John Vere

Way back in the Atari days my midi software saved in a .SNG format. I found out later on that all I had to do was change the file extension to .MID and it worked. I still have those files. And a little tip. There's no real reason to save any audio as an MP3 file. Use Wave 48/24 for best quality. MP3 are just a way of compressing the music for the internet which is now outdated thinking.

I can work, I was doing this playing live keyboards using Cakewalk as my VST host, but I was playing backing tracks using Win Amp. I think the ticket is everything has to be using the same sample rate. In my case I use 48. Otherwise Cakewalks audio engine shuts down if the other apps are using a different rate. Also make sure this box is not checked in Windows sound settings.

I clicked on the link and saw what looks like a web page made for little kids and I left.

As I said Motu tech support told me to purchase a USB 3 card. It might be in your case your USB 2 port has high ma. output.

You can use the add track option found in the upper left of the track pane. But yes workspaces can remove important features. But that said mine never have changed as part of a update. Use Advanced or none.

The waveform view might be because you have comping mode on and there are additional lanes? Open the tracks lanes views.

There's ways but that's not what a professional would do unless they had absolutely no other option. Any process that removes artifacts will also alter the file in some way. The degree of success depends on the quality of the tool. And the good tools are probably not in your budget. If there are any flaws in an exported mix it is best practices to re export it and deal with it at that level. And this method is free.

Wouldn’t it be a simple matter of re- exporting the mix? Possibly your buffer settings are too low? Sometimes larger projects need preparation like bouncing a few instruments etc. And make sure nothing else is running in the background, turn off the internet etc.

You can see it’s all on shaky ground and I give credit to the new company for even bothering to keep it available at all. Once again a reminder to backup the command Center download folder as well as all your serial numbers.

Every once in a while I get so pd at the Motu I go back to my Scarlett 6i6. But then my workflow is interrupted by simple things like adjusting my headphones between the inputs and playback. This is a simple control on the front of the Motu. The Scarlett requires fussing with the software mixer. And the missing Loopback. The 8i6 doesn’t have a blend control so I crossed it off my list at the time it was more expensive too. I wrote an article on shopping for your interface a few years ago. It was based on choosing the features you need and not using pricing as I think most people seem to do. You quickly end up with a short list to pick from. But the one unknown will always be that all important ASIO driver. Manufacturers are all over the map with drivers and keeping them updated. I was hoping a driver update would eventually fix the Motu. I’ll see when I get a new computer if that’s what fixes things. Combining the power supply with the USB data connection is a bad design. Never again .

As far as I can tell there is no such thing as a Motu 4x4 but there is a M4 which is the interface I've been using for a few years now. And yes as @rsinger just said mine was funky when I first got it and an letter to the company resulted in a reply telling me that because it was Bus powered that I need a good USB 3 port. So I purchased a USB 3.0 PCIe card and it solved 96% of the problems. So that's a hidden cost of around $35. Make a note.. I had gone against my own advice and bought a bus powered interface. They all have a long history of issues which is related to the USB system on every computer will be a bit different power wise. Solution is only purchase Interfaces that come with power supply. My Tascam us1641 plugs into AC now that's much better. Wall warts are a cop out in design. Just to keep the heat down I guess. The Tascam isn't even warm! Anyhow I like most of the features but pet peeves are.. The lack of a power supply jack. might have cost $1.00 to add. It has to be set at 512 ms just for small projects, the exact same project on same computer will run at 256 or even `128 with my Focusrite Scarlett 1st gen 6i6. Even my old Tascam does 256. So to me it's inferior to an interfaces made 8 years ago. The tascam is from 2008. Then the back panel 3/4 input jacks have no toggle for instrument or line input and they are about the most Whimpey signal level I've ever seen in my half a century plus of using music gear. My Rolland drum machine is inaudible when connected here. Not the same on all my other interfaces, even my 2006 Fast track pro. Then it randomly will record garbled audio totally out of the blue and I have to completely re boot system for it to go away???? Possibly once again related to the stupid bus power. Probably a great interface for Mac owners as Byron has said. I'm going back will purchase a Focusrite or even a RME but first I need a new computer. I more gig and I'm almost there....It sucks how little interfaces have progressed in the last few years. Am I happy with my $370 purchase-no. Do I recommend it- No. What do I recommend. I don't know right now because nothing I looked at had all my ducks in a row. Actually the Behringer x18 my son has let me use is looking better every day. But it doesn't have loopback.

I’m not sure what the problem is? I do just like @57Gregy does. I click a measure or 2 ahead of the point and hit record. Tip: To return to the same spot you se CTRL W which toggles now time between stop in place and return to where you started. Simple.

It’s too bad that Midi 2 is so slow in being adapted as I think these are the sort of issues they addressed.

Highly recommend the upgrade if you use Melodyne a lot. Like Cakewalk they have really come a long way with improvements. But sign up for e mail and check for specials. I upgraded from 4 to 5 Assistant for $100. Then next sale I upgraded to studio for another $100. So total investment over last 6 or more years $250. Full price for Studio is $400. It sure would be nice if Cakewalk followed a similar pricing and activation policy as Celemony does. Cakewalk and Melodyne make fore a very powerful combo especially for singers and guitar players. I love the way I can go in and remove a low E that droned when you play a D cord. My guitar chops are on the decline as arthritis slowly sets in so I need all the help I can get.

That was totally weird, I typed the above reply 3 hours ago and it was blocked. Said it was held for approval??. That's a first for me. I tested the insert using a TRS to XLR cable. It seems to work. I see why the guy invented the shorted out version as the cable is not really seated its just sitting there. So I think I'll make one up and see, I'm about to hit the Submit reply button... lets see what happens.

