JnTuneTech

I'm guessing that with the advent of AI processing, this will become a common thing soon. -In my mind, socially/creatively it would seem to be a successor to the DJ remixing trends from the 90's & such. Now we will just have to put up with complete individual tracking remixes put together (and rights fought over) by 3rd and extended parties. Hopefully somehow original content will still remain to be created anew, but for now, a swath of "new" techno remixes of "classic" material "re-imagined" and in Dolby Atmos is on the way! -Don't get me wrong - I am enjoying some of the newer classic remix material & projects. -Just some of it will go a long way though, for me anyway!

Well @John Vere - I think a lot of us "older folks" are getting sticker shock - nay, future shock, as all this stuff seems to be changing, and timing out, etc., so much faster than we seem to recall. And thank you for your info on Gold Wave - they do seem to be one of those types of businesses that have managed to continue in what is now an old-fashioned business model. And I sincerely hope that keeps working for them, and thus you & I. But I have seen a lot of my old business contacts either age out, and/or sell out. Of course, we still have the legacy of Gibson here as an example of how all this change & conglomeration affects us eventually. Lifetime - getting to be a bad word. And, sadly, as a computer support person, I have seen my share of bad things happen when you don't at least try to keep current. -At the very least, I would recommend keeping any legacy systems you run either completely off of the Internet entirely or at least behind a very tight & manageable firewall. -I know that doesn't help much towards creativity, but well, a big portion of the rest of the world doesn't seem to care. -But wait - now we're all connected, 24/7. 😅 -Anway, for now though, yes, at least Cakewalk is still useful for running on older systems, and there will be those of us who still appreciate that!

I can say that in my "day job" I have administered networks that had the license for Windows Enterprise, and in the past those SKUs ran on any typical hardware, with very little difference from retail versions. Most of the Enterprise features were enhanced networking & support toolsets, as well as a different Windows Update structure by default. -The only notable difference for AV operations, was in earlier versions, they did not include some of the built-in Media Player codecs & functions, as I recall having to load a 3rd-party app to play DVD content. Otherwise, I never encountered any need for Enterprise-specific hardware, drivers, nor software. Just the proper Windows Activation license! -I hope that info helps!

Wait - we stay on topic in The Coffee House! -My Bad!! 😬 -In my defense (should we lawyer up to comment?) - I wasn't ignoring the topic of errant censorship (that's my interpretation anyway 🤓) - it just occurs to me that the whole premise of these online services doing anything right for free seems to be forgotten in the first place. Not apologizing for any of those kind of business practices in any way though, but if you were paying for the posts, then it would really be the topper. -And I have seen a few folks report that happening, actually. And yes, with AI moderation I'll wager it's going to get even worse now. But yeah, @craigb - maybe there was some "ghost data" in your post that triggered the flag... -Conspiracy theorists - jump in here! (Nah, probably just bad censoring algorithm usage). -Definitely sucks! -Almost as bad as the way YT cuts off playback with ads, as @Byron Dickens mentioned. That really sucks IMHO, and seems to be getting worse.

This whole subject is so painfully amusing! Who has the best free stuff..? Why isn't it free any more?? Sounds like grumbling from Yosemite Sam (oops, I may have used a copyrighted reference...). 😬 I figured long ago that the majority of public entertainment, and now "access" to it via Internet, is all mainly bait & switch. Starts seemingly free, but gets you hooked, but eventually the anvil will fall, and we will pay somehow. I've always disliked most media advertising, starting for me in youth with TV commercials. Eventually I wanted to work in entertainment and media, and it took me a while to figure out how to get paid from that. Hmm. Also, in the 90's I shared some early Web material from my own server & connection. It slowly got taxing, in too many ways to want to bother with. Hmm again. -But I know, we all just want to watch, listen, to what we want for free. Yet really, would you just let any stranger come by and borrow your tapes, CDs, movies, any time they wanted, use them however they wanted, and so on? Have them ask you to play them some tunes they like whenever it suits them... For free? (Not including family and prospective partners - of course!) 😅 So we were optimistic about things like YouTube, -yes, it's the endless cycle of modern life I guess. Hmm. Maybe I should have taken note, and tried to go more the way of a roadrunner, and stayed farther away from the wily coyote types (metaphorically speaking) in life... Dag Namit!

