User 905133

TIP: Don't save the Workspace using the same name as a Factory Workspace.  Not sure if it has changed in Cakewalk Sonar, but in CbB updates re-installed the Factory Workspaces. 

10 minutes ago, hhal9000 said:

I'm trying to track down some software I once used and I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what it is called if indeed it still exists. It was a free loopmaking/beatmaking software some thing like Zenbeats which went on to make hardware kiosk versions that could be played live.The software had a wide range of free samples which one could mix together and I think share too online.Had it on my windows PC a few years back and I'd like to try and get it again.Any help tracking it down much appreciated.

This might sound link a stupid question, but did you try looking it up on the internet? I have found many things there. And if you did, what key terms did you use in your search, what year was it available, did you try the way back machine, do you have any screen shots you can post, etc.?

[post withdrawn (not relevant) after clarification from OP]

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Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

This this I add, "add patience for those who insist on bringing the subscription issue up again."

Warning: Song borders on an adult theme (e.g., everyday groupies) and contains a line some might choose to not want to hear ("If his ****** is a monster [3x], they will give him their hearts.").  It's mild social commentary in a pop sort of a song done in the early 1970s as part of the movie "200 Motels" about "Life on the Road." (JMO: By 21st century standards, I think it's rather tame.)  Just a heads up in case you would prefer not to hear that line.   

5 hours ago, RO said:

Any solution yet for windows7 / 2024.07 users?

I am about to dust off my old 520ST and hardware synths to have something that actually does work.

Windows XP might still work if you have SONAR X1 Producer. I can't check because my XP SP3 PCs all died, but as of 5-10 years ago when they last worked, X1 Producer still worked. I am sure it still worked when I upgraded to a Windows 10 Pro PC. 

• Unzipped to Drive E:
• Installer (Application above) can install plug-ins and standalone to  C :
• Not sure what else got installed, though clearly lots of stuff is in those bin files.
• I ran the Amplitube 5 VST3 within Voltage Modular.
  • MSoundFactory [Xcitenator --> Amplitube 5]
  • Seems to work so far.
  •  using Amplitube 5 MAX [not V.2]

2 hours ago, Amberwolf said:

Or it's like so many driver installers...it includes *all* of the software for *all* of hte things the company makes, but only installs the bits you actually have stuff to update, or have a serial number for, etc....

Hmmmm. This might help explain the lack of space message.  While it looks like the compressed file downloaded properly to the correct storage location, perhaps the IK Product Manager needs to unpack that to my C:\ drive before running the installer.  I can test that tomorrow by unzipping it on E:\ and then running the installer from there (Or I should say, trying to run it from there).

As far as I know IK Products install all plug-ins contained in the product. But maybe if I can unzip it all on drive E:\ the standalone and plug-ins can be put on C:\ and reference resources on Drive E:\ . 

In any case, thanks for the comment as it led me to a possible solution.

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Curious.  It seems have downloaded OK to my "Download to" drive: 

Does the new revision really need that much space (3,496,584 KB) to install and run? 

Anyone know?

UPDATE:  It looks like even though the program and plug-ins don't take up much space, the installer has a lot of resources:

24 minutes ago, Shane_B. said:

Pet Sounds Vs. Sgt. Pepper

Speaking just for myself, it was never a competition, though for others it clearly was.

Disclaimer: Back in the day, I bought Pet Sounds; my older brother had Sgt Pepper. I know I borrowed his and listened to it; not sure if he borrowed mine.  I also listened to the Rolling Stones as well as The Beatles, despite the alleged competition (which today we could consider it to be fake news). Then again, I was always pro choice but that didn't stop me from having a friend who was anti-choice.  

2 hours ago, Al Murray said:

Boom! "Preferences deselect Zero MIDI controllers on stop or is it rewind"  that did it, thanks Wookie

Any idea what fixed the problem?  I always thought that "Zero MIDI controllers on stop" affected CCs; never thought it would also reset the Patch. I can understand that the Patch Track-Control Widget could reset the Patch when using rewind.

Looks like I might have to re-read the manuals! 

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• Zero Controllers When Play Stops. If you choose this option, Sonar sets the controller values of the pitch wheel, the sustain pedal, and the modulation wheel on all 16 MIDI channels to zero. It also sends a “zero all continuous controllers” MIDI message which turns off other continuous controllers on newer synthesizers. If you experience frequent stuck notes when playback stops, try checking this option.
• MIDI Event Chase on Play. If you choose this option, Sonar finds and sends the most recent patch changes, wheel events, and pedal events before starting playback. This way, all settings are correct even if you start playback at an arbitrary point in the project.
  • Include Note Events. When MIDI Event Chase on Play is enabled, the Include Note Events option allows MIDI Note events to play even if they start earlier than the initial playback location.

Hmmmmm.  The MIDI Event Chase on Play option references patch changes, but not the Zero Controllers option.

In any case, thanks for asking about this and for the reply. Glad to see you didn't end up with a £300 paperweight.  It looks like handy controller.  (Disclaimer: I am a fan of sliders!)

I still like this one, but even after all these years the UI control elements still don't have MIDI Learn. Having to use a single mouse to change various settings instead of being able to use multiple sliders or knobs is a major deterrent. This drawback might not affect many others, but for some it might depending on personal workflow preferences and uses. 

36 minutes ago, rayray said:

the other part of my question was when you add a synth track (or instrument)  what will that do?  does it detect the key of the song and "play along" or do i need to go through every measure and add chords or notes?  in this case bass notes that are say an octave or maybe 2 lower than the key of the song,

will this be in the instrument track options once i get in there?  like setting the octave of the instrument and if it doesn't autodetect the key choosing the Key of the song?

I have some "Intelligent Arranger" sound modules (hardware) made by Roland during the last century that will play background / accompaniment in different accompaniment styles based on notes that are sent to them on specific specific MIDI Channels.  I assume there are third-party software synths available  you can purchase that are similar, but I don't keep track of them.  Maybe some other members of the forum can suggest some to look at. There might be some free ones or ones that have demo/trials.

On 5/19/2025 at 12:16 PM, User 905133 said:

On 5/5/2025 at 3:35 PM, rayray said:

i guess i don't know how to use or how synths or how to apply them and what they do,

Read the manuals, watch videos, explore, ask questions.  Each synth is different. So how to use one and what they each do will vary quite a bit.

I'm not sure the products from Mario Nieto [Currently Harmony Bloom and Chord Generator] will fit with what you want to do, but maybe watching some of their videos and tutorials from third-party You-Tubers will help you decide what you want and what you don't want. 

Not trying to dodge your questions about automatic chord detection, how to tell an arranger (or other) tool notes, chord, part ranges, etc. 

Your question seems to be straightforward.  You want to know "when you add a synth track (or instrument)  what will that do?" The basic straightforward answer is:  It adds a track routed to a hardware or software synth/instrument so you can send MIDI data to a sound producing device, record the MIDI data instructions (note data, FX control data, etc.), edit and save, etc.

Beyond that it really depends of what synth/instrument you have.  So, with my 1990s Intelligent Arrangers I can record or enter) note data and control data that tells the device how to compose the arrangement.  Mario Nieto's software tools will also let me do things to create music, but they both work in very different ways.

Hope this helps.

2 hours ago, Paul DeRocco said:

. . . high resolution velocity is pointless. If you took the best MIDI keyboard every built, with only 7-bit velocity output, Horowitz himself wouldn't have been able to play middle C with velocity 64 ten times in a row. No human could ever do that. If you had a keyboard that produced true 14-bit measurements, and then replaced the bottom seven bits with actual random numbers, no player would be able to tell the difference.

But just think about how you could map all those additional values.  Yes, for a piano sound it might be unnecessary, but for a multisampled sound that spanned the full range of an orchestra (for example) accessible via velocity mapping / switching it would be amazing. If you think of velocity as only being mapped to one or two parameters (e.g., loudness and timbre) to affect a single basic sound, having all those intermediate values is overkill for sure.  But think of the possibilities on a larger sonic scale (or spectrum).  Also, different velocity ranges could be mapped to emphasize different effects.  

