azslow3

In my tests Cakewalk in fact silently drops everything MIDI time code relates. You can try to set Cakewalk as "MIDI slave" (https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR X3&language=3&help=Synchronizing.05.html) but this will not work in case your keyboard is not sending continues time code when played. If I remember my early tests, that also has other problem. Check if you can ask buttons to send something else. Even MMC (SysEx based) will work. Just not MIDI system realtime.

If it does and AZ Controller is in use, Options/"Block all channel messages" and "Block all SysEx messages" should filter our the keep-alive (or dummy control can be assigned to it). In HUI mode that is a different story, still that is the job of control surface plug-in to tell Cakewalk which messages should be filtered.

@OP: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,406.0.html describes what and how is (and not) converted by ReaCWP. REAPER has full functional demo, ReaCWP is free. So you can easily check how that combination works. Written 2 years ago, that could save me a lot of fun writing ReaCWP 😀 But I guess, as with other AATranslator formats, you are not going to touch MIDI and FXes. Still, respect if you manage to distribute file chunks along tracks correctly 🧙‍♀️

Another option: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,163.0.html If buttons do not work as expected (but fader does), in the CbB preferences, MIDI, Playback and recording enable Key aftertouch.

Sonar/CbB is long time not extremely smart when working with MIDI devices, in part of detecting which device should be connected where. So disconnect both devices, cleanup all of them (there can be several instances) in Windows (device manager, with show hidden devices set), delete CbB MIDI settings file, install both (on location/hub/port you will always using them) and there is some chance that will be stable. Precise instruction how to remove MIDI devices and CbB MIDI settings you can find in many posts on this/old forum.

I am hard to find in this forum, I am almost in stealth mode last 5 years 😁

Long time ago there was Frontier Transport and BB3 fro Jl Cooper... But except some second hand staff nothing is cheaper then X-Touch Mini. Any MIDI device can do what you want, f.e. some 25 keys MIDI controller. Also any (Windows compatible) gamepads can do that. PS. I have not ported my "Not A Mouse/Keyboard" from REAPER, that (any mouse/keyboard) are truly cheapest transport controllers (some are wireless, without BT/Net) 😀

Or you can use alternative solution: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,298.0.html This does not require extra track nor MIDI loopback. But can be a bit "slower" (~0.1 sec delay between marker is reached and stop is executed). But playback/recording can be started immediately after stop, "Stop" is triggered only in case current marker name is changed with transport active.

You can use Generic Surface/ACT MIDI and "learn" the message you use for Stop.

If you connect right cable to properly working MIDI keyboard, "In" LED should blink when you press keys. That is independent from CBB. In case you have just one keyboard and one USB-MIDI cable, it is hard to check what is not working. You can partially check that USB-MIDI is working at all: enable USB2.0-MIDI Output (!) in CBB, put(create in piano roll) some MIDI clip on MIDI (!) track with output set to this (USB-MIDI) output. When you play the clip, you should see "Out" LED blinking. In the Windows system tray there is an icon with 2 "LEDs" (when CBB is running). These should be in sync with LEDs on cable. If you do not see "Out" LED blinking in the test, check that Out on this icon is blinking. If it is not, you setup something wrong for the test.

In general, any controller can work with "Plug-in Dynamic Mapping" (that is what ACT Learn is). Cakewalk ACT plug-in supports up to 8+8+8 controls only. Korg Nano and most other controllers have more buttons. Generic Surface has no controls limit, but just 12 parameter for Dynamic Mapping. Also both have no feedback. With under an hour of effort, you can make simple preset for any controller using AZ Controller (without feedback, you will need another hour or two for that...). Using X-Touch (you already have) you can check how X-Touch Mini is going to work. X-Touch Mini in MC mode is a small subset of X-Touch controls, once you found which buttons are assigned (which is easy, AZ Controller shows which controls are assigned and which do not), you can use your X-Touch with X-Touch Mini preset. Do not forget temporary remove MCU plug-in during tests, 2 plug-ins with one controller will produce unexpected results.

