Should I power on the midi keyboard before or after opening the project?

[T Boog]

Hi guys. My project has two active soft synths, TTS-1 piano & SS5 Drums. When I power on my keyboard before opening the project, it causes a glitch... I get a clicking sound then there's no audio at all. The whole project goes silent. The only way to restore audio is to reboot my computer.

Now, if I open the project first, everything is fine until I power on my keyboard. Then, it instantly changes the TTS-1 from 'piano 1'  to 'clean guitar'. But I do still retain audio.

I tried setting it to the SS5 Drum track first then powering on the keyboard but that makes the drums go silent. Everything else still plays. 

So is this a TTS-1 issue or do I have something set wrong? And is it proper to always open the project before powering up the midi device or should this not matter? Thanks!

 

[Bristol_Jonesey]

I always power everything else on before the computer

[DeeringAmps]

3 hours ago, T Boog said:

When I power on my keyboard before opening the project

Is CbB open first?

The keyboard and audio interface should both be on BEFORE you launch CbB.

I always boot up the computer first, then fire up the audio interface (in this case RME UFX).
One caveat here: my midi keyboard is USB powered, so it is powered up as soon as the USB port is "hot".
Also, my Control Surface is on before I boot the computer (firewire, Tascam FW1884; it is slow to connect to the
computer if it is "hot" before Windows launches...)

So all interfaces that CbB will "need" are up and working BEFORE I launch CbB.

 I never launch CbB by double clicking a cwp file, but that's just me (it unclear from your post what exactly your routine is).

t

[T Boog]

6 hours ago, DeeringAmps said:

it unclear from your post what exactly your routine is)

I used to turn on my keyboard before opening the project file and it worked fine. But again, that's now causing a problem. Btw, I'm using a korg synth as my midi controller thru a multi pin midi port. 

Fwiw, I started the project with the TTS-1 but I suspect it may be causing the problem. I'm hoping someone can tell me why powering up the keyboard first is knocking out my audio completely.

 

[DeeringAmps]

1 hour ago, T Boog said:

I used to turn on my keyboard before opening the project file and it worked fine

What is listed in Preferences > Midi > Devices as your midi input and output devices?
Make sure the Korg is attached to whatever is listed there.
If no midi device is listed, CbB will always assign TTS-1 a the default midi device.

t

 

[mettelus]

You do want things connected (to the same ports) and powered on before opening CbB by default. The simple reason for this is that CbB reaches out to Windows to see if your CbB preferences match what Windows shows available. Once you have everything online and setup in preferences (what you may need to do when/if you have connected things CbB has never seen before), if they are always available when CbB launches, it will "just happen." Even silly things like swapping USB ports will make Windows see it as a new device, and this can trip up CbB because it asks "What is available, and is it known to me?"

When you said, "I get a clicking sound then there's no audio at all," is the audio engine stopped (and can it be re-enabled), or are you sending MIDI to the keyboard? This may simply be a preferences/routing adjustment that you need to do once to correct, but after that the project should come online without issues so long as devices are online before the CbB "looks for them."

[Will.]

With Cakewalk always before. Two other DAWS I use, it really doesnt matter when. 

[T Boog]

11 hours ago, DeeringAmps said:

What is listed in Preferences > Midi > Devices as your midi input and output devices?
Make sure the Korg is attached to whatever is listed there.

Hi. There's only one midi device listed under inputs & outputs, my Audiobox interface. Pretty sure my Korg driver used to be there too.

So I just uninstalled the Korg driver then downloaded the latest version. But when I try to install the Korg driver, it says "ERROR: No device plugged in". The synth is def plugged in thru my interface midi port.

So how do I install the new driver and get it to appear in the preferences> midi devices list?

Thanks 😉

[DeeringAmps]

13 hours ago, T Boog said:

korg synth as my midi controller thru a multi pin midi port. 

The Korg is connected to the Audiobox interface? If so no, no driver necessary. CbB “sees” only the Audiobox port. 
Is the Korg the sound source? Or is the midi driving a VSTi?

[T Boog]

1 hour ago, DeeringAmps said:

The Korg is connected to the Audiobox interface? If so no, no driver necessary. CbB “sees” only the Audiobox port. 
Is the Korg the sound source? Or is the midi driving a VSTi?

Yeah, I only use the Korg as a controller to drive vsti's.

[TracingArcs]

As stated above power all devices on before you open CWB. I use a Presonus 26c and a Korg Wavestation. You only need the midi out of your Korg connected to the Audiobox (which has no power switch like the 26c) , and the Korg switched on before opening CWB.

[mettelus]

Windows will only see devices directly connected to it as stated, so as a pass-thru only the MIDI port on the interface will register. You can lose some of the internal functions of the keyboard doing this, but it will pass MIDI no problem. 5-pin DIN connnectors into the computer are rare anymore, so many use 5-pin ports being available as a criteria on interface purchases if they need them.

Quick edit: I am not familiar with that keyboard, but if you do have USB available from it, that is highly preferred, since it will make the keyboard "fully functional" with its own drivers. The USB connection will pass everything the keyboard is capable of doing, versus the pass-thru route.

Edited October 23, 2023 by mettelus

[John Vere]

If the Korg has a driver and a USB port then you can connect it directly to your computer. In that case yes it should power up with your computer and before you open Cakewalk. 
If you use a midi cable to an interface then it doesn’t matter if  the Korg is on or off.
Cakewalk will see the midi port of the interface and if that box is selected in midi preferences then Cakewalk will show it as an input option on midi and simple instrument tracks. 

Cakewalk has no way of knowing or caring what is connected to the interface.  It is communicating with your interfaces midi driver not the Korg. 
Only USB midi connection need a driver and then Cakewalk will identify it and it will show as an available device on the list in preferences. 

[T Boog]

Thanks guys. I think I got it. I have the TTS-1 Piano on track one. Track one's midi out was set to Master but the midi in was set to SI Strings in(don't rem doing that).

Anyway, I changed it to "all inputs ch 1" and it seems to be working now. The sound isn't cutting out anymore. From now on, I'll make sure to double check my routing.

Anyway, Thanks for all the help!