Jerry Gerber

1 hour ago, DeeringAmps said:

Big fan here so what more can I say than Brilliant!

t

Thanks Tom!

Because digital synthesizers are capable of far faster attack times than orchestral samples (or live players), it's always a challenge to get the best possible "feel" between the synths and the digital orchestral samples. By moving the soft synth tracks later in time it ensures that their attack times do not sound ahead of the orchestra. We're talking milliseconds; if the timing isn't just right, it can sound rhythmically off.  I re-recorded the movement by shortening the amount of time the synthesizers are beginning their attack times by moving the synth tracks backward 20ms so that the synths are coming in slightly earlier than in the previous version. It's not something that can be heard, but it can be felt by a sensitive listener. I think this retains the tension of the music, but also seems to add a bit more cohesion between the orchestral samples and the synths.

Jerry
https://www.jerrygerber.com
https://www.youtube.com/@astromusicvideo

1 hour ago, Ross Smithe said:

Fantastic, sweeping soundscape Jerry! Obvious you put a lot of work into this. Well done!

Thank you Ross! Much appreciated.. 

This movement is driven by 6 soft synths, 3 instances of Dune and 3 instances of Zebra.  These synths are orchestrated into the orchestral texture using all VSL samples.  

This piece was composed mostly in Cakewalk for Bandlab and ported over to Sonar for finishing the composition, mixing, recording and mastering.

I hope you enjoy listening.  I would say the energy is "controlled frenetic".  The score is available for those interested.

PLAY

Jerry

https://www.jerrygerber.com

11 minutes ago, Bristol_Jonesey said:

All old projects work fine here. 

What are the "other" outputs you're routing to?

My mistake. The problem is isn't Sonar, the RME UFXII interface has independent submixes for the soft synths and for some reason the new installation of Sonar caused problems with the sound. As soon as I cleared & reset the submixes in TotalMix FX, the problem disappeared. 

Perhaps because Sonar handles audio (apparently) different from Cakewalk this caused an issue with the audio interface. 

In any event, it's all resolved now. 

Thanks for replying! 

Jerry 

My softsynths (Dune & Zebra and probably others) stopped working in Sonar.  By "stopped working" I mean the sound comes out of only 1 channel and is full of distortion, very low in volume.  At first I thought it was my headphone jack in my RME interface but that's been cleared.  

When I setup a NEW softsynth track in Sonar it works fine.   But any softsynth tracks that were created in Cakewalk for Bandlab are having issues.  

Am I the first person to recognize this and is there a fix?

UPDATE:

It turns out that when I use the MAIN Outs for my softsynths (which I do not want to do) the synths play fine.  But when I choose another OUTPUT, I get garbled, bad audio.

Has this been reported?  This is a real drag on my deadlines!!!

2nd UPDATE:

I was wrong.  The problem is my UFXII audio interface.  For some reason, the new installation of Sonar caused an issue with the softsynth submix outputs.  I reset the submix in software and now everything is working as expected.  Sometimes I forgot how complex these setups we use are, and how many things have to be excluded while troubleshooting. 

Back to making music!!

Thanks,

Jerry

https://www.jerrygerber.com

I went ahead and installed Sonar with a 1 year subscription. 

I'm satisfied with the program, it does everything I want it to do. I have one complaint:

The color options should be expanded quite a bit. Particularly the event list, I'd like to be able to color code events in my own color choices that are easier on my eyes..

Sonar has been around for a long time and many users are getting up in age. Color options will really help. Please make that a priority! 

Jerry 

https://www.jerrygerber.com 

Ah! Thanks Bristol and Colin.   I missed that little check mark.  Much better!

I just subscribed for a year for Sonar.    I have no problem supporting a company that produces Cakewalk but PLEASE do something about the ridiculous lack of color options, especially on the track view where every track is the exact same color, other than the small vertical bar on the left side of the track.  

I don't understand how or why these color options would be downgraded instead of left alone?  I see that the color options for audio tracks, midi tracks, etc are still present in Preferences-Customization-Color but they don't do anything!  Am I missing something?

I much prefer to look at Cakewalk by Bandlab, it's like looking at a beautiful, finished piece of software.  With Sonar it looks like a beta version that isn't complete.   I am just referring to colors, not the audio/midi/plugin part of the program.

