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azslow3

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Everything posted by azslow3

  1. You can disabled Realtek on BIOS level or Windows level, but no one really cares. In Record Latency Adjustement there is a possibility to set manual shift for all devices you have, on dialog display it select the first... but only the setting for currently active device is used. So select Steinberg and check manual shift is 0 (or set correctly, in case you have measured it). For Steinberg, ASIO reported value should be fine (or very close to real), so set to use it. Note that even in case ASIO reports correct value, it is for device only. In case you connect something with own latency to the input (f.e. digital mixer), extra manual adjustment should be used. There are many detailed guides how to measure the value to set there, quick method is just loop record output, zoom to the sample level and notice the difference.
  2. Somehow thinking that configuring a controller for a DAW is "intuitive" and can be achieved without reading the documentation is common. That was also my approach at the beginning. And I was so frustrated from the result of configuring "ACT MIDI Controller", that I have started to write my own ("AZ Controller")... Later I have learned that existing in Cakewalk instrumentation is not bad and can fulfill many wishes, once learned 🙄 BTW I have written in depth documentation about "ACT MIDI Controller" (interleaved with tutorial how to achieve the same in "AZ Controller", but that can be skipped): https://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,107.0.html
  3. azslow3

    more ACT control

    "Generic surface" and "AZ Controller" have no such limitation. Alternatively you can write your own plug-in, Cakewalk Surface API is Open Source under MIT license, "ACT MIDI" controller is also open source. But that is tricky.
  4. Sorry to say, but "ACT MIDI Controller" part is misleading... "ACT" button, "Active Controller Technology" group and "Exclude from ACT" in the options tab have absolutely nothing to do with MIDI learning the controller, BTW most users will want transport buttons "excluded", to use them as transport buttons when playing soft synths or working with FXes. Historically "ACT" has several different meanings in Cakewalk, mentioned options are related to "following context" and "dynamic plug-in mapping". From MPD232 pictures, it has encoders (knobs can be turned endless). For controlling DAW, so for the bank used with "ACT MIDI Controller", it is better to configure them as Inc/Dec2 (and set corresponding option in "ACT MIDI Controller" by Ctrl+Clicking corresponding cells). Banks for MIDI learn inside soft synths better set to finite (not all plug-ins understand encoders and recorded MIDI can have strange results otherwise). All switches to be used for DAW controlling ("ACT MIDI Controller" supports 8 in total, but "Generic" and "AZ" Controllers have no limit) better set to CC Momentary, pads to Note without After-touch. All controls used for DAW must have different CC to avoid troubles, on separate from performance controls channel (to avoid clashes). Controls for using with plug-ins can use standard CC (to use without learning) and "unassigned" CCs to learn (CC numbers are described on midi.org and many other Internet resources). Learning own device (reading the documentation for the device and related software) and learning software in question (in this case Cakewalk documentation, Control Surfaces section) is a good way to make a device work as desired. Randomly selecting/clicking sometimes works, but the result is random....
  5. For the whole project in a DAW (with DAW and plug-ins parameters) the number of things to control is huge. And so the mapping has to be "smarter" then in case of one plug-in. That is what ACT try to target for Cakewalk. For occasional arbitrary control or control of small subset of parameters, MIDI mapping can work. From the video about "MIDI Remote Integration" assistant it is nice from graphics and workflow perspectives. From the end result that is not what some people call "deep integration" provided by custom scripts/programs/presets, which BTW take long time to create (and required MIDI/DAW/programming knowledge). If you need a tip what you should change so it works with User mode Arturia encoders, let me know 😏
