Robert Bone

In the example steps I supplied earlier, you don't worry about tracks until step 4, read through all of the steps I provided, PRIOR to starting to follow them. The steps I laid out cover: 1) Declare Midi devices in preferences 2) Load a soft synth into the synth rack, specifying NO tracks be created at that time 3) Load a preset (sound) into the soft synth 4) Insert stereo audio track OR two mono audio tracks 5) Route signal from soft synth to the audio track(s) 6) Insert midi track 7) Bring midi track into focus 8)-Route midi data from midi track to the soft synth 9) Tip on leaving midi track input set to None or Omni 10) Bring midi track into focus and play notes on your midi device Follow the steps in my earlier example, after first reading through them. In this post, I am just recapping the substance of the steps from my earlier post. Bob Bone

Your Akai LPK25 is a midi controller, and has nothing to do with ASIO4ALL, which is an audio driver - really a software wrapper around I believe the WDM drivers of Windows, and it basically pretends you have a real ASIO driver, but your CPU has to work really hard to convert analog signal to digital data, and back to analog again, frequently causing audio performance issues. I am wondering if you have the ASIO4ALL driver being used for Windows sounds and Windows audio output, while also trying to use it in Cakewalk. If this is the case, you can try changing the Windows audio driver to something else, and see if that clears it up for you. I would also suggest that if you do not currently have a dedicated audio interface, I HIGHLY recommend you consider picking one up - it will give you much better performance in dealing with streaming audio - which is what you are doing when working with music projects in Cakewalk. You can get a decent USB 2 or now possibly a USB 3 class of audio interface, with a couple of combo mic/line inputs, for $150 or less - with interfaces having more ins and outs and other features running up to a whole lot more - but to get started, $150(ish) would get you into something that would work well. An audio interface would handle the task of converting analog signal to digital data, and also the reverse - digital data back to analog signal, using internal circuitry for the conversions, rather than dumping all of that work on your poor CPU. Bob Bone

For whatever the worth, I have built up a pretty good set of legacy synth sounds, mostly as sample libraries, some as VST plugins, and sound packs for plugins. I have: Arturia V Collection, which has pretty good emulations of: Minimoog, ARP 2600, Modular Moog, Fairlight CMI, Synclavier, Prophet 10, Yamaha CS-80, Buchla Easel, Jupiter 8, DX-7, Solina, Oberheim Matrix-12, Oberheim SEM, Hohner Clavinet, a Rhodes, and several organs. Native Instruments Komplete 11 Ultimate, which includes Kontakt, and FM8 (and a bunch of other stuff). Kontakt is one of, if not THE, best samplers out there, with all kinds of available commercial AND freeware libraries, of all sorts of legacy synths. FM8 is a frequency-modulation synth, and can directly read and process ANY of the DX-* type of SYSEX banks of sounds. I have something like 18,000 Yamaha DX-7, DX-9, etc., factory sounds, all of which can be played through FM8. (these SYSEX banks are freely available, and I have sent them to several different folks over the years - if interested shoot me a message). For Kontakt, the factory-included Retro Machines MKII library includes various Taurus sounds, Mellotron sounds, a bunch of Moog sounds, OB sounds, Crumar Orchestrator, string machines, ARP Quadra, etc., and DSF makes a bunch of libraries for Kontakt - such as a huge set of sounds from the various hardware Proteus synths, as well as the EMU libraries.... I also have a great Roland D50 library, just TONS of stuff out there. UVI makes a Legacy library for like $50, for their Workstation synth engine, with a bunch of legacy sounds, and I believe they are the makers of a Retro II library (or something like that) - with another 30 - I think - synths represented. Korg has a Legacy series with a few synths available. I bought the M1 soft synth from that series, and it includes every factory released sound and sound expansion card they made, AND all the sounds of the T1. For VST plugins, I have emulations for things like the Taurus MK1 bass pedals, the ASP Pro Soloist, and the RMI Electra, and there all all kinds of freeware synths that have remarkable analog sounds. SO - there are lots and lots of available options for picking up legacy synth emulations and sample libraries, for just about everything that has been made as a commercial synth. If you are looking for anything specific, perhaps one of us can help you to locate it. (Edited to add that the newest Arturia V Collection - version 7, adds 3 new synths, including a Mellotron emulation that is pretty good) Bob Bone

