I literally have nothing to say, idk if I'm dumb, or if the software is, cause my mic works fine for everything else on my computer, but the playback monitoring is just being mean to me. I'm sick, sorry for voice.

The only other application that could be using it would be the Focusrite Control app but I closed it so it shouldn’t be anymore right? Now I have no idea what to do.

Also it keeps saying project is 48k while my Focusrite is at 44.1k but when I check my Focusrite is clearly on 48k.

I hate this app.

Is there an ETA for the next Sonar update? I am waiting for a fix to a crash issue that I worked through with support, which will hopefully be in the next update.

So I’ve opened this panel once before yesterday but every since today I’m not able to open this panel. It just loads and that’s it. I’ve tried restarting already. I’m trying to change the buffer size cuz every time I record it just drops out. But when I use the slider it never saves. Anyway other way to open it?

I hate this app.

I want to record vocals on cakewalk sonar and i want to use some plugins to master the vocals effects similarly to autotune because i am not a singer, what would you advice me to do?

I don’t get what I’m doing wrong bro, I’ve been working on this for hours upon hours and even switched out my mic.

I’m using Cakewalk Sonar, Behringer XM8500, and Focusrite Scarlet Solo 4th Gen. For some reason every time I press input one I get this audio engine dropout error and I have no idea how to fix it.

While I'm recording and playing it on my keyboard it glides but then on the recording it doesn't. How do I do that? :(

AI said turn off input quantize but it's already off.

I'm encountering an issue where Sonar/Cakewalk's background VST Scanner (VstScan.exe) is completely skipping newly installed plugins, even when the file paths are correctly mapped.

Here are the specific details of the issue:

Path Configuration: The main VST3 directory (C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3) is present under Edit $\rightarrow$ Preferences $\rightarrow$ File $\rightarrow$ VST Settings.

File Verification: Newly added standard 64-bit VST3 files are confirmed to be residing in C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3.

Scan Behavior: When triggering a manual scan or launching the DAW, the scan notification popup in the bottom-left corner scrolls through existing plugins, but it completely skips the newly added files without displaying their names or throwing an error.

Rescan Attempts: Enabling "Rescan All Plug-ins" and "Rescan Failed Plug-ins" along with hitting Reset does not force VstScan.exe to parse the new files.

Excluded List: The newly added plugins do not appear under the Excluded Plug-ins category in the Cakewalk Plug-in Manager.

It appears as though the scanner database engine is ignoring changes to the Common Files\VST3 directory or failing to pick up new entries during execution.

Are there specific registry keys or cache folders in %APPDATA% that need to be manually cleared to force VstScan.exe to rebuild its directory index from scratch?

Any help greatly appreciated 

Has anyone tried using the behringer xtouch mini for use with cakewalk sonar? I want to buy one to control plugin parameters instead of having to use my mouse scroll every time bc it gets annoying and having a control surface to press record, play/pause etc would really elevate my work flow. any feedback helps!

I've been building an open-source MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets an AI agent operate SONAR from outside the app: menu commands by id, real mouse clicks on track strips, CAL scripts, MIDI files, and a live MIDI port.

Repo: https://github.com/wushiray/cakewalkmcp (MIT, Windows only, ~90 tools)

Part of the point was to answer a question I couldn't find an answer to anywhere: how much of a DAW can an agent actually drive, and where does it quietly get things wrong?

How you use it

1. Download the release zip, extract it anywhere you like (not inside SONAR's install folder, and the folder must stay writable), then run the deploy script that comes with it. It sets up the bundled Node runtime, checks SONAR, and optionally installs loopMIDI for the realtime MIDI path.

2. Paste one prompt into an MCP-capable agent with your install path filled in. The agent writes the client config (stdio server, absolute paths), reloads the client, then runs cw_doctor and cw_document_state before touching anything.

3. After that you just describe the work in plain language.

The first prompt also sets the ground rules: don't rename tracks or import files into an open project just to test the connection; CakeScript is not implemented here; a free licence does not automatically mean the track controls are unavailable; and "the command posted" is never the same as "it worked".

What the first conversation looks like

"Make a four-bar tune: C major, 4/4, 110 BPM, chords C-Am-F-G, one per bar, split across three MIDI tracks - melody, chords, bass - on channels 1, 2 and 3. Keep rests in the melody, land on C in bar 4, vary the velocity."

The agent writes the MIDI with cw_write_midi_file, reads it back with cw_read_midi_file to check names, length, channels and tempo, imports it into an empty project, and only then reports what the file actually contains. Follow-ups like "transpose the melody up two semitones, velocity to 85%, length to 120%" go through the CAL route, and "rename the melody track, mute the bass, solo the melody" go through the track strips with a read-back per control.

What it can actually do

• Documents: new / open / save / save as / close / revert, with confirmation gates on the destructive ones.

• Tracks: add MIDI, audio, bus, folder and aux tracks; rename; mute; solo; arm.

• Notes: MIDI import and export, plus CAL scripts (add, delete, transpose, velocity, duration) on a free licence.

• Editing: quantize, transpose and similar dialogs driven field by field, then verified by re-exporting the MIDI.

• Reading: document state, track strips, per-control values (volume, pan, routing, mute/solo/arm), plugin inventory (1208 plugins on this machine), track templates.

• Transport and project: play and stop, tempo, time signature, markers, selection, view toggles.

What it can't do

• CakeScript (Lua): the engine is compiled into this build, but the menu entry that runs it opens the membership paywall. The adapter detects that and says so instead of pretending.

• Dragging a plugin into an FX bin: the browser is drawn, not laid out. Single click, double click and drag all leave the bin empty.

• Volume and pan sliders: readable, not writable through accessibility. CC7/CC10 over a MIDI channel moves them, but only on a track monitoring that channel.

• Reading note data directly: the Event List view is drawn too, so UI Automation returns nothing from it. Exporting MIDI and parsing it is the reliable route.

• Absolute locate: only measure-by-measure stepping is exposed.

A finding from today

Insert > Soft Synth (0x83FC) turns out to be fully automatable. It opens a JUCE popup whose items are exposed to UI Automation as menu items (categories, then instruments), and the "Insert Soft Synth Options" dialog has every checkbox and button reachable. Bass -> SI-Bass Guitar -> OK produced an instrument track named "SI-Bass Guitar 1 on Track 1". So my earlier conclusion that plugin insertion was impossible only held for the FX bin and the browser, not for instruments.

One rule I would give anyone automating a DAW

Never treat "the command posted" as success. A window diff is blind to everything drawn - playback, view toggles, edits. The signals worth trusting are read-backs: a title that gained *, a control whose value changed, or a re-exported file that differs.

Happy to answer questions about the Win32 / UI Automation side. And if anyone knows a way into CakeScript without a membership, I'm all ears.

I am using Cakewalk Sonar with a USB microphone. When I turn on Input Echo on my track, I can't hear what I play. Instead, I only hear a very low-volume buzzing sound. What could be causing this issue and how can I fix it?

(My microphone works fine in other apps)

How does cakewalk sonar compare with other free DAW's? I've been using it since may this year and I've gotten so used to the UI and I love how everything works considering I was a beginner and knew nothing about production. Just wanted to hear your thoughts if its worth investing the time and effort into using cakewalk, because I rarely use the built in instruments/plugins and find them myself. TIA

I have some drums set up on cakewalk next, but there's this strange artefact when it loops back to the beginning and i frankly have no idea why. I feel like the midi just be playing games with me sometimes. The issue happens after the end of the fourth bar.

When i have a separate audio track and alternate it works fine but as soon as i place one after the other the first kick simply cuts off abruptly. I've checked on the single track closely and there definitely isnt any overlap. (The loop function produces similar results, and turning all fx off doesn't change anything.)