I apologize for understanding the original post title and text incorrectly. Now that I have re-read it, I would have to correct my original response by first answering that I do not currently know of any advice on using knobs on a MIDI controller to change the existing CC parameters as shown in a Cakewalk MIDI track in PRV. The original advice was based on the rest of the text in the post below the title, and mainly the following section: There was no other purpose for the rest of the earlier advice as given. - Do carry on, as I know this is a good forum, and others here will surely be able to give the advice you seek.

Use of an external MIDI controller in a DAW is a very useful function, and as you mention, often quite less cumbersome than mouse/pen control. My advice would be to read the documentation regarding the options you have for settings on your MIDI controller - such as the assignment of values to the knobs, for instance, and figuring out how you want to use that in your DAW tracking. You may also need to delve into basic MIDI channel & CC usage, depending on your existing experience level. Once you know what options are available and how to use the MIDI functionality on your external controller, the next advice would be to read through the DAW documentation on the options for connecting external MIDI controllers, and then decide on which input & control method(s) you want to use in your tracking. There are many workflows possible. Your initial post refers to "write[ing]" MIDI control values, as well as doing it while playing, so you may want to read the DAW documentation on recording & playback of MIDI from an external controller in real time. Once you learn those basic techniques, you can then follow the documentation on MIDI track editing & playback options, particularly regarding MIDI track CC editing & automation options. -Basically, you can start as simple as recording controls as you play, and eventually decide on whether to edit that recording data as basic MIDI data, or perhaps converting some (or all) of it to automation tracks. -You can indeed often do better with hands-on MIDI control for data entry, than just using the mouse or a pen onscreen!

-Indeed - you hit upon one of my biggest worries when I started using backing tracks in performance. I still do, but mostly the audience reactions so far have been positive, though of course I usually have more gear onstage and don't play in the format & style of Karaoke - purposely. But you can play fixed arrangements that still have dynamics of a live performance, and then add your live action to complete the picture - and that is always my goal anyway. Some of the quiet 2-minute renditions such as the above mentioned Beatles tunes are actually the most rewarding, and what initially got me inspired. Back in the band days I would never even consider such a rendition as possible, at least with my fondness for faithful cover arrangements anyway. And having good virtual instruments to draw from, -creatively so many things are possible, and challenging at the same time, with multitrack backing. And as to using FX - it really, really depends on your goals & capabilities there. But generally, I have never found the room to be any more a factor than when I did a full combo setup & mix. And depending on the material you want to do, it can be part of the performance. -Another of the tunes I have been proud of, is a rendition of "Us & Them" (along with other linked tracks now too), with DAW FX automation & nice reverbs, it has always gotten good compliments when played, and I just enjoy doing it. No sound engineer, just planning, recording, balancing, and rehearsing. It can be worth the effort!

I just had to pull up my now 11-year old mix of backing tracks I use for "Norwegian Wood", after reading your post. -It really all comes down to what your workflow preferences are, as I always tend to say. On quiet songs like that one, I mostly use a basic soft pedal & taps on virtual hi-hat, at a low level, in my cue-only bus mix, and the rest of that particular mix has enough options that keep the song going for me to play along easily, with in-ear monitors. -Definitely nice to be able to have the sitar parts, and by the end adding the tambourine & kick eliminates my need for click by then - but that is just what works for me. In the venues I have had. The points you mention - optional tracking for adding/removing parts for performing along with - are great when you have a pattern and a set of tools that works for you. Each of us finds the method that fits - and works within your budget of course. The biggest challenge to me is always making sure to mix down a complementary amount of reverb & compression to match what I use on the live mains mics I will use, and then previewing it if at all possible. I often use a separate recording of either the mains feed, or sometimes just a video camera recording from offstage for checking that. But again, it's really just up to your available tools & creative satisfaction to arrange it all. -Nice to have part/player options with a multitrack mix at hand, though sometimes you can get carried away with complexity & alternate mixes. Definitely a different beast though than just playing with a real group, -pluses & minuses! I still hate hauling in & setting up, and then breaking down & packing out though... Depending on the type of music you play, of course, but that part still takes work or extra help - if you can get it!

