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Al Robbins

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Posts posted by Al Robbins

  1. I’m not sure if this is the correct place to post this question or not - please forgive me if it is in the wrong place. Everyone on these forums have been extremely helpful! 
    My question is this -

    Is there anywhere I can find MIDI drum files of cover songs that I can simply copy/paste (import) into Cakewalk then use my Addictive Drums 2 as the virtual instrument for the drums? 
     

    I have looked into Guitar Pro 8 (with mysongbook).  Mysongbook FAQ says you cannot import the files - so that seems like it would not work with what I want to do. Although both seem to be very rich with the accuracy of the instruments. I don’t mind paying for this if I have to and the price is decent. 
    I’m looking for something easier than reading the drum notation and entering one note in at a time in the sequencer/piano roll or whatever view. 
    My purpose is to learn the cover songs as written then spin them with my own style, similar to what Leo does from Frog Leap Studios, or like Trust Company did with Rock The Casbach, or like Marilyn Manson did with Sweet Dreams. That kind of thing. 
     

    Does anyone have any recommendations? 
    Also - I know copy/paste (import) of MIDI, sometimes, well a lot of times, you have to make adjustments with the MIDI file after you paste(import) it into Cakewalk. Specifically with AD2 - changing the MIDI map to General MIDI. Learned that right away! LOL! 
     

    What do you recommend? 

  2. Much appreciated to both of you! 

    It’s been so long since I recorded anyone with effects they can hear that I did not remember to assign the output!!

    I always record myself dry - I just don’t use this for myself. But, other people, it might help them. It’s a handy function for those people that want to hear effects while they record!

    Thanks,

     

    Al

  3. Let’s say I have a vocalist that wants to record a track and hear effects while recording. 

    I have forgotten how to do that. I think the following is how to do it:

    On the track:

    1) Click the Echo Input to “On.”

    2) Add the plugin(s) to the effects bin

    3) Choose the correct input on your interface

    4) Choose an output (such as ‘Vocal Bus’ or even ‘Master.”

    Then hit record and the vocalist will hear the effects but they will not really be on the track (non-destructive). 

    I really was not sure about number 4 just because if you have an input and output assigned it creates latency. I assume clicking the Echo Input button stops that latency. 

    Did I get it right? 

    Thanks,

     

    Al

  4. 3 minutes ago, scook said:

    Best ask the studio what they want.

    You will likely need to export all the tracks out of the project.

    You should apply Region FX before export.

     

    Here is another stupid question from me - by “apply Region FX before export” do you mean render Region FX? Which I have done that on the Melodyne pitch corrected vocals. 

  5. I have been using Cakewalk for 4 years now (started with Sonar Platinum). My mixing skills (or lack thereof) are amateur at best. I would like to send the Cakewalk audio to a professional studio to see how their mixing and mastering turns out. How do I do that?

    Everything is in audio, no MIDI, all recorded with a click to make use of the grid and snap. 

    Also, I used Melodyne ARA region effect for pitch correction on the vocals. 

    When sending the audio to the pro- studio, do I just copy the files from the Audio folder in the project folder to a flash drive? And do I copy the Melodyne folder as well? Is it really that easy? 

    My assumption is the studio will not have Cakewalk but some other software. Will the Melodyne pitch corrected vocals audio work for the studio if they do not use Cakewalk?

     

     

  6. Thanks everyone for the tips and advice.  The parts I used clip automation gain were subtle so it doesn’t sound weird - like loud and then soft, just a few small cuts - seem to be on consonants that the vocalist made louder. This is the first time I used clip automation gain. In the past, as bitflipper said, I have used the free plugins from Blue Cat - free g for gain staging and their gain plugin, did some serial compression (subtle moves) and got the vocal track sounding pretty decent. Hopefully this clip automation gain helps. And if not, heck, I can delete the clip automation. For me, it’s always good to hear from the forums. You all have a wealth of knowledge that has helped me a great deal!

     

    Al

  7. Thanks to Mike at Creative Sauce and his videos - I used Clip Automation-Gain on a vocal track. There were a few parts that were a little louder.  I just reduced the gain by 2db - 3db on the louder parts so that it sounded pretty close to the same.  Really cool now that you can see it change the wave file.

    I began my gain staging. My question is - does the Clip Automation-Gain have any relationship to Gain Staging? 

    I started my gain staging process with the gain knob in the Console view.  Seems to my ear, that the 2db - 3db cuts I made translate through when changing the gain on the gain knob in the Console View. 

    To clarify:

    In the track view - using the Clip Automation-Gain, it shows a 0db line - that line does not change when I turn the Gain knob in the Console view (when I am gain staging). No matter what I set the Gain knob to, I can still hear the cuts I made on the Clip Automation-Gain line so I am guessing there is not a relationship between the two. 

