

Even if my problem could be traced to buffer size, that would only effect the random and fleeting clipping distortion. It would have zero effect on less effective effects, or loss in clarity and detail in sound quality, which are constant and universal. Those problems would originate deeper down in the app itself, in the way VST effects are implemented for the former, the actual audio engine for the latter.

Good point! I didn't think it would resolve your effects issues, but wondered if one issue at least (the clipping) could be eliminated. Obviously you've already tried the well-known fixes.

[pmrviana]

After using the BandLab Cakewalk since it became available, I must say I'm considerably less than satisfied. First and foremost, I was noticing random clipping distortion, NOT isolated to the loudest passages as one would expect. Second, my effects were somewhat less than effective. So I went back to my tried and true Sonar X1, and the difference was night and day. The distortion was gone, my effects were doing what they were supposed to, and I noticed the sound in BandLab Cakewalk was lacking in clarity and detail. In Sonar X1, it became more clear and detailed.

After this experience, I'm extremely thankful I got off the upgrade train after Sonar X3, and never paid Gibson the monthly or annual subscription fee for the unnumbered Sonar. I still kind of wish I had gotten off the train after X1 rather than X3. X2 was Cakewalk's Windows Vista, and the user interface "enhancements" of X3 I still find not quite so enhancing.

I've been using it for quite some time now and didn't have any of those issues. I was stuck with a very old version of Cubase which doesn't work properly with Windows 10 anymore, so I was looking for a new option and was considering Reaper before I learned about this free version of Cakewalk and decided to give it a try. I can say it's a big improvement compared to the totally unreliable version of Cubase I was using before.

I have no idea what could be causing those issues, but these things can be really strange sometimes. The same version of Cubase which was giving me problems on my DAW desktop, was working a lot better on a laptop, which had the same amount of memory and similar CPU and exactly same version of Windows and with the same audio interface and drivers. So I know there's probably something weird going on with my desktop, but after so much time trying to figure it out, I'm just glad that I moved to Cakewalk as it is working flawlessly on that same computer now...

[progmatist]

^^ If my choice was between Cubase and BandLab Cakewalk, I too would choose the latter. Cubase is more convoluted in the way one has to route tracks and buses manually through each other and the audio interface, and similarly with VST plugins. Cakewalk does this far more behind the scenes. Even when bouncing and/or exporting tracks, one has to manually set the start and end point in Cubase. One must simply click once to select the audio region in Cakewalk.

[pmrviana]

After using the BandLab Cakewalk since it became available, I must say I'm considerably less than satisfied. First and foremost, I was noticing random clipping distortion, NOT isolated to the loudest passages as one would expect. Second, my effects were somewhat less than effective. So I went back to my tried and true Sonar X1, and the difference was night and day. The distortion was gone, my effects were doing what they were supposed to, and I noticed the sound in BandLab Cakewalk was lacking in clarity and detail. In Sonar X1, it became more clear and detailed.

Hey, just to let you know, I found some comments on the internet of people having similar issues with Cakewalk by Bandlab. It seems the solution is to activate the option in Preferences ... Playback and Recording ... Plug-in Load Balancing. Looks like in Sonar Platinum there was never such an option (or maybe it was just enabled by default), but from the comments I saw it seems that this would solve your issue.

[progmatist]

^^ Thanks, I'll try that.

Update: turns out the random distortion was caused by a defective phono cartridge...who would have thunk??

[progmatist]

Plug-in Load Balancing enabled...................problem solved.

[Plasmatopia]

Nice!

[Guitarplyrjvb]

I am embarrassed to admit that I'm somewhat of a luddite: still using Sonar with XP. I've had to reload the VSampler Dxi synth player from the original discs only to find out that the developer, maz-sound, is kaput. There's no longer a way to register their product on their website to get out of the demo mode. I don't have a record of my registration code from years ago so I can't use that. I still have the original discs with serial number.

Any suggestions regarding a good Dxi player that is compatibile with XP and Sonar? Is there any way to hack the registration key for the VSampler?

[Guitarplyrjvb]

I am considering buying a used copy of Sonar 5 Producer. However, it comes without the registration codes. Any users out there willing to share theirs? If so, please PM me. The most updated version, incompatible with my hardware, is available free from bandlab, so there's no moral issues re: pirating. Thanks in advance!

[Top Cat]

I am considering buying a used copy of Sonar 5 Producer. However, it comes without the registration codes. Any users out there willing to share theirs? If so, please PM me. The most updated version, incompatible with my hardware, is available free from bandlab, so there's no moral issues re: pirating. Thanks in advance!

I'm not certain on this, but everything I ever bought, the registration code/serial# etc, is different for each copy. Also in order to register it on a different computer you need to notify the company for permission.
Since Cakewalk the company no longer exists, this may be an issue or not, but just letting you know my experience.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Hmmm. I think you're right.

[progmatist]

I'm not certain on this, but everything I ever bought, the registration code/serial# etc, is different for each copy. Also in order to register it on a different computer you need to notify the company for permission.
Since Cakewalk the company no longer exists, this may be an issue or not, but just letting you know my experience.

Actually, no. I've installed older versions on multiple older computers without a problem. It doesn't go on the internet to verify anything. The only requirement is the the product key and registration code have to match.

Sonar version 5 is the one I skipped over, so I can't help in that regard.

[Plasmatopia]

So if the seller doesn't have the codes....it's going to be pretty hard to make it work, right? Maybe you can take your life into your hands and find a crack somewhere online <shudder>.

[Top Cat]

Actually, no. I've installed older versions on multiple older computers without a problem. It doesn't go on the internet to verify anything. The only requirement is the the product key and registration code have to match.

Sonar version 5 is the one I skipped over, so I can't help in that regard.

I guess that depends on the software. I was able to cross transfer a lot of my softsynths over to my new PC when I bought it solely for music production.
But I still needed to apply the serial # on some of them. And sometimes they would take me back to my registered account to verify.
And most recently I've had a nightmare when I upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10.
I began working on a project the other day and went to load Ominsiphere, but when I did a message popped up in Cubase from Omnisphere saying I needed to register. So I had to go through the whole re-registration of Omnisphere on the Spectrasonics website, even tho I had the serial #.
Windows 10 has messed me up big time in some cases. I have a copy of Rob Papen's Albino 2 which loads perfectly and works after I insert the serial # in the back, but after I shut it down it doesn't remember the serial #. LinPlug support doesn't exist anymore. It may be I installed Cubase 6 on the new computer as 64 bit and not 32..who knows.

So I can only say from my own experience, and yours may vary, that installation is probably variable.

I personally would be leary of paying money for a copy of Cakewalk, when it's basically free, and the registration/serial may or may not work. There is no support as far as I know, but perhaps someone on a Cakewalk forum would know for sure.