JnTuneTech

Not much to go on - did you maybe arpeggiate some notes (automatic repeat in a pattern, basically) - and if so, did you try to set the duration & type of pattern? I don't know how to answer that exactly, I think you can arpeggiate multiple notes as one, but I have never tried it. And by "transform" - you don't mean actually changing the notes already on a track? Give us some more info. And this may be best in a new post entirely. Maybe someone else here can chime in?

I hear you on that. I had an issue with my 61 key controller where I thought it was toast (broken key in the middle octave!), and I really was hard pressed to consider ordering something without actually playing it first. -Luckily, I found a replacement key & managed to R&R my old one back to a happy situation. And yes, keyboards larger than 61 are a big jump and harder to find with comparable features to the smaller ones. Ah, that of course all depends on drivers, as Cakewalk has nothing to do at that level. But nominally, if you can get working drivers installed, you then can go to device settings in Cakewalk & add the ports you need. -Generally, you will only use one audio interface, but if you have several devices with MIDI I/O installed in Windows, you should be able to choose any or all of those, make them active, and then they can be routed to any track(s) you want. -Right now, for instance, I have about 6 different MIDI inputs I can use on my system, between the sound interface ports and the ones on my keyboards and control surface. They are almost all USB to the PC, but one has a powered hub, and the others are low power, so it all works without any major problems, -except if I accidentally yank out a USB cable, which happens from time to time, -of course! In any case, once you have more than one MIDI device input set up on the PC, and then in Cakewalk, you will see them all listed as choices in setting up a new track, and as I say, you can mix & match, use separate ones for each track, or route 2 keyboards to one track, -it's all up to you! -Ahh, wow, I just realized I am old enough to remember when using things like MIDI merge to use multiple keyboards on one synth was a real task, in fact I still have a MOTU brick on my desk that was all that back then... Now Cakewalk & my I/O devices do that all so much easier. -Anyway, glad to hear you are figuring out the options & ready to make it work!

The method @Lynn Wilson describes is probably the best. ? -If you want the "next to nuclear" option - you will also find that moving the project file and/or its folder(s) (recommended but Have A Backup 1st - just in case), will also remove it from the start screen.

Basically, MIDI input choices, -as well as audio, are dependent on your I/O device capabilities. Then you go to device setup in Cakewalk. If you actually have 2 or more devices available, then yes, you can keep them on & available for Cakewalk to use, however you want to route them. -Do you use an audio interface with MIDI I/O, or are you using just keyboard USB for inputs? You can mix & match as well, I bet the M-Audio has an option to connect to additional external standard cabled MIDI devices, etc.

@remyhardy -Thanks to you as well - in researching this subject again during these postings, I re-connected with my DMXIS software, & the Cakewalk projects I have used it with, -it's been a while! -In fact, I found that DMXIS is no longer available (new), but has been replaced by the programmer, with a more visual app (maybe similar to what you are talking about), and I can even use my old settings if I decide to upgrade! It also claims to have a VST plugin version, but I have not tested to see if it still has the limitation of it shutting down all the light fixtures to 0 every time you change projects in Cakewalk... That is pretty much just a limitation of DMX itself though, since standard DMX has no feedback protocol to let a controller know "where" the light settings are at, and so you can only clear the board and start anew, or risk mixing a new set of presets on top of another... but I digress! -Anyway, glad to hear you have found some techniques that will work for you, as I have said before, it's great to have a Cakewalk project control both sound & lights (and in fact any MIDI controllable device) all at once. -Cheers.

In the past I have used video in Cakewalk (Sonar) to create/edit audio content to match timing of the video, and then exporting the audio, so that it can properly be added to the visuals in an outside AV editing system afterwards. It was great to have that option, even knowing that Cakewalk was not going to provide the video. I have also just used Cakewalk (Sonar) to play back a project with video in a live theater situation, where I projected the video on a separate video output to the projector, and used the audio mixing & effects of the DAW to provide the sound. -Again, that came in handy. Many of us know Cakewalk is not a video production tool as such, but it can be great to use in supplementing the process. -In fact, a free competitor to PT & AVID integration, when you use those types of tools.

Core Isolation has been around since many later iterations of Windows 10, but Microsoft made it a default "on" security item in Windows 11. -I have ran, installed Cakewalk, etc. with it both off & on, and never noticed any issues. -It is more likely to give issues with device drivers, as that is the type of thing that is targeted with that function. -I still have notes around regarding how to remove the old hidