<font color="#00FFFF">Dear all, welcome to this complete tutorial dedicated to Cakewalk by</font> <font color="#00FFFF">BandLab, a great free-to-use DAW product to make your own music and</font> <font color="#00FFFF">recordings, available for all Windows computers! In just 13 minutes</font> <font color="#00FFFF">we will see everything you need to know to make your first audio project</font> <font color="#00FFFF">from zero.</font> When you open Cakewalk a Start Screen opens with several options to start. You can open your recent or existing projects or create a new one from any ready template proposed. To see all the features inside Cakewalk we will start from a new empty project. The main interface is made by the central timeline and several panels around that can be opened and hidden with their double-arrow button. On top you also get several options that can change according to the template chosen on the right. We will see just the Basic one on this video. If you are just starting with Cakewalk the Help Module can be useful, giving additional hints and information on what you hover with your mouse. Let's see how to import sound. You can add samples and MIDI compositions by dragging and dropping these inside the timeline. These are shown as blocks called clips, within rows defined as Tracks or Channels. Audio Tracks collect samples and audio waveforms, whereas MIDI Tracks collect compositions, sequencers and notes. Make sure to extend these to get a better preview on the clips. You can also record from your microphone. Click on the plus button in the top left corner to create a new Audio Track, selecting the correct source under Input. When you arm such track with its record button you shall see the deciBel meter reacting with your microphone. At this point enable the Record button on top to start recording, turning the metronome on the right ON or OFF as you need. The timeline content is measured in bars and beats on top, with the current time placement represented by the main marker and by the timer on top in seconds. You can zoom in and out by holding down the ALT key and using your mouse wheel. You can also move fast through time with the sidebar on top. Use the Space bar key or the play button on top to playback and stop. You can also click and drag over the timeline to create a green loop region and enable the Loop button to playback such limited part continuously. Before working on your project make sure to set its main options by clicking on its sample rate, adjusting the main output source for your sound (or Playback Master) and the main input (Record Master). Now let's see how to compose with Cakewalk. You can use two different tracks for this: the Instrument and the MIDI track. The Instrument track is very good to compose notes on Cakewalk and then attach any digital VST synthesizer (or synth). Whereas the MIDI track is suggested in case you have to connect external instruments or keyboards as input sources. In this video we will work with Instrument tracks and synths only. To create a new Instrument track use the plus button in the top left corner, selecting Instrument and then choosing the synth to use. At this point you can import any MIDI file or any ready composition from the Browser panel on the right, under Step Sequencer Patterns, MIDI Groove Clips or PTN MIDI Patterns. All these MIDI clips will sound using the VST instrument chosen for such track. You can edit its properties by clicking on it on the left. You can also change it by right-clicking on it and going to Replace Synth. To start composing double-click on any clip or on the Instrument track. This opens the Piano Roll at the bottom, showing the whole track content in time without any clip border. Click on any note on the left to test it and click and drag to drop notes with the right tone and in the correct instant of time. Consider to create any loop region on the timeline and keep the loop enabled to compose quicker and easier. Click and drag an existing note to move it and right-click on it to remove it. Whereas hold down the ALT key and use your mouse wheel to zoom in and out. At the bottom you can open the Controller Lane to adjust velocity and other properties on each single note by clicking and dragging vertically. Besides the Piano Roll Cakewalk also has a Staff and a Step Sequencer view under the Views tab on top. If you see these greyed out, make sure to have the Piano Roll open. In particular the Step Sequencer is very good to make percussions with dedicated drum synths, where each note (or row) is a different drum, cymbal, snare or kick. Set the pattern beats and steps above and use the play button to playback in loop while turning ON and OFF the correct steps. On the left set several options for each note. You can put the whole row in mute or solo; adjust velocity, duration or swing. These can be adjusted it step per step as well. On top use the plus button to add more rows and the cross button to remove any selected. You can always undo with CTRL+Z. The Piano Roll and the Step Sequencer are completely independent. The compositions made with these are represented as separated clips on the timeline. All these composed clips follow the tempo set on top, under the time counter. This converts your beats into seconds, defining the overall speed rate of your project. For example a higher tempo makes all your notes faster. Next to the tempo you can also fix the time signature. Now let's see how to manage audio and MIDI clips with the Smart Tool enabled on top. Click and drag any clip to move it in time or in another Track. On top turn the snappings ON or OFF, adjusting their resolution in time if needed. To adjust the clip length click and drag from its edges. Standard clips have a fixed duration and do not get looped. You can right-click on these and go to Groove-Clip Looping to turn these into Groove clips. These can be looped over and over and also become sensitive to the project tempo set above. Use CTRL+X, C and V on a selected clip to cut, copy and paste it. You can click and drag over it to select a limited portion to cut and copy. Use the Delete key to remove the clip instead. Always use CTRL+Z to undo. In addition you can click and drag from the top corners of any clip to add fade transitions to change its volume in time when it begins or ends. Now let's see how to manage the Tracks on the timeline. All the properties for Audio, MIDI and Instrument tracks are all listed on the left. If you do not see these, extend the Tracks enough or change the options from the top. You can use the M button to mute the current track and the S button to make it solo, muting all other tracks. You can check the deciBel meter for the instant volume level coming from the Track and set on I and O the correct input and output source to use. Under FX you can include several effects including delays, reverb, distortions and much more with the plus button. Then click on any effect name to edit its properties or on its I/O button to turn it ON or OFF. Right-click on it to either change or remove it. Whereas to remove the whole Track just right-click on it and go to Delete Track. At the bottom you can open other special tracks such as the Metronome and the Master Track, which collects the overall sound from your project. In addition you can open the Inspector panel on the left to get several options for your current Track selected on the left and for the Master Track on the right. With the Gain knob adjust the volume at the input source, before any filter or effect is applied on it. Whereas use the Sends to send part of the Track content to other tracks and mix sound. Tune the Pan knob to balance the left and right stereo outputs and adjust the output volume level on the deciBel meter, after all the filters and effects added. With the ProChannel you can apply a professional equalizer by dragging each node on the frequency diagram. You can also open a detailed panel with the forth button on top, which also includes a very useful compressor. Remember to click on the I/O buttons to turn ON and OFF any of these features. You can also open the Console panel from the Views tab to get a complete overview on all your tracks to adjust and mix these in one place. Use the F key to compress these quickly. To save your project go to File and then to Save As. Choose a .cwb format to save all the options, the timeline content and also all the files imported inside. Whereas choose .cwp in case you want to save just the project, leaving the external files as links. If your project is ready to be exported create a loop region to define what to render on the timeline and select all the tracks to be considered. Then go to File, Export, Audio and set the correct file format, the destination folder and several advanced audio options at the bottom. <font color="#00FFFF">Thank you very much for watching this super short tutorial! Visit our</font> <font color="#00FFFF">YouTube channel for more outstanding guides completely free!</font>