Starise

I guess if I had been using those program versions and couldn't part with them I might be attempting something like this. I liked the B4 organ and will miss it. Upgrade pricing being what it is around the holidays I generally just update the products every 2 or three years. Most who have Komplete seem to agree that the price of upgrades these last few years has been greater than the incentive to do it because NI only adds a few new packages every year to Komplete and they often are not the kinds of libraries that I would use very often. After 5 plus years though I would begin to wonder how much longer I could use the program before there were issues with compatibility and updates.

Thanks again simon.....I sort of figured I had some kind of a code discount but didn't see it. Nice! I'll remember those two words from now on.

I guess there is something to be said of keeping that old DAW around with older software on it just in case. Unless I misunderstand, once registered on an older computer there should be no need for a check in to the server, at least on older installs. The more recent NI portal is probably not as generous. Several factors were likely involved in the decision to cut these programs. Expired contracts with NI by said 3rd party libraries. No pay no play. The inability to assure the libraries will operate in the future because updates have been discontinued on older versions. Lastly, yep they want to make money on new software. I think a 10 year or longer run is pretty good. One day I'll be that guy though, the one who has a version of Kontakt 5 generations back and wants to keep using it. Almost seems better to buy unregistered Kontakt libraries at this point. You don't have that pretty graphic in the GUI. I can live with that. Everyone wants you in their ecosystem. Kontakt knows they are the king of sample library land, so that gives them a little more leverage. I have Komplete 10 and I don't expect I'll get to keep it the way it is without some kind of an engineered push from NI within the next several years. As a German company(sorry I mean no disrespect to Germans at all here) they have a different way of approaching business that often PO their customers. I see a sort of trend here with these German software makers. Cubase is a good example of this. Look at others. You can buy our stuff but it's going to be expensive and we will charge you for everything. That business model has kept them on top at the expense of a regular small percentage of disgruntled customers.

Simon, Thanks for the FYI! Done deal. 18.00 US. Not sure why I got a 2.00 discount.

I had this in my cart ready to buy yesterday and I had a distraction that took me away from my computer. Never got back. Crap.

Well...yes and no. You do realize it's March 2020 already and we just had Christmas. You will wake up in what seemed like a few months and it will be 2023. The way time is moving for me I will attempt to say "are we there yet?" and we were already there

I would say if you have any concern you should probably get a large hard drive and export your stems on any mix you believe you might come back to later on. Keep them all in folders. This basically future proofs your work and allows you to load it into any DAW. I am a bit of a hypocrite here because I haven't done that yet. My reasons are mainly that I don't generally anticipate coming back to my old mixes. Lots here do though. There have been a few that I wish I had saved. It's been one of those things I planned to do but haven't done. Saving the stems like this won't save templates and plugins.....so in the future you would need to ascertain what you used on which tracks, maybe name the tracks with plug in names and settings or include notes. Saving into CbB, mothballing the project and thinking you can come back in 5 years to work on it might be a bit optimistic. Not that I think Cakewalk will be sold or tank...I really can't predict either way. I am optimistic there. The main issue is software versioning. Windows might have different OS by then that won't run the old 2020 CbB and CbB will have gone through multiple versions since.

I picked up the Tina Quo cello Legato. Nice little library.

I see things getting better with the new midi standard coming out for future gear. I have a few dual purpose keyboards that have both a usb and a 5 pin midi connector that also have built in sound engines. What I'm finding in the studio is I seldom use the external sound engines lately. It's just too easy to load VSTi and play with the security of program and template saves. I don't have to come back and remember what I did on a hardware synth. I sometimes record both an audio and a midi track simultaneous because a certain sound in the keyboard has a feel I liked and I think it helped me play just a little better as a result. If it's in time and clean I might decide to use it. You could probably get all kinds of dated keyboards cheap online and only use them as your sound sources. It's a lot of work though, rounding up keyboards, getting them all set up. For me that's best if I'm playing keyboards live. Forget the computer unless you need tracks.

The interesting thing to me about DAWS is that most of them are still around after 30 years with more recent ones (Bitwig) coming along later. I guess the incentive is there. Smaller companies like Mixcraft are still around and updating. If they weren't making money I don't think that would happen.Cakewalk came close to being a name in Wikipedia with only a historical meaning. Many of the Asian countries economies are more stable than ever meaning you probably have millions of future potential customers. No one DAW seems to dominate, they all have a place. Behringer gear wouldn't be my first choice right now in the home studio market. I think one of their interfaces still uses ASIO for all. They have taken the PA house gear by storm. I use an X32 elsewhere and it works very well. If their emergence into the house and concert systems market is any indication, the home studio market competition has good reason to be concerned. For instance if they come out with an interface at half the price of Presonus with the same latency numbers and a free included DAW................ you don't have to think much about that one.

I do have one of these in the studio.

