Cakewalk with Ensoniq KS-32

[Udi Susser]

Hello all.

I've been using cakewalk since 1991 or thereabouts with my Ensoniq KS-32 which was actually new many years ago. All was well. Over the years I moved on to Sonar, and still all was well. And then in 2005 I stopped (work, life, etc.). Fast forward 15 years later and I thought I'd get back to composing and stuff. I downloaded the new cakewalk (it's free these days apparently...), and bought a midi usb adapter - roland um-one mk2 (since my old serial midi cable is obviously outdated now). I proceeded to hook up the old trusty KS-32 (it still works fine), but then the problems started. In short:

I can record midi tracks. I can play them back on the Ensoniq. I can even send patches to the KS-32 using the old ins file. But I can't for the life of me get the different tracks to work on the 8 track internal sequencer on the Ensoniq. All the different midi tracks on cakewalk play one instrument on the ensoniq - regardless of what I try. They are either all drums. Or all pianos. You get the drift. Midi in and out are set to the roland um-one. On omni (and I did try other options).

I read tutorials, googled, and watched youtube guides. Nothing helps. Things used to simpler back in the 90's. What am I doing wrong? Hopefully I'm an idiot and there's something basic I'm missing. What is it?

Thanks all.

[User 905133]

48 minutes ago, Udi Susser said:

I can record midi tracks. I can play them back on the Ensoniq. I can even send patches to the KS-32 using the old ins file. But I can't for the life of me get the different tracks to work on the 8 track internal sequencer on the Ensoniq. All the different midi tracks on cakewalk play one instrument on the ensoniq - regardless of what I try. They are either all drums. Or all pianos. You get the drift. Midi in and out are set to the roland um-one. On omni (and I did try other options).

I am not familiar with Ensoniq gear, but if you have it on Omni mode, you want it on multi-timbral mode (or whatever they called it). 

With all my multi-timbral midi gear, Omni mode = all midi data assigned to any midi channel (1-16) will get played on one and only one patch (aka preset, or maybe instrument, whichever term they use).

PS:  Also, assuming your files/tracks are multi-timbral, make sure Cakewalk is not forcing the midi data to a single MIDI channel.

Found the manual online. Someone has it available on a Google Drive.  They call it "Multi" and evidently you can set it up for up to 8 channels.  

PPS: If you are not using the KS-32 as a sound module (that is, if you are not trying to get Cakewalk tracks to play the sounds on the KS-32, but are trying to load files made in Cakewalk into the KS-32 in such a way as they play through the KS-32's on-board sequencer, that is a different matter and would require more understanding of the KS-32 than I have gotten by just checking the manual quickly. 

Edited March 8, 2020 by User 905133
(3) To add a caveat [See PPS]. (2) To pint out the KS-32 manual calls it "Multi" mode. (2) To add a PS

[Udi Susser]

Thanks.

Apparently I indeed am an idiot (that or my memory is fading). Indeed switching the system midi from omni to multi did the trick.

Thanks again!

[User 905133]

If you are the original owner of older gear, it might very well be the same kind of fading memory issue I have** . . . sometimes!  😉

**"I know I used to know how to do this, and I remember that it was simple, but for the life of me, I can't latch on to the hook to remember or reconstruct how I used to do it."

[Michael Fogarty]

On 3/9/2020 at 6:22 AM, User 905133 said:

If you are the original owner of older gear, it might very well be the same kind of fading memory issue I have** . . . sometimes!  😉

**"I know I used to know how to do this, and I remember that it was simple, but for the life of me, I can't latch on to the hook to remember or reconstruct how I used to do it."

that last line is gold 905133.