User 905133

I will agree that Mello-Fi can make audio sound like a 3" reel-to-reel tape deck. Very crayonish tape emulation; not nuanced. As for the Mellotron emulation, the factory samples on IK's Sampletron 2 sound much more "Mellotronish" both with and without IK's additional Tape Effects. As for the orange crayons to apple sauce analogy, a free v. expensive comparison would be appropriate. To be clear, the Mello-Fi factory presets do not make incoming audio sound Mellotronish. As for sounding like Lo-Fi tape recordings, they are more caricatures. When I have a chance and more spare time than I have presently, I will dig out my under $100 7" reel-to-reel, some tapes, including some 3" reels done on an ancient first generation (I think) portable tape recorder (can't get more low fi than that) and assuming the mylar tapes don't squeal and the acetate tapes aren't too brittle, I will make some samples and do a good faith attempt to use Mello-Fi to simulate realistic tape effects. I could be wrong, but I think anyone with even a "tin ear" would be able to tell the difference. As I tend to do, if I am wrong, I will correct myself.

Very true!! I tried IK's Sampletron 2 with some of my own audio and thought it sounded more Mellotron "tapish" (or tape-like) than arturia did. But to its advantage, Mello-Fi works in real time (i.e., on live music as it is being played). 🙂 Sampletron 2's tapes need to dropped & dragged or loaded. So far as I can see there is no audio in to apply the tape FX. 😞 Also, I remembered as I was shutting down last night, I forgot to mention arturia's "tape stop" FX. That's a plus, but I think the Jr. H.S. hacker got a little help from a first-year college sibling who was home on spring break. 😜

I don't remember my reel-to-reel tapes ever sounding as bad as the factory presets in this Tape Distortion. I'd get out my old reel-to-reel and try doing a comparison, but by now all my tapes probably have that nasty tape deterioration / degradation squeal. At least the ones I heard the last time I tried listening to some tapes had the squeal. Now, if these new-fangled imitation tape distortion FX plug-ins simulated varying degrees of that type of squeal, they would be more realistic than the distortion-I-never-had sound the contemporary plug-ins offer. Maybe I should find a blank section of tape, record the squeal, and convert it into an IR. 🤪 A realistic reel-to-reel simulator should have several modes of mylar distortion (varying degrees of stretched tape all of which sound different, varying degrees of crumpled tape--including when it slides under the capstan and gets pulled by the take-up reel but still drags across the playback head, when the slightly stretched and twisted tape flips over for about 0.75 seconds before straightening out, etc.), as well as acetate tape artifacts such as a torn tape that either never got spliced or the splice came apart while playing back with the take-up reel spinning for a few seconds before the auto shut-off kicked in. I can't be the only one that remembers the sounds of real tape artifacts! 🤪 Sorry to be so down about this plug-in. Maybe its just that I'd rather have an FX plug-in--like yet another delay that sounds better than real delay ever did instead of a pretend effect that doesn't sound even half as good as the original artifacts. This sounds like it was done by a junior high school DSP hacker who did a science fair project, not by a professional sound engineer. 🤪 On the other hand, its free! 🙂 PS: I just dug out out the CHOW Tape Model Plug-in. Even though it doesn't have the mylar and acetate artifacts, the CHOW version (also free) has more parameters to tweak to better "tune" the distortion tape to sound more realistic. For example, here's just one set of parameters ("Degrade").

Bonus: resets Virtual Cash reward expiration date to 365 days! 🙂

Let me explain my comment. Some software synths have sounds (sometimes called "presets") that repeat (loop) when a key on a keyboard is pressed. Many software synths (sometimes called "plugins," "VSTs," "Virtual instruments," etc.) have sounds that can be used for dance music. For example, instead using loops that other have made, you can use the sounds that come with software synths. When I said "some plugin/instrument makers include loops," I meant "some software synths" available from different makers/developers/sellers have looping sounds you could use. I hope this clarifies my comment. Cakewalk's Virtual Keyboard Controller - no other devices needed!!!

I tried this in a number ways, including the number of FX (e.g., 3 plug-ins) in a track FX bin and the moment I press and hold ALT. Unless I am doing it wrong, I am finding that the method replaces the entire FX bin with a new choice. I tried this with both Audio tracks and Instrument tracks with the same results.

I thought we could do this depending on the capabilities of our hardware and software. Or are you wanting for Cakewalk to be able to override the capabilities of the hardware and software users have? EDIT: I think I figured out what you mean. Do you want (a) different things to happen (b) to a single parameter (c) based on different combinations of knob, slider, button, etc. states?

