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Sridhar Raghavan

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  1. Sridhar Raghavan
    Usr 095133, canopus, smcleod, Kevin Walsh /All I truly appreciate your diligence, thoughts and comments on this conversation. I was a bit digressed on other things to respond promptly. It makes this, especially to Kevin's comments, a very useful conversation. I do hope there are many others, may be shy to post their thoughts, find some tips for productivity and joy of using Cakewalk. I am also seeing lots of other valuable thoughts here, especially resonating with my original post's suggestions. Usr 095133, I see your passion and expertise reflected in your meticulous sharing your thoughts. You have made arguments in defense of the current status, through various analogies. I will discuss those point by point a little later. However, I am intrigued that you put all your might justifying the current implementation as "par excellence" (my paraphrasing what you intend to say). As a long term professional immersed in this (a lot of things to say, so I will skip and leave it to fill it with your ken), I find it very difficult to resonate with your bulls-eye assertion of your argument. Essentially, you are saying Leave things as they are .. as changing it will lead to less than optimal Usage and User Productivity. In my technical parlance, I would say this (rather exaggerating and stretching to make a point) that your point of view is tantamount to system saying "Read My Mind" and if you (whatever type of user you are) are unable to do so, you are rather Dumb. br Sri.
  2. Sridhar Raghavan
    All, Preface: This is a UI practice observation and I am hoping to get the rational/history behind from the long timers and developers. When you take the cursor to/near a marker, you get a Double Vertical Line, with left and right pointing arrows on both the sides, and letter M appearing to the right above. (I thought I had captured the screen shot with that Graphic. But it does not show up as you can see below. Any tips on how to capture it on the Screen Shot?) While keeping the Cursor on it, press delete.. the marker gets deleted. It is an interesting UI but I would have never found this behavior on my own.. except after reading some frustrating post threads on this topic from few years ago. Why not support the Normal UI Practice? Curious Show Visually that the Marker Has Focus, with right mouse click providing for the actions like: Delete, Move (that is what that complex Graphic does), Rename etc. Also provide Left Click, Double Click actions. May be complex Graphic is providing Visual Feedback?? Probably but quite not. Left Mouse click does not do anything. Right Mouse Click brings up Marker Rename panel!! The fact that holding the Left Mouse on it, you can click Delete - does delete the marker. Was this intended or a bug turned into a feature? What other keys may be pressed for other actions?? (hopefully non-destructive). I already noticed that pressing T brings up a pop up panel, though I have not checked out the options there. Question: Is this UI paradigm an isolated instance or there are more such instances ?? Hope you can share some of the useful ones here.. Thanks, Sri.
  3. Sridhar Raghavan
    Thanks ProMidi. Will play with it tomorrow. regards Sri.
  4. Sridhar Raghavan
    ProMidi Thanks for the pictures and explanations for managing MIDI segments with note spills crossing the boundaries. Can you share your Cal Script for Move Now. It might very handy for me. BTW, I generate my MIDI files as needed (custom Python Code), from my specification expressions. For example, for Korg PA Styles Creation. I can take care of the note spills. Sort of Like Zero Crossings in Audacity. (BTW how do I do these for Audio Segments in Cakewalk?) There are also other scenarios, where I create Korg PA Style Midi files from existing MIDI songs. Here, the segments, a la Marked regions, are precisely length bound (without gaps!). Here, I may draw on your approach and scripts. This is WIP. br Sri.
  5. Sridhar Raghavan
    Promidi Thanks very much for the tip about Opening rather than importing MIDI. Works perfectly remembering all the Markers. Promid/msmcleod Thanks for adding additional important tips/details to this discussion. Right on the money. I am coasting along fine now, with no issues, and better educated. regards Sri.
  6. Sridhar Raghavan
    Just noticed that when I import a MIDI file into an empty project, the MIDI tracks are loaded, but all the Markers are forgotten. These markers are critical for me and cannot lose them. Is there some configuration to preserve markers during midi file import? br Sri.
  7. Sridhar Raghavan
    And the Event Overlap Threshold function you mentioned is present at the bottom of the MIDI tab in the Track View submenu. Thanks David for this as well. regards Sri.
  8. Sridhar Raghavan
    Dave/All That was it. I created an Empty Project, Imported the Midi File. Created the Segments and an Arrangement. Everything Plays fine as expected. Dave Thanks a Lot for you casual request. .. Why we need good sounding boards like you folks, who can trigger directions and serendipity. Here is the new Screen Shot. br Sri. P.S. I hope we can somehow highlight this to Developers, so they can at a minimum add it to FAQ.
  9. Sridhar Raghavan
    David You just triggered an important thought for me. What I have in Cakewalk is a Midi file and its tracks. This may be it. How do I save it as a Project? Save as .. does not give me an option to Save as a Cakewalk Project (a CWP file) I will create a Project and import the midi file and check. br Sri.
  10. Sridhar Raghavan
    John/Terry/David Thanks for your attention and taking the time to post your comments. John: What are Backstage Pass and Next? I assume you are pointing to a different environment. Terry: look forward to more from you after your check. David: I am playing from the Arranger Segment and/or Arrangement. Not from the main transport buttons. As of now now, I am still in an impasse and will explore things with conscious randomness hoping for discovery.. trusting that it is some amiss configuration, that has surfaced. br Sri.
  11. Sridhar Raghavan
    I am on Windows Cakewalk 2004.02 Free Version I upgraded to this version a few weeks ago. a) I am puzzled by the behavior of Arranger Sections. I have a three MIDI tracks that play fine sending midi messages to my Korg PA600. I created three Arranger Segments (for testing). When I play any of these Arranger Segments, Playing starts on the Arranger Segment but keeps going instead of stopping at the end of the Segment. I have been using the Arranger for a while, but this seems to a be new behavior. b) I also created an arrangement. When I play it (with Loops or Without Loops) playing starts at the first segment and just keeps going forward instead of stopping at the first Segment and going to the next segment etc. c) Did anything change in the new Version. What configuration setting am I missing to get the normal/desired behavior of Arrangements? Is it that Arrangements defined on MIDI tracks do not work anymore? FYI, I imported the MIDI file into the project. Does that make any difference. Appreciate any tips on what is going on, and how to fix it. Thanks in Advance, Sri. P.S. I know that MIDI arranger sections can potential have due to: Some Notes being ON coming in from the Left and Some [other Notes] remaining ON going out from the Left. The Reference Manual even talks about correcting for these. But I do not see those Menus on my version! (Also see the attached screenshot)
  12. Sridhar Raghavan
    I am exploring matrix view and yes, I have gone through various Videos as well as the manual. But some basics remain elusive to me. Hope some one can help me with the following. a) In a Cakewalk Project I have recorded few minutes of multitrack MIDI songs (using an external Keyboard). b) I can play the recording and the song gets played multitrack on the external keyboard. c) Above works fine and I have been doing this for a long time Now d) I have created an arranger track and defined multiple Sections, and I can play them using different arrangements. All-OK. Questions e) I created a Matrix View. f) Now I want to load different sections of the multi-track MIDI recording, corresponding to the sections defined in the arranger, into Matrix Cells. g) How do I this? Is it possible? These will be MIDI clips and not audio (all the MIDI tracks data should be emitted to the external keyboard/synth - like in (b) ) h) What kind of MIDI clips can go into a cell? Single Track, Multi Tracks? any restrictions. i) Is there a way to time-shift i.e. add a beginning delay to the contents of cell, for aligning musically, as needed, with other cells? Thanks in advance. br Sri. P.S. Update. p) I am able to select a section on any of my MIDI tracks (they are all Single Channel data) and drag into a Matrix Cell. Happy. q) But I cannot load a MIDI file -- which are Multitrack (SMF, Not-SMF) into a cell. The cell brightens a bit, but remains blank. when I drag-drop, but nothing happens. Not sure about the status. r) With (p) when I play and stop a cell, my Keyboard seems to not receive Note(s) Off. So the keyboard Notes are stuck -- and I have to use Midi Panic to stop all the notes! Not good.
  13. Sridhar Raghavan
    All Apologies If if this is already answered some where else. I am returning after a few months of being immersed in another front. I was able to figure out and solve the problems of Korg Style Selection/Control, Instrument Selection by inserting appropriate MIDI messages in a track. I will share a post on that, updating the topic from 6+ months ago. I can confirm that I do not need any updates to Korg Instrument file. So I am proceeding to create a convenient CAL script for inserting the Bank/Patch change message. 1) Does any one know if there is a CAL Script associated with that Menu command -- Insert-->Bank/Patch Change? So I can build on it? 2) I realized that CAL does not allow/support User Input of Strings (numbers are fine) and also does not support Operations on Strings. Can anyone confirm that I am right or that I am wrong? 3) Built-in CAL Variable Now gives the time/location of the Cursor. Nice. Is there a symbolic variable or some other method, to know what the Current Track is? (on which a user is invoking a Cal Script, a la here inserting Bank/Program change). 4) Also, as far as I can see, various properties can be set to a Track. But how does one read the properties of a Track? especially of the Current or Selected track? Just does not look right that Track info is Write-Only and Cannot be read. 5) How do I add a Cal Script to the menu system -- so I can run it by clicking.. instead of Run Script and selecting it. Thanks in advance Sri.
  14. Sridhar Raghavan
    Usr 905133: yes this also paves way for using MIDI tracks in Cakewalk for harnessing the full power of MIDI and External Synths through their Custom MIDI Sequences. (should also apply to VSTs). I hope Cakewalk addresses some of these issues discussed here and makes the application of unnecessary rules optional. INS file are, philosophically speaking, STATIC slow changing. But I create new Styles and Performance, like everyday - so they are pretty dynamic. This just means that I will just create PA600Style.INS with symbolic names, covering potentially all the references (Factory, User, Favorite categories, and within that Page Number (1-16) and Item Number (1-8). What is the approach you used/using for Roland Arrangers?
  15. Sridhar Raghavan
    Success!!! Quite excited that I can get Style Controls to Work now. Fine-Grained details still needs some attention, tweaking, and confirmation. I am able to send Bank/Program Change on Channel 16 and Select Change PA600 Style. But there is a problem with Insert->Program/Change menu as it does not seem to update the Channel number properly. I have to manually edit/set the channel number to 16 on the Midi Events view. I am sure this would behind me soon. Overall, I think, all the minor issues / idiosyncrasies can be fixed and a solid reliable working method/process can be put in place. I will share/update the final approach/process here, once I am done. P.S. I also believe that much of the issues I was observing before [for a few months] will go away once an INS file is associated with every channel. Will check these also for CAL scripts. Adding screen shot showing Channel 16->Korg PA600 mapping.
  16. Sridhar Raghavan
    A quick update. I noticed that Instrument Files need to be assigned every channel - and I had not mapped Channel 16 to Korg INS file. Sure there might be a way to assign INS file to all channels and Drumkit.INS to the drum channel. So some glitter of hope.
  17. Sridhar Raghavan
    As per MIDI Standard, any command that is received by a Synth, which it does not know/support will be ignored. Of course MIDI commands are expected to be VALID and consistent with MIDI standards. What Cakewalk does? a) It converts the MIDI events into something else - which it thinks it should be. Like over zealous Spelling/Grammar correctors. b) When I insert Bank/Patch change, it works only when you can pick from the drop down lists (which it builds from INS file). c) But even in (b) it does not allow adding a specific Bank/Patch to Channel 16 !! (Channel 16 is my control channel - and that is where I need to insert Bank/Program message for controlling Styles). See the screen shot. (May be, Cakewalk does not need to know it is a Control Channel. I will give that a shot). Sadly these are breaking the foundational / fundamental compliance with MIDI, for no sane reasons, It may also mangle valid MIDI files existing and/or created using other tools/methods and preventing them from being played correctly by target synths Furthermore.. Cakewalk does not display MIDI Events in the MIDI Events Viewer in simple Time, Status, Data1, Data2 format. A format that applies universally to all MIDI messages and extensively documented everywhere and in use for years. Cakewalk wants to displays events in its own way, supposedly for making the easier, but only obscures the real data by imposing its own lens. Cakewalk should at least give an option to display basic MIDI data format - which all MIDI programmers use. (I hope Cakewalk Staff are monitoring and putting some corrections and/or feature requests. I am writing these only with the intention that Cakewalk, as a tool, is robust, rigorous. standards compliant, and user empathetic). See the screen shot below. Notes area may not be readable in the screen shot. So I have cut/pasted it here. [Track 1 Channel is 1 Track 2 Channel is 16. I am able to add Bank/Program Change on Track 1 to Channel 1. But I cannot add Bank/Program Change to Channel 16. The Drop down for Bank is Empty. ]
  18. Sridhar Raghavan
    David Baay: you might have triggered a thought with "GM Files" - may be I need a way to change that to say "this is not GM". Thanks. Usr905133: I have been using PA600 and controlling it via MIDI since 2013. Comprehensively. As I have said before, I have tons of Python Code for generating MIDI files expressed in my simple specification language. I will post a sample of it, in case I have not already done so before, to give you a flavor. (Certainly not for any other reasons). Thanks you very much, both, for staying on the focus I requested.
  19. Sridhar Raghavan
    Preface: I have concluded that Cakewalk applies (unwanted, over zealous) rules and changes Midi Events (which are fully compliant with MID standards, but it does not know about) especially related to CC 00/32 and Program Changes. Please accept this, as I do not want to spend a lot of time showing/proving this. I have already written a lot about these before, and trust me I am quite competent with MIDI and I have also ramped to a significant level on Cakewalk. To the point Cakewalk has become my staple. Appreciate your thoughts/help with just the focused question below, rather than discussing the above preface (and/or other ways to accomplish the results). Context: Korg PA600, like most Keyboards/Synths, uses the MIDI events (CC 00/32, Program Change) for selecting Styles, Selecting Variations, Start/Stop/Break, Fills etc. These are standard MIDI events with channel number set to Control Channel, and MSB/LSB parameter values set as per their documentation. I have many MIDI files that use these and apply them, for changing Styles and Patches several times during a Song. These Midi Files play fine using any Midi Player. Question: How do I make Cakewalk load/play a MIDI play file as-is without changing the contents? Is there a configuration settings for this? Bit More.. I am going to explore/check if I can add those Style Control sequences as valid instruments in the .INS file. This will be an undesirable hack, even if it works. But I will find out.
  20. Sridhar Raghavan
    David Baay Thanks a lot for systematically and nicely addressing all the elements in my original post. Thanks for the names of the FX/Plugins and I am starting to look into them. I will look into what you said about input side processing -- selecting multiple channels or presets. if that works, especially selecting a list of channels, it would be great.
  21. Sridhar Raghavan
    bVideo I think you may be mixing monophonic with mono-channel. Monophony and Polyphony are terms used for number of simultaneous notes played in a channel. Channels -> Have notes and other channel specific events Tracks -> can have one or more channels. Putting envelopes or controller streams in a multi-channel track makes editing more complicated. It is just a Cakewalk decision, to provide the current [rather incomplete] Piano Roll View. It could have easily provided a UI for selecting one or more channels to show in the View (for viewing and/or editing). Many MIDI editors, even simple ones, like Seikaju provide this, for years. Also it would address an important need of making edits in the context of and keeping other channels in view. But for curiosity, where would a multi channeled data stream come from that would benefit a MIDI recorder to keep multiple channels and drop others coming from such a source? (no challenge implied, just curious) As I said in a previous note, please think "Music/Flow Design" in terms of the power of MIDI and not the power of DAW. Of course, it goes without saying, that your implementation environment (like DAW, other toolsets) will limit what/how you can do. For example, My Korg PA600 (and is true of most Synth/Keyboards) transmits midi data on 16 channels. Instead of having one track for each channel, I cluster them as follows for editing/mixing tasks: Melody/Lead Tracks: 1,2,3,4 Pad Tracks: 5,6,7,8 Drum: 9 Percussion: 10 Accompaniments: 11-15 Global/Control: 16 This way I can operate on them together or separately as/when needed. For example, exporting Audio tracks (grouped as above) for processing in Audacity - where I have more sophisticated environment for editing, syncing, and mixing. Also, remember, software programs and synths can also generate MIDI streams. I do have Python/C# programs that interface with Flight Simulator Joystick and generate sophisticated MIDI streams (one or more input ports).
  22. Sridhar Raghavan
    bitFlipper Thanks for your points and are well taken. It is interesting to read your expression "Epiphany of Discoveries". I will just share a bit more general/philosophical things triggered by your (as well by few others) notes. Though this might appear to be straying from the main thread, but hopefully generate some serendipity. Yes I have always been amazed at how the simple/old MIDI standard has contributed to music processing and automation. Yes, arguably some simple things are missing, but remain trivial incidentals. For example, Transpose, Loop points etc. Midi's overall success is indisputable. I have not yet tracked Midi 2.0 standards, as my hardware does not support it. Yes I am quite immersed in MIDI and I have been for years. All aspects of it: Midi File formats, Status-es, CC, RPN, NRPN, Sysex etc. Have plenty of custom Python and C# code. I have my own custom Midi Generators, Players, Processors etc. For example, I use MIDI Text Area for encoding advanced, custom commands, for specifying loop points, Tuning Type Selections, Style Control/Changes etc. We computer scientists, have always focused on specification/programming language machineries that are formal, unambiguous, and provide consistent building blocks with precise syntax and semantics. That enable developers to reliably express and execute what they would like to get done. This ushers in an unbounded imagination of possibilities, yet constrained to a well defined axiomatic system (notwithstanding undecidability aspects). MIDI, DSP, Audio and file Standards are the core underpinnings of all DAWs. I am deliberately stating the above to state my mindset and orientation. I think in terms of computational machineries of underlying standards, and my thoughts are not shaped/limited by a DAW and/or its product engineering tradeoffs. Product engineering should never "strangle" the fundamental power of the underlying standards machineries, but, unfortunately they do, by accident or by design. Product Enthusiasts and Die Hard fans (who are less exposed to computer science ways) often fail to see these and rush in defense of the "idioms" advocated by the products as if they are fundamental.
  23. Sridhar Raghavan
    I am sharing a comment I posted there, unbelievably Hideous. What we are discussing about things missing is so much saner.
  24. Sridhar Raghavan
    Just as an aside.. Akai was kindly responsive, but do not have any answers to the configuration process. Just use brute force set up on the hardware. So I ended created a new preset, and configured 100+ elements (as I wanted to fully harness all those elements for various things). I was horrified/appalled to see that Channel number has to be hardcoded on 100+ elements. I want the ability to use MPK249 to send MIDI input to different destination channels, and be able to change that trivially. Like setting a Default Channel in one place, and refer to that value in all the element configurations (override in few places as needed). This, even a beginner programmer, (and now the age for this has really gone down to Kindergartens) knows about Variables and assigning values to them and using them wherever needed. Truly Hideous!!
  25. Sridhar Raghavan
    Dear 57Gregy/bVideo Appreciate your comments. As you guessed I am long time passionate Musician and Computer Technologist. The latter is my career obsession and the former personal/Life obsession. Given my Life Stage, it would be rather unbecoming of me to share all my credentials, tantamount to showing off. I have always tried my best to pursue, and it is quite a challenging task, to embrace humility. I intend to maintain that. All I would say here is, that I am top league recognized computer scientist/technologist, and also spent years in academia as a Professor of Software Engineering/Management. I always inculcated intellectual rigor and discipline in my students as well as all my engineering teams. One of the reasons, probably, I do not warm up to complacent/cavalier approaches to doing things - as it only leads to unethical transfer of cost (apparent/phantom saving in costs for product organizations) to everyone else [users ..] bVideo you hit it on the head: But one thing is truly missing from Cakewalk documentation: MIDI signal flow. That was the point of my original post as well. Will just mention that I am intensely familiar with every aspect of MIDI (and I have created lot of custom code and algorithms, anchored on MIDI). So my question was not at all due to lack of understanding of MIDI or its idioms.. 57Gregy -> I see you have no questions about this; I would certainly question why you can't select specific input channels. You have included already the part of my post on this. I was asking just that i.e. why I cannot select a list of channels - a la Multiselect. Rather than OMNI or a specific channel. May be I should try again and will stand corrected if I missed the ability to Multi Select. 57Gregy -> Can you list your gear? Keyboard/controller, sound card or audio interface (if any), and how you're inputting data (mouse, recording keyboard). Maybe a screenshot or two of your Preferences re: MIDI settings, etc. This is not relevant to my question. You can also see the above comment. So I will ignore it without going into why it is so.
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