Thanks @Glenn Stanton Yes I am aware of using the Y cables I still have a bunch and yes a patch bay would be handy but mine is long gone. All I'm really asking is if anybody has made one of these shorted out cables before. And the big issue is if taking the signal which has now passed through the Behringer's pre amp will be to hot for the Tascam's XLR inputs which are also pre amps. I just dug out my Yamaha MD 8 which has inserts on Channels 1 and 2. So I'm going to test that in a few minutes. Impedance miss matching is a bad idea when what you are after is a nice clean signal. What's really missing is my interface is limited to only 4 true line inputs. 1-8 are mike inputs only, 9 and 10 are at least switchable between line and instrument so I have 6 useable inputs. And I'll need Phantom power on 4 mikes which at least the Tascam has split into 1-4 and 5-8. You defiantly don't want phantom power involved when interconnecting 2 mixers. After I dug out the Yamaha MD8 I looked at it and went- I could could just use this! Nope, need exactly 14 channel.

I'm preparing for a live recording session this Saturday. I will be using my Tascam us1641 into 14 tracks of Cakewalk. This will be this young Vancouver based bands first live performance. The gig will be at one of the band members Aunts farm here in the interior. A barn party, perfect for a first gig. She asked me to come and help them set up the PA and then was talking about how cool it would be to record them. The mixer they are bringing is a Behringer Xenyx 2222 FX. I was going to go dig out my XLR Y cables ( don't laugh, it works) but when I looked at the picture of the back of the board discovered it has the bonus option of insert jacks! I don't have the mixer until a few hours before the show so I cannot test this so I thought I would tap into the collective knowledge of this wonderful forum. I've used other mixers, Yamaha in particular, that if you use a standard 1/4" TS patch cable and only insert it to the Ring contact ( first click) you get the direct signal and it doesn't shut off the channel strip. This was a pretty standard way to record to an 8 track. This is the second use of insert jacks. The other of course is to loop it trough a processor using a special Inset Cable. I see the Behringer uses the same system as the Yamaha so I will assume this will work. Then I found a real good tip I think I might be even better. You make special cables shown in the diagram which allows you to insert a stereo jack all the way but it has the Tip and Ring tied together. It gets more complicated because the Tascam only has XLR inputs on the first 8 inputs. I can use the other 6 1/4" inputs, But what if I make some cables that are as such. Am I risking an impedance miss-match using the XLR inputs this way? Pre amp into pre amp wise. Tip- goes to XLR pin 2 ( hot) Ring- is shorted to tip. Sleeve - is shielding goes to XLR pin 1 Ground XLR pin 3 open. or shorted to pin 1?? Talk me out of it. Thanks for you help.

That’s one I never thought of. Heres another option that I have used for including my Lexicon mx 200 in a mix on vocals. I basically have to record it to new audio track. I solo the vocal bus and change the output to 3/4 which are connected to the Lexicon inputs. If you don’t want any effects bypass the pro channel and the effects bin of the source tracks and bus. But I want the EQ and compressors on for this. I create a new stereo audio track and I use 3/4 as the input to the new track. I set the Lexicon 100% wet and play and record the output in real time. Using my interfaces direct monitoring I can easily preview what I’ll get and make adjustments on the fly. The Lexicon track goes to the vocal bus. Now I just adjust and mix in that track to taste. It use to work via USB on Windows XP but they never updated the driver.

Sorry my friend, but it is a 99.5% probability that you did. Don’t feel bad. As David said after Zillion hours of midi editing in my life I’ve seen it all. Combinations of how stuff gets selected and keyboard shortcuts often lead to this sort of mess. One of the huge reasons to save versions or safety copies as you work on large projects. And this is a fact for all editing software. I just lost 30 minutes of editing in Vegas and only to find out I’d somehow turned off auto save. It was a keyboard shortcut I think.

I said normally

You comment leads me to believe you didn't set the export dialogue correctly.

Compressors are not normally on a send. They are Inserted directly in the signal path. Generally after the EQ. Of course there are creative ways to use these effects but a compressor is a tool you can use to make sure say a vocal track plays smoothly And Unmask would also seem to be used in the same way you use a compressor but you feed it from a side chain. So once again not a tool that you put on a send to a buss. But I see no reason to note set those up as a FX chain in the pro channel where they belong and save that as a pre set.

There’s many creative ways to use effects. Best practices since DAWs came around was to use them in the traditional manner like we did with mixing consoles in a studio. There was only 2 ways to patch in the hardware. Insert patch point which was usually right after the pre amp gain stage ( Pro Channel-FX bin) which was how we connected EQ and Compressors. There were a few other unique processors like Exciters you might also add here. Then you had a few Auxiliary sends that each would loop through a reverb or delay unit. These were mostly mono out and stereo returns. Big studio boards had lots of these sends but most of us got by with the 2. So all of a sudden you have the DAW which has the patching capabilities of the largest studio mixer that ever existed and thousands options for effects that can be used on a mix. Remember I said we only had 2. My advice is to start out and limit your self to just 2 or 3 effects and see how good you can make your song sound in the same manner that a zillion hit records were made first. Then just for fun start over doing it. But you’ll learn more about proper mixing when you take it easy with the turd polish. If your making electronic music then forget what I just said. ?

Proper audio interface with up to date ASIO drivers. Bundle files seem to often become corrupted. I’ve never used them because of the many many posts like this from people who did. Only hope for old projects is to have the same OS and version of Cakewalk available and see if you can open them with that. Then save them as CWP