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Audio Drivers are used to communicate between hardware and software, telling the software to work with a particular device. Audio Interfaces typically have an ASIO driver provided by the manufacturer, while there are also Windows driver modes for use with the internal sound card of your machine. To change driver modes in Cakewalk by BandLab. Cakewalk 2021.01.093 on 32-bit and 64-bit PCs. This download is licensed as freeware for the Windows (32-bit and 64-bit) operating system on a laptop or desktop PC from audio and video editors without restrictions. Cakewalk 2021.01.093 is available to all software users as a free download for Windows.

• DAWs >Sonar / Cakewalk

You can assign any TTS‑1 instrument to one of four individual outputs.

The TTS‑1 synth may be old, but it's still got some power!

It's easy to dismiss TTS‑1. It's over 14 years old and still on version 1.00. It comes bundled for free with BandLab, and has a user interface that looks like a Ready Player One concept art reject. It won't function at 88.2kHz sample rates, and it's only available in DXi format. Case closed... right?

Yet to dismiss it would be a mistake, because the TTS‑1 has a number of really useful mobile-friendly features: WASAPI's low latency with a laptop's internal sound card, the virtual touchscreen or QWERTY controller, low CPU footprint, and multitimbral operation. Besides, many of the sounds still hold up after all these years — so, here are some of my favourite TTS‑1 tips.

Getting Started

When you first insert TTS‑1 into your project, avoid using a Simple Instrument Track, because the TTS‑1 supports 16 MIDI channels and provides four audio outputs. When you insert the plug-in, tick All Synth Audio Outputs: Stereo, MIDI Source and Synth Track Folder. This allows maximum flexibility with assigning MIDI tracks to different instrument channels, and different instruments to different audio outputs.

Each of the 16 Parts (presets) in the 16 mixer channels corresponds to the equivalently numbered MIDI channel. To select a sound, click on the instrument name at the bottom of the TTS‑1 mixer, and choose from the Preset menu. Click and hold on the little note below a mixer channel, and a phrase will play to show you what the instrument sounds like.

Each instrument can go through one of the four stereo outputs. Click on the System button towards the right, then click on the Option button. Note also that in the System settings you'll find a Master Tune control, a Key Shift transposition control, and the ability to set polyphony from 10 to 128 voices. On the Output Assign tab, tick Use Multiple Outputs, and then choose which Parts/mixer channels go to which outputs. Different sounds can feed the same output (if you want to load more than four instruments, they'll have to), but the same sound can't feed different outputs.

Pretty Poly

The TTS‑1 was introduced when the Pentium 4 and Celeron D were high-performance processors. These days, you won't have a problem setting polyphony to 128 voices. After you do, click on the System Settings' Option button, then click the Options tab (yes, this part of the user interface was designed by the Department of Redundancy Department). Enable Tone Remain, and when you change programs, notes from the previous program won't be cut off when you switch programs. This requires more polyphony, but with 128 voices, there likely won't be a problem.

The TTS‑1 effects won't put Waves out of business, but they can still come in handy when you want a somewhat different texture.Moving on to the built-in effects, the good news is that each channel has its own reverb and chorus send controls. The bad news, however, is that these process only the instruments assigned to Output 1. Of course you can use the Sonitus Modulator and Reverb for the other outputs, but you won't have individual channel sends like you do for the Output 1 effects.

The effects offer a degree of editing; click on the Effect button towards the right-hand side of the main interface to reveal the different chorus and reverb parameters.

Save The Day

In TTS‑1 speak, a multimbral setup with instruments, pans, levels, effects sends and so on is called a Performance; some other companies use terms like Combi or Multi. There are three ways to save a Performance:

• Save the Project containing the Performance: Open the Project, and the TTS‑1 will appear just as you left it. However, to use the Performance in a different Project, you'll need to save it as a file.
• Save the Performance as an FXB preset: Type the name in the Presets field at the top of the instrument, and then click the floppy disk button. To delete a Performance, click on the X to the right of the floppy disk. There's no option to specify where the FXB file gets saved; it will end up in C:/Users/[you]/AppData/Roaming/Cakewalk/Shared Presets/{really long combination of apparently meaningless letters and numbers}
• Save within TTS‑1: Click on the System button, click on the System Settings' Option button, then click on the Options tab. Here you can save and load Performance files. There's no default folder, so create one. If you forget where you saved them, search for *.GMF — that's the suffix for TTS‑1 Performance files.

