Reference Guide

Beginner’s Guide to Cakewalk Software

Audio Hardware (Sound Cards) and Drivers

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:

Installation and Drivers

WDM and MME

IRQs

Cakewalk and Audio Hardware

Installation and Drivers

When you install a sound card, you are installing both the hardware and software called a driver. The

sound card driver is what allows your operating system and your sound card to communicate. This

section is aimed at preventing problems when installing both your sound card and its driver.