As to the original post topic, I find that LUFS software, as mentioned above, is probably the quickest modern method to achieving more consistent output levels. But - I still tend to shoot for "previewing" a set, or at least any newer tracks first before showtime, from a few places in the venue. -When possible of course, Otherwise the LUFS method is probably very good insurance that your loudness levels between tracks will be fairly consistent. -Still, I find that as always, the actual mileage varies, any live mixing engineer will tell you to beware that audio environments change on the fly during a gig, and that's why we still often need live mixing to be adaptable. Which leads to the slightly off-post answer to @TVR PRODUCTIONS - What you describe is indeed a variation on live gigging many of us have or do use. My basic recommendation, in modern times, is to use a system that allows for adjusting the backing tracks or stems in real time, and having a helpful assistant to step in in case what you think you are hearing is not what is actually happening. -Sometimes we don't have that luxury though! Also, since it has become more affordable, I try to use in-ear monitoring, and at least a 2 channel output device before your mains. -Now, I haven't used mono since the 80's since stereo mixing & amplification has become so ubiquitous, but really the concept works the same in any case. 1 mix for the mains, and a separate mix for the monitors. The mains don't get the cues, etc. -I have used my DAW & sound interface for that exact setup for quite some time, but yes you can do it with standalone digital mixer/recorders as well of course. Just remember to do as much LUFS balancing & pre-show run through as possible, using some of the excellent info in the other posts here, otherwise trying to mix it & play it live can be worse than going with a known pre-mixed show in many cases! At least, that is my experience thus far. (P.S. - Don't forget folks, you can edit spelling, etc. on your topics & posts. And it won't be a waste if that helps searches in the future!)

Don't forget - this forum has a topic specifically about Instrument Definitions... So, this answer AGAIN: https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/55275-instrument-definition-file-edit-with-custom-sounds/&do=findComment&comment=483340 Making your own .ins file entries in Cakewalk is quite easy, not necessarily that time consuming. Plus, it's less dangerous than trying to download unknown quality files safely from the jungle that is the Web. -Please open up the Cakewalk documentation, and search Instrument Definitions. It all works fairly easily with the GUI tools, then if you like, you can also open, examine, learn to tweak your own manually in a text editor if you still want that,

Yes - I also still use the Battery 3 libraries a lot, and the cymbals definitely are useful. As it is, Battery 4 seems like a step back - I hope the app isn't on its way out or something. I'm glad I have managed to archive and migrate my original Battery 3 library material, as it still authorizes (so far) with my NI account. The other good thing with Battery, is that just as @John Vere outlines, you can record your own custom samples and set them up easily for MIDI playback. _Again though, hopefully that app will last a while longer, sometimes I'm not so sure. Perhaps I should export my Battery cymbals samples to files, and then use other samplers to play that back when needed... planned obsolescence mitigation? 😬

Back when I was using my now ancient Eleven Rack, I tried both SPDIF and AES, at 48/24 - as my sound interface has inputs for both, -It was interesting. My sound interface allowed me to manually detect the clock synchronization status of the SPDIF as well, and the Eleven Rack has a clock source & sync selection. -While using that procedure stopped pops & clicks on the SPDIF connection, it was still a pain, and I just switched to using AES. In AES normal mode, both input methods sounded relatively the same, though AES offers an optional mode that definitely had a more audible high end spectrum balance. Not to my taste, so I left that alone. I am glad I pretty much gave up with wrestling over that stuff. And I no longer deal in the broadcast standards mess like @whoisp describes, as well thankfully - that can really be taxing, even today with more of the bit level protocols having leveled out somewhat (but now there's MADI, LAN & Wi Fi transports and so on...) - I just can't stay focused on creating fun music worrying so much about all of that. I do still watch out - Listen - for poor digital conversion issues, to be clear, and have a good respect for good performing mic & line preamps - in an audible way, but arguing (and worrying) over the mathematical issues is of little use to me. If I have the opportunity, I listen through as much of the process as I can, and choose what sounds right for me, as I say, when I can, And, it's a constantly moving target, new hardware, new sample libraries, they all have differing qualities and interactions. Never ends. Just like this topic!