Note that if a MIDI track specifies a preset that's different to the one specified in a Performance, the one in the MIDI track will prevail as soon as you click Play. To prevent the presets in the Performance from changing, set the MIDI track preset to None.

Editing

The Edit screen for instruments has essential parameters, and the ability to write the edited Part to a custom Bank of sounds.Clicking on the Edit button above each part opens a window with useful editing options. A note button that duplicates the little note below the mixer channel makes it easy to audition the results of any edits; however, you can't latch the note so that the riff plays continuously while you tweak.

The editable synth parameters are pretty self-explanatory. The only potential source of confusion is that the Vibrato controls are independent of the mod wheel, so even with the Vibrato depth at 0, the mod wheel can still add vibrato. The maximum amount of mod‑wheel‑introduced vibrato is determined not by the Vibrato Depth control but by the Mod Depth control towards the bottom of the Edit window. (Note, too, that the Vibrato Delay control doesn't fade in the vibrato; it just switches it on after the specified time.)

The drum sets have different editable parameters from the instruments. The parameters are, again, self-explanatory, with three exceptions:

• Enabling the MIDI Edit button lets you select a drum sound for editing by playing its corresponding MIDI note.
• Even if you use the channel's pan control to weight the drums more toward the right or left, the panning relationship set up by the Edit page's pan controls remains intact.
• The Filter and Tone parameters at the bottom of the strip affect all drum sounds in the preset, not just the one that's selected for editing.

The Rhythm Edit window allows you to edit individual drums within a drum set.Once you've finished editing, click on the Edit window's Write button to save your edits. You can save to any preset in any one of four User Normal banks; doing so overwrites the existing Bank preset. However, the Banks are stored in RAM, so any changes are temporary unless you save the Bank as a file. Click on one of the preset names to the right of a mixer fader, and choose Save Bank. As with Performances, there's no default folder, so create one (perhaps in the same place as the Performances folder). Rhythm Banks (ie. drum sounds) are different files from instrument Banks.

To load a bank, click on one of the preset names in the mixer and choose Load Bank. However, a Bank is not the same as a Performance, so it won't populate TTS‑1 with the Bank instruments. You'll need to load your Performance to do that.

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MIDI Control

MIDI Continuous Controllers can control almost all of TTS‑1's knobs, sliders, and buttons. In a Part's Edit window, right-click on the parameter to be controlled, and enter a controller number and channel number in the Control Change Assign window. Alternatively, tick the Learn box and move the desired controller. If you choose Apply to All Parts, this controller will affect the equivalent parameter in every Part, so you can, for instance, have filter cutoff in all Parts respond to Controller 74. However, the channel will need to match the Part's channel number. For example, if you transmit Controller 74 on channel 2 or 4, it will affect the parameter of the Part associated with channel 2 or 4 respectively.

Note that you can't control multiple parameters with the same Controller. If you try to assign a Controller that has already been assigned to a different parameter, the Control Change Assign window's lower‑left corner will show the previous assignment. Making the new assignment will cancel it.

Finally, there are Controller Maps you can access from the aforementioned Options tab. These pre-map particular Controllers to TTS‑1 parameters, and if you choose MIDI automation in a track, you'll see the mapped parameter in the automation drop-down menu. The Minimum Map has very few parameters, and the Normal Map may not have the assignments you want, so it's best to create your own mappings. You can then save the file as a custom map. Again, you'll need to create a custom folder for these files, which have a *.GMC suffix.

This article is intended to help existing SONAR users, as well as new users, transition to Cakewalk by BandLab, by answering common questions and clarifying the differences between Cakewalk and SONAR.

Jump to a topic:

SONAR is now Cakewalk by BandLab

SONAR is back with a new name. Cakewalk by BandLab is a continuation of the SONAR Platinum you know and love, and it’s significantly better.

Cakewalk picks up where SONAR Platinum left off, and has continually evolved with regular updates delivering significant stability and performance enhancements. With a focus on stability, Cakewalk by BandLab is taking things to the next level. Advanced audio processing, integrated collaboration tools and cutting edge features, and hundreds of bug fixes are just the start of what users report to be the most stable version they have used.

Here are the key points you should know:

• Cakewalk by BandLab is 100% FREE
• Not a limited edition of the SONAR application
• Significantly optimized and runs faster than SONAR
• Works with all VST plug-ins, including those bundled with SONAR; note that Cakewalk by BandLab includes only a subset of the plug-ins that shipped as part of SONAR Platinum, due to licensing restrictions
• Exclusively a 64-bit application, but you can continue to load most 32-bit VST plug-ins using BitBridge
• Fully compatible with all SONAR projects
• We’re totally committed to continually evolving and enhancing Cakewalk by BandLab

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Create a BandLab account to get started - it's free and only takes a few seconds.

