Tip: Great Use for Both CbB and SPLAT! (Re: Roland drum machines)

I'm happily on the Cakewalk by Bandlab train (or is it the MRT? A little Singapore reference for Meng there :)) now, and I just found a great usage for having BOTH CbB and the old Sonar Platinum on your computer - especially if you use the Roland AIRA/Boutique drum machines like the TR-8, TR-8s, TR-08 or TR-09.
 
Those drum machines are able to function like audio interfaces and provide individual drum outputs via USB audio connection. Unfortunately for us Windows ASIO users, we do not have the privilege of aggregating our audio interfaces, especially if we're using manufacturer-specific low-latency drivers (as the ASIOforALL method for aggregating audio sources does not guarantee low latency). 

So here's the solution:
 
- Use CbB as your main DAW, but use Sonar (any version really) as a second DAW configured specifically to record the Roland drum machine (or any other drum machine or synth that you need to use the USB multiple outputs for) as the sole audio interface.
 
- Disable and uncheck your main audio interface and select the Roland drum machine (make sure it's hooked up via USB and your driver installed) in the Audio settings.
 
- Create a project template with each audio track set up to respond to the audio inputs. If you're using the TR-08, your inputs for each track should be like this:
BD - TR-08 BD Input L
SD - TR-08 BD Input R
LT/LC - TR-08 LT Input L
MT/MC - TR-08 LT Input R
HT/HC - TR-08 HT Input L
RS/CL -  TR-08 HT Input R
CP/MA - TR-08 CP Input L
CB - TR-08 CP Input R
CY - TR-08 CY Input L
OH/CH - TR-08 CY Input R
 
Remember to set your individual drum levels on the TR-08 carefully as not to clip on Sonar!
 
-Then create a MIDI track called "TR-08" and have that input from "TR-08" in the MIDI port source setting in that track.
In the Preferences, select that port to receive MIDI clock start/stop commands.
 
- Then arm each of the audio tracks.
 
- Save the template and call it "Roland TR-08."
 
- Hit record on Sonar, the drum machine should start playing and each track should be recording an individual drum sound. You can record an entire track that you programmed on the TR-08, or change patterns/fills manually.
 
- If you want to save your take, save it as a Cakewalk project file.
 
- Then, close Sonar and open that project in CbB.
 
- Add effects, compression, pan, change levels, etc. to taste. Add your other tracks. Finish your tune. Voila! You're now able to easily record your Roland Boutique/AIRA drum machine via USB audio without having to change your audio settings all the time! Just dedicate Sonar as a usage-specific DAW for that purpose!
 
 

Anderton
 Also you can also use dual audio interfaces, one set to Windows audio like WDM and one set to ASIO, and "rewire" the output of one interface into the other interface's input via analog cables. This was my go-to when doing videos and needing to do screen captures that recorded the audio (most don't work with ASIO). I'd use Sonar with ASIO, and send the outputs into a Windows audio interface hooked into Vegas while I was listening back to the narration recorded in Vegas so I could get the on-screen moves right.

That's too convoluted. With more audio applications going 64-bit, and with more processing power used by most DAW computers, and with more hardware manufacturers making their gear USB audio-capable, I hope the ASIO spec can be upgraded to accommodate multiple audio interfaces.