Instruction Manual

1228 Beginner’s Guide to Cakewalk Software

Audio Hardware (Sound Cards) and Drivers

quality, Cakewalk software is capable of 24-bit audio at a sampling rate

of up to 96 KHz.

• Internal—Consumer sound cards are installed in PCI slots (or ISA for

older sound cards) on your PC’s motherboard. While professional

sound cards are also frequently installed in PCI slots, some provide a

“breakout box” which houses the analog to digital (A to D) and digital to

analog (D to A) converters, keeping them away from the internal noise

a PC generates (fans, hard drives, etc.).

Professional sound card characteristics:

• Multiple inputs and outputs—Many professional sound cards have

multiple inputs and/or outputs. Some have analog and digital inputs or

outputs for use with ADATs and digital mixers.

• Type of inputs and outputs—Professional sound cards use quarter inch

(mono or TRS), XLR or RCA inputs rather than the eighth inch jacks

found on consumer grade sound cards. Some cards also have digital

inputs and/or outputs like S/PDIF and ADAT.

• Higher bit-depths and sampling rates—Most newer professional sound

cards allow you to record at 20, 22 or 24-bit, and at a sampling rate of

up to 96 KHz.

• Onboard DSP—Some sound cards have effects processors for things

like reverb and delay built into the sound card. These can take a big

load off of your computer.

• High quality A to D and D to A converters (Analog to Digital and Digital

to Analog)—The quality of your recordings ultimately depends on the

quality of sound that you initially record. Professional sound cards have

higher-quality components that convert the sound into and back out of

the digital format.

See:

How do I know if I have a hardware conflict?

If you have a hardware conflict, you may see the following:

• one or more devices not working properly

• one or more devices not showing up in Device Manager

• your system crashing every time you use the device(s)

See: