Dave Oliffe

Cheers, Jack!

Hi Wookiee, Thanks for your time. I chose a dusty sounding kick, can't remember where I grabbed it from. I've added some noise and saturation to it also. I agree, it's got some flab to it and doesn't have the attack/squash of many house tracks, but that's what I was going for. I wanted it to actually sound a bit clumsy.

Hi folks, Last time I posted a track on here, I really found the feedback helpful. I've applied the learning and hopefully it makes the listening experience better. Thank you!

Hi folks, I find myself trying to find a MIDI Controller that will actually work - I've had to send back an Alesis model and now I've just sent back the Arturia Keylab Mk2. The keyboards themselves work, but unless I connected them via MIDI cable, I just couldn't get them operational just using the USB connection. When connected via MIDI cables, I could trigger softsynths with the keys, but none of the transport controls would work at all and none of the accompanying software to edit where things are mapped, velocity, etc etc would work at all. My knowledge of this kind of stuff is very small - I've always had a Roland Edirol PCR 500 - it just plugged in a worked, simple as. But since buying a new PC very recently, this controller no longer seems to be able to connect at all. It won't show up in Cakewalk Prefs as a controller, where it always used to. So I started looking at the the M Audio Oxygen and thought I'd check out if others have had any issues with Windows 10 / Cakewalk. Can anyone here give me any advice before I waste yet more time and money purchasing something that won't work to its full capability? Will the above steps work for me if I get an Oxygen Pro? Losing hope with it! I thought MIDI controllers were more basic than this, they certainly were when I last purchased one (about 8 years ago). Dave

Thank you, I've sent him a message to pick his brains. I'll set the keyboard back up and test a few things out, now that I understand a bit more about the MIDI Control Centre.

Thanks for your reply, I almost messaged you personally yesterday because I had seen you supported someone on a different thread who was having issues with the set up of the Arturia Keylab Mk2 - which is the keyboard I have (which is in it's original packaging again now, ready to be sent back). So frustrating. So how would anyone know if the keyboard they're buying is even gonna work properly? Unless they ask very specific questions to the manufacturer beforehand. Is this just a Windows 10 pitfall? It just seems crazy to me that something as generic as a keyboard controller could require such a careful selection process. I literally don't know which models to look at now, I need a keyboard controller but have already wasted time and money on 2. Arturia support have just sent me the following response, which I'm guessing is connected to what you mention above... """"[IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that Windows is not Multi MIDI, meaning that you can't use a MIDI Device on multiple applications at the same time, so for example you can't open the MIDI Control Center and your DAW at the same time and use the MIDI device in both applications. Before opening the MCC, please make sure to close all Audio/MIDI applications first and when working with your DAW, make sure is the only MIDI/Audio application open.]"""" So my initial thought on this is: What's the point in the MIDI Control Centre, if I can't use it in conjunction with Cakewalk?! So, say I have a softsynth open and I want to assign certain notes to certain drum pads, I'd have to close Cakewalk in order to do that? That makes zero sense. Am I misunderstanding this?

Thanks for your answer, so my (very limited) understanding is that class compliant is exactly what you've just described above - it basically doesn't need any additional driver downloads, it just kindov uses it's own (or uses drivers that are already part of Windows, I guess). That's useful to hear the A-Pro 500 works, but I wonder whether Windows 10 has changed lots in the last 3 years and now has compatibility issues?

Hi folks, So in the last week, I've unsuccessfully set up 2 new MIDI keyboard controllers. One from Alesis and the other from Arturia. With both, I encountered the same issue. Both were class compliant USB connections and neither seemed to be able to fully operate or communicate via USB. More specifically, it was the accompanying software or extra features of each model that just wouldn't sync properly. So now I'm left with a brand new all singing all dancing PC, made for audio production, but unable to get myself set up with what I thought should be a pretty basic piece of kit. I've never had this issue in the past. Anyone know what the hell is going on?

Aaaah fantastic, cheers

Thanks for sharing, yeah that's a step in the direction I'm thinking of. The other thing I could do is just use clip effects, rather than putting FX on the whole track. I could bounce as I go that way.

Is this a bug, or am I doing something stupid? (Probably the latter). Sometimes if I try to loop audio, the clip will become a Grooveclip, but it will suddenly shrink itself to a new length, making it totally out of sync. Only sometimes. This never happens with MIDI clips, only audio. Sometimes, I'm able to stop this happening by Bouncing to Clip a few times, then attempting to Groove Clip it again. Sometimes it just works, other times it doesn't. Anyone know what might be causing this?

Yeah, I think there would be loads of creative possibilities with it. It could be a space which encourages quick, creative decisions - perhaps you'd be able to drag any other audio on top of the clip you're working on and it automatically 'bounces to clip'. It could have splicers, a bit like 'Breaktweaker' to quickly create chops and stutters etc. But everything you do is seperate to your main project, so there's no residue anywhere, less room for mistakes etc.

Thanks for breaking this down for me, much appreciated. Yeah this could work - it certainly appeals to me when it comes to treating audio with care. I'm often quite cut throat with my decisions and try to bounce stuff down quickly and not allow myself to second-guess it (otherwise I'd never finish anything). However, if I'm handling someone else's audio, what you've explained here will serve me well. However, I still find myself wishing there was something more like my original suggestion. I get the impression there aren't many electronic music makers on Cakewalk, generally speaking - when compared to your Abletons and Reasons etc, so maybe there isn't the demand for such a thing.

Thanks for this, I'll definitely bear it in mind on my next mix. I was so hell-bent on achieving a dreamy-sounding vocal that I've sacrificed it's identity somewhat. It's hard when you've written the lyrics yourself isn't it - I guess it creates the illusion that the lyrics are audible.

Thanks for this, very helpful. I had a basic understanding of this, but no idea Cakewalk had tools to solve it. I'm guessing that I'll have to be careful when creating Groove clips that the clip is 'numerically' lined up first as the zero crossing is likely to be at a point which isn't exactly in line. Certainly don't want my speakers getting kneecapped anymore, that won't do. I dislocated my knee playing football (soccer) so I know how much that hurts!