2019.11 Features & Enhancements
ASIO improvements
- Automatic dropout restart behavior. By default, Cakewalk will now automatically restart the audio engine when certain kinds of benign dropouts are detected. If playback is underway, the dropout is handled and playback resumes automatically from where it left off. This behavior can be changed in Preferences > Audio - Configuration File by setting the RestartEngineAfterDropout flag. Set to False to revert to the prior behavior of displaying a dropout toast notification.
- Latency updates from ASIO driver panel are immediately reflected in the Preferences dialog box.
- ASIO latency can be set from the Preferences dialog box. For supported audio devices, the latency slider in Preferences > Audio - Driver Settings can now be used to change the audio buffer size without the need to open the manufacturer’s ASIO panel.
- StopEngineOnASIOPanelOpen Aud.ini variable. A few ASIO devices require that the host should not use the device while making changes to device settings. Some devices may display an error or gray out the controls in the ASIO panel while others may silently ignore changes. In prior versions of Cakewalk, the only solution was to exit the app for such devices. In version 2019.11, you can set the StopEngineOnPanelOpen variable in Preferences > Audio - Configuration File. Setting it to True will automatically stop and release the ASIO interface, allowing you to change settings in Cakewalk.
- Change settings in the Preferences dialog box while audio is playing.
Workspaces (Lenses) enhancements
- Lenses have been renamed to Workspaces.
- The Workspace Manager has a new Description field that allows you to include a text description of each workspace.
- On fresh installs of Cakewalk, the onboarding wizard lets you select an initial workspace (default is Basic). Note: The Help > Get Started command now launches the onboarding wizard.
- Global keyboard shortcuts persist whether using a factory workspace or None.
- The Workspace Manager will now prompt to save changes to the current workspace if necessary.
- In the Workspace Manager, the Save button is only available if the workspace has been changed.
- You can select a workspace when no project is open.
- Several factory workspaces have been updated to improve workflow.
- Switching workspaces to None no longer affects the active theme.
- Switching Workspaces no longer affects project track and bus sizing.
Misc. enhancements
- The new Track view View > Display Muted Takes in Parent Track option allows you to display muted takes in the parent track.
- Added Synth Rack support for Mackie Control surface.
- Simpler activation. BandLab Assistant now has a Refresh Activation option. In the rare case when you need to reactivate Cakewalk, log in to BandLab assistant and choose the Refresh Activation option from the Cakewalk drop-down menu in the Apps tab.
- Click the Sample Rate or Bit Depth fields in the Control Bar Transport module to open audio preferences.
- The minimum gap between Control Bar modules has been increased when Lock Module Order and Center is enabled.
Behavior changes
- The Split tool now supports single clip splitting across clips in Take lanes. On the lower half of clips, there is a new cursor to indicate when splitting the current clip or all clips on the track. This cursor appears only if there are multiple lanes on the track.
- The Split tool now respects the Auto Crossfade state.
- The Comp tool now respects the Auto Crossfade state.
- The default MIDI Prepare Buffer size has been reduced to 50 msec. Limitations preventing the MIDI buffer from being set lower have been removed. There should be no need to change the buffer size from the new default value anymore, since the engine automatically raises the internal size when necessary.
- On first launch, Cakewalk will reset the MIDI buffer size to the new default value of 50 msec (Preferences > MIDI - Playback and Recording > Prepare Using n Millisecond Buffers).
Optimizations
- Meters and now time display are now more responsive and uses less CPU when multiple projects are open. Rapid scroll and clip drag operations in the UI no longer cause meter and time updates to lag.
- Various improvements to audio engine for better ASIO compatibility.
- Optimized audio engine to set ASIO buffer sizes and sample rates more efficiently.
- Minimized the number of VST3 start/stop state changes during project load. This greatly improves the load time for certain plug-ins such as Vienna Ensemble Pro.
Bug Fixes
Stability/Compatibility
- VST Scanner was updated to make it more compatible with certain plug-ins that could crash.
- Crash opening the Lyrics view with no tracks.
- Crash when using Go To Time keyboard shortcut with no project loaded.
- Vienna Ensemble Pro hangs on load with some projects.
- Potential crash when splitting an Instrument track that contains Automation lanes, then converting to an Instrument track again.
- Some Wave64 bundle files fail to load in Cakewalk.
- Crash during Play List playback when playing preloaded project.
- Memory leak and hang when adjusting latency during playback with sidechain plug-ins.
Audio
- Cancelling Preferences dialog disables audio engine after opening ASIO panel.