Well on the Touch Pad on the laptop, I click on the little + or - to zoom in our out. After 3 or 4 clicks it just auto-zooms either all the way in or all the way out, like it has a mind of its own Bob Bone

Well, I just hit B to view or collapse the Browser Pane, which will also show the Synth Rack if it has been populated.... Bob Bone

I always record a left and right mono, when recording things like synths, because I like to add slightly different effects settings between the two channels, usually delay, as it fills out the sound nicely. But yes - you have it correctly worked out now - one of my interfaces is the same as yours, and it indeed works that way, as do most audio interfaces with a left and right input. (actually every single one I have ever encountered). It is a good interface, quietly doing its thing. You will like it. Bob Bone

Thanks, guys - I will check it out and post back. I am in the middle of being responsible (housework), so just as soon as I can get back to a musician mindset (hee hee), I will see what happens. Bob Bone

So - if it were a stuck key, I would think I would see that key value consistently being generated, but this accelerated zoom takes a few clicks - consistently so - before it super-zooms either in or out, depending on which way I am zooming, and it does it for both vertical and horizontal zooms. So - I am thinking maybe I hit some key combo or shortcut, that somehow set the behavior somehow, to be different than normal, but it has persisted, so that even in a brand new project, this same behavior continues. Bob Bone

Laptop with only mouse pad and its own keyboard. It consistently does it after a few clicks.

Howdy and good morning. The other night, I was working on a project with my bass player, capturing bass parts and Taurus bass pedal parts, when I began experiencing something quite annoying - anytime I clicked more than a couple times on the Horizontal Zoom (either in or out), rather than continue with the same sort of incremental zoom behavior of the first couple clicks, it would suddenly act like it was possessed, and would continue to scroll, in whichever direction I had been clicking, to where it would have taken me dozens and dozens of mouse clicks. SO - if I started with a measure being about 1 inch in width, and was zooming out, after about the 3rd click or so, it would just keep zooming, finally stopping where each measure was about the width of the measure number. If, before I had zoomed out, I was at measure 1, after its crazy auto-zooming, now the way the measures were squished together, within that same approximately 1-inch width, I would see 1, then measure 27, then measure 53, and finally measure 79. AND, this new 'feature' is happening with completely new projects, as well, where it happens with an empty new project. The above explains the horizontal zoom behavior, but the same sort of thing occurs with vertical zoom. Any ideas on how to get my Cakewalk installation to not be such an over-achiever? Bob Bone

I usually have my Snap value set to 1/8th note, and that helps me line up the Now Time on beat 1 of a measure, or in 1/8th note values if I click somewhere within a measure that is not on the 1st beat. That Snap value can be set to a different value, or even turned off, so give working with that a try, to see if that gives you the results you want. Bob Bone

By the way, Christian - I too use Cantabile *sometimes I forget the 'i' in it too), and LOVE it, for live performance. I used to use Forte, from Brainspawn, but they ceased to exist a year or so back. I still have it, but took a generous offer of a cross-grade option from Cantabile, and went ahead and switched over to it. Both programs provide VST hosting for live performance, just different terminology and a different approach, but I am firmly with Cantabile now, and it is my software of choice for playing my keyboards live. VERY happy your Z1 has magically fixed itself. Bob Bone

Sounds like some parts of your system - heck why not get the whole house in one shot - could use a good EXORCISM, to get rid of those demons. Maybe it fixed itself, because it had what it needed to work right all along, and just needed to believe in itself. Bob Bone

