Audio Preferences In-Depth Guide

Let’s break down each section of the Audio Preferences in Cakewalk Next so you can fully optimize your setup for recording, mixing, and playback! 🎧

Audio Device

The Audio Device section lets you choose and configure your input and output devices:

• Audio Driver: Select the driver mode:
  • CoreAudio (Mac only)
  • ASIO (Windows) for low latency
  • Windows Audio (Exclusive Mode) or Low Latency Mode (Windows only)
  • DirectSound
• Audio Input/Output Devices: Choose your interface and click Setup to assign input/output channels.
• Sample Rate: Match this with your interface (e.g., 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz)

Tip: Always use ASIO or CoreAudio for the best performance.

Latency

Latency refers to the delay between playing/recording a sound and hearing it back. You can control it through buffer size settings:

• Audio Buffer Size: Adjust to balance latency and CPU usage.
• Output Latency: Shows the delay from the DAW to your speakers.
• Input Latency: Shows the delay when recording audio.
• Total Latency: The combined input/output latency.
• Driver Latency Offset: Manually compensate for any offset during recording

Tip: Use lower buffer sizes for recording (128–256 samples) and higher ones for mixing (512–1024 samples).

Recording

Configure your recording settings to match your project needs:

• File Format: Choose between WAV, AIFF, or FLAC.
• Bit Depth: Set to 16, 24, or 32-bit float.
• Auto-Arm Tracks: Automatically arms tracks when selected

Tip: Use 24-bit for a balance of quality and file size.

Loop and Stretch

Cakewalk Next offers flexible options for looping and stretching audio:

• Loop Recording: Capture multiple takes in one go.
• Time Stretching: Stretch audio to fit tempo changes without altering pitch.
• Clip Timebase: Choose Musical to stretch audio with tempo, or Absolute to keep the clip static

Tip: Use stretching to match drum loops to your project’s BPM.

Audio Engine

The Audio Engine controls how Cakewalk Next processes audio:

• Use Multiple Cores: Spread processing across CPU cores.
• Stop Playback on Dropout: Automatically stop playback if audio drops.
• Suspend Audio Engine When App Loses Focus: Frees up your audio device for other apps when Next is inactive.

Tip: Keep multi-core enabled for larger projects.

Final Thoughts

Understanding and fine-tuning your audio preferences is key to a smooth experience in Cakewalk Next. Whether you're recording vocals or mixing a full track, these settings help you balance performance and sound quality.