Reference Guide

1686 Beginner’s guide to Cakewalk software
Audio
7. In the above setup, do not turn up the bus sends on inputs #1 or #2 (where the sound card’s line
outputs connect to the mixer)—this creates a feedback loop, feeding the sound card’s outputs
back into its inputs through the buses.
For more information, see:
“Choosing inputs” on page 1686
“Audio recording” on page 1680
“Audio hardware (sound cards) and drivers” on page 1689
“MIDI” on page 1665
Choosing inputs
After you’ve connected your instrument or other sound source to your sound card, you need to tell
your sound card’s software, SONAR, and possibly the Windows Mixer which input you’re recording
through. If you’re recording through the S/PDIF input, the procedure is a little different (see “To
record through the S/PDIF input” on page 1688).
If your sound card only has one pair of inputs (one stereo Line input, usually, or Line and Mic inputs
that can’t be used simultaneously), then your sound card probably responds to the Windows Mixer.
Use the following procedure to record a track using the Windows Mixer.
To record with SONAR and the Windows Mixer
1. Open the Windows Mixer—double-click the Speaker icon that’s on your Windows taskbar to
open the Play Control dialog box. If you don’t see the Speaker icon on your taskbar, you can
open the Windows Mixer by using the following command:
• Windows 7: Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Volume Control
2. In the Play Control dialog box, use the Options > Properties command, and select Recording
(under Adjust Volume For).
3. Under Adjust Volume For, make sure Line-In and Microphone are checked, and click OK.
The Record Control dialog box appears.
4. If you’re recording through the Line input, click the Select check box that’s at the bottom of the
Line-In column, and make sure that the volume slider in that column is in the upper half of its
range (if you’re recording through the Mic input, do the same actions in the Microphone
column). Minimize the Windows Mixer window.
5. In SONAR’s Track view, use the In field in a track you want to record in to select the input you’re
using—select either the Left input of your sound card to record in mono or the Stereo input to
record in stereo.
6. Arm the track for recording (click its R button so that it’s red), and play your instrument. You
should see the Record Meter at the bottom of the track’s property fields light up. If the meter
doesn’t move, see the table immediately following this procedure.