I am following this post, so I will try to answer any additional questions on this, as you raise them. I am looking forward to reading where you have success with this. Bob Bone

Bad news - I am not a sound guy. I am a keyboard player that learned by my countless mistakes - and STILL have a long long way to go. I do OK with most of the MIDI stuff, but there are lots of audio techniques and best practices I am woefully short on knowing well. The GOOD news is that these forums are FULL of helpful folks - AND there is the Cakewalk documentation - both the user's guide and the reference manual, AND, there are countless videos on YouTube, that are on just about every aspect of working with Cakewalk (lots of the older Sonar videos are still valid too), so save your projects before trying new things (just in case), and jump on in the pool and start swimming. Bob Bone

OK - last attempt at this - If present, HAVE YOU TRIED REMOVING ANY CONTROL SURFACE DEFINITIONS FOR THE Z1? (note - caps were for emphasis only, and not representative of any anger or shouting, or anything like that - I just have asked about that 2-3 times now, and am not sure there has been a response to that specific question, as of yet). Thanks, Bob Bone

`I suggest switching to a driver mode of ASIO, with a setting for the ASIO Buffer Size of 128 (reasonable balance that should work for recording, without running the CPU too hard). Make sure you don't have any effects loaded during recording, that are really meant for mixing/mastering, such as a convolution reverb (uses look-ahead processing and needs a huge ASIO Buffer Size to work best - these are meant to be used during mixing), or effects that use Linear Phase processing. You can try testing whether or not your effects are causing issues, by temporarily bypassing them. Hit the letter 'E' on your computer keyboard - this is a shortcut key in Cakewalk, that toggles either On or Off, the bypassing of loaded effects. If your project plays back properly with the effects bypassed, but not when the effects are allowed to engage, then that is a big clue that one or more of the effects need(s) to be swapped out for some other one(s) until you move on to the mixing phase of your project's workflow. Hitting the 'E' key again toggles the effects back on again, so doing this test is not going to hurt anything in the project - it just gives you a quick idea on whether or not you have to make some adjustments in what effects you use during recording, and which ones you need to wait to use, until you start mixing. Also, for the rest of time - you will want a reasonably small ASIO Buffer Size during recording - I suggest 128 samples, which is small enough to where you won't hear any lag when recording, yet large enough to where you aren't going to tax the CPU too much. (The smaller the ASIO Buffer Size, the more work the CPU has to do, but if the buffer size is set too large - during recording, then when you play a note and there are other tracks playing, you will hear a lag between playing the note and actually hearing it, and that will prevent proper syncing between new notes and existing tracks). When you finish recording, and move to mixing, I always change my ASIO Buffer Size to either 1024 or 2048, which is huge, but this will give any of the more 'needy' effects enough room to properly do what they do, such as the convolution reverb and/or linear-phase effects. As noted in an earlier post, most folks get the best performance using a driver mode of ASIO - the other stuff I mention may also help you. Bob Bone

