Master Fader setup & AUX in Home Studio XL

Nate74

HR4FREBR
I have a version of Cakewalk Home Studio XL that I've had for about 2 years, so I'm wondering if the two limitations I encountered are because the software simply doesn't offer them, or if it's me who can't figure out how to do it.

First, I couldn't figure out how to set up a Master Fader. IE a fader that I could assign all the busses to, to control everything. In particular, I wanted to place a limiter on that bus, rather than 6 different instances of the limiter on each of the 6 bus submixes. BUt I couldn't assign the indivicual busses to another bus...?:rolleyes:

Wondering if that's a limitation of the program or am I missing something?

Secondly, I found myself wanting to use two different types of reverbs plus a delay but with only 2 AUX, I ended up putting the delay on the tracks specifically, which gave me three different instances of the delay and very little control over the wet/dry mix. Am I stuck with just 2 AUX with this program? Do newer/better Sonar products offer more AUX busses?

I'm guessing that an upgrade might be in my future, but I'd love to be able to get through the current project I'm working on without having to learn new software... Thanks!:)
 
Well some digging shows that in the Audio Options menu, you can add additional AUX Sends.

I'm hoping somebody jumps in though on the Master Fader topic... no luck there so far.
 
I think, and am totally not sure, that master faders are automatically assumed when Cakewalk "Audio profiles" the available drivers it finds in your system. I believe you can disable all the drivers save for one. Restart Cakewalk. It will see you only have one available output and should respond accordingly. Of course I could be wrong, don't have a copy here at work.
 
Mike, thanks for the input. Like you I don't have a copy here at work, but I seem to recall something similar to what your saying. Ideally, what I'd like to do is assign one buss to my soundcards outputs (stereo) and call it "master" then assign the other busses to that Master... can't find anything on how to do that though...
 
Well, an upgrade won't give you any more capabilities there. I do know you can't assign FX to to a master fader, well, at least, I think not. Then again, Pro Audio allows you to do just about anything with "group" assignment options, you know, the color schemes? that are separate entities from the aux busses, which you can have as many as you want. You could assign all tracks to output to bus 1, and then assign bus 1 to output to bus 2 and so on, daisy chaining fx that way. There's really no end to it.

When you open a "new" file in Cakewalk, how many auxes and mains are you getting now?
 
I'm currently getting 2 AUX (though I discovered how to add more) and I'm getting 6 Busses.

From what I recall, I can only assign each of the Busses to a virtual out, not to a different bus.

I'd be happy being able to assign Busses 1-5 to Bus 6 and just use 6 as my Master, etc. but it doesn't appear to be possible :confused:
 
I'm not familiar with the product you are using, but this is doable in Sonar. Sonar features what is called Universal Bus Routing. Meaning any Bus can be assigned to any other Bus.

What you are describing sounds like an older product. In the older products, buses could only be assigned to Sound Card outs. This prevented you from setting up sub-buses and master buses. I recall this limitation in Pro Audio 9, which was the precursor to Sonar.

However, if all you want to do is slap a limiter on the entire mix, I believe you should be able to put a limiter on the Main Outs. My recollection - and it's been few years - is that you can do this in the Console View. That is the only place where the Mains show up. Go to Console View and look to the far right. You should see your Sound Card outs. If my memory serves right, you can place an effect on these in the same manner as you would with a Track.

Again, apologies for the weak memory, but it's been quite a few years since I used PA9. Let us know how you make out.
 
I'm not familiar with the product you are using, but this is doable in Sonar. Sonar features what is called Universal Bus Routing. Meaning any Bus can be assigned to any other Bus.

What you are describing sounds like an older product. In the older products, buses could only be assigned to Sound Card outs. This prevented you from setting up sub-buses and master buses. I recall this limitation in Pro Audio 9, which was the precursor to Sonar.

However, if all you want to do is slap a limiter on the entire mix, I believe you should be able to put a limiter on the Main Outs. My recollection - and it's been few years - is that you can do this in the Console View. That is the only place where the Mains show up. Go to Console View and look to the far right. You should see your Sound Card outs. If my memory serves right, you can place an effect on these in the same manner as you would with a Track.

Again, apologies for the weak memory, but it's been quite a few years since I used PA9. Let us know how you make out.

Thanks man. I appriciate you taking the time to respond. You are correct, this is an older product and one I fear may be on the way out. Over the past 3 years, I guess I got my $99.99 worth though...:rolleyes:

You are also correct in your recollection that I can only route my Busses to my sound card out(s) and not to a seperate Bus. This would solve my problem to be certain.

What I've been doing for some time is outputing my mixes to a stereo file and then re-import them to apply a limiter, and sometimes some other final EQ, etc. But I was hoping to be able to apply it to the "stereo out" while mixing to get a better feel for what the limiter (or other effects) would do to the overall balance of the mix, etc.

