Any guitar players w/recording software?

brother bob

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Feb 20, 2008
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Any guitar players w/recording software - mainly Cakewalk - who can give me some help?

Am very green at playing but have tons of ideas and am trying to use Cakewalk and am having problems hearing my guitar...

Any help would be appreciated.
 
Fellow guitar player here. Not really familiar with the Cakewalk software, so unfortunately I can't really help you out on that end. But I've been a real believer in Audacity. Free to download, and still has plenty of features to make your music with.
Sorry that it doesn't help with your Cakewalk problem, but nonetheless maybe someone reading is looking for a good choice to record with..
 
Fellow guitar player here. Not really familiar with the Cakewalk software, so unfortunately I can't really help you out on that end. But I've been a real believer in Audacity. Free to download, and still has plenty of features to make your music with.
Sorry that it doesn't help with your Cakewalk problem, but nonetheless maybe someone reading is looking for a good choice to record with..

Thanks CynadoAlley!

Have been a novice player for a very very long time and have just recently found an urge to put things done - with a little prodding from my younger brother. Anyway, any little bit helps. I will check out Audacity as well.

brother bob
 
Thanks CynadoAlley!

Have been a novice player for a very very long time and have just recently found an urge to put things done - with a little prodding from my younger brother. Anyway, any little bit helps. I will check out Audacity as well.

brother bob

Anytime, always nice to help a fellow guitar player out! Good luck with the recording, its fun to finally sit and listen to what you've played instead of always hearing it while playing. Then when you add on to the original track and can really take off.
 
I've been using multi-track recording software for years and have been very frustrated.
Cakewalk, Acid Music, and Creative are the ones I tried and usually have the same problem; the tutorials suck and they all come over-loaded with gobs of features I don't want to use, but trying to read through a manual just to get something simple has been confusion.

The main problem I have is the playback - when I am laying down tracks 2,3 or 4 it is often difficult to hear, through the headphones, track 1, or the previous track recorded. I have to turn my guitar input down really low just to hear the overdub.

Sorry this doesn't help the OP, but perhaps this might help if someone can provide some tips, or a guide for a tutorial.

And if I have to, I'll get a Mac and use their Garage Band (comes with Apple systems), but I hear a lot of people rave about it.
 
I've been using multi-track recording software for years and have been very frustrated.
Cakewalk, Acid Music, and Creative are the ones I tried and usually have the same problem; the tutorials suck and they all come over-loaded with gobs of features I don't want to use, but trying to read through a manual just to get something simple has been confusion.

The main problem I have is the playback - when I am laying down tracks 2,3 or 4 it is often difficult to hear, through the headphones, track 1, or the previous track recorded. I have to turn my guitar input down really low just to hear the overdub.

Sorry this doesn't help the OP, but perhaps this might help if someone can provide some tips, or a guide for a tutorial.

And if I have to, I'll get a Mac and use their Garage Band (comes with Apple systems), but I hear a lot of people rave about it.


The only problem I have at this time is hearing the playback. I can see everything move but no playback. I haven't played with it in a while but am going to get back into it soon...vacation coming up.
 
I play a semi hollow body Ibenez (spelling?) electric, and a Dean acoustic. Really like my acoustic, my electric leaves something to be desired.

cool. I have two acoustic (a 1973 Hondo and a late 70's Yamaha - both my mothers') and three electrics (a mid 80's Fender Strat, a Les Paul knock off called Scott, and a cheap dept. store Spectrum) all the electrics were under $100 but they all play well and stay in tune.

My Scott has better action than my Strat and I find myself playing more on that one than any of the others. The Spectrum I picked up for under $10 and am experimenting with the pickups to see what kind of sound I can get out of it...lol

The Hondo is not playable anymore because it was not taken care of very well when my mother passed on and basically warped.
 
I've done a pretty good amount of recording, and have used several different programs. Never Cakewalk though.

If you can't hear anything but can see the sound bars moving, your most likely problem is that you don't have your playback device configured properly. With most recording programs, they don't always default to your speakers because different interfaces are often used for playback instead, and it may be sending the playback sound to your recording interface.

To configure the playback device, you'll probably have to go to "preferences" (probably in the "edit" tab). Then, you should be able to select the playback device that you want, like your computer's speakers.

If that doesn't work, post again and I'll see if I can help.

Out of curiosity, what are you using for a recording interface?
 
To configure the playback device, you'll probably have to go to "preferences" (probably in the "edit" tab). Then, you should be able to select the playback device that you want, like your computer's speakers.

If that doesn't work, post again and I'll see if I can help.

Out of curiosity, what are you using for a recording interface?

Not the OP, but thanks for your input. Is your playback loud enough to hear in your headphones while you lay down the 2nd track with your guitar and amp?

BTW. I use Creative interface. I have a really cool front-load input panel that fits in one of the bays typically used for DVD etc. that came with the soundboard and allows me to plug directly into the front of the computer
 
Never used Cakewalk, but have used many different programs. Best advice I can give you is look on youtube to see if they have any tutorials on there.
 
How are you recording your guitar on your computer? Through a mixer? A mic up to your amp? Are you recording an acoustic with just a mic up to the sound hole?
 
I've done a pretty good amount of recording, and have used several different programs. Never Cakewalk though.

If you can't hear anything but can see the sound bars moving, your most likely problem is that you don't have your playback device configured properly. With most recording programs, they don't always default to your speakers because different interfaces are often used for playback instead, and it may be sending the playback sound to your recording interface.

To configure the playback device, you'll probably have to go to "preferences" (probably in the "edit" tab). Then, you should be able to select the playback device that you want, like your computer's speakers.

If that doesn't work, post again and I'll see if I can help.

Out of curiosity, what are you using for a recording interface?

I will configure this tomorrow afternoon. Need to get some sleep for the fact that I have to be up at 4am...I will let you know after I get to it tomorrow.

Curiosity is the question on the recording interface...lol pretty illiterate when it comes to that stuff. Where do I find this information?
 
How are you recording your guitar on your computer? Through a mixer? A mic up to your amp? Are you recording an acoustic with just a mic up to the sound hole?

I guess that that is where I am lost as well. Do I need to go through a mixer or just through my amp? I am not recording any acoustic yet...does it make a difference on how that is mic'd?
 
I will configure this tomorrow afternoon. Need to get some sleep for the fact that I have to be up at 4am...I will let you know after I get to it tomorrow.

Curiosity is the question on the recording interface...lol pretty illiterate when it comes to that stuff. Where do I find this information?

Recording interface is just a fancy term for how your guitar is plugged into your computer. I use a Line 6 Pod HD500 connected to the USB port so I don't have to mic a live amp.
 
Cool to hear some fellow six stringers! I just got a fender mustang 3 amp. I am told the recording software in that is awesome.

I got a Fender Mustang II in May and III in August. LOVE 'EM! Would have liked to have gotten the IV or V but these were more in my price range. Really like the British presets...love the crunch! Have not used the recording software yet.
 

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