    Does my question make sense?

    thanks,

    Al

  8. Much appreciated for the help Nigel and David.  See, I have to look up what a m.2 NVME type is and what MOBO means. But my computer knowledge is not so bad as you have to ask “is your computer turned on?” Ha! Ha! 

    I plan to get Kontact this afternoon and then will likely a flood of stupid questions on NI’s forum and here....but I will read the manual too, ha! 

    Thanks again for the help.

    Al

     

     

     

  9. Thanks everyone for all the help and advice.

    Got another question - everything I have researched so far indicates to download Kontact 6 to my DAW’s C drive, but to download any sample libraries to a different hard drive since they can be ridiculously large - the reason I found was so it does not slow down your computer’s performance. So, I could use an external SSD for the sample libraries and just plug in that external SSD to a USB port on my computer right? I assume you tell Kontact where to look for the sample libraries - is that correct? 

    Also I have an Alesis V49 MIDI controller that I set up in Cakewalk preferences to recognize - works fine with all of my virtual instruments already. Do you have to use a Native Instruments MIDI controller with Kontact 6? Or will the Alesis V49 work fine with Kontact 6?  

    I still consider myself a beginner with all the digital audio engineering - just know enough to be dangerous! 

    Thanks,

    Al

  10. Every VST scan I get the pop up window that reads, “Select Waves 9.7 SG Studio  Modules folder.” 

    I have always just clicked Cancel and the scan proceeds. All of my Waves plugins work fine and all of the other party plugins I have work just fine. 

    Am I supposed to pick the Waves folder? 

    If so, it seems like this is the path C/Program Files (x86)/Waves. The folder icon looks different than the other folders - it has a Waves logo on it. 

    If I select that folder will it mess anything up? I just updated all my Waves plugins from 2018 and everything in the above mentioned folder shows as V10 or V11.

    The popup window has 9.7 to select. 

    Does that matter?

    Thanks,

    Al

     

    5DB44F28-74D2-45A9-A9CE-9EE455FD6DCC.jpeg

  11. 1 hour ago, reginaldStjohn said:

    This is only my opinion so take it as you would like. I usually leave things in midi formation while I am writing and arranging a song. Then, when I am ready to mix, I bounce to audio and treat everything like I recorded it to audio files. This way I am not tempted to continually tweak things.  There are times I will bound to audio sooner if system resources get low.

    I think the best thing is to experiment and then evaluate which methods seem to work for you.

    That makes sense to me - you could keep tweaking and changing forever! 

    Sometimes, it’s fine to commit and move on. 

    At first I thought you might not be able to convert (record) MIDI to audio with Kontact. 

  12. I have been considering purchasing Kontact. I recently watched a YouTube video of Mike from Creative Sauce explaining multiple methods of how to set up Kontact in Cakewalk - very informative.  I have used Cakewalk strings, Addictive Drums 2, the Cakewalk piano, Dimension, etc., all the virtual instruments that came with Sonar Platinum (cool of bandlab to let them all transfer when they took over). 

    Kontact is a sampler - I understand that, different than the virtual instruments I have. I have always created the MIDI for my virtual instruments, tweaked it if needed, and then recorded it to audio, archive the midi track, delete the synth from the synth rack, then begin the mixing process. 

    When using Kontact, do you not record to audio? Instead, mix the MIDI? Just curious how other people do the mixing because I have never mixed just with the MIDI. I always mix with the audio. Am I using the wave file on track view as a crutch?  I have about 30 years experience in analog mixing and 3 years of digital mixing experience. 

    Shameless plug - link to one of my soundcloud songs I mixed and attempted to master so you can hear my skills or more like lack thereof - I know, the mixing is terrible.  But, wow, do I enjoy it. 

    I have written a plethora of scores for orchestra music since I was in high school all the way to present day. It would killer to finally get them all recorded and Kontact seems like the best solution. 

    So, I came to the experts - do you just mix using MIDI when using Kontact?

    You guys always provide excellent help!

    Thanks,

     

    Al

     

  13. 10 minutes ago, Chuck E Baby said:

    Normalizing wont change dynamics at all. It only changes the signal level. I know this may sound confusing but as an example, a compressor will change dynamics, Normalizing is like a boost/cut of signal, Turning up/down every level on that track (including peaks and valley's) vs. a compressor which squashes).

    I even confuse myself when explaining that 9_9

    That is confusing-but that’s what I get for commenting on something I have never done. It would be cool to have someone that knows Cakewalk in and out to join me while I record and mix. I still really do not know what the heck I am doing. 

    • Like 1
  14. 20 hours ago, CDK said:

    I'm also looking for some mixing advice/tutorials (specifically Cakewalk if possible) on mixing/normalizing/compression if you have any suggestions?