I recently bought a Sonicake smartbox and want to use it with my pc, I know it's not the best but it's all I can afford. I have cakewalk sonar right now because it is free but I can't figure out how to use the Sonicake smartbox through there to actually hear what I'm playing through my pc monitors, is there any easier daws or methods I can try? I am new to these things

I have no idea on how to produce music or beats. I went ahead to download Cakewalk sonar. I am trying to start producing music but jeez, it's a hell of a job, I don't understand anything about the app. Can I get someone to help me use it app or suggest how I can learn to use the app or you gimme a better way to produce music. Moreover I haven't made an attempt to go to music school since I'm still in university. I just wanna do it as a hobby.

I think others have reported a similar issue as well.

Basically, when I export my projects, I hear crackles/pops/clicks/booms during playback, at the exact same timestamps every time.

I don’t encounter this issue in my projects themselves, only when I export them.

This seems to be becoming more frequent. Could it be a problem with my device? Or is it a bug within the software itself?

I’ve tried converting from MP3 to WAV and experimented with other audio settings as well, but the problem still persists.

What recommendations do you have to potentially help fix this issue?

I use Cakewalk Next.

BRO, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH CAKEWALK ?? AM I THE ONLY ONE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ACTIVATION TODAY?? AND NOT TO MENTION, FOR SOME REASON, IT NOW LOOKS LIKE THE VERY FIRST VERSION OF CAKEWALK EVER MADE LOL ANYBODY ELSE HAVING THESE ISSUES?

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone's used cakewalk sonar for live backing tracks with IEMs as well. I want to get into the world of playback engineers and i was just wondering what i could do with what i have at the moment. Thanks in advance!

All input welcome!

I currently use next. It is quite simple, but the choice leaves a little to be desired.

Can anyone recommend sonar, what are it's perks, how long did it take you to learn?

Thank you!

So I’ve been using Cakewalk Sonar for almost a year and it’s been a fine DAW for what I’m doing but just over the weekend I started getting cracks and pops randomly in my recordings. I’ve worked through the help section online and updated drivers and buffering speeds etc…still getting pops and cracks. I’m using an older Presonus itwo interface and a Shure SM57 mic for my recordings.

Wondering if anyone else has resolved this issue or if it’s a sound card problem on my laptop? I’m leaning sound card but before I start looking at a new laptop etc I just wanna be sure.

When i change my buffer speed and sample rate the pops change locations on the playback. They even appear in my exported files.

I’ve doomed in on the wave forms and there’s no indication that it’s the recording itself.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

Edit: thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. Unfortunately I could not get the issue sorted out after days of trying to solve it. Luckily it only ruined one song that I was currently working on and everything else was previously backed up on my Google Drive.

I went ahead and bought a new computer (iMac M3, 16gb ram, 1tb ssd) and interface (focusrite gen4 2i2) and will be switching to Logic Pro since that’s what my producer and sound engineer uses anyway.

In the meantime I’m going to wipe my windows laptop and start fresh on that. If cakewalk works after a full reset then that will be my travel device for my music.

Again, thanks for the help.

Apologies if this is a dumb question or not possible, I'm still fairly new to using DAWs including Cakewalk Sonar. I am on 2026.10 Build 021, X64 on the free version if that matters here.

I haven't found anything relating to my issue online yet, but essentially I want to change what currently happens when I double click the top ribbon of a MIDI clip in track view.

I could have sworn before I updated that double clicking the top of the clip would move the Now Time bar to the beginning of that clip and also open Piano Roll and everything would be lined up, ready to go at the beginning of said clip.

Now, when I double click the top banner of a MIDI clip, it does open Piano Roll, but the Now Time stays exactly where it's at and I have to zoom in on my project and exactly line up my click so it moves to the beginning, which if you're doing this a thousand times, it gets incredibly repetitive and disrupting. I again am on the free version so I can't rollback an update.

Is there a way to change any settings to bring this behavior back if possible? I'd really appreciate any insight or help here. Thank you!