scook

Certain out of scope for this thread but...

Instrument tracks are convenient but hardly essential or a significant improvement over an audio+MIDI track pair.

There is one time I always use them and that is for "synth" plug-ins that produce no audio such as sequencers. For a "synth" to work in CbB it MUST have a output track.  To satisfy this requirement rather than create an audio track for "synth" plug-ins that produce only MIDI data, I use instrument tracks.

13 minutes ago, Jonathan Sasor said:

If you do not have a hardware MIDI port for output, CbB adds an instance of the TTS-1 so that you can hear anything (because raw MIDI data going anywhere without an audio output does not have a sound). 

I wish this were the case. Unfortunately CbB does not discriminate between actual hardware and virtual MIDI cables in MIDI output preferences. This is why I asked about adding a switch in preferences to always open MIDI files with TTS-1.

9 minutes ago, User 905133 said:

This is what I started to write up yesterday but I didn't want to go into the possible need to switch Workspaces if the OP was using Basic and therefore didn't have the Event List View.  

What the OP wants to do may be outside the scope of the Basic workspace.

Opening a MIDI file does not use instrument tracks so the solutions I recommend do not either. It is easy enough to create instrument tracks after the fact if that is the preferred layout but they offer little when working with MIDI files.

It could be the OP is not trying to use a different synth though.

This may require using the Event List View to remove patch info from the file along with changing the channel, bank and patch drop downs in the track inspector or track so the TTS-1 reassignments stick. I usually remove all this data and set the patches in the plug-in UI.

When adding the synth why bother adding a MIDI track if one already exists?

Add the synth and audio track, change the existing MIDI track output to the new synth.

The only synth insert method that requires adding a MIDI track is the add menu. In that case, deleting the new created MIDI track is almost as much work as dragging the MIDI data and there is still an extra MIDI track so why not delete the new MIDI track and reuse the existing one?

BTW, I recommended opening the MIDI file to preserve tempo data.

Go dialog

Yeah there are a variety of ways to add synths to a project. Some use the "Insert Soft Synth Options" dialog. This dialog also has the "Enable MIDI Output" option. The option works regardless of the method used to enable it.

29 minutes ago, Jaspre said:

When I play the instruments, they don't record.  How can I fix this?

Depends on what it meant by "play"

Here are a couple of threads that posed a similar question

Use the VST2/3 drop down above the track 1 VI UI to "Enable MIDI Output"

The track 1 VI will now appear in the input drop down of tracks  2 through 4.

Set the input as needed on tracks 2 through 4.

Tracks 2 through 4 will also need input echo enabled.

Track 1 might need input echo enabled too if the data is not already recorded.

Make sure there are no selections in MIDI output preferences then

1. Open (not import) a MIDI file
2. Make adjustments to the project as desired

Change the workspace menu to Advanced, None or create your own workspace.

Quite a while ago (pre X Series) there was a discovery process as part of the installer which added certain editors to the Tools section of the the Utilities menu.

The hooks were retained in the program so the registry entries still work.

I wrote the Tools Editor to simplify the process and remove the need to directly edit the registry.

CA-2A has not been updated and released by BandLab. It is not available at this time.

This may be a good place to ask about the device

here are the clean install instructions

https://help.cakewalk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034066393-Clean-Install-Cakewalk-by-BandLab

Sfz takes no special editor.

They are text files with tags similar in appearance to XML.

Most of the sfz files I have created were based on existing files and the relevant chapters in Simon Cann's "Cakewalk Synthesizers." Thousands of sfz files were included in SONAR. CbB still includes the sfz-based Studio Instruments.

There are quite a few threads in the old forum on the subject.

Here is a link that may be helpful https://sfzformat.com/

SF2 is a completely different beast.

Yeah, by default the tool runs in a very conservative way. I tried to add enough information in the help and readme to setup the tool for better performance.

You could run the .reg file but the easiest way is change the Update Registry to Yes in the tool when creating a new entry. This way instead of writing a .reg file, the tool will directly update the registry.

If you have any more questions about the tool please post them in

For me there is no comparison...

 I do not have the Crowd Choir project.

Chances are the new install defaulted to the Basic workspace.

If you don't use lenses in 2018.11 then set the workspace menu to None.

This will show the full default Control Bar.

The control bar settings are stored in the registry HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\Cakewalk\Core\MCBControlBar

IIRC, there have been some bug fixes to the Control Bar and at least one new module added since 2018.11

2 hours ago, Paul conley said:

It appears I am now forced to use the Workspace feature?

To the extent that their is always a workspace setting...yes.

One of the settings is None.

When the workspace menu is set to None, the workspace feature is effectively turned off.

I mostly run with the workspace menu set to None but enable a workspace from time to time to test and see what others may be experiencing.

To date, the only time my workspace setting has changed was when I changed it. Otherwise it stays at None.

Yes

I do not have a Focusrite device but there are many here that do.

If you have problems with  it, I am sure someone here can help.

48 minutes ago, brandon said:

I am presently relying on the PCs internal sound

24 minutes ago, brandon said:

Driver  - Asio

If this is the RealTek ASIO driver do not use it. Use another driver mode.

Cakewalk always records the signal at a track's input.

To record effects in a track or bus FX rack  in real time create a send or route the output to an aux track or use patch points to connect to new audio track. Record enable the aux track or new track and record. It is always a good idea to record the original signal too, just in case. It can always be deleted later.

If the dry track is already recorded, bounce to track(s) is faster because the wet track does not need to be recorded in real time.