Jerry

https://www.jerrygerber.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@astromusicvideo

I downloaded the evaluation copy of Sonar.   I am not sure if this evaluation copy is the exact same as the free version.  In the evaluation copy, there's a screen that makes me wait 15 seconds or so while it's counting down, and there's a banner across the screen, near the top that urges me to become a member.   Does the free version also have these "features"?    In other words, do I need to do anything to make the evaluation copy not have these irritating annoyances?

I will probably subscribe even though I hate the subscription method because I want to support Bandlab for allowing me to use Cakewalk for free for these several years.  However, there doesn't seem to be any features in the paid version that I use. 

Please add the capacity to change the colors of the events in the Event List, as every other version of Sonar & Cakewalk has had.   More color options in general would be a welcome addition, as in the tradition of all past versions of Sonar & Cakewalk.

Please fix the bug in the Notation Editor where tied & dotted triplets do not display correctly.

Thanks,

Jerry

16 minutes ago, sjoens said:

Curious if you can export colors from one theme and import them into another like we used to?

Good question.  Does the new Sonar allow for color import as it allows for keybinding import?

When considering to subscribe to Sonar, I discovered in the latest version that color options are much limited, for example changing the color of events in the event list seems to have disappeared.  

Also, in the notation editor, Sonar still does not display tied and dotted triplets correctly.   

As far as the colors, are these options going to be returned?  As far as the notation editor, will this bug ever be addressed?

Thanks,

Jerry

https://www.jerrygerber.com

https://www.youtube.com/@astromusicvideo

Is it still possible to change the colors of PATCH events, CONTROLLER events, etc.. with the latest version of Sonar (2025.06)?

Thanks,

Jerry

1 hour ago, Martin Schiff said:

Do you use a notation program, or Cakewalk/Sonar, and if the latter, do you play the parts in?

 

I use Cakewalk exclusively, I've been using it as my sequencer/DAW since 1991.    I use Sibelius for scores/parts.

I don't play any parts in.  I used to do that when I was doing commercial scoring, but I've gotten very fast at using the mouse to enter parts and editing all the needed CCs that I don't bother playing them in.   I still play piano though all the time!

20 hours ago, Martin Schiff said:

Are you going to release the entire series as a  compilation  at some point?

Yes, all of the videos are here:

https://www.youtube.com/@astromusicvideo

8 hours ago, treesha said:

Fantastic is right. Relaxing, dramatic, awe inspiring, serene, expansive, boy are we a speck. I didn’t realize you also do the astrophotography, amazing. Thanks for posting

Thanks a lot Treesha!  I am glad you enjoyed the music video.

Jerry

8 hours ago, Matthew Simon Fletcher said:

This is really pretty! Thanks for sharing

Thanks Matthew!

3 hours ago, Bajan Blue said:

Hi Jerry

I really enjoyed this one - love the music, excellent stuff

Nigel

 

Thanks Nigel!  Glad you enjoyed it..

9 hours ago, Martin Schiff said:

Beautiful work, Jerry. Both the astrophotos and the music.  I really enjoyed listening to the music. 

What libraries do you use primarily for the orchestral realization?

I have the Hubble deep field photo as the background on both of my monitors, so it was on one while your video was playing on the other. 😉

 

Thanks Martin, I'm glad you enjoyed the music video.

I've been using the VSL Symphonic Cube for over a decade and will continue to use it until I die.  It has so many great samples, quite a few that I haven't even explored deeply yet.   I also use:

VSL Appassionata Strings, VSL Solo Strings, Vienna Choir, Requiem Professional Choir and East West Choirs (with their word builder software)

Jerry

On 5/29/2025 at 10:12 AM, steve@baselines.com said:

Nice accompaniment to the wonders of the Universe.  We are so fortunate to live in such an interesting mysterious math-driven environment where not everything makes sense yet,

Thanks Steve!

A new astro music video, #13 in an ongoing series..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0B5BNR7zuw

Enjoy!

Jerry

8 hours ago, Martin Schiff said:

I love this one! Both the images and especially the music.

Thanks Martin!

7 hours ago, treesha said:

Your music sounds great and the astrophotography is amazing. What we cant see cant inspire us so it’s amazing to know whats out there. I’m pondering how it’s only relatively recently humankind has seen these things. I like the changes of mood etc in the music as it evolves. Very inspiring.

Thank you for watching & listening Treesha.

An astrophotographic music video featuring the gorgeous astrophotography of Timothy Martin

WATCH