Not sure if you've noticed, but threads on this subject go on & on. In technical theory, what happens is well outlined by @msmcleod in this thread. One example - and imagine how many variations there are with all the possible interfaces available, and to come. -Sadly, we never know until we try them specifically in practice. This also varies by many, many factors. The drivers for the various interfaces all handle the same connection & data conversion differently, and when you add that to the differences in hardware capability, using digital theory to predict it becomes troublesome. For instance, I would have to hear some identical recordings made with identical outboard gear & sonics to see if your 32-bit rated interface & driver actually produce what I might prefer over a 24-bit rated one in the end. -Avoiding any dithering may indeed be a good goal though. The underlying conversions & best match choices in VST instruments is another of those rabbit holes. About all we can do is try each one, and find the best results with our ears, and of course monitoring system performance & graphs can help - sometimes. -And the discussions will continue... But it's sometimes interesting to hear some of the experiences from other folks out there. -Might even help me with the next audio interface choice I make, -who knows!

I don't know about automatic adds for those events you mentioned, but rather than scripting, I would simply suggest copying the section with the events (or each one individually), and pasting them back after you trim the MIDI as you describe. -I do also use a temp blank MIDI track sometimes, to store blocks of these kind of events for copying & pasting as I go along. - Your mileage may vary!

I agree with what you've been saying (and especially the optimism!). For right now though, I've never had many VST3 instruments that I need it to apply to, and I am still pondering trying Articulation Mapping on the few that it might help with. And in past discussions on this subject, so many other responses seem to indicate there aren't many of us out there who want to use program changes dynamically in VST, since nowadays it's easy to just have several plugin instances... but I apologize - now I'm being pessimistic again! -You are probably quite correct.

It doesn't prevent it at all. But most programmers are not using the older bank & patch list functionality that has existed before. -But yes, some do! -Perhaps we could suggest that Cakewalk look into developing a "Patch/Bank Mapping Tool" - I would think similar in function to the existing Drum Map tool. It would still take more manual intervention to set up the maps for VST3 instruments that do not use the type of setup that could quickly adapt the General MIDI standards of old, but then as it is, drum mapping is often a chore that way too. -But the point is, it could be very useful to have a simpler - GUI interface for converting the existing MIDI Bank/Patch Change functions in Cakewalk to different MIDI control changes, as needed for different VST implementations. -That would be my suggestion if any valid feature could be added by Cakewalk in this regard. P.S. - Interestingly enough, I bet we could make Articulation Maps work for VSTs that don't use General MIDI bank/patch change programming. -I have thought about it, but so far I just have never had a need large enough to try it!

I know you won't like this answer, but the feature is not something that Cakewalk has much choice in, currently. The standards for VST programming are generally set by Steinberg, and then it's up to the plugin developers to use those standards, or not. With VST3, the methods of implementing MIDI Program Changes are not the same as the (now very old) General MIDI practices that were/are widely used in instruments, and eventually ported over to many VST2 plugins as well. As I understand it, until VST3 programming adopts some kind of published and accepted common method for implementing MIDI Program Changes, it would be impossible for Cakewalk to have any way to create a common, useful way to approach it. For now, we can use manual MIDI programming in tracks, together with the documented method that works for your goals in the VST3 you are using. -In my experience, so far, very few VST3 instruments use the same method to change banks & programs. But they usually will do it, and usually have the necessary documentation for you to follow, and thus use that in your tracking in Cakewalk. -Sadly, I realize that is not as easy as using the General MIDI banks & program change mapping that came with earlier VST implementations.

