Hi someone mentioned upgrading to X2 Essentials - is this not a Sonar product? If not, how does this work as an upgrade as there is not much about upgrading from MC on the Cake site.
 
Thanks

Brandon de Ashe:
MC is not specifically mentioned, but you would qualify as a Registered Cakewalk Customer for upgrade pricing.

buitenlander:
The prefs dialog acts as a sort of filter.
While you may see all of your inputs here, only the selected choices are available to the track inputs.
To make a different input available to a track, you would need to change your selection in the prefs list.
I'll try to look at the firefly manual, if it's available for download to a non-customer, and see if we can get you going with ASIO.

@RobertB:
If I use ASIO I get exactly the same results. Prefs does as you say act like a filter. I have the feeling that it is nothing to do with the Firefly box because MC can see all of the available recording inputs in prefs.

For the sake of clarity, here is what I want to do: Record 2 instruments - an accordion via a mic input on the firefly and the other using an analog input which takes it's source from my bass amp.

In MC I can successfully record from each of the devices but only one at a time.

Someone said MC can only record 1 stereo input or 2 mono inputs at one time. Is this what is screwing me up, because all of the Firefly outputs are stereo?

Thanks again for all the help so far. I would also like to know why MME seems to be so universally hated, by the way :-)

When I want to record 2 tracks at the same time here's what I do.

My interface is a Saffire.

So on track 1 I select saffire Left for input to the track
And on track 2 I select saffire Right for input to the track

This allows me to record 2 different mics ...each into it's own unique track in MC. 

Your interface should show up in the audio options available for input. there should be a STEREO option for ONE TRACK as well as Mono Left and Mono Right options. 

When recording one track I always select the mono Left option. That gives me one mic into one track. The system acts like it is totally mono which is fine for mono instruments. 

I rarely use STEREO input for anything. 


I don't see a need or reason to upgrade to X1 from MC unless you need the functionality of having more tracks available to record simultaneously BUT.... you will also need a different interface which can handle more than 2 tracks to accomplish that goal. 



It's not that MME is so hated. It actually is a good driver when it's used for what it's intended to do which is drive a stock soundcard playing MP3's and waves in a computer as a sound card when you play games and watch videos..... It falls woefully short when we ask it to handle the massive data we necessarily run through our systems when we record...and when you throw in the softsynths that must be processed in real time.... it's kinda like trying to run the Indy 500 with a dune buggy..... it will get you around the track but not as fast as it needs to. It'll be the last one across the line every time.  MME can not do the job properly. ASIO, on the other hand IS specifically designed to handle audio properly and it lets you run with the big dogs. 

Someone said MC can only record 1 stereo input or 2 mono inputs at one time. Is this what is screwing me up, because all of the Firefly outputs are stereo?

 
Yes. If you select the mic inputs in Preferences, that is the only input you can use in MC. If you select some other stereo input, you can't use the mic input.
If you have another microphone, you could put it in front of the bass amp and select Left for 1 mic and Right for the other.

In my never ending quest to learn more..... just the other day...It dawned on me that I actually have 2 decent condenser mics.

Up to this point, I have been using just one to record my acoustic guitar. So I dug into my box of cords and found another XLR cable. 

I connected both mics to the Saffire..... one to the Right input and the other to the Left input.  Turned ont he phantom power and opened a new project. 

I inserted 2 audio tracks. Track one was set to Saffire Mono Left and track 2 was set to Saffire Mono Right. 
Tapping the wind screen of each mic indicated it to be sending to the correct channel. 

There will be more info forth coming on if and how this experiment turned out sonically. But the point is..... that is how you record 2 things at the same time into 2 different tracks. 

I solved my problem by getting getting a new box, the Alesis multimix 4 USB.

I still only have one device available but on the mixer I can pan the two mics left and right and then pick them up as separate tracks in MC.
I feel slightly ripped off because it seems the software can obviously do what I want but someone has decided to disable it for some reason. But on the whole I'm still pleased with it and impressed with the help I've had here.

PS I am using the ASIO drivers ;-)

buitenlander


I solved my problem by getting getting a new box, the Alesis multimix 4 USB.

I still only have one device available but on the mixer I can pan the two mics left and right and then pick them up as separate tracks in MC.
I feel slightly ripped off because it seems the software can obviously do what I want but someone has decided to disable it for some reason. But on the whole I'm still pleased with it and impressed with the help I've had here.

PS I am using the ASIO drivers ;-)

that's because you only paid $50 or so for that software.  if you want all of the inputs available at the same time you have to upgrade to X1, as I said above.  and pay more for the software...

People think that because MC is only $40 and their sound in the computer works fine with everything else that MC should work flawlessly with the on board sound as well.

The $40 price I think is what throws people.... because MC is quite amazing in what it does at that price point. As many here have found out...MC does run on MME but it runs like it was designed to when you use the proper gear and driver mode..... as you have found out. 

I started with MC4..also at $40 ...and immediately went out and spent $300 on my Focusrite Saffire interface.  I did not even try to run on the factory card. I had been into Cakewalk previously when it was CWP8 ...and knew that back then I was using a dedicated PCI sound card ...so I knew I needed a good interface for the lappy. 

Either way... sounds like you are up and running so enjoy it and come back if you hit the brick wall or just want to chat about MC.