    Just not sure what kind of levels I should be aiming for to get my track similar in level to a radio/commercial track without clipping.

    E.g. do you suggest normalizing tracks then adjusting gain (or the fader)?

    I have never used normalize. I try to keep the dynamics. Wish I could help you with getting the level similar to a radio/commercial track. That seems like mastering to me and I don’t have experience with mastering other than EQ, compression and limiting. 

    • Like 1
  15. 1 hour ago, Chuck E Baby said:

    I hardly ever use the gain knob unless im blowing up plugins during their input stages. To each their own I guess. I record almost 80% Audio / 20% Midi. I find large project require faders to be dropped below the normal. It is no skin off my teeth to have my guitar faders set at -24db during the mixing stages. The most important part is how hard im hitting those plug ins. Or shall I say, how hard im not hitting those plug ins. Most plug ins now a day have an input control which gives us much more freedom to wiggle. Thus not having to rely solely on Gain input.

    Everyone is different and im sure we will hear from them on this thread.

    Good to know - I have hardly used the gain knobs either.  I am recording our second session for our demo and thought I would try using them this time. Appreciate your input. 

  16. I have an HP Envy and use a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 interface. I plug my mics into the Focusrite and use the gain knobs to get the signal to show in Cakewalk to max peaking at -12db and try for -18db RMS when recording. Essentially doing everything “in the box.”  While I am recording I keep all the faders at zero (Unity Gain I think they call it). Once everything is recorded and before mixing, I use the Gain Knob on Console view in Cakewalk to make adjustments to the gain - still trying to keep that -12db peaks and -18dbs RMS.  The RMS doesn’t always stay at -18dbs RMS, sometimes it goes below it. But I am sticking with the -12dbs peaks. Again, I use the Gain Knob on Console view in Cakewalk to keep the gain peaks no higher than - 12dbs - same with buses and master.  I have the view set to show peak and RMS on playback and record for all tracks and buses. 

    From there I will move the fader if I have to with the goal of keeping -6 to -9 db on my master fader to give headroom for the mastering engineer. 

    There is so much I have read online about gain staging and my head is about to explode! 

    I have years of experience in analog recording and mixing. I converted to Sonar almost 4 years ago. Then of course to Cakewalk by Bandlab. I understand that you don’t have to record loud like you did in analog. 

    Is that the correct way to gain stage at the very beginning of mixing?  Or should I say a good way to start gain staging in Cakewalk? It seems subjective to some degree. 

    I know this is a newbie question - you would think in 4 years I would already know. I just never used the Gain knob in Console view until now. 

    Thanks for any advice! 

     

    Al

     

     

  17. I finally downloaded the Cakewalk reference guide, found the Event Inspector and changed the velocity on all the MIDI notes at the same time.

    I started as a Sonar Platinum user three years ago and transferred over to Cakewalk when BandLab took it over. 

    I am very grateful for the forum users - thanks everyone! 

    Much appreciated.

  18. Is there an easy way to make the velocity all the same value in Piano Roll View? I figured out the scale version - but I want to make all the hits on the kick drum (Addictive Drums 2) to be the same velocity - about 84. I am using AD2 to reenforce an audio recording of a kick drum. 

  19. 3 minutes ago, arlen2133 said:

    there is... I was just giving you one (that I could find quickly while at my work desk.  I know that if you take one of the clips and control drag it to the other midi track, you can bounce them together as one midi clip (I do it all the time). 

    image.png.852bd8d9e706e9c73786c9429b7e6a73.png

     

    Definitely will try this method first because that’s what I was already doing minus the bounce to clips.  Thanks! 

    27 years of analog audio engineering  and only 3 years of digital audio engineering and I am still learning new things. Much appreciated. 

    • Like 1
  20. 1 hour ago, slartabartfast said:

    Unlike other instruments, which are distinguished from one another by playing on a different MIDI channel, the different drums voices are denoted by their MIDI note number, which is why you can hear them both although they are playing on the same MIDI channel/track. If you look at the note numbers or pitch, each drum is playing on a different one. 

    How can I make it so that all the MIDI notes show up on one MIDI track? 

    I’m trying to set up like the Addictive Drums 2 beats look in the AD2 interface. 

  21. I used Drum Replacer to create MIDI tracks from audio of our drummer.  Each drum has its own audio track. So, I would duplicate the audio track(kick drum first), use Drum Replacer on the duplicate track. Then converted the Drum Replacer track to a MIDI track. Then I did the same thing with the snare. But when I try to combine the snare MIDI track with the kick MIDI track I only see one track - but hear both when I send them to Addicte Drums 2.  What am I missing here so that I can see both MIDI parts in the one MIDI track? Is there some setting I am forgetting to change?

     

    Thanks,

    Al

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