After some investigation further into this and looking for into it like you did sadicus, I have come to my own conclusions which are probably not in line with your goals. While I really hope you can make Matrix do what you want it to do I am highly skeptical now. If all you wanted to do was pre record and "fire off" loops then it would probably be adequate for that. When you record to the Matrix it saves it to a clips area. Retrieving that loop immediately might be an issue using only a midi controller. When comparing the Matrix to something like Ableton the Matrix looks to be a highly simplified version of a looper. Until this part of the program is developed further I don't think I would use it on stage, but that's me. If you can make it work like a hardware looper that records. plays and erases on the fly then please do share how you did it. I have an RC-300. Those have been for sale for long time and are still listed for sale because they work really well for playing ideas in and getting an instant playback. Many of the guitar multi effects also have some kind of a looper built in. If you are looking for a software looper solution you won't do better than Ableton for that. I hate to say it because I am a long time Cakewalk user, but this portion of the program is nowhere near as developed as Ableton Live 10. Even if you use Ableton there will likely be some work to do in setting up a controller to record instantly and play back immediately after. It will still be easier than the matrix. There are likely VST MC type plugins that do similar but they are all a little different and a look at the specs would be necessary. Here the RC-300 in action. This guy makes it look a lot easier than it really is......or maybe he is way more talented than me. Very possible. Ableton Live 10

SSD>plugins instruments>larger SSD> plugins instruments>another SSD> plugins instruments>another SSD>plugins instruments>nother SSD>plugins instruments> continue ad nauseam. Newegg is my friend.

I guess I need to play the notes between the notes more often.

No matter what software you use to play the loops, you'll need a good scheme to trigger them when needed...with keyboards you often need both hands, but can free up a second or two to push a button. Playing guitars you probably don't want to run around pushing buttons.I have found keyboards easier to use smaller tactile midi controllers with, like pads programmed to launch clips. This is only because we can put those things closer to our hands and quickly hit the pad or key or button....even then things can go terribly wrong if you missed one of the steps in making the show. If I were playing guitar I would be looking at foot switches that can send midi commands or hardware loopers with foot switches. I have never seen anyone play guitar and use a pad or button to record and play the loops.....it has probably been done, but seems a lot more difficult to me for a guitarist. Admittedly I used Ableton Live for this. Not because Cakewalk won't probably do it. In my case I had files written in and made for that program. I played with the matrix awhile back. I was able to record the loops, but didn't use a controller to do that.In theory it should work in a similar way. Before you go out and buy a controller for the laptop I would maybe experiment with midi bindings to loops in the matrix and make some test loops triggering them with commands from anything you have laying around or your QWERTY keyboard...at least that way you ran it through a test and it did want you wanted it to do. The benefit to hardware loopers is you can instantly erase what you recorded and record something else. I see the matrix as more of a loop player though maybe someone else can comment who recorded loops live.

Very well done in my opinion. Does remind me of the south. The tempo is perfect for the way this moves. The guitar, harmonica are just perfect! You can sing too Nice and thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing that. It's sort of what I was driving at in so many words. The origin of music is eternal. It is important you brought up new age music and made it clear that this isn't what you mean't. I know what you mean't

Music was intended to be eternal in my opinion. As such there is no end to it and almost infinite variations in any given theme.

Jesse are you looking for critique or just putting this out there?

Hi Doug, This one probably brings back some good memories for you. I liked the retro feel to the mix. Great harmony mix. Are the vox just a little bit right leaning in the panning? It might be that more of one frequency is coming into my right side. Not sure. Thank for sharing!

The VST scanner only scans the folders you give it. You will need to go to the plugin scanner under edit>preferences>VST and designate the folder location on the scan list. If you are scanning a 32 bit plugin there might be issues due to recent changes in Cakewalk regarding 32 bit plugins. Not sure about Kontakt. Maybe others can comment on this...some plugins don't like to be moved around because plugin location was designated when it was installed and is tied to the registration. Moving things around with some install schemes moves around the registration. When the portal tries to update it's blind to the plug in (because it was moved).

Great idea for a thread and very helpful! It seems many who use outboard interfaces use ASIO. I recently had need to temporarily switch to MME drivers because my screen capture software wasn't playing well with both my DAW and it. Is there any benefit to using MME over ASIO? MME seemed more compatible to a larger cross section of devices. On the subject of cleaning out the junk. What about old versions of Cakewalk? Aren't they still on the drive? Are there places where large amounts of disk memory might be wasted unawares?

For me it depends on the type of editing. If I am making changes to individual tracks I mostly use Cakewalk. If I am working on a master for edit I use Sound Forge. Case in point- I just had a track that needed to be cut down from over 3 minutes to 2 minutes or under. I put the master in Sound Forge and the process was easy to make splits and move things around. I was impressed by how well the split points merged in Sound Forge. If you get between beats no one will ever know. I don't often use Sound Forge, but for that. It saved my butt.

Another thing that further complicates the issues here...not all of the online music sites use the same exact criteria. K-20 almost never works for me and I often peak occasionally using K-14. I might need to re calibrate with pink noise again. The overall perception of loudness usually increases when I disengage ARC or my Sonarworks plugin in the headphones. This is probably important in headphones because this is what most hear in reality because ear buds are often boosted or cut in similar ranges. It's good to know that Craig reports similar in mastering to -11 LUFS which also pushes the limits some, but not too much. Craig are you seeing red on the meters? I get the occasional peaks. If it isn't too bad I release it.

Kite I think it's because they have a market with the gamer crowd, though I have seen studios where they dress up the computer case. Goes along with the running light leds under the recording desk . When I bought a case it was primarily about noise suppression for me. I don't even have a lava lamp.😥 Intel/AMD....that's a can of worms I won't open. Mainly because once it's open I don't know if I can close it Competition is good though.