OK - so: First, make sure your midi controller's drivers are installed (IF needed - lots of newer controllers are 'class compliant' and will automatically install the needed driver when connected to Windows) In your Cakewalk project: 01) Go to Edit>Preferences>Midi>Devices, and make sure you check the boxes to specify your midi controller as an Input Device. Click on Apply when done, and you can then exit Preferences. This tells Cakewalk you want to declare that midi controller as a valid device to use for input of midi data to Cakewalk. 02) Get an instance of a soft synth plugin loaded into the project, using the Browser Pane (Synth Rack or Browser). I happen to like manually inserting my audio and midi tracks, so I happen to leave all the boxes unchecked in the section of the Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box under 'Create These Tracks'. I leave the following boxes checked else where in the dialog box: Synth Property Page and Synth Rack View, Enable MIDI Output, Recall Assignable Controls, and Ask This Every Time. Click OK, and the plugin will be loaded into the project, and the plugin's Property Page will be displayed. 03) Load a preset into the plugin, using the Property Page for the plugin, then close that window. By default, all plugins I am aware of will route their output to their default output channel - usually a stereo channel of left and right. Some plugins that are mono, will usually output to a mono Left channel, I suppose some may output to a mono Right channel, but I cannot think of any that do, at the moment. SO, most will output to a L and R channel. 04) In the Track Pane, you will need to insert EITHER a single stereo audio track, OR two mono audio tracks (you would set the Interleave of each of the mono tracks to mono, and pan one to the far left and the other to the far right). A stereo audio track will already have the Interleave button set to stereo, and Pan is set to the middle. 05) You need to set the Input of any audio track, to pick up the output from your soft synth. If you had inserted a single stereo track, click on the track number on the left side of the track, to bring that track into focus, and then click on Input, at the bottom of that track in the Track Inspector, which will then open a list of optional sources for you to select. Hover your mouse over the plugin's name, in that list, and it will then expand to show you the set of sources for that plugin. Click on the Primary Output: Stereo source, and that will tell Cakewalk to route any audio output from that plugin, to this audio track. If you had inserted 2 mono tracks, do the same thing for each mono track, except you want to click on the Primary Output: Left (mono) for the left mono audio track, and Primary Output: Right (mono) for the right mono audio track. 06) Right click in the Track Pane, under your audio track(s), and click on Insert Midi Track, to insert a midi track. 07) Click on the track number on the left side of that track, to bring the new midi track into focus. 08) Click on Output, for the midi track, at the bottom of the track in the Track Inspector, and click on the plugin's name in the list that is displayed. Note - Cakewalk will select the 1st loaded soft synth plugin when a midi track is inserted, so this should already be populated with your loaded soft synth, however once you start loading additional soft synths, you have to remember to change the soft synth for each midi track to the one you intended. I wish it didn't do this default, but it is what it is. 09) I suggest you leave the Input parameter for the midi track, set to None or Omni, if the loaded soft synth is a single synth, and not a multi-timbral synth where you could load multiple instruments into a single instance (Kontakt for example), where each instrument is set to receive a different midi channel. For this example, you are dealing with a simple soft synth that is a single instrument with a single sound. 10) SO, at this point, you should be good to go, on the setup. To actually produce sound using the soft synth, click on the track number for the midi track, to bring it into focus. By default, Cakewalk will automatically set the Midi Input Echo button to On. Once you have the midi track into focus, you should be able to play notes on your midi controller, and hear sound. The midi data from the midi controller will be picked up by the midi track, and then the data will be routed to the soft synth, which will react to the incoming data and produce sound, which it will route through its primary output channel. That audio will be picked up by the stereo audio track or each mono track, and then sent to the Master Bus, which will then route the audio to your audio interface, and then you should hear the sound through your speakers, or headphones. 11) Ta-Da I hope the above makes sense. There are more complicated options, but the above should get you started. Bob Bone

When I mix, I ALWAYS set me ASIO Buffer Size to either 1024 or 2048. Just for a test, try temporarily bypass your loaded effects - just to see if it makes your issues go away. VERY simple to do - the letter 'E' on your computer keyboard toggles On/Off the bypassing of effects, so simply load the project, and hit 'E', and then play your project and it will not engage any of the effects. (Hitting 'E' again toggles the effects back on). Certain effects require a large ASIO Buffer Size to have enough room to do their thing - like a convolution reverb (uses look-ahead processing), and since you aren't tracking during mixing, it is fine to have a giant ASIO Buffer Size. Pretty much for the rest of time, you will set that buffer size to something low, like 128 or 64, and then switch it to something large, like 1024 or 2048 for mixing. It's just the way it works. If you are using an effect that is designed for mixing, and not tracking, like a convolution reverb, you might experience issues while tracking, so it is best to swap out that plugin for something less 'needy' for buffer size, and then when you are ready to begin mixing, jack up the ASIO Buffer Size, and THEN swap back in the convolution reverb.... Thanks, Bob Bone