  6. It depends what encoders send when they are turned. Check if that can be changes in User mode (unfortunately from the documentation seems like not) or try DAW modes (different). "Cakewalk Generic surface" support reversed controls, "AZ Controller" supports almost all possible variations, but "ACT MIDI Controller" does not support that at the moment. Note that in case you want "ACT MIDI Controller" and you will not find DAW mode which works, ask Cakewalk to support Keylab style encoders. I am almost sure msmcleod will help (also "ACT MIDI Controller" is open source, theoretically any C++ programmer can make related modification 😏)
  7. Physical encoders technically send relative values, and that is good for DAW control since they are always at "right position" when you change which parameter the same encoder controls. CbB has to be told to use such values, after that it will "get them right". In "ACT MIDI Controller" you need to Ctrl+Click on cell to configure that, in "Cakewalk Generic surface" that is in "MIDI message interpretation" section, in "AZ Controller" it is in the Value Action parameters. Several "ACT MIDI Controller"s assigned to the same MIDI input can course "MIDI leaks". Controller block assigned messages, but these blocks are not summed. So only blocked in the last controller for particular MIDI input messages are really blocked. In case 8+8+8 limit in "ACT MIDI Controller" is a problem, "Cakewalk Generic surface" may be better solution. For ultimate flexibility there is "AZ Controller".
  8. Alternative way: https://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,178.0.html
  9. I am a bit curious why the first list does not even mention one of the best small factor interface for Windows... I mean RME Babyface Pro FS. It is possible to discuss some UA or Audient sound better/different, but for drivers and features under Windows, RME is still the best. Without extreme tweaking, the latency is also the best. Unfortunately the price is also on top... So if stability, features and latency have no value in your case, there are alternatives. If you are ready to pay extra for mentioned properties, there are no alternatives. 😏
  10. The surface plug-in is vs700.dll from https://github.com/Cakewalk/Cakewalk-Control-Surface-SDK/blob/master/Bin/x64/VS700.dll It does not matter in which directory it is, but you need to open command console (type "cmd" in windows start, you will see it, right click and select "run as administrator"), change to the directory with the file (something like "cd C:\the\directory\path") and then run "regsvr32 vs700.dll". Notice in case you get an error.
  11. Latency has little to do with the power of CPU, especially with just one not CPU hungry plug-in like EZDrummer. The system has to be tuned for music, that is in general not easy with notebooks. 7ms RTL should be sufficient for e-drums. If that is just output latency, so toward ~15ms RTL, then it is noticeable (but still playable). Apply some system tweaks and check system latency, there are many guides in the internet. As I wrote, TD can work on lowest or close to lowest settings without death optimization. The only case I couldn't bring TD latency under 12ms (RTL) was on very old Atom based box. On almost 10 years old CoreDuo (Celeron) I could use next to lowest settings. With "power save" power plan any audio driver glitch.
  12. TD11 with lowest settings has RTL 5.4ms (3.2ms output) at 44.1kHz. And that is stable and usable with EZDrummer for sure, assuming your computer can handle that. Yes, that latency is not from top class. But significantly better latency have only interfaces over €200, and you need strongly optimized for audio computer for that. Till you are in €700 category, where 1.5ms output latency is possible with moderate optimization. You write about 1.5ms from €1 interface, on computer which is not even optimized to run Roland driver without problems...
  13. Why are you not using Roland (Edirol) ASIO? from your first post I guess you use e-drums. BTW your audio equipment (umc, roland, build-in) is not capable to work with sub 5ms RTL, I mean 1.5ms you see somewhere is fake. Note that headphones with 3ms RTL are approximately the same as 0 latency with real drums (your head is about 1m away from drums, that is 3ms for the speed of sound).
  14. Yes, (most) extra tracks are buses. The concept of "Track/bus output" in Cakewalk more or less match the concept of "Parent send" in REAPER, so I create folders based on original output. But I still create explicit sends, for the reason explained before. Unlike "simple" converters, I also convert FXes. So converting buses is not just complicate the result 😏 And you can select buses and delete them quick (requires SWS and simple macro if I remember correctly, have not done that for a while).
  15. do NOT install ASIO4ALL till you are sure you need it and you are ready to accept all other audio drivers will stop working as before. Uninstalling not always helps. It does something which is probably revertible with manual editing of registry only. I once had the situations, after installing it for test. Note that major Windows update probably helps, that has helped in my case. Also note that with Cakewalk and current Windows you never need ASIO4ALL, there is no situations it performs better then other options. in Windows based $100k studio, investing $1-3k into audio interface make sense. Especially in case you want life monitor throw DAW. MIDI can be bugged from time to time. Audio interface can help only in case the keyboard is connected by MIDI cable throw it. While MIDI cable is slow, USB connected keyboards can have even worse latency. But when not bugged, that is rarely an issue.
  16. I have started with Sonar X1... "this program crash every time I try to do what I want" was true for me that time... But I have payed for it, so I am still (at least partially) there 😏
  17. Assume you are serious... Music production software is not "simple". The framework is oriented toward the intuition and intention of musicians and studio engineers. Also it is oriented toward "conventional" way to produce music, so record from external sources (audio and MIDI) and then edit the result. Independent from the DAW, you will need to learn it first. Especially if you want understand why the behavior of something does not match your expectation. Cakewalk is one of convenient to use and simple to understand DAWs. But you can try other DAWs. If you want "guided start", try Tracktion. You will get wizard for what you have to do and the view is "left to right, top to bottom" style. For not "record on type" approach, try Ableton Live. And in case you want scripts and "hard to crash" thing, try REAPER. But there is no "I am the best and the only" DAW.
  18. Normally push encoder sends specified MIDI message when you press it, normally with value "max" (127) when pressed and with value "min" (0) when your release. Which effect that produce is up to the DAW plugin (Mackie in this case). For real Mackie controller you can't change what it sends. F.e. as you can see in my picture, encoder 1 always sends note 32. In case you can change it to note 41, it will switch encoders to "Sends" instead of usual reaction, since Mackie think you have pressed (dedicated) "Send" button (in VPOT Assign section). Controller can also define some internal operation, the choice is clear once you have the device and use its editor (I don't have QCon, so I can't check).
  19. MCU messages with Cakewalk layout (it is a bit different from default MCU layout):
  20. ACT MIDI provides no feedback, so no LEDs, no track names, etc. Also the number of mappable controls is limited. So when Mackie is emulated well on device, using corresponding mode gives advantages. The disadvantage is fixed layout, it does what it does.
  21. azslow3

    END OF VST PLUG-INS

    As I wrote before... VST4 announcement can really have "armageddon" effect, not just 20 pages discussion. Any (all) VST3 developer(s) can be informed (by simple e-mail) that his/her license to write VST3 plug-ins is void in 6 month. § 9.3 of license agreement... In addition, even prior such drastic change, §3 can be used to force everyone immediately (within 30 days) change all VST related logos (which have to be used everywhere). Think about forcing Cakewalk users use Cakewalk logo and trademark notice on any media, including uploaded MP3, in case Cakewalk was used to produce it. And update that logo at all places, within 30 days, at Cakewalk wish. That is hard to imagine. But Steinberg does that. And they have no problem use "modified" GPL3 license, the license which was invented to be not modifiable at wish...
  22. azslow3

    END OF VST PLUG-INS

    Cakewalk has not announced the end of VST2 support. And till that happened, there is no reason to worry about Platinum package. Please correct me in case I am wrong, but VST2 license has no time limit. So hosts and plug-ins developers which have it can continue supporting VST2, including developing new VST2 plug-ins. One topic which is less discussed is that my last statement is already wrong for VST3! In VST3 license there are special parts targeting exactly that question (Steinberg has learned the lesson...). Effectively in case Steinberg introduce VST4 (VST 3.99, VST 5, etc.), they can enforce all developers stop develop VST3 (except bug fixing existing plug-ins). So, as I have mentioned in another thread, I hope VST3 days are numbered. Users and developers should finally realize they are owned without benefits...
  23. When your new "product" is so bad that no one want it... normally it is a good idea to (a) make your new product better (b) make completely different new product. Steinberg decision: "When our new "product" is so bad that no one want it... we will force everyone discontinue old product". That is the story of VST2 -> VST3. They have first declared VST2 "obsolete" (long time ago). Then they forbid new developers write VST2 (since 2018). They drop support in own DAWs now. Well... I hope as the result people just switch from Cubase. And I hope other DAWs developers switch from VST to something else (on Windows). In fact only tiny code in one framework should be written, in case Juce support something else on Windows, VST3 will die. Just some "highlights" of VST3: no MIDI 1.0, many parts require terrible workarounds and since not documented well can fail in particular DAWs; the documentation at many places doesn't match there own SDK; ABI is made in hope/luck/wish different compilers are compatible, they are at the moment, but no one ever has claimed they must be compatible and that level; bug fixing takes years, even for obvious bugs (several lines of the code, with bugs almost in every line, was not touched for... 2 years after detailed report). BTW "gray" licensed VST2, fortunately allowed by EU rules, can have own life apart from Steinberg. Simple, well documented and without any special assumptions, that was great invention. The same with ASIO. So technically brilliant ideas, made far from perfect just by bad licenses...
  24. The explanation for the error I have given there: Microsoft can't fix that. In Windows Device manager, set option "show hidden devices" and cleanup unused MIDI ports (if any). Every time you connect keyboard to different USB port, the system think is is "new" (the consequence of USB MIDI standard, unique identifier is not foreseen and so there is no way to match "old" to "new"). Keep Device manager open and visible. Do you see periodical "updated" of the tree? That normally indicate some device is reconnected. Happens when the cable or USB socket on device is unstable. I had that with several devices, especially with portable MIDI keyboards since you normally continuously move them and so move the cable and the socket. Note that Cakewalk doesn't like "on the fly" reconnection more than some other software, also it can react unexpected when that happens with any device, stable keyboard can glitch when other is reconnecting.
  25. Since I don't have the device, I can't tell what exactly M-Audio is emulating in Mackie mode. They also don't write that in the documentation. With one fader and 8 knobs it is hard emulate 9 faders and 8 encoders, not to say around 100 physical buttons, jogger, etc. That is why I have written "more or less" work, just the way M-Audio has foreseen. BTW close to the same functionality you will get in many other daws in which this controller works as Mackie (f.e. REAPER and Cubase). Just from photos it is clear that this controller is Ableton oriented. No wonder it gives most it can when used there, out of the box. MIDI learn technic is good to use with instrument plug-ins. Most of them support such learning. Also changes will be recorded into MIDI items and edited as CCs. "Universal" plug-ins control, including FXes, use "ACT Dynamic mapping" approach. It exists and works well, once configured right. You can try it if you try "Generic Surface" approach mentioned later. There are long living related bugs, you will need "AZ ACT Fix" utility to use it in practice (some people claim they can use it without... my mapping file was always broken after a while, so without that utility I had no joy). For DAW controlling, some (more smart then MIDI learn) integration should be used. If Mackie mode will be "no go" for you, the next bet is Generic Surface. For that you will have to learn more (under 1 hour for reading M-Audio documentation), to make DAW mode on M-Audio not try emulate Mackie and send simple CCs to DAW port instead (any... just different for different controls). "MIDI learning" inside Generic Surface is then as easy as in VSTi - select parameter, click "Learn", press/turn control, repeat for other controls. I don't recommend "ACT MIDI" for that device, that plug-in is strictly 8+1 buttons and 8+8 continuous controls oriented. Your 8+1 continuous controls + 8 buttons + 16 pads do not "fit" into it (multiple "ACT MIDI" instances, suggested by some people, is looking for troubles). If you need the "next level" (so you find Mackie and Generic Surface insufficient), you will need AZ Controller. But that is more then an hour time investment...
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