- Increasing ASIO buffer size from Panel causes audio to glitch during playback.
- Latency changes made in ASIO control panel do not auto update latency in audio options.
- Applying sample rate from the Preferences dialog box does not change ASIO sample rate when project is not open.
MIDI
- MIDI Chase chases CCs from muted clips.
- MIDI Chase chases notes from muted Take lanes.
- Unexpected behavior with MIDI chase on muted track when playing from middle of clip.
- Setting the Prepare Using n Millisecond Buffers value in Preferences > MIDI - Playback and Recording to 256 ms or lower causes missed or stuck notes.
UI
- Theme changes unexpectedly when switching lens to None.
- Setting workspaces to None should restore all features and settings.
- Control Bar gets out of sync with the current workspace if Cakewalk is terminated or crashes.
- Closing Open Project window does not reopen Start Screen.
- Comp preview shows only header for muted clips.
- Double separators appear in Browser plug-ins menu.
- Make Instrument Track option should be grayed out in menu when not applicable.
- Tempo view isn't persisting scrollbar positions.
- Improve appearance of Insert Soft Synth menu icons.
- Interval value for Paste Special appears offset.
- Splash screen is shown on different monitor to main window.
- Changing workspace/lens and reopening Cakewalk has unexpected results.
- Selected channel strips widen unexpectedly in Console view.
- Drag preview with multiple clips when one is position locked does not behave as expected.
- Selection handles appear unexpectedly near Now Time after Deselect All.
- Tempo view shows incorrectly after mouse wheel scroll.
- Clips refuse to heal after manually altering crossfades.
- Heal command adds crossfades when fades weren't originally there.
Lanes
- Moving clips in lanes with Slide Over editing option causes unexpected results.
- Multi-lane split does not respect the Selection After Single Split setting in Preferences > Customization - Editing.
- Comp/Isolation tool always crossfades regardless of Auto Crossfade toggle status.
- Comp Crop tool does not work with clip groups when lanes are collapsed.
- Noticeable delay when muting/unmuting MIDI in lanes.
- Comp split tool should only show if more than one Take lane is available.
Automation
- Fade not drawing as expected after changing default curve and using the Comp/Isolate tool.
- Envelopes fail to copy to new project based on drag location.
- New automation envelope type incorrect after splitting/recombining Instrument track.
Track view
- Scrolling or rapid Aim Assist movements in the Clips pane make Now Time updates sluggish.
- It’s not possible to set the Now Time when clicking on a selection/loop/punch handle in the Time Ruler.
- Dragging audio files from Browser to start of measure 1 is difficult.
- Aim Assist shown in wrong place in Clips pane Time Ruler after disabling/enabling.
- Aim Assist doesn't update when scrolling left/right in the Clips pane.
- Unable to select clip from header when position locked.
Tools
- Crop/Heal tool not healing all splits.
- Split tool should respect Auto Crossfade, and when in Comp mode should split all lanes.
- Active zone for lane Split tool cursor is in the middle of bitmap rather than nearer the point.
Piano Roll view
- Deselecting short MIDI notes leaves selection marker artifacts behind in Piano Roll view Time Ruler.
- Piano Roll not persisting selected controller lane.
- Piano Roll vertical zoom control tooltip shows Drum Grid.
Plug-ins
- VST Scanner was updated to make it more compatible with certain plug-ins that could crash.
- VST2 to VST3 migration when opening projects now properly replaces the VST2 with the VST3 plug-in even if the VST2 plug-in is not installed when opening the project file.
- Unable to scan the Movement VST2 plug-in (and possibly others) by Output.
- Projects containing migrated VST3 instruments would revert back to VST2 versions after saving and reopening.
Play List
- Project windows don't open when playing next song in a Play List.
- Play List Preload Next Song During Playback option should be off by default.
- Double clicking a Play List project to queue it during playback causes UI drawing issues.
General fixes
- Cakewalk does not recognize if activation has been updated while the app is open.
- Preferences OK/Cancel/Apply/Help buttons only appear in native OS language.
- Workspaces/Lenses fail to copy after migration.
- After Ripple Edit All delete, Time Ruler retains selection unexpectedly.
- Ripple edit deleting meter/keys at time zero behaves unexpectedly.
- Clicking the Time Ruler when using the Scrub tool has unexpected results.
- Insert Time/Measures not shifting meter changes correctly.
- Library.db leftover in UAC File Resync from previous installs.
- MultiDock draws unexpectedly after being minimized then closed.