19 minutes ago, Notes_Norton said:

Does anyone know how he met his end?

The internet says:

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His longtime wife, Jenda Derringer, told TMZ he died “peacefully” at a hospital in Ormond Beach, Florida, after being taken off life support following a medical emergency involving his heart. He reportedly underwent triple bypass surgery two months ago.

From another source:

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A family spokesman announced the news on social media, but did not provide a cause or other details. His wife and longtime bandmate, Jenda Derringer, noted in February that her husband had angioplasty for two blockages in his leg that was followed by surgery and complications. She also said he had Type 2 diabetes.

And from what appears to be a February 22 reposting of February 21 family posting:

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We were told by someone not to mention this, yet knew we should have asked for all of prayers. Rick lightly hit his toe on the bed leg over a week ago. He never mentioned that he was using a new bottle of cream on said toe, when his fav hospital is just 5 mins. and his foot doctor is 9 mins. from home!

This medical issue has become very serious, with Rick's ring toe being taken today, by the hospital's best surgeon. Rick's right leg, however, had two blockages, that were unblocked prior to surgery. After angioplasty, blood was flowing well and Rick was ready for his surgery. Post-op, the blood is not getting into Rick's foot and toes as much as the hospital would like it to, and that indicates further complications, as he has type 2 diabetes.

Rick is asking for everyones collective prayers. He was doing great post-op, but not so good at the moment.

Prayer Power please!

Much Love from the entire Derringer Fam

On 5/25/2025 at 5:29 PM, Salvatore Sorice said:

I'd think most members know of Rick, but maybe not? He is a great musician and educator. His "What makes This Song Great" series is absolutely wonderful, his interviews of artists are fabulous, his music theory videos are very informative, etc., etc. Highly recommended.

Just my opinion...

In addition to the anecdotes and the insights into music, one of my takeaways from those interviews is the respect Beato and his guests have for each other as well as for the love of music.

10 minutes ago, Mr No Name said:

I do enjoy his pessimistic and whinging rants, he is usually right in what he says.

Most of what I have seen in his videos is neither pessimistic or nor whining.  Though you may enjoy that, the overwhelming majority of the content he offers seems to be more insightful, positive, and enlightening. Of course, maybe that's biased by the videos I choose to watch.

47 minutes ago, rayray said:

just a newbie to some certain features of Cakewalk.  My goal was to add a bass synth track to see what my songs (that i have produced on cakewalk for 2 years but never needed this feature) and see what the song in question would sound like with a Prog Metal version

Thanks for the clarification.  Hope my original post was helpful in getting you up to speed with adding a synth / instrument track.

49 minutes ago, rayray said:

On 5/22/2025 at 5:54 PM, Starship Krupa said:

Right click in the Track Header area on the left side of Track View and select "Insert Instrument" from the resulting context menu.

Be sure to check out the Bandcamp page in my sig as well as my YouTube channel. Don't forget to like and subscribe.🙄

[emphasis added]

oh i will and thanks for the answer so difficult for others to provide,

Not sure what you mean by this ^^^^.  Not sure if you noticed that my response included three of several possible ways to add a synth track.  Those three were not difficult at all to provide. 

On 5/19/2025 at 12:16 PM, User 905133 said:

Some people like to use the Menu Bar >  Insert > Soft Synth . method which calls up the list of the soft synths you have installed. From there its just a matter of following the steps, one of which calls up dialogs that let you set various options/choices for inserting the track(s).

If you've added FX plugins using the Browser [default shortcut key = B], you might want to use the Browser to add Instruments that way. Choose the plugins tab in the browser then the Instruments button to access the list of soft synths you have installed and scanned.

Personally, I automatically just right click in the TV [Track View], select Insert Instrument and the use the Add Track Wizard.

[emphasis added]

The difficult part was trying to write it in such a way that it would be accurate and helpful (1) depending on your level of knowledge and experience  (and those who might come along later and have a similar question), and (2) without running the risk of appearing to be insulting. snooty, snarky, etc.   

