Arranger track Setlist control via shortcuts or MIDI controller?

[Ugo Fantozzi]

Hello.

If you want to use Cakewalk for live use on stage, I find the arranger track with its sections to be a very good way to organise a setlist.

Each section is one song. You can arrange the order of them (create the setlist) in the arranger below.

Now, when you play the sections individually (in the left sidebar, clicking the play triangle left of its name) it plays and stops at the end. To play the next section/song, you have to mouse-click the next play button. This works well, but it's not ideal in a live situation, because you need a person to use a mouse.

Now, can this process »play the next section« be somehow implemented in a keyboard shortcut or even better to a midi foot controller?
Even better, to have a shortcut for »up« and »down« between sections prior of playing them, so you can select another song quickly without touching the computer.

In short: controlling the playlist/arranger with »up« »down« and »play« buttons/MIDI controls.
 

[msmcleod]

Although you can't bind a shortcut to previous/next arrangement section, you can bind for previous/next section.

So to get around this:

1. Bind "Go to Next Section" / "Go to Previous Section" to a key or MIDI note within Preferences->Keyboard Shortcuts
2. When you load your project, commit the arrangement for the setlist you want (don't save your project tho!)

Hit play, then use the shortcuts to navigate.

If you need the transport to pause after playing each section, you can insert MCI commands at the end of each section within the event list, e.g. this will pause the performance just before measure 33.  It's important to put it just before the end of the section, so it's seen as part of that section and not part of the next one.



If you're using the MCI commands, you could skip committing the arrangement and just use the navigation keys/midi notes to go to the next section you want to play.

Note: There are two MCI commands you can use:  "pause" and "stop".   Pause will stop the playhead at the current position, whereas stop will potentially rewind to the last marker / zero, depending on your settings.

[Ugo Fantozzi]

msmcleod, thank you so much!

"commit the arrangement" is the thing I was missing and putting the "stop" command at the end of a section is crucial!