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Static/snow, whatever Cakewalk 9

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2003 3:31 am
by frstbass
Ok, I've been trying to solve this for about 3 months now. I'm running cakewalk Audio 9, on a Gateway PIII, with Windows98 and a recently installed MAudo 2496 sound card. Ok, I realize it's an older system, but I have a really hard time believing that Cakewalk is so intensive as to cause this problem with this system.

Here's the problem. I can start a new file, record the first track. No problem. I record a second track, and maybe no problem there either as long as I nail it on the first take. By the way, this is strickly analog audio, no Midi. By the time I'm into the 2nd or 3rd track, and/or take, I've got this static (snow) behind the the recording in the track that sounds like the kind of thing you'd get with something that emits an RF signal around a radio. It's not something going on in the house. I'm sure of that.

So I back out of Cakewalk for about 1 or 2 minutes, go back in and I can do another track or take. If I screw it up, and try and retake, no dice. There's the static again. It seems to be harder to get a good take the longer the track is. For instance, If I do a quick vocal verse, chorus, take I am usually sucessful however, if I want to do a bass track, or a rythm guitar track that will run the length of the tune, it's going to be more difficult to get through it without having the problem. I've acutally gone as far as to record a few bars of a rythem guitar part and copy and past to get through, rather than just record to the end.

Ideas???????? I shoud also mention that I've got a couple of other inferior multi track softwares on this machine and I am not experiencing this problem with any of them. I also have Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge, which also seem to have no problems at all.

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2003 1:23 pm
by andychap
It could be something interfering with your soundcard. Try moving it to another slot in the machine, furthest away from the graphics card if possible.

Cakewalk PA 9 uses an older version of audio engine than Sonar and also I don't think it uses the latest WDM drivers. Maybe an upgrade to Sonar might be worth it. Look round for some second hand (legitimate0 copies of Sonar 2 on ebay they are going quite cheap and with proof of pruchase you can register it.

Look in the setting to see if there is any way to turn the scrolling of when recording so that the screen stays still that way you are not using your graphics card so much. Graphics cards are notorious for interfering with audio as they heat up.

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2003 2:57 am
by GretscGuy
This is going to sound way out there, but I had a similar problem with PA7 back when I was running a PII 233. My soundcard would change bit rates automaticly (16 to 8) once a quota had been reached. This caused some hiss. For an example, try reducing the bit rate of an mp3 and you'll see what I mean.

There was no way around this, so I ended up changing cards. Not saying this is your problem - Only that it COULD be. Also, Sound Forge is a great program, I use it to polish up my final projects but it is worth noting that it's a stereo two track program for editing, not really a multi-track software. Could be why the problem is not showing up there.

Also, check all your connections and cables- probably not a problem there if this is happening consistently, but make sure!

I agree with Andy about trying a different slot.

Good Luck!