Peace.

2 minutes ago, Salvatore Sorice said:

He hit it yesterday late afternoon Eastern time. Was fun to watch. I think he was on about 3-4 hours, but I happened to catch the last hour or so and watched on and off until he hit 5M.

I was already subscribed, still am, and was busy listening to live electronic / synth / experimental music.  Out of curiosity, what did he do for the three plus hours (or at least what you watched)? Curious if he played clips from previous content with added commentary, if he did live ear training, countdown lists--such his top 25 interviews, or what.  

1 hour ago, lɐʍdlɐʍd said:

Subscribe to Rick Beato's Youtube Channel today - he's livestreaming until he hits 5 million! - how many's he on at the mo? it might be more fun to not subscribe and see how long he livestreams for haha 🤪

Since he made 5 million yesterday, to be a true contrarian shouldn't you be advocating that people UNSUBSCRIBE to see if he will do another lengthy livestream and if so how long it will take him for all the subscribers who unsubscribed resubscribe??  

PS: Once you find an organ emulation [softsynth, plugin, VST] you want to try, the basic process to use it is: run the software installer, run Cakewalk's VST Scanner (under Preferences), then insert it as an instrument track.   

1 hour ago, Grace Greene said:

Just a quick question -so i can add an organ, but cakewalk doesn’t provide it and I will have to outsource the virual instrument? 

As a consumer of music products I have been using Cakewalk Software since the days of MS-DOS when it was a sequencer--that is before there were software synths, virtual instruments, etc.  

4 hours ago, Grace Greene said:

I recently just got a MIDI cable to record my keyboard into Cakewalk, but have encountered some issues. I would like to add an organ into my song, but am only able to use the MIDI to control the piano, drum, string and bass presets. 

If your keyboard has an organ patch, you could take the audio output and record that, unless your keyboard is really a controller and doesn't have any sounds.

If you are using Cakewalk by Bandlab (sometimes called CbB by users--a free version of the older pre-Bandlab SONAR software) there are an amazing amount of software instruments (including some that have organ sounds) available for free or for a cost.  You could also use either a sampler or sample player. I guess you would call that outsourcing.

If you are looking for recommendations for a specific kind of organ emulation, it doesn't hurt to ask for opinions.  Also, there are many videos where YouTubers do tutorials, comparisons, "best" lists. There are also web bloggers who have webpage-based lists.  Obviously, people have different tastes, needs, preferences, so where manufacturers offer free demos, you might want to try the demo out before purchasing one. 

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If anyone could instruct me on how to fix this, and even show me how to get an organ specifically that would be very appreciated!!

(1) TTS-1 is no longer distributed with Cakewalk by Bandlab (CbB). 

(2) The video doesn't really call attention to the importance of MIDI Channels.  

Some background which you might already know. MIDI is a communication protocol.  Your controller tells hardware and software devices what to do using MIDI Commands (Instructions).  Basic MIDI data (e.g., notes on/off, controller changes) are channelized on up to 16 MIDI channels.  TTS-1 uses the 16 channels for up to 16 different sounds.

But without a multi-timbral sound device (such as TTS-1, or a hardware sound module), you can still use Cakewalk to record on different MIDI channels and/or to play back recorded MIDI data on different channels routed to different sound sources.

Without going into a lot of detail that you can get from tutorials, documentation (manuals, online help), etc. you can add an organ if you have a device (hardware or software) that makes organ sounds, such as an organ (or multi-purpose) plug-in / virtual instrument.

There are other sections in the forum where different software synths/instruments are discussed.  There is also a section devoted to tutorials, including some series that many new users have found very helpful. 

1 hour ago, Starship Krupa said:

Mike has MANY free highly useful and instructive videos . . . .

He also has a more in-depth course you can buy . . . .

There are MANY other YouTube channels that feature instruction in how to use Cakewalk. There is a list of them in the Tutorials section of this forum.

You know that I and plenty of others here know all this, but IMO it is very well worth repeating in this thread for the benefit for others who might be new to Cakewalk and who might get a little frustrated when figuring out how to start getting up to speed.