This review applies to all the versions, with the exceptions :
- Cakewalk Pro & Home Studio have only 4 audio tracks, but all the same facilities as Pro Audio
- Song Station has no Notation facilities (notation is probably irrelevent to our needs anyway), & only 2 audio tracks with no eq facilities
- Cakewalk Pro Audio supports external units like Pro-Tools as well as soundcards
Cakewalk Pro Audio is a strange beast, and has been around for along time in different versions. The main thing, is that
Twelve Tone Software, who make it started out writing only for the PC, unlike some the others who port their programmes over from Atari or Mac versions. In a way, Cakewalk is a bit more efficient because of this, and when it comes to PC soundcards is far better equipt than say Cubase's GM/XG/GS editor which is crap !!
There's a wierd thing with some versions of Cakewalk Pro Audio, that is when you set up a midi loop, (with no audio), so the sequencer plays say bar 1 to bar 5, around an around, there's sometimes a glitch as it goes back to bar 1....!
The distributers when asked just said "No it doesn't do that".....end of story, however in the help section, it actually mentions it may do this, but doesn't tell you how to stop it !!!.......The other weird thing is that it doesn't always do it !!
Having said that; Version 5 doesn't have this problem, and generally feels and looks more solid, so I'd recommend that version or above.
Cakewalks strong points are :
- Price.....Especially the Pro version with 4 audio tracks (which is plenty) You can pay for an upgrade in the future to Pro Audio
- Unlimited audio tracks with Pro Audio, so if you like the programme and you've only got a lo-power PC, you can upgrade as higher end PC's plummet in price and get more tracks.
- The best setup for GM/XG/GS editing and protocol.
- A 256 track mixer page to adjust (and record if you like), a volume fader as well as two aux pots that can be assigned to any controller number such as pan or filter. The mixer page also allows you to do snapshot record.
- A disk management utility, that seperates all unassigned audio at the end of a session, and allows you to audition these parts and then have the choice to discard them. This keeps your H/D free from unwanted audio bitz.
- Superb controller section where you can choose a controller, and draw in your controller movements with a pencil (brilliant).
- A software written only for the PC.
- A good audio section, very easy to work with and edit.
- Levels of undo. You got to see this !!.....It's rediculous how far you can go back to change things, even in the audio department, you can change an edit you did, 10 or 20 edits back !!
It's crap points are really only a few :
- When you work on a drum pattern, you can't view the volumes for each individual drum like you can in Cubase. to do this with Cakewalk, you put a different drum sound on seperate tracks, then while in the edit window flip between tracks with a button. In practice, this works just as well, but it takes a fraction longer, and you can't see the notes relative to other notes visually which is a pain.
- Generally, with patterns of many small notes, like in a 16th or 32th synth pattern, it's a pain trying to shif the notes around, especially by small amounts. Cubase is better for this.
Well there you have it.......The ideal option would be to have Cakewalk Pro, or Pro Audio for it's audio and other facilities, and Cubase for the Drum Editor, and ease of editing clusters of small notes.
Having said that, if I had to choose between Cakewalk Pro Audio, Logic and Cubase , it would be Logic or Cakewalk every time. If your budget is tight, start with the Pro or Home Studio version, which will give you 4 audio tracks, and all the audio editing & eq facilities, then upgrade if you need to, to Pro Audio.
4 audio tracks however, should be fine for most dance music needs. With 4 mono, 2 stereo, you can use the audio facility to edit CD or tape compilations, including facilities like X fading tracks, etc.
Obviously we are now (April '99), at Cakewalk Version 8.... I'll be adding a review soon....
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