Starise

As a matter of course, especially with laptops I would turn off windows updates. I know this doesn't help the issue now. For future reference though it's a good idea.

I was going to explain, but this guy has a decent video on the subject.

And some upgrades or packages are less expensive than WUPPING what you have, or at least it has been this way in the past. WUP is more reasonable around certain times of the year.

I'm ok with jazz as long as I don't need to understand it. Some of it seems to have that feeling you get right before a woof. Woozy like take me off the merry go round. Takes an adjustment to really appreciate. Like this-

I have Horizon and a bunch of the other decent plugins that weren't part of Horizon. I can live with a WUP every few years to keep them current. I will probably never be a fan of subscriptions. I notice several other companies are offering buy or rent. If rent ever becomes mandatory, that's probably the day I start shopping for something else. Not sure if you can see the info for plugin updates. I would like to know what I'm getting in my "update". Did they add features I don't know about. Was it simply an under the hood improvement? If so, did I really need it? I still haven't updated my Windows Portal. I want to fly under the radar as long as I can. Everything is working.

One little trick on piano is to take the 5th note of any chord. Now play a chord in the same key based on that note and superimpose it over the other chord. If playing C, also play G. If playing Bb, also play F. Instant jazz. Works on any chord not just the majors. Add 7ths or 9ths for spice. I'm sure it works for guitar too if you can get the fingerings.

I think they should be called crazy.

This is potentially confusing for someone new to this. You have received some great answers here. In an attempt to explain a few things from a different vantage point I'll throw in my .00002 worth. All DAWS are just a little bit different. Even older versions of Cakewalk aren't the same as the latest release, so don't feel as though this should be easy when it really isn't easy if you've never done it. All DAWS have to take recorded midi and send it to something that can play it. If you import the midi from something else obviously recording isn't needed. It seems that you have gotten this far since you have midi on a midi track. All Cakewalk tracks both audio and midi have two little boxes at the bottom of the track in console view. The top is the input. Bottom is where the signal is going. Clicking on the boxes lets you select. Probably easier initially is to load a soft synth first. Now drag the midi right into it. No need to be concerned about input since the midi is in there already. Provided your audio interface or sound card is correctly hooked up you should be able to hear audio. It's that easy. Plugins are drag and drop. Bit the "B" key and you should see an explorer with the available synths/media and plugins available. Just drag one onto the fx area of the track. You may also right click on a midi file and you will see FX in the list. Clicking on that will open a drop down of all midi effects.

I agree with Bitflipper's analogy and Craig's approach that the customer is always right. No matter how much we try to be unbiased I believe some individuality will shine through the process. I can see where this could get dicey. The ME could say, I didn't really do anything to it. It's all neutral, yet the artist obviously WANTS something to be done to it. My guess is they want "radio ready"whatever that is.....just under the ceiling for LUFS . Put some sheen on it. Make it pop. With the ability to both mix and master as one process it can be a real can of worms. The big no no. In the old days the ME usually only had access to the un- mastered final cut. It's probably still done that way in the majority of projects. I tend to see mixing and mastering as two separate things for that reason and have even been on the soap box pontificating about it as the "right" way. In reality though, I have to ask. Is it really? I think maybe to play with the front end of the mix while listening to the back end could be an advantage. I have been known to do it here and there. For instance if there is one small element of the mix that might prevent me from making larger changes to the end product, I might just try it. Now that we have the ability to hear what a file will sound like as an mp3 coming right off the master. If I hear it and don't like something about it I can go back into the front end of the mix and see if a tweak or two might fix it. It could also cause some major problems because you are basically going to the bottom of a 50 card pyramid and attempting to remove one of the bottom cards without causing the whole house of cards to come down. I'll admit to occasionally doing it though.

This isn't an original thought but I agree with it...take 50 different mixers and you will have 50 different mixes. I think a similar thing could be said about mastering, maybe not that much of a difference but I can imagine lots of variation between mastering engineers. For me....I have invested a fair amount of both my time and money in gear and software all very capable. I have an interest in this, so why would I ever do anything but roll my own masters? The mix and master can be an extension of an artistic vision even if in only small ways. Give the job to some unattached concern and you are now subject to their interpretation of a good mix or master. One might limit the track to almost clipping, another might keep the mix tame intentionally. One might like a little more air in the mix, another might want to shave that off. I'm sure I still make bad mixes here and there, but at least they are MY bad mixes I have had Ozone all the way since version 5 I think and now we are at version 9. Its a great way to look at what they have done with the presets and in looking at these or any mastering chain we can see what's going on. Lots of times there's an exciter in the chain making you think wow! Or they bumped up the air in an EQ. When it's just a bunch of high frequency hype similar to the BBE Sonic Maximixer....I can recall being told on the old Cakewalk forum that they were not that great for master work and thinking why not? lol. I often look at those chains in Ozone when I use it and make changes based on what I want to do. Many believe a master will make their material LOUDER and are not thinking about what it can potentially do to your mix. If your invested in a DAW and have some decent plugins for master work...I say go for it. Nothing to loose. Makes no sense to me to learn mixing and figure the rest is impossible for the average person. I disagree. If you can mix and understand the whole signal chain process, then you are capable to learn to master. Sometimes a master barely touches the mix....just very small adjustments here and there. If you are leaning towards wanting a second opinion, maybe hearing isn't what it used to be, or just want another professional opinion. Can't hurt to have several sets of ears on something.

You could open that sound up on the Presonus Library with a little of the right reverb. FYI- Although Notion isn't integral to Studio One you can "send to Notion" as a command and all the midi will be there in notation form. Something I wish Cakewalk had.That also goes in reverse and you can send notion files to tracks in SO4

I guess I can't comment because I have the editor version and Cakewalk sees that version. Going by the versions page in Melodyne it shouldn't work using Melodyne essential. If it does, great! I won't tell anyone There is a possibility that some older versions might have shipped with assistant instead of essential. This is a WAG on my part. I really don't know. I used drum replacer several times and was really impressed. There are stand alone programs that do similar that aren't inexpensive..so to get it for free in CbB is a savings if one intends to use that technology.

Unless I misunderstand the data...audio to midi is unavailable in the Essential version. Upgrades are presently 49.00 for customers.

If you have Studio One 4 Pro there are already a few decent violins. cellos etc in Presence XT. This might be ok for a small addition to a pop mix. The library looks to be pretty good for a beginning classical music tool kit. The sale price looks pretty good for what it is. Would be light weight in terms of pulling down a cpu since the libraries look to be rompler sounds and not huge multi sampled libraries. There will be some limitation there if you want more expression or realism as compared to those libraries. Especially nice is the way it ties into SO4. The down side being it will ONLY work in SO4. If OTOH you buy a Kontakt Library it will play in anything. If you fancy working out orchestra music compositions using SO4 and Notion, this would be a good way to go. You can always change the instruments later on. For any users of Platinum there were tons of similar rompler sounds in Dimension Pro. Some of them quite good for similar things. Due to the better way Notion 6 connects to SO4 , I have found myself composing in Cakewalk, porting to Notion for notation. For me, Cakewalk is easier to compose in.

Lots of coffee helps! Only problem is you forget what you were...................where was I? I'm going to go wander around now to see if I can find something familiar.

This is for loops preview. If you hit key B you should see an explorer for loops and plugins. When you click one of the loops audio comes into the preview fader.

I have Shevannai and Altus.....of those two I favor Shevannai when I'm recording anything that needs nice female voice in it. I haven't used Altus as much mainly because I had no need for a male alto very often. I looked at Mystica which seems really nice for some material. Although there is another nice library out there now if looking for female voice in a medieval or ethereal setting. Mimi Page Light and Shadow is a great one for comparison.

This doesn't directly answer that question because as Max noted nothing usually works very well when the drums aren't tracked individually. This won't be useful to you now, but maybe later................find a decent drummer and let him or her play the parts in using almost any midi drum controller. The better ones yield better resolutions.........but an old Alesis or Yamaha midi kit works in a pinch. Drummer>midi>vst>simples. You can tap in beats using any midi keyboard as well. Cakewalk has a drum replacer feature that works pretty well. Might save someone the trouble of a total retake or audio to midi conversion. There are nice drum specific plugins that can change the whole character of a kit. If the audio is tight you could always drop in or create midi loops. It's pretty much the old idea that if you capture it well going in you save yourself a LOT of work later on. If you don't, sometimes it's easier to look for an alternative solution.

I haven't tried it out yet. Seems like the kind of thing I needed. Glad to hear your review of it TheSteven Their server is SLooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow. I was able to download though finally. Can't wait to give it a spin. Is it difficult to set up multiple instances on different tracks? Have you done that?

2CAudio is a bit unique in their approach to reverb. They built a program called Precedence that can place sounds in a space much better than typical panning can. Plug in info here In addition to Precedence they also have a few unique reverbs one of which is called "Breeze". In the PBJ PAK both of these programs are programmed to work together, so that when you move a sound in Precedence, Breeze tracks it and adds reverb as if it were actually in a real space in that place. The deal listed was part of a winter sale which as expired, however as a member I was able to still get a deal including the Breeze paks HERE Anyone interested should be able to get the same deal. It isn't priced like a typical reverb because it isn't a typical reverb

ZincT I appreciate your offer to do this. I know that involves a lot of time and trouble. You statement about Microslav is enough to give me decent feel for where these sounds are in relation to a few others. Post processing often makes a huge difference for me. I'll send out a PM to give you a few more thoughts on this without writing a book here

I can tell your experience goes much further than the studio. You've been out there playing. Lively jazz feel. The song moves along nicely! Everything fits and fits well! Nice work! Thanks for sharing!

I prefer the more aggressive limiting in the top example. A little added color doesn't hurt sometimes either. Judging from the top input on that bottom example this might be a Cakewalk PUG IN? X-3 days 32 bite?