MIDI Keyboard no longer plays VST's in existing projects

[Robert Carter]

Today when I opened an existing project in CbB, I cannot get my MIDI keyboard (Arturia Keylab 88 Mk II) to play any of the existing instruments in the project. I am working in Windows 10. I cannot overdub record, nor play along. I get nothing. When I do play the keyboard with a track armed and record a part, no data appears. My keyboard is showing and selected in Preferences. My recorded tracks play just fine. I just cannot input notes from my keyboard. My knobs and sliders do what they are supposed to in Console View. If I open a new project, I can play instruments from my keyboard. If I save a recording in this project, I can re-open this project and everything is fine. I can play instruments as normal and record overdubs. Why can't I edit my existing projects? I think Windows did an update recently, if that makes a difference.

Thanks, Rob

[57Gregy]

Check the inputs of each track.
I am in the habit of setting the inputs to 'None' after recording with both audio and MIDI tracks. 

[Promidi]

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Edited June 22, 2023 by Promidi

[Robert Carter]

Thanks 57Gregy. That was the problem, although I have no idea how the inputs got changed in the first place. Now I have 50 plus projects to change all the inputs on. Do you know a quick way of changing them all globally.

[57Gregy]

32 minutes ago, Robert Carter said:

Thanks 57Gregy. That was the problem, although I have no idea how the inputs got changed in the first place. Now I have 50 plus projects to change all the inputs on. Do you know a quick way of changing them all globally.

Shoot, I wouldn't change them until you want to record something on that track. Unnecessary, time-consuming, potentially problem-causing. I don't want to spend time trying to find that phantom track that keeps making noise because the input is active while I'm trying to record something on a different track.

[JnTuneTech]

34 minutes ago, Robert Carter said:

I have no idea how the inputs got changed in the first place. Now I have 50 plus projects to change all the inputs on. Do you know a quick way of changing them all globally.

Typically, MIDI input assignments in Cakewalk, in fact device assignments in general, change when devices are unplugged and/or added, and even when drivers are updated, and that is mostly a function of how PCs deal with various device driver loading, before it even gets to Cakewalk. Although it can be tough, my approach has always been to make sure you start the PC with all desired devices plugged in and available, or at least made available in the same sequence in the OS before starting Cakewalk. -However, in my experience, sometimes even that cannot guarantee updates or other non-Cakewalk related events will not change the device startup - listing order.

As per @57Gregy mentions - you may save yourself some hassle by not leaving inputs assigned all the time in saved projects - I follow that same rule.

In regards to fixing the changed inputs in bulk: When I want to switch, or assign multiple MIDI inputs to the same device, I use track view and inspector view together, and ctrl-select all MIDI tracks I want to (re)assign, -starting in track view by holding down ctrl starting with the first track, and then at the final selection, -without letting go of the ctrl key-, selecting the MIDI output device I want in the inspector.   -There are also other similar procedures.

As a note - once in a while if I notice a major change in MIDI input assignments, -before saving the project again-, I have had luck simply restarting the PC with all devices connected in proper order, and re-opening the project, or sometimes even disabling the MIDI devices in Cakewalk preferences, closing the app, then restarting & re-enabling... but I know all of that can be a pain. -And - the results could sometimes even be worse, so be careful! -Still - if you have that many projects that could be affected, those methods may be worth a try in a pinch.