Thank you for this post!

New Test: Rebooted PC then booted CbB . Opened up a few projects in my list of recently opened files (one at a time). All opened with the floating Synth Rack. 🙂 One at a time, I opened a handful of older projects (2005 - 2015). All opened with the floating Synth Rack. 🙂 I will defer to others who are more experienced with Screensets in case they can provide a solution. Other than a default Screenset, I don't actively use them. I will also defer to others who might know if some setting somewhere might have been changed. Just for fun, I tried switching Screensets stored with a project from 2010. With the "Float Rack" Workspace, Alt+9 brought up the floating rack. Same result with the default CbB Screensets (01-10) in the test projects. Hope you can find a solution that fits your workflow.

I remember reading about this. Not sure if this is the thread I read before or if there is another thread I might have read. In either case, I tested a whole bunch of things including tweaking one of my Workspaces to have a floating Synth Rack. To test it I saved an open project in three states: (1) floating synth rack open before saving, (2) floating synth rack minimized before saving, and (3) floating synth rack closed before saving. After each, I closed CbB but didn't reboot my PC. In all cases, Alt+9 either immediately brought up the floating rack or brought it up after a second Alt+9 keypress--possibly because the projected I tested with had a synth instrument within another synth instrument that might have hidden the synth rack with the first Alt+9 keypress. Double checking now. Opened all three test files (one at a time) using my 2022-04-06 Workspace. This Workspace has the Multi Dock on the top with the Track View on the bottom. In all three cases, the file opened with the Console and the Synth Rack as tabs in the Multi Dock. Closed CbB. Booted CbB. Switched to my new (tweaked) Workspace: Float Rack. Opened all three test files (again, one at a time). I had several synths floating in such a way that I didn't see the Synth Rack when the project first opened. When I closed the floating synths (or moved them out of the way), the Synth Rack was floating. I will try to test tomorrow to see if this continues to work. I think my test cases address this. I tested the two Workspaces after saving the project (1) with the floating Synth Rack open, (2) with it minimized, and (3) with it closed.

Hope I am not derailing the discussion, but I am wondering what the advantages are of using either a Control Surface style setup or an ACT style setup over a more direct approach. For software synths, I usually just right click on a parameter control in a VST (unless the VST requires an additional parameter mapping step), select MIDI Learn in the VST's UI (assuming the manufacturer implemented it), and move the desired hardware controller on my keyboard.

Ooops. I wrote this draft yesterday, looked at what dance loops I had picked up, and never came back to it. "Dance" seems very broad. Maybe contact Bandlab and ask for some specific genres of dance? As for loops "out there," I see people selling all sorts of loops. I can't imagine there aren't different styles of dance being offered. Also, try Googling "Dance Loops;" there seems to be a lot of them available. Also, some plug-in/instrument makers include loops.

I am glad they finally got rid of those $12 (and lower) prices. I dipped into some of my BF funds a month or so ago, and those super low anniversary prices almost triggered the, "I should spend money on something I probably won't use except when I first buy it" consumerism reflex. GASaholics Unite!!!! 🙂

I seem to recall knowing how to do this, but I forgot how and can't remember the right words to find it via an Internet search. (Maybe it was possible on XP SP3 and was eliminated from Win 10 / Win 10 Pro?) IMPORTANT: I am not looking for how to change the default columns for a specific folder (and subfolders) or for all folders. I am looking for changing the default columns by file type. For example: BTW, I looked up "how to change default detail columns in windows explorer" and read through a number of "hits" that specifically mention doing this by type already. Also, looked up "how to change default detail columns in windows explorer by file type." UPDATE: It took a bit of reading through the "hits," but I found a method that works. Clarification: This method seems to work by changing the default columns for file type groups (as opposed to file type as listed in the type column). In other words, since *.mid, *.wav, *.ogg, etc. are considered part of the "Music" file type group, they all reflect my desired change.

No, thank you. Clearly you want it. That's fine, but I find it troubling that you have launched a campaign. Most people put in a feature request and sometimes bump it when they feel their request hasn't been implemented in the time frame they think it should have been implemented. "Email Cakewalk . . . and tell them we want voice commands?" I do some things with my right hand and other things with my left hand. It works fine for me. I have tried word processors that responded to voice commands. No thanks. I have used voice commands on a phone for very simple, non-time critical tasks. My mind-to-hand coordination is faster and more accurate than mind-to-verbal-processing (including trying to find the "right" word). "You want to set up a macro on the keys, where one key is left click, another is middle-click, and another is right click." No, I don't. "Realistically speaking, what if we could cut down on our Mouse usage by 20% in the near future?" I use short-cuts plus a mouse. I don't need to cut my mouse usage by 20%. If you do, that's fine, but please don't assume what will benefit your personal workflow will make others' workflows easier and quicker.