Experience the new Cakewalk forums

Check out the new Cakewalk forums to get the latest news on product releases and peer-to-peer support on Cakewalk products.

Get Cakewalk by BandLab for free

If you haven't already done so, create your free BandLab user account.

1. Click here to download and install the BandLab Assistant desktop app
2. Launch BandLab Assistant and sign up or log in to your BandLab account
3. Go to the Apps tab to install Cakewalk

As a Cakewalk by BandLab user you’ll enjoy updates as they are released via BandLab Assistant

FAQ

We have heard concerns from many existing SONAR users who have been reluctant to upgrade to Cakewalk by BandLab, such as:

• 'I paid for SONAR and don’t want to lose any features'
• “Cakewalk is free and must therefore be a downgrade from SONAR”

This FAQ answers common questions to alleviate any concerns you may have about upgrading to Cakewalk:

Is Cakewalk by BandLab the same program as SONAR Platinum?

Yes, Cakewalk by BandLab is the exact same core program as SONAR Platinum, only with a new name and many improvements.

The key difference is that Cakewalk does not include some of the 3rd party plug-ins that were bundled with SONAR Platinum. Because Cakewalk is now a free program, it does not include any licensed 3rd party plug-ins. However, if you have SONAR installed, the 3rd party plug-ins will also be available in Cakewalk, ready to use in all your projects.

Is it really free?

Yes, 100%. Cakewalk does not require a subscription, and no credit card is required. You simply need to create a BandLab account in order to use the latest version of Cakewalk.

Will I lose any SONAR features I paid for?

No. Cakewalk is the same core program as SONAR Platinum, minus a few 3rd party plug-ins. If SONAR is already installed on your computer, all 3rd party plug-ins and SONAR content will be available to use in Cakewalk.

Will SONAR be updated?

The application named SONAR was discontinued in October 2017 and is no longer maintained or supported. Instead, SONAR lives on under a new name Cakewalk by BandLab, which is vigorously supported.

Cakewalk picks up where SONAR Platinum left off, and has continually evolved with regular updates delivering significant stability and performance enhancements. With a focus on stability, Cakewalk by BandLab is taking things to the next level. Advanced audio processing, integrated collaboration tools and cutting edge features, and hundreds of bug fixes are just the start of what users report to be the most stable version they have used.

Regardless of whether you own SONAR Platinum, SONAR Professional, SONAR Artist, or SONAR Home Studio, Cakewalk by BandLab has evolved to become a far superior program.

Can I keep SONAR if I install Cakewalk?

Yes. Cakewalk installs in a separate location and does not overwrite your existing SONAR program. Please note, however, that SONAR has been discontinued and is no longer supported.

Does Cakewalk by BandLab require an Internet connection to work?

Cakewalk by BandLab requires an Internet connection to install, activate and update, but an Internet connection is not needed to run the program.

Have existing bugs in SONAR Platinum been fixed in Cakewalk by BandLab?

Yes. We’re picking up right where SONAR Platinum left off, and have made hundreds of bug fixes since the initial release of Cakewalk by BandLab.

Will Cakewalk by BandLab support my SONAR Platinum plug-ins?

Yes – as long as they are installed on your computer and have been previously authorized, any SONAR compatible plug-ins will be compatible with Cakewalk by BandLab.

Why do I need a BandLab account?

You need a BandLab account to sign in to BandLab Assistant. BandLab Assistant allows you to download and authorize Cakewalk by BandLab and any future releases of or updates to Cakewalk by BandLab

Does this mean I have to be active on BandLab’s social music platform?

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Signing up for a BandLab Account doesn’t mean you have to use BandLab the social music platform (although there are plenty of good collaboration options and other features in there – you can read more about them here). Try them out, all of BandLab’s features are free!

Should I upgrade from SONAR to Cakewalk?

In short, YES! You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain:

• Cakewalk is 100% free
• Cakewalk is the next generation of SONAR
• Your SONAR projects are fully compatible with Cakewalk
• Regular updates delivering significant stability, performance enhancements, and new features, plus compatibility with future Windows updates
• Your SONAR Platinum plug-ins will continue to work in Cakewalk
• SONAR and Cakewalk can co-exist on the same machine
• Cakewalk has a thriving online community

Side-by-side comparison of Cakewalk and SONAR

Useful links

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