Editing, creating, deleting information, in your Cakewalk Master Definitions file is fairly easy, and definitely explained/searchable in the documentation (though it skips around a bit). -Another good post here shows some of that nicely: https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/65785-instrument-definition-file-for-yamaha-dx7ii-or-tx-802/&do=findComment&comment=469320 Editing is the easiest. Creating your own takes a bit of work, and of course the information on what your note mapping, and/or any banks/patches may need to be, but if all else fails, you can usually read the patch information in your device & type it in in Cakewalk.

In the screen captures presented, I would assume that the either the method of loading the tracks into Cakewalk was different for each instance, or that one of the versions had information that was not in the other, and Cakewalk presented it as a separate track. -Either way, the information in the other posts here is all great, and you might want to look at how Cakewalk presents MIDI, because it does not do it the same as the other editor you referenced. Primarily, Cakewalk does not create a "track" for SYSEX, or time signature, and in current versions tempo can have its own view which is separate and not numbered along with the main tracking.

Most likely this is exactly what that "wet/dry" setting you started all this with can result in! So, -In the reverb FX plugin itself, there should be a control for how much dry signal (unaffected in your sentence above) is passed through the reverb plugin itself - as in the LMMS screenshot, for example. -Most of the time when used on a bus, this setting is used to eliminate that duplicate signal, which sounds like what you need. You will undoubtedly encounter this technique as you go along with audio mixing. Also, audio FX plugins such as reverb, -which as in the notes above about synth plugins do vary widely in cost (many free ones) and features, but many of the better ones allow for MIDI control. You would need to learn how to implement that functionality in the relevant documentation is all.

If that is indeed happening, then you are experiencing other problems. Cakewalk will play MIDI tracks on any virtual synth, including the supplied TTS-1. No external drivers or instruments are needed for that functionality, other than of course a compatible functioning system and sound device. -As mentioned in other comments here - research the many other recent posts on the subject here if you need more information on your last question, but the GS Wavetable synth is no longer supported, nor does it need to be.

Um, the Chinese and/or Russian malware you downloaded a while back. No, seriously, probably expecting too much from mashing together too many different versions of the same code on one PC. -Or, well, truly, one or the other, or both. Maybe neutrinos flipping bits in your processor or RAM... The universe is full of surprises, or so I'm told! 🤓

I understand - as I say, I have also done this type of interface swap. -I guess since you say that the synth banks are also changed, you may indeed wind up needing to set up new Banks & Note maps in your Cakewalk Instrument Definition master. -If you have made your own banks, you can create new maps in Cakewalk by reading off your synth and creating those new banks in Cakewalk, under Preferences - MIDI - Instruments - Define... There are some other good posts here, as well the documentation, that show how that works, it's actually fairly easy. -As far as downloading default Korg .ins files, yes, perhaps there are other sources for that. -In any case, thanks for the reply, and best of luck!

Several common issues regarding unplanned MIDI response from Kontakt instruments that you may want to examine: 1. The default setting for many instruments in Kontakt allows for several MIDI messages you may not realize to affect playback. -Generally, unless you want to allow those, I recommend turning off the defaults. In Cakewalk for instance, the most common factor is the CC#7 - Volume response, since the MIDI track volume fader/automation setting will send this every time playback is started. -in Cakewalk there are Preferences - Project - MIDI settings that can also address automatic playback defaults on some of those particular controls, but in those recent versions of Kontakt I find it best to apply the preventive measures here 1st. Then also save & close the project & re-open to apply. -Your mileage may vary. 2. Check your MIDI tracking for any other embedded MIDI commands, and/or see if you have any envelopes assigned, that may be causing changes. 3. Very often even the Kontakt instrument itself can also be set to receive MIDI commands for certain functions, so this and all the other steps here can be related. -In the post context here for instance, CC#11 - Expression will change volume (expressively!) in many instruments by default. Since Kontakt setup can contain any number of variables, and it's not clear from your original post whether the MIDI you are sending from Cakewalk is straightforward (notes only, for instance), the above tips, along with the information @John Vere has posted, is the first line of troubleshooting I would suggest. I hope this helps!