Reference Guide

56 Introduction
Computers, sound and music
Publishing music on the Internet
SoundCloud is an online music sharing service that allows you to upload and share your music with
others online. The integrated Cakewalk SoundCloud application enables you to upload sounds,
artwork, and metadata to the SoundCloud service directly from SONAR.
Next topic: “Burning audio CDs” on page 56.
Burning audio CDs
SONAR has integrated Audio CD burning, which allows you to write your audio tracks to an audio
CD that can be played in any standard CD player.
Next topic: “Flexibility” on page 56.
Flexibility
SONAR works the way you want to work—you can customize screen layouts and audio and MIDI
system configurations to make your work more efficient. SONAR integrates with other sound editing
tools so you can access them in an instant without leaving SONAR. There are custom software
modules to support specialized audio devices from Roland and Yamaha. SONAR’s unique
StudioWare technology provides software interfaces for common studio hardware.
Next topic: “Computers, sound and music” on page 56.
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.
Next topic: “MIDI” on page 56.
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. To record MIDI in SONAR, you have to have a
MIDI cable connecting the MIDI OUT port on your MIDI instrument to a MIDI IN port on either your
sound card or your MIDI interface. You must also make sure that you have installed the software
MIDI driver that came with your sound card or MIDI interface.