WOW I just noticed that if I start a new project in CbB and choose the "Normal" project template it sets the project to 16 bit 48 k/Hz.
I'm thinking this might be done on purpose (a simple no brainer for the novice user, those of us without decent pro grade near field monitors good enough to actually HEAR the difference between 16 and 24 bit) because it still achieves very good sound quality with the lowest latency on a less than powerful computer that may struggle processing with 24 bit multi-track recording?????
Anyway FIRST THING you need to do to set up SONAR to always start at 24/48 is select "Open an Empty Project".
Press "P" on the keyboard to open the
"Preferences" dialog box and go down to the
"File" section on the left side and select
"Audio Data".
In the File bit depths section select
24 bit depth in the record, render, and import boxes, than hit the "Apply" button, than "OK" to leave the dialog box. This will not only make sure new projects default to 24 bit, it'll make sure all audio "imported" into the project get automatically converted to 24 bit. They will also automatically "export" at 24 bit, but you can always select a different format or bit depth and rate.
Also in the "Audio" section select the "drivers settings" make sure "Default settings for new projects is set to 48000, hit the "Apply" button than "OK" to leave the dialog box.
Now every time you select
"Empty Project" template for a "New Project" it should open by
default to 24/48.
But if you choose the
"Normal" project template it will set the project to
16 bit 48 k/Hz.
However, creating your own custom complete detailed project templates can save you enormous amounts of time out of the box, and give you the ability to start recording as soon as SONAR or CbB loads and as soon as inspiration and the muse hits.
Great sounding mixes are a skill set, not a bit depth or a sample rate. And just because you can record at ultra super sonic speeds up to 192 k/Bs doesn't mean you should.
In reality, what real difference does it make if your only going to squash the extra signal to noise ratio out with compressors and limiters, than further muddy it up with tape emulation
reverse engineer with "vintage" plugins on a song that going to end up most likely being distributed as an .mp3, listened to on a smartphone most likely streamed from YouTube, or Spotify, vinyl, or CD at best?
All of this can actually be accomplished recording at 16/44.1 with headroom to spare, and if you can't understand that then you must really hate the sound of all music recorded before the 90's.
My main any only reason for recording in 24/48 is it's the established industry standard widely used and accepted in Pro Tools. Even though I'm an avid Cakewalk user, 99% of the professional collaboration work I do is going to go through and be mixed and finished off in Pro Tools.
That being said, once I get my project and mix sounding the way I want it, I than sub mix to a buss mix and export the buss mix as .OMF multi-track that will simply open in Pro Tools sounding exactly the way I want it without any muss or fuss or sample rate conversion that may confuse or stump collaborators and or force any clients to perform unnecessary tasks.
Fun fact in case you didn't know it, Cakewalk can read and write basic Pro Tools audio projects.
I
know all this to be true because I also have Pro Tools 10 (32x) and PT 12 (64x) running on a Mac, Pro Tools First running in Windows which I use to test drive my work before sending and passing it along.
Pro Tools First now comes bundled with all Focusrite audio interfaces. It's a full fledged functioning licensed version of Pro Tools but limited to 16 tracks.
However Cakewalk by Bandlab is free of all and can once you take the time to learn how to use it, I mean
really dig in and learn how to use it, you'll understand how it can put a SMACK DOWN on anything else out there. LoL
I never experienced SONAR or CbB defaulting to 16 bit 48 k/Hz before because I always use my own 6 custom pre patched and channel routed configured project template setups designed for my studio and personal workflow, based on what mics, instruments, and or genre.
This way, if I'm going to start a rock, jazz or blues song project I always instantly upon startup have 8 audio tracks with ProChannel preset patched, routed and labeled respectively to my audio interface, and Addictive Drums 2 all setup to be controlled by a Novation Impulse MIDI keyboard controller with all 12 audio channels labeled, patched into it's own stereo drum buss and ready to... What really cool about the Novation Impulse is, I have the drum pads set up to trigger each drum piece in AD 2 for real-time playing, or with a push of a button each pad will trigger loops, and I can STILL play other synth(s) with the 61 key keyboard. (This really bugs out my Ableton Live/Push user buddies.) Ableton's Push controllers are truly the cat's arse for wave/loop/sample editing in Live, but they are no match for Cakewalk's Audio Snap and Loop Creation Tools, Matrix combined a Novation Impulse.
However, Cakewalk will not correct mistakes for you, nor can you just randomly slap pads and shotgun loops into it and expect nice sounding very danceable music to come out. And that's where Ableton Live/Push rigs shine.
Every Ableton Live/Push project that I ever imported in SONAR or Cakewalk came at me at 16 bit 44.1 k/Hz stereo .wav format and were automatically converted to 24/48 upon being "imported" in SONAR or CbB, and have really good sound quality.
I have absolutely no idea if the bit rate and sample rate can even be set or changed in Ableton Live. None of my Ableton Live buddies know what I'm talking about when I mention bit depth or sample rates or even care. Only response I've ever gotten was; "Oh dude I got Gigs and Gigs of samples with Ableton Live!" Nor can they tell the difference between audio phrase samples or MIDI sequences. Not knowing how to navigate the Ableton Live user interface too well, neither can I.
OK, I'm rambling...… Back to the benefits of creating project setup templates and having them always default to 24/48 for new projects.
My beloved and really, really GREAT sounding Kawai K11 already patched into 2 MIDI channels. One for itself, one to be used as a MIDI controller for a VSTi such as Rapture Pro, or a DXi like Cakewalk TTS-1.
My one size fits all Waves HReverb is already set up to my favorite sounding room already assigned to it's own stereo buss, just waiting for any channel's Aux send.
And there is a stereo buss setup for vocals groups with Waves Scheps Omni Channel just sitting there waiting to be turned on if needed.
All preassigned ProChannel modules and preconfigured plugins across all channels and busses are default to "off" in empty project templates.
Not only do my new projects always set to 24/48, I know what tracks and channels where my vocals will be, where guitar tracks will be, where the bass is going to be, and where the drums are, synths, etc, and what bank they are on, on my Behringer X Touch.
It could normally take me 1/2 an hour to an hour easily to set a DAW up with such an elaborate "hit arm, record, and go" setup starting from scratch. It's all too easy to simply delete tracks and instruments not used, and just as simple to duplicate if I need more, or I simply push the add audio track button, or the add MIDI track button on my X Touch.
But by preconfiguring your OWN commonly used DAW setups based on your commonly used workflow using your favorite tools, brand new empty SONAR or Cakewalk project templates set ups load in SECONDS!