More info / details / etc. would help others to help you diagnose the two issues you mentioned: not receiving any midi signal no sound coming from instruments "loaded up" on track 1 Based on this: all anyone knows is that you have an audio track inserted into the project. There is no evidence that you have any instruments / soft synths inserted. There is no evidence that you have midi data routed / routed properly to an instrument in such a way as to produce sound. Etc. ** I am not very familiar with video tutorials, but there are a number of tutorial makers who have posted links to videos in the forum here. Not sure if those are some of the ones you looked at. Personally, I learn things from some of them, but others don't resonate with me (wrong learning style, too much stuff I know to wade through, etc.) However, there are plenty of comments in the forum that other users find the posted videos helpful. Perhaps you haven't found the right videos yet. If you haven't inserted / routed / setup VA-3 successfully, perhaps you need a tutorial on how to insert plug-ins / instruments / VSTs / soft synths, etc. Also there is a Cakewalk Reference Guide and also on-line documentation if you prefer text. **I typically use the Menu Bar > Insert > Soft Synth... method to insert an Instrument Track, but there are other methods that work (personal workflow preference).

That's a step in the right direction. In my experience, if data is going into the computer and midi-ox sees it, Cakewalk sees it as long as I have the device / port routed correctly. I am not sure what you mean by "Cakewalk won't detect the MIDI inputs." To me, if the E463 shows up in preferences, Cakewalk is seeing the device. Diagnostically, the next question I'd ask myself is "What then might cause the midi data to not be recorded onto a midi track?" and that would get me to look at other preferences (such as MIDI Driver Mode. I use MME for my older midi gear as opposed to UWP. Note: to change MIDI Driver Mode, access Preferences before a project is loaded. Probably more important, though is your track routing. "All" shows all of the track control widgets. [ I ] shows the selected device. [ C ] shows that I am routing my MK-449C to a soft synth called SI-Electric Piano. Note: the MIDI Echo / Input Echo button lets me hear what my MK-449 usb keyboard plays on my SI-Electric Piano Plug-in through the amp/mixer/speakers connected to my PC's Realtek Output. Top part of LED display shows I have audio.

Another option is to use Menu Bar > Insert > Soft Synth... but you don't get the wizard that way (if you like that method).

Did you save the edited sounds in a User Bank? and did you change the preset being loaded from the factory bank and preset number to the one you saved? Initial track preset: I just tested this and it worked for me when I stopped and restarted the project. However, when I saved the project and reloaded it, MyPiano 1 was no longer there. Not sure why (yet). Update: I had to save the bank and re-load it. Then, my tweaked preset was in the bank. But the preset widget still said Piano 1 (not the name I used).

Uh oh!!! 😨 Maybe I should have counted my blessings before signing up again. 🙈

2-3 weeks ago I spontaneously wondered if MSoundFactory's Meldaway Grand could be tweaked to do per-note, velocity-responsive pre-paired modifications. I need to teach myself more about how to do deep sound development with MSF. So far, I have just learned some basics. One idea is to simulate a ping-pong ball on two adjacent sets of string that bounce differently based on velocity, including bouncing inside the piano's structure. Other ideas include simulating a set of keys on a key ring. Maybe other prepared pianos like the ones mention already have macros that can do these kinds of things?

(1) Are these weekly giveaways new? (2) Does anyone here actually get the newsletter? (3) Has anyone signed up for the newsletter and not gotten them?

Correct me if I am wrong, there is also no evidence that midi data is coming from the E463. For something like that I use a tool called midi-ox. Do you have that? If so, the keyboard should show up as a midi device and the Input Window would show the midi data coming from it. I looked at the E463 manual yesterday. Let me look at that again. I seem to remember a statement that might be useful if the computer itself isn't seeing the data. Found it: MIDI-OX shows my connected devices: MIDI-OX shows keypresses from my MK-449C on MIDI channel 2: MIDI-OX shows data received: Notes (JMO): Don't let anyone tell you MIDI-OX is confusing. It can be overwhelming to grasp all at once. It can be very simple to use if you learn the basic tools first. For basic diagnosis, it is best to run MIDI-OX without other software that uses MIDI running (off; not booted).

Very nice--sounds happy and uplifting to my ears! Thanks for sharing. And congrats on completing # 12.