Reference Guide

1564 Beginner’s guide to Cakewalk software

Audio hardware (sound cards) and drivers

There are many different brands of sound cards on the market today. This section aims to help you

get the best out of yours.

See:

“Consumer and professional” on page 1564

Consumer and professional

There are many sound cards to choose from. Nearly every computer comes with one. Some are

nationally known brands and others are proprietary sound cards that are made specifically for a

single manufacturer. These sound cards are called “consumer” cards. They are designed to handle

the general multimedia tasks most computer users have, like playing CDs or MP3s, using your

computer as a telephone, or playing computer games. Most consumer sound cards fit the bill nicely

for the average computer user. They can play and record both audio and MIDI, but there are certain

limitations which are relevant for Cakewalk users. The following list covers the characteristics of

most consumer sound cards. This list is very general and does not necessarily reflect every sound

card that comes bundled with a computer.

Consumer grade sound card characteristics:

• Number of inputs and outputs. Consumer cards nearly always have two inputs, mic and line

in, and one output. Usually, these inputs and outputs are stereo, meaning there is a left and right

channel.

• Type of inputs and outputs. Consumer cards almost always have eighth inch jacks, requiring

an adaptor to use with standard quarter inch cables (guitar cables, patch cables, etc.).

• Simultaneous recording and playback. Some older consumer sound cards aren’t capable of

simultaneous recording and playback. These cards are called half-duplex. Cards that are capable

of simultaneous recording a playback are called full-duplex.

• 16-bit, 44100 resolution. Consumer cards are only capable of 16-bit audio and a sampling rate

of 44.1 KHz. While these settings are at CD quality, Cakewalk software is capable of 32-bit audio

at a sampling rate of up to 192 KHz.

• Internal. Consumer sound cards are installed in PCI slots (or ISA for older sound cards) on your

computer’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 computer 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