Newbie qeustion regarding mixing down!

Guitarhacker
You probably haven't selected all the tracks.
 
Depending on the version of Music Creator you are using.... in the EXPORT AUDIO drop-down, there should be several options..... One of those is called "WHAT YOU HEAR".  That's the one I always select. It automatically selects everything, exactly like you hear it on playback.
 
Another option is to select individually, the tracks you want included in the export.
 
Unless you use the WYH option  as I do, be sure you have all the tracks selected as well as the complete track selected.  More than one time I have gone to export just one track and failed to select the whole thing..... and a few times, selected nothing and wondered why the export was done in 1 second.

 
Hi thank you for the reply. I'm using version 7. I managed to get the song exported using FILE/EXPORT/AUDIO. That seems to work. I cant see any "What you hear option"? Do you happen to know what the "Mixdown" process is used for then? As I explained earlier this only exported one track!

57Gregy
Welcome to the forum.
If the samples are MIDI, what synthesizer are you using to play the MIDI notes? If it's an external synth, like a MIDI keyboard or sound module, you would first need to record that synth's audio output into MC audio tracks, then do the export.
If you're using the computer's MIDI synthesizer, the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth, you won't be able to easily export that synth. Use software synths instead.

Hi thank you for the reply. The tracks I am using are audio tracks. Its not midi data. I presume if i did wish to export midi tracks to an mp3 I would first have to freeze the tracks?

scook
Yes, there is no "What your hear" preset included with MC7 just make sure all the audio tracks to export are selected prior to export. CTRL+A will select all tracks. It is also a good practice to have all audio/instrument tracks and buses routed through a Master Bus. This helps get consistent results.
 
Keep in mind all Cakewalk DAWs including MC7 ship with a 30 day trial version of their inegrated mp3 encoder. To continue to export mp3 file directly from MC7 after the trial period requires purchasing the Cakewalk MP3 Activation. It is a one-time fee and unlocks mp3 encoding for all current and future Cakewalk products. There are alternatives to paying the licensing fee such as exporting a wav file and using another tool to create the mp3 file such as Audacity or LAME.
 
It is not necessary to freeze synth tracks, the audio can be rendered on export, It is a good idea to disable the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth in MC7 preferences and use the GM soft synth provided with MC7, TTS-1.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. 
 
Ok its good to know Im not missing something. I tried the CTRL command and it worked, thank you. Ok thats a little advanced for me. I don't know what you mean. I'm sorry to say I'm really new to this and I don't know much at the moment. I will research that though. 
 
Well I have had the software for longer than 30 days and I haven't been asked to activate anything. I presume the MP3 encoder is accessed through FILE/EXPORT/AUDIO? I purchased my software through steam but I don't think that would make any difference?
 
Ok will look into this. Can I ask why this please if you have the time?

57Gregy
Do you see an Export>MP3 listing there?
I don't have a current version of MC, but in SONAR X3 it states in the Help file that the MP3 export is under File.
It's not listed for me, presumably because I never purchased the encoder. I use another MP3 encoder.
It could be that since your MC is over 30 days old, that option is no longer available.

 
Hi thank you for your reply, again! 
 
Well I think so. When I got to File/Export/Audio A separate window comes up, its called export audio. From there I can name the file, choose where it is to be exported to and the format ie CD quality, DVD quality or MP3 etc. This works (for now). If it does ever expire I suppose I will just have to decide what to do. I just wanted make sure I'm using the process for making up some songs.

Guitarhacker
I don't have MC7 but yes... I heard the WYH option is gone....  I alluded to that in the first paragraph in my post.
 
Scook pointed you in the right direction.
 
As a new user, realize there's a lot here to learn.  Take your time and work on one or two things at a time. You can burn out from confusion if you try to get it all in a day or two.   If you get stuck or don't understand something, come here and ask and we'll try our best to assist.  Ultimately, it's on you to learn your system and figure out what works best for you. I don't use half of what any of my music programs are capable of.  But I know how to use them well in the manner I do.

MP3.... I never did unlock the cake converter..... I use a third party converter and actually like that it's done outside of Sonar.

Hi thank you for your reply, again! 
 
Ok thats sounds fair enough. 
 
Absolutely, I know what you are saying here. Everyday I try to learn a bit more about the software but only if it helps me achieve what I want. There are a mind boggling amount of options available. I'm going to try and get some material down and take it from there, if problems arise as you say I will need to learn from them. The most important thing though is to have fun and enjoy it which I totally have. I have tried other softwares in the past but MC7 is by far the best one I have used personally, I think its great.
 
Thanks again.