Variorum

Damn, scook!!! You're everywhere! All the time! 😋

If it really bothers you (by obscuring the screen), you can edit or replace the image file for the splash screen (Cakewalk Core\Splash.dib) with a graphics program that will load and save DIB files. PaintShop Pro will do this and I'm sure there are others. You can substitute a tiny image (i.e. 5 x 5 pixels) so it won't be obtrusive. You'll  have to jump through some security/permission hoops in Windows 10 to overwrite the file, and it may be replaced with the original with some future update... so make sure it's worth it.

If the file you have is fx_phase_tip.cwb (downloaded from https://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Knowledge-Base/2007013062/Sonitus-fxphase), then that's not what you're looking for. That's a Cakewalk Bundle file... essentially, a project file and audio files bundled together for demo purposes. It doesn't contain the actual Phaser component.

I think @sjoens is talking about the actual PRV windows, not the automation lanes.  It actually a little weirder than that... if you delete all regular (0-127)  CC controllers from the view and leave only the Wheel controller, it reverts to the correct scale of -8192 to 8191. If you add a regular CC controller after that, the view retains the -8192 to 8191 labels even if you select and edit the regular controller.

The only thing that indicates the wheel (Pitch-Bend) controller consistently  when it's selected for editing is a dim horizontal line at the zero position.

I just dab Wite-Out on my monitor and draw in the correct labels 😉

For all my fellow cheapskates, you can download a surprisingly good collection of drum samples as a 254MB zip file from musicradar.com here.  Free!

It contains several complete kits, a bunch of miscellaneous samples of individual kit pieces (Ludwig, Tama, and Sonor snares, et al.), and a few dozen REX loops if you're into that 😊. Some of the samples are multi-velocity, too.

Good for general use, additional sounds for your favorite drum VST, or as a huge expansion to the Drum Replacer samples.

I'll apologize in advance if you already know this stuff... some people who are new to GPO aren't aware of some of the quirks 😀

Most of the instruments in GPO use Modulation (CC1) to control their volume. Velocity generally controls the attack of the note. There are some exceptions (GPO is not known for consistency 😫). For example, the key-switched SAM brass instruments don't use velocity at all; their attack is modified by a knob (usually CC73).  The keyboards and percussion instruments DO use velocity to control their volume, but virtually all the strings, brass, woodwinds, etc. use Modulation (CC1).

Double check that Modulation (CC1) is higher than zero for the tracks that aren't producing sound. Either wiggle the Mod Wheel on your keyboard, or manually insert a CC1 event at the beginning of the track, or add an automation lane to the track, set to Modulation, and drag the first node up.

On 2/27/2019 at 11:33 PM, K.P. Sullivan said:

I find the search interesting and I get to hear a lot of cool jazz songs along the way.

Yeah, that's the cool part! There were quite a few good songs written back in the 90's using relatively primitive software. Some great orchestrations of anime and video game music, too. I often wonder if those people are still making music today...

Another vote for Rode here, I have a pair of NT1A's. Really wide dynamic range and incredibly low noise... I can can crank the pre-amp gain all the way up and record a flea fart 10 feet away with no hiss! Pretty flat frequency response, too.

Wow @K.P. Sullivan!  I didn't expect anyone to do real research on the file😉  Thanks for the effort!

If you have a few GB's of midi files, you're way ahead of me. I only have a couple hundred meg.

I think you're probably right about the "WinJammer Demo" label on the tracks... I didn't think of that, but it makes sense.

I attached the original midi file below.  I also uploaded it to my site. Here's a link if the attachment doesn't work for some reason.

Let me know if you have any problems DLing it, and post a copy of your version when you're done! 

SONG5.MID

I really liked this! Good song, cool video, pro production... But the credits were my favorite part (Herbie Hind 😋 ).

 Looking forward to seeing more of your stuff.

I had no problems at all when I upgraded to CbB. V-Vocal appears in the Region FX list and works perfectly. I have Melodyne Studio, but I agree that V-Vocal is still useful for some things (like vibrato 😀) and it's sonic quality is comparable to Melodyne for small adjustments.

I'm pretty sure V-Vocal was only included up to X2, though, so your X3 copy will have Melodyne Essentials instead of V-Vocal. If you don't have a version of Sonar that included V-Vocal, it's highly unlikely you'll ever be able to install it separately since it was technically a Roland product and isn't available anywhere.

2 hours ago, emeraldsoul said:

and would still be not out of place if encountered in an elevator

Nah... this one would be too easy. I'm thinking about remixing some Death Metal into elevator music, though 😁

8 hours ago, soundregion said:

the bass comes in very strong here

Yeah, doesn't surprise me. I get different results with 3 sets of headphones, the monitors, the car stereo, etc. Tons of respect for the good mastering engineers, I don't know how they make a song sound good on every system 🔊

2 hours ago, abacab said:

and those instruments are a lot better than the GM sound sets available back in the day!

Yup, but strangely, I like a lot of them played on the old crappy sound cards better than the newer instruments, especially the old Amiga "tracker" songs.  Klisje Paa Klisje, anybody?