Sorry to hear the last update - I did not see where you answered my earlier question about a control surface definition being used, or not, for the Z1. So, ? Bob Bone

I see your Exactly, and RAISE you one Exactly. This is why I kept trying to figure out what settings could be problematic, ONLY with its interactions with Cakewalk, and I turned to a possible control surface definition interference, after (I think) exhausting other settings..... If midi output from the Z1 works, as is clearly the case using stand-alone synths, then something within the Cakewalk settings must be slightly askew. Bob Bone

If you are using external synths, did you remember to turn Local=Off on those? If you don't, then when you press a key, a note will be triggered, and Cakewalk will also send another Note On message back to the keyboard. By turning Local to Off on the keyboard, then when you press a note on the synth, it will NOT trigger its engine, but it will still react to the midi note on message sent back to it, from Cakewalk, so that you properly get a single triggered note, rather than 2 triggered notes, every time you play a note on the keyboard. Bob Bone

I have this plugin, as well, and have NO clue on how to properly use it. I used to think I was reasonably able to reason my way through most applications, but this one has humbled me up something FIERCE. I have NO idea on which 'standard' to use, nor best practices, nor even worst practices. SO - I am KEENLY interested in this thread....... Bob Bone

I had an M-Audio Axiom 61 Pro, that was several years old, that began randomly, but consistently, spewing out midi data - )Pitch Bend data, actually), and I ended up disabling the Pitch Bend wheel on the Axiom, to prevent it getting recorded on any midi tracks. I would use a different controller for any tracks where I needed to actually have any pitch bending. If Windows is properly detecting midi activity from the Z1, then unless something like a control surface issue is at play, then if all of the settings are correct in Cakewalk, it would look like somehow, and in some VERY weird way, Cakewalk would be having some sort of issue. That does not make ANY sense, though, because again, unless you DO have a control surface definition/mapping set up for it, Cakewalk shouldn't even be AWARE that it is any particular make/model of midi device sending midi data. If you DO happen to have a control surface set up for the Z1, can you please try removing it, to see if that has any effect? Bob Bone

I, too, am a bit confused why this would be happening with your setup - it seems like a settings and/or a device issue, that is either not working right, or is not configured right. I see you mention currently running Windows 10. I looked at the RME site for any drivers for that interface, and maybe I am missing the boat, but is this interface even supported anymore? If so, I don't seem able to select your interface on the drivers download page. IF this link is the correct one, you please tell me what I need to do to pull up available drivers for your model of interface, for ANY version of Windows, let alone Windows 10. (https://www.rme-audio.de/en/downloads/driver_updates_readme_hdsp.php) When you have Cakewalk running, you should see a little keyboard icon in the Windows 10 System Tray (bottom right corner of your display monitor - you may need to expand the display of items in the System Tray, by clicking on the arrow that points up). Anyways, when you trigger notes on the Z1, do you see any little tiny light turning on and off on that little music keyboard icon? (the little music keyboard icon is supposed to show midi activity, so when notes are triggered, it should have a little red activity indicator light go on and off on that keyboard icon - a bit to the left of the center of the keyboard icon). I see this turning on and off when I play notes on the Roland A-800 Pro midi controller I currently have hooked up to the computer using a USB cable - I do not know if connecting your Z1 through your RME card using a standard midi connector would also result in that midi activity indicator light go on and off - just because I do not know if that midi activity app in the system tray works for old-school midi cable connected devices, such as your Z1. I had mentioned earlier a suggestion of designating Omni or None on the midi track's Input, and I am unsure of whether or not you have tried running this way. I saw where you indicated it is set to something other than Omni or None, so please try changing to one of those. If set to Omni, the midi track should send ANY midi data received, to the Kontakt instance. In any case - it is a good thing you have a new controller/keyboard coming, so this issue shouldn't persist beyond when they new device arrives. Bob Bone