I guess it's time to start researching Sonar 6, huh?
 
But I was hoping to be able to apply it to the "stereo out" while mixing to get a better feel for what the limiter (or other effects) would do to the overall balance of the mix, etc.
Did you try what I suggested above? You should be able to slap the limiter as an effect on the stereo outs using Console View. At least that what I recall.
 
Yes... sort of. :rolleyes:

In my current mixes I have 5 subs going out (all assigned to my sound card) so to do what you suggested would invovle 5 instances of the limiter. This particular version of CW limits the number of effects being used at the same time and I'm flirting with that limit already...

I'm really thinking a retirement party is in order now.
 
Yes... sort of. :rolleyes:

In my current mixes I have 5 subs going out (all assigned to my sound card) so to do what you suggested would invovle 5 instances of the limiter. This particular version of CW limits the number of effects being used at the same time and I'm flirting with that limit already...

I'm really thinking a retirement party is in order now.
No, you are missing what I said. I am not suggesting putting individual limiters on each of the subs. Rather just put one limiter on the Main Outs.

Again, I believe this is possible, but I don't have your product to test it.

My recollection, though, is that there are three "groups" of faders in Console View - the Tracks, the Subs, and the Mains. I believe you can put an effect on any of them.

However, if you tell me you can't put an effect on the Mains, I'll believe you. :)
 
OK, I see the disconnect between our two brains here. :rolleyes: My problem is there are no "Main Outs" to put any effect(s) on. In console view, all the way to the right most area is where my 8 busses are located. I've fiddled with everything I can think of to "expand" the view or change what I'm seeing and nowhere can I find anything like a main out. There in lies the problem...
 
OK, I see the disconnect between our two brains here. :rolleyes: My problem is there are no "Main Outs" to put any effect(s) on. In console view, all the way to the right most area is where my 8 busses are located. I've fiddled with everything I can think of to "expand" the view or change what I'm seeing and nowhere can I find anything like a main out. There in lies the problem...
That's a little puzzling. I was assuming your software was similar to Pro Audio 9. Most of Cakewalk's products are "variations on a theme." So they are usually pretty similar.

So how do you control the master volume and panning? Or toggle between stereo and mono to check a mix in mono?
 
That's a little puzzling. I was assuming your software was similar to Pro Audio 9. Most of Cakewalk's products are "variations on a theme." So they are usually pretty similar.

So how do you control the master volume and panning? Or toggle between stereo and mono to check a mix in mono?

Good question. I usually go through and switch each of the Busses to mono when I want to check a mix in mono. Up until recently, I've only used 3 or 4 seperate busses so this wasn't a big deal. But as my mixing approach has changed and grown, it's become a bit of a pain.

As for panning... I guess I pretty much don't do anything as far as panning the whole mix left to right, just individual tracks or sub-groups.

I agree, there doesn't seem to me to be any reason at all that I don't have a master out of some sort! :confused:
 
So thinking about it... is there a way to show/hide portions of the console view in other Cakewalk products? I'll feel fairly stupid if I've managed to hide the master section...
 
So thinking about it... is there a way to show/hide portions of the console view in other Cakewalk products? I'll feel fairly stupid if I've managed to hide the master section...
In Sonar it is possible to slide them off to the right completely off screen. When they are hidden off screen, there will be a narrow line immediately to the left of the scroll elevator which allows you to drag them back onto the screen.

If you place the cursor over this line, it changes to a left/right arrow. Once you see the cursor change, you can then click and drag to the left.

Not sure if that is what's going on in your case, but it's worth checking out.
 
Thanks! Yes, absolutely worth checking out when I get home this evening. If it turns out that's what I've done...:o
 
In Sonar it is possible to slide them off to the right completely off screen. When they are hidden off screen, there will be a narrow line immediately to the left of the scroll elevator which allows you to drag them back onto the screen.

If you place the cursor over this line, it changes to a left/right arrow. Once you see the cursor change, you can then click and drag to the left.

Not sure if that is what's going on in your case, but it's worth checking out.

Yes exactly, you should have main outs off the screen to the right. For some reason my console view always starts with everything hidden--busses, tracks and main outs-I'll have to look into my layouts.

If that doesn't work then I would route one of my hardware outputs to my hardware inputs and record a mix track in the same project and then apply effects. I use to do this with pro 9
 
Well I turned that thing upside-down and there just doesn't seem to be a master section. The manual refers to the track area and the aux bus area but nothing about a master bus or stereo out area... I think it just doesn't exist in this package.
 
I use pro 9 and there's a main out or rather faders and main L & R meters - in fact there's a set for each sound card available (mine has the inbuilt m/board one & the one I added).
They can indeed be hidden or shown:
Module Manager

Console view/Module Manager button OR AudioX view/Module Manager button.
See if you have 'em but they're hidden. The module manager is a little icon next to the meter icons in pro 9.
Good luck.
 
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