Just nostalgia, I guess...

Ahh! Found a thread on the old forum that might give some help if you're still having trouble: http://forum.cakewalk.com/Behringer-Motor-61-and-Sonar-Platinum-as-Mackie-Surface-Controller-m3505276.aspx

Cool looking keyboard! I've never seen one that has motorized faders.

I see that there are actually 2 midi ports that are associated with the keyboard; one for the keyboard itself (port 1) and one for the control surface aspect (port 2). 

Dumb question, but I assume you've selected/checked both ports (1 and 2) under input and output in the MIDI Devices section of preferences. You'll use Port 1 as your Midi input in the track view. You probably shouldn't use Port 1 output at all

You should probably add a control surface (using Port 2 as the midi input and output) using the "Mackie Control" device since Behringer MOTOR supports Mackie emulation.

Just guessing here since I can't get to your machine. 😋

Wow! @msmcleod That's a perfectly balanced, clean set of samples! And recorded totally dry (the way acoustic instruments should be 😀 )...  It may be the nicest piano I have now.

For the people using the SFZ version (which works great in the Sforzando player, BTW), paste this at the top of the .sfz file to take care of the release he mentioned:

<global>
  ampeg_attack=0
  ampeg_decay_zero=0
  ampeg_decay=0.005
  ampeg_decay_shape=-2.6635
  ampeg_hold=0
  ampeg_release=0.3
  ampeg_release_shape=-4
  ampeg_sustain=100

Thanks again!

2 hours ago, Rogério Dec said:

is there any way to simulate a vibrato in a flat voice?

I'm guessing you don't have an old version of Sonar that included V-Vocal... it has a vibrato function that allows you to to ramp up the amplitude. It's pretty realistic if used carefully. It still works fine in CbB.

And thanks @Lynn for the pointer to meldaproduction.com. I thought I knew all the freebie sites, but this one's new to me. I just grabbed all their free plugins in the giant 275MB bundle... New Toys! 

16 hours ago, filo said:

Do you know a Digitech SDRUM?

Nope! Had to look it up 😋

Cool device... It would certainly be possible to implement the basic functionality (the variations on a rhythm, etc.), maybe use a little 2 bar GUI to click in the basic beat or use a Midi keyboard to tap it in. Strumming in the pattern on a guitar would actually be the (relatively) easy part, but that would require a VST... I think sticking to MFX for this one is a good idea.

Not an easy project but not extremely difficult, either. Thanks for the suggestion! I'll add it to the list 🎸

On 1/24/2019 at 5:28 PM, Elffin said:

Cool - great stuff tbh!  Would you consider creating a midi compressor???

Hey Elffin... I still plan on making a Midi Compressor, but in the meantime, check out this MFX component by azslow. I just noticed it on his site.

It allows you to draw in a velocity response curve (with ur mouse!), which makes it useful as a velocity compander. You can even save curves as presets...

Here's the page and here's the download link.

Hmmm... not sure if it's the same issue, but this tripped me up, too. If any blob is selected, auto-scrolling stops (that's by design), so make sure there's nothing selected and auto-scroll works fine.

Just a thought...

22 minutes ago, Elffin said:

Would you consider creating a midi compressor???

The Velocity MFX that comes with CbB almost does it, but not quite.

A midi compressor would actually be pretty easy... I'll add it to the list (unless the bakers add one more slider to theirs) 😎

5 hours ago, Grafo said:

May I suggest an idea for a new plugin?  some kind of LFO to control midi parameters (cutoff, volume, panning, etc.)

Ha! Already started poking around on this one after I saw a post about a VST called Midi Shape Shifter

It'll be pretty simple at first, maybe generate a sine, triangle, square, sawtooth wave... tempo synced with divisions, and I think allowing control of amplitude and frequency from assignable CC's would be cool.

I'll keep you posted! Hahaha! Get it?... Posted?... It's a Forum?... <crickets> 😋

I sometimes like to go through my immense collection of old Midi files and use them for DAW practice...

This is a re-orchestration based on a MIDI file named SONG5.MID, circa 1996. It was part of a collection of demos for a now defunct sequencer called WinJammer, and that's pretty much all the info I have on it.
I'd love to know who composed the original MIDI song so I can credit him/her. It's a really nice piece... ashamed to see it lost to the obscurity of the old internet.
If anyone has any information about the composer, please let me know. Thanks!

I used several VSTs for the orchestration:
Session Horns Pro
NI Fretless Bass
Ample Guitar AGG2
Addictive Drums
Cakewalk Rapture Session
Garritan Personal Orchestra 5

...and my trusty Yamaha EX5

Hi Willard... Nice piece! 

I think Mr. Smallwood is influenced a bit by Bach. 🙂

I've played around with GPO5 a bit; I'd be interested in taking a look at your project. I'll send you a message w/my email address if you'd like to send it to me.

14 hours ago, scook said:

Now if Variorum want's a challenge, create an MFX wrapper for Tcl. One that takes advantage of the TK graphical toolkit

Yeah... Let me finish up my Grand Unified Theory and get that Mid-East peace treaty signed and I'm on it 🤪