Setup

You can install Cakewalk on any computer that runs Windows 10 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.

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. 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.

User accounts

Previous versions of Cakewalk required a user to have Windows Administrator status. This is no longer the case. Any level of user can now install and run Cakewalk. Only one copy of Cakewalk per machine is necessary for multiple users to run Cakewalk with each user’s personal settings.

When you first install Cakewalk, all application data files and .ini files are installed to the system-specified “all users” application data folders:

C:\ProgramData\Cakewalk

When you launch Cakewalk for the first time, all content files (such as track templates and project templates) will be copied from the global application data folder (All Users) to the user application data folder (User Account), before the program launches.

If you install a Cakewalk patch on top of the original installation, any updated content files in the patch will not overwrite existing content files in your personal user application data folder. However, you can force Cakewalk to update the default content files in your personal user data folder.

Warning: The following action will overwrite any Cakewalk data files such as track templates and project templates that you may have customized. A message box will prompt you if you want to continue or cancel. Only proceed if you are certain that you will not overwrite any important customized files.

To force Cakewalk to update and overwrite any default content files, hold down the CTRL key while starting Cakewalk. Data in the Program Files folder will be common to all users.

Next topic: Audio connections