hi everyone..i wonder if i could get some help with this. I'm not an xpert with cakewalk..but i use (still) 8.5. My problem is this..i plug in my electric guitar to my soundcard(soundblaster audigy 2 ZS) line in..everything ok..sound coming out..but when i record, it only comes out on the left channel. On the audio track the input is as i have used before...stereo SB Audigy 2ZS ASIO (E880)(11 in 10 out)in the pop down menu,it's called stereo SB Audigy 2 ZS ASio(E880)analog mix L,,,output is on master. So i know its only the Left as the L indicates this. I have tried to change the input ,,but nothing works..in fact the only one that really 'works' is the one i mentioned above. I know i can change the track to mono and then to stereo by right clicking in the track field..but i have also noticed the when i play back what i have recorded the volume level (on the right side) in the track isn't showing anything,but it is in the master down at the bottom.Also when i paly the guitar before i record i see that the level indicator is only on the left channel. This is the first time i have recorded electric guitar in a few years..and as far as i can remember,the last time i recoreded(with the same set up) everything was ok..anybody have any idea what i'm doing wrong,or can point me in the right direction..thanks/Ray

Guitars are mono. You need to select Left input to record a mono signal and have it play through both speakers.
Why you can't get a mono input to work in the Audigy is a mystery. Maybe check if you have the latest drivers?

I believe your sound card has a single input for both the left and right channels, no? If so, then you have to go into it with a stereo cord to record on both channels. Sometimes you can get a regular mono cord to work by pulling it halfway out.
 
It would be a lot better if you could buy a little mixer. You can find small, used 4-channel mixers on Craigslist all day for $25. Then you would need a stereo Y-cord to come out of the stereo 1/4" outputs of the mixer and into the single stereo 1/8" input of the sound card.
 
Bill

You only need to record a stereo track if you're using a stereo effect on the guitar, such as a ping-pong delay or a chorus. If you're going straight in or just using an amp sim, then you'll get the best results by recording mono.
 
1. Plug into the left channel of the card *
2. Select mono interleave for the audio track in SONAR
3. Select the card's left channel as the input source via the Input dropdown menu in the track header
 
* Assuming the card has separate left and right inputs, and not a single stereo jack. If all it offers is a stereo input, that will still work but you'll likely only get signal on one side. You can still select whichever side works in the track's Input dropdown list, and still record it to a mono audio track.
 

I have an old Audigy II sound card somewhere in a shoe box around here. The Audigy has it's own GUI mixer app and you set the proper inputs there first.
The ASIO drivers are the worst I have ever used and it works better with ASIO4all.  I wasted over a year getting nowhere with that dang thing,,, Overall not a recommended sound card. Your tracks will be out of sync
 
You'd be miles ahead with any ASIO $100 Audio interface driver wise.
 
 

Cactus Music
The ASIO drivers are the worst I have ever used and it works better with ASIO4all. ...Your tracks will be out of sync
 

I don't know if that ASIO4all driver is still out there or not, but I agree that's the way to go if the poster can still find it.
 
As I recall, SB cards stayed in sync as long as you recorded at their native 16/48 format. Or maybe 24/48 too. It's the 48 resolution that's important part if memory serves.
 
Bill

Asio4all is still going strong and has seen many upgrades. It got a bad rap around here years ago but now many of us have found it is a good tool when all your needing is a stable audio driver for a laptop to do some simple work on. I did a loopback test and it was bang on in sync. WASAPI and WDM were not.
 
I had a basic Sound Blaster card years ago too and never got things to work with Cakewalk so I ended up buying my first interface, the Tascam. 
 
http://www.asio4all.org/

Good to know. Thanks.
 
Bill

The older Audigy units were clocked at 48 k and the units did ‘realtime’ conversion to 44.1 if you used that sample rate (or anything else). All kinds of fun. Get another interface.

Or just record at 48.