August Spencer

In order to address 2 different software synths, I currently use internal Loobe1 and 1 cabled loop through in M-Audio 2x2 midisport module. This provides me with 32 independent Midi channels. Has anyone used successfully 2 cabled loop throughs in M-Audio midisport ? Thanks.

I have auditioned some of he instruments as loaded in Cakewalk with the following results: 1.- Initially, the selected instrument sounds clean. When a new variation of the instrument is selected, notes play with clicks. Returning to the original variation retains the clicks. Reloading the Orchestools synth, the instrument plays clean. All sections behave similarly. 2.- Clarinet only loaded notes from G2 down. 3,- Bassoon only loaded notes from G2 down. 4.- Cello and Bass long notes do not loop smoothly. There is an abrupt restart. 5.- Timpanis are not tuned, difficult to include them in a classical orchestral score. Overall, this is a fine effort and some instruments sound very acceptably for Solo orchestral complement.

Thank you. Download and installation process worked as instructed. Now to audition the instruments.

Sorry for this newbie question, but better to ask than to make dreadful mistakes. When presented with the download page of the Orchestools Sections, at the bottom of each are 3 download buttons. A VST3, a Samples and a Github. I want to download the 4 Sections and use them in Cakewalk by Bandlab. What is the correct download and install procedure ? What do I download ? Thank you.

Since 905133 referred to the Emulator X, I ran into the Emulator X3, downloaded it, installed it. As expected, Windows 10 does not run it BUT using compatibility mode Windows 7 the X3 works perfectly. GUI looks similar to PVx but seems to have more bells and whistles requiring further study. In addition, there are Giga files with the original EMU sounds in exb format which play directly in both PVx and Emu X3. Of note is the Modern Symphonic Orchestra from 5 DVD iso files. Such riches. EMU lives.

Tnx 905133 for your help. Regrettably as you indicate, PVx does not respond to SysEx neither in send nor receive per implementation chart. The volume slider lower right is a global volume control for all the voices and does not have MIDI control access. The volume control wheel, upper left on single voice is also a global volume control but only for the single selected voice and does not respond to any MIDI message. Therefore it is useful to manually balance initially an ensemble, one voice at a time. And in Multi 1-16 etc, volume and pan respond to MIDI messages and the sliders move accordingly. Having finally deciphered how PVx implemented volume control, I can now hear clearly when I audition different voices. Also, now I see that one has to save the current settings upon exiting PVx in order to retain the single voice settings for the project. PVx is still the best sounding Orchestral module for me with Virtuoso.ebx bank. Emu did a superb job.

Thanks 905133. I found the problem with PVx sound. Each instrument has a Volume global setting, different from the multi 16 volume the latter of which respond to MIDI CC7. The instrument global setting must be set to a usable level. For now I set each global volume manually. It seems to act as a master gain control. Now my question is how to address to control that global setting via a MIDI command. Thanks.

Indeed music is both note playing and interpretation. Otherwise it is robotic and dull. I stated that aspects of MIDI music creation had advanced significantly over the years ( Cakewalk, Proteus ) except for Optical Music Recognition of printed sheet music and scores. Therefore, I still use Step Record and simple keyboard entry. Then, thanks to the variety of MIDI commands, the phrasing, volume, accents, attack, and other nuances written by the composer or perceived by ear on other performances, can be approximated to satisfactory levels. It is a great productive hobby.

Good points. But we would not be here if it were not for those early pioneering starts. I never imagined that a powerhouse like Cakewalk by Bandlab and the unequalled Proteus Vx would be had for free. Or the BBC Discovery for that matter. The one aspect of MIDI music that has not advanced enough to be useful is score sheet recognition and conversion to MIDI. Very disappointing performance. Step record and some direct keyboard entry far outstrip in quality and speed the current crop of music recognition programs. But, I suppose that progress is inevitable and a suitable, affordable program will eventually emerge.

Like several members here I started MIDI orchestration with Yamaha DX11, then upgraded to Proteus/2 Orchestral and Ultra Proteus hardware. A lot of MIDI cables and ancillary equipment was required to create a MIDI project and reproduce a decent sound, quite satisfying. Cakewalk 1.0 came in just in time to simplify sequencing and basic editing. It evolved and is now a great software by Bandlab. And along came the free Proteus Vx which included the Ultra samples (Composer) and Virtuoso Emu samples also became available for PVx. They are the Proteus/2 set and more., The sound obtainable with such early hardware was distinct and could be quite good, at least for my classical music purposes. Today, practically the whole MIDI and sound chain is digital in software. It is (can be) extraordinarily clean, no hum, vanishing noise and distortion, flat frequency response 20 Hz to 20kHz or more. Do I still use my old hardware ? Yes for simple projects and its distinct sound. But now driven by Cakewalk Bandlab. For more substantial projects ( Intro Lohengrin, Tanhauser, Chaconne Vitali, etc. ) I use all software and digital processing until and including the recording phase. No cables. Do I prefer hardware sound ? Not necessarily. It is unique and very good. As in art and music, it depends on what one is after.

I have used Cakewalk since its first inception with Sonar until the excellent current version by Bandlab. Also, I have used EMU Proteus/2 and Ultra Proteus. Currently, I am using PVx on Windows 10 but lately, the stand alone instance of PVx does not make sounds to audit instruments even though the Options/ Audio shows DirectSound, as before. Fortunately PVx continues to work flawlessly from within Cakewalk via Loopbe. Windows 10 has not been kind to MIDI or audio with its updates which break things instead of fixing them... I am not a software writer or troubleshooter and it is very annoying searching for fixes. DirectSound is a Windows sound interface but does not show up anywhere except in PVx. So, is there a fix for PVx going mute or is there a better different sound interface that PVx can load and handle ? Help. Thanks. Melachrino.

What is the proper way and configuration to trigger SI instruments individually, such as individual drums or string instruments via midi in a Cakewalk Bandlab project.