CAKEWALK sonar x3, Reference Manual

Page: 1690 / 2094

1690
Beginner’s guide to Cakewalk software
Audio hardware (sound cards) and drivers
Professional sound card characteristics:
• Multiple inputs and outputs. Many professional sound cards have multiple inputs and/or
outputs. Some have analog and digital inputs or outputs for use with ADATs and digital mixers.
• Type of inputs and outputs. Professional sound cards use quarter inch (mono or TRS), XLR or
RCA inputs rather than the eighth inch jacks found on consumer grade sound cards. Some cards
also have digital inputs and/or outputs like S/PDIF and ADAT.
• Higher bit-depths and sampling rates. Most newer professional sound cards allow you to
record at 20, 22 or 24-bit, and at a sampling rate of up to 96 KHz.
• Onboard DSP. Some sound cards have effects processors for things like reverb and delay built
into the sound card. These can take a big load off of your computer.
• High quality A to D and D to A converters (Analog to Digital and Digital to Analog). The
quality of your recordings ultimately depends on the quality of sound that you initially record.
Professional sound cards have higher-quality components that convert the sound into and back
out of the digital format.
See:
“How do I know if I have a hardware conflict?” on page 1690
How do I know if I have a hardware conflict?
If you have a hardware conflict, you may see the following:
• one or more devices not working properly
• one or more devices not showing up in Device Manager
• your system crashing every time you use the device(s)
See:
“Installation and drivers” on page 1691
“WDM and MME” on page 1691
“IRQs” on page 1691