CAKEWALK sonar x3 Reference Manual Download

Page: 58 / 2094

Introduction

Setup

Recording digital audio

To record digital audio, your computer monitors the electrical signal generated by a microphone, an
electric guitar, or another source. At equal intervals of time (for CD-quality sound, this means 44,100
times a second), the computer measures and saves the strength of the electrical signal from the
microphone, on a scale from 0 to 65,535.
That's it. Digital audio data is just a long series of numbers. The computer sends these numbers, in
the form of electrical signals, to a speaker. The speaker then vibrates and generates the same
sound that was recorded.
The primary advantage of digital audio is the quality of the sound. Unlike MIDI, a digital audio
recording is very rich, capturing all the nuances, overtones, and other characteristics of the sound
exactly as performed. The main drawback of digital audio is that it takes up a lot of disk space. To
record a 1-minute segment of stereo, CD-quality digital audio, you need about 10 megabytes of disk
space. On the computer, digital audio is usually stored in Wave files (extension .wav). There are
many programs available that let you create, play, and edit these files. SONAR reads, writes, and
lets you edit Wave files.
Next topic:

“Setup”

on page 58

Setup

You can install SONAR on any computer that runs Windows 7 and has a sound card or built-in
sound module. If you want to hook up other devices, like a MIDI keyboard, an electric guitar, or a
microphone, you need the right cables, and you need to find the right connectors on your computer.
Before you install SONAR, take a minute to register the software so we can let you know when
updates become available and provide you with technical support. To register anytime log onto

www.cakewalk.com/register

, or call 1.888.CAKEWALK (+1.617.423.9004 outside the U.S.) between

1 PM and 6 PM Eastern Standard Time. If you live outside of North America, please visit our
distributor’s page at

www.cakewalk.com/Dealers/International.asp

to get the telephone number of

your local distributor. You’ll need to supply your serial number, your name, and a valid email
address.
To connect a MIDI keyboard to your computer you will need a MIDI interface. Some sound cards
include a built-in MIDI interface. If your model does not, there are many options available at your
local music store. Many of these will connect to your computer via USB.
If you have a dedicated MIDI interface, lots of electronic music gear, or work with many different
music software packages, see

“Hardware setup”

on page 1387. Before you attach or detach any

cables from your computer, you should shut down your computer and turn off the power to all your
equipment. This greatly reduces the chance of electrical damage to your equipment while plugging
and unplugging cables.

CAKEWALK sonar x3, Reference Manual

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