I also think that will work. So, some MIDI message (f.e. some CC) which looped back as a Control Surface message (f.e. Generic Surface), with this messages assigned to Stop command. It is not going to be extremely accurate in time...

There is no complex ready to use preset for Korg Nano. While it has more buttons, faders and knobs, all of them are tiny and except buttons do not sync automatically. That you know from A300, but do not expect the same device quality... The list of good integrated controllers is small: * special original support: Roland VS-700, A-X00; Naktar Impact; Presonus Faderport (old one); Alphatrack * AZ Controller: Behringer X-Touch Mini, BCR2000, X-Touch Compact (audio feedback only, not good for general use) * MCU module: Mackie MCU Pro, Behringer X-Touch (big one) and other devices with complete MCU emulation (more or less Presonus and ICon). No ACT Learn. All other controllers are working throw MCU module. The number of available controls is way less then on MCU (over 100!), so the result is more like "somehow works" then "integrated". Simple controllers can work with Calewalk ACT or Generic Controller. But in this case there is no feedback at all and available set of operations is limited. It can take some time to learn X-Touch Mini operations, I mean memorizing all modes and switches. But once you have learned that, I bet that is the most usable with Cakewalk controller in that form factor for today. With some extra effort you also can adopt what the contoller is doing, from simple changes (encoder resolution, executed command) up to complicated tasks (everything available for Control Surfaces).

X-Touch Mini will do the job. It works as "ACT Learn" and can control almost everything else. It has no motorized faders, but unlike other "mini" controllers it has endless encoders and so always in sync with parameters. WARNING: make a backup of ACT XML files before using ACT with any other controller, in case you do not want to loose your A300 mappings ! http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,377.0.html

That approach can be used even more sophisticated way. I have not ported the code to CbB (at least not yet), but the following works: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,423.0.html So a mouse can be the cheapest and smallest wireless transport controller (and it can work without charging for a month or more...). And a keyboard can be the cheapest wireless button controller (with 102 buttons) 😉

Connection is normally as stable as local network configuration (which is easy to configure wrong). "Deep integration" is a personal thing (in range of Control Surfaces support in CbB, f.e. content editing is not really supported). F.e. http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,295.0.html

Have you opened its GUI (f.e. from Utilities Menu) and set "Disable handshake" option? When everything is correct, there should be no more "Connecting..." (even without any device attached). I do not remember exactly, at least some Mackie devices can think that the connection no longer exist and so there is no reason to work when there is no heartbeat. But I think that was HUI, not MC. Some of us are more programmers then musicians (I mean professional programmer and hobby musicians). I am a one of such kind 😉

Replace mackiecontrol.dll with the one from https://github.com/msmcleod/Cakewalk-Control-Surface-SDK/tree/master/Bin/x64 That is a mod from msmcleod, more advanced then my own (since I do not have any mackie device). It has "disabled handshake" setting, once set you will not longer see "Connecting". If you ever hit the limit with what you can do in using Mackie plug-in, you can dive into AZ Controller programming. But I guess you do not need that long way 😉

Can you mention: which buffer you try to set (ASIO or "MIDI preparation"), what is the value of different one, which VSTi/DX are you using, do you have tones of CC on that track and can it be indirect MIDI loop (not always visible)? All that can be relevant. "MIDI preparation" buffer is a kind of magic like. There are serious problems in MIDI DX concept in general and I guess some long term problems in its implementation. Sometimes bigger is worse, sometimes opposite. ASIO better keep lower, especially when you have many CC. Design mistake in VST2 (yes, no one is perfect), more precisely the fact Steinberg has described that part not well, followed Ableton (and in my tests Cakewalk) have interpreted that part wrong, as the consequence the rest of the world had to adopt. The number of CCes can also influence internal buffers inside particular plug-ins. In general it is not a good idea to draw them "smooth" (when possible). And so on... 😁

My point is that DPC latency can be influenced by background activity. May be good optimized for audio PC/Notebook is rock solid when MS updates its drivers... but I have hard time to believe that is always the case 😉 So during update/startup/malware checks/telemetry collection/(100 more tasks) I observe high DPC. But that does not bother me much as long as after all that is done I can use my notebook without latency and clicks (while not really optimizing it for audio). With MSI I also have failed to change the mode to major components. But many "tiny" devices, like mentioned in the linked post, could be switched. That "un-share" interrupts, also for major components. I guess the effect is system specific, but share interrupts was never good. In the worse case there is simply no difference in DPC, but since there is no known negative sides (as long as the device/driver is able to work at all), why not set it just because that is possible.

There are many reports in the Internet about "DELL latency" and ACPI in particular. I also have DELL (older XPS) and it also reports "no go" in Latency Monitor, sometimes from ACPI, sometimes from Wdf, etc. When started at bad time... I mean to conclude that is really persistent, completely update the computer and wait till MS has finished all pending tasks. Can take a while (hours) when connected to the internet and several reboots. Once the system is finally "idle" (no pending tasks, almost 0 CPU use), take it offline. Wait for a while and then start Lantecy Monitor, without doing anything else (not starting any application). If you still have problems in such environment, there is something seriously wrong. If there is no problems when completely idle but there are problems when you start applications, that is a different case. As I wrote, if I start Latency Monitor without "preparation", the picture is bad. But I can easily keep the buffer 64 without any glitches when I need that (RME+REAPER). I do not think ACPI has troubles by itself (as most MS own drivers), something should "helping" it to do this. That something can be hard to find. But disabling all background programs you do not need and unused/not important devices can eliminate the trouble. Even if there is no logical correlation, modern computers are complicated devices with hundreds of components. And all these components are "fighting" for some shared resources. One of the tricks I was not aware until recently: https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/windows-line-based-vs-message-signaled-based-interrupts.378044/

How they explain that? Do they think if you attach your notebook (all these keyboards do not need special drivers) the keyboard will break? I do not expect the service I have 15km from me (all possible keyboard, can attach everything, they have computer with software for testing and normal grand to compare with...). But I have thought there must be some minimum service in all local shops... There is no reason for them to exist otherwise, in the world of Internet.

On the positive side, that keyboard was the primary reason to use Cakewalk.

LOL. I know what is possible to do just with 2 buttons (or pedals), especially if there are keys in addition. Or with 3 buttons and one encoder (a dedicated mouse, as a DAW controller). I also have "one encoder" variation of Roland keyboard. And I can use any normal knob as encoder or "instant control" (without the need to sync first). But the discussion has started with Keylab 49, with hardware encoders. I mean that is in different league. F.e. encoders configured as: Jogger, track selection, current track volume and pan. But well, GX61 + X-Touch Mini can be nice combination. With combined price equal to LX61 😉 Unfortunately, when I was shopping for a small keyboard, I have failed to play anything except Yamaha synth keys and Roland MIDI keys (I have checked all available at that times devices, thanks to the shop in the near which had them all). Yamaha produce no MIDI keyboards, so I had no choice...

Note that GX61 has no DAW controls except transport buttons. And while LX has out of the box integration, I do not know how people can be happy with normal sliders and knobs when using it with a DAW. I mean for tweaking just one plug-in for long time, f.e. play some instrument, that is convenient and "hardware" like. But after switching plug-ins, controls should be moved "in position" first. That was too annoying for me. So while I have tried to use VS-20 (as surface) and M-Audio Keystation Pro (tons of knobs), I have found myself using just buttons (which are always "in sync") and faders to adjust levels (good as long as the number of tracks is under 8). I am rather happy with X-Touch Mini now. Just because it has encoders, so I do not have to think when I want adjust something instead of setting "from scratch". I have understood that with Peavey Studiomix, but I have bought it used with all controls "aged" to the point it is useless (encoders do not report the direction correctly, faders are moving "by themselves", etc.). Next attempt was Novation Nocturn, but it has bad encoders (hard to move, low resolution, partially double/wrong triggering... the last is compensated by Novation Automap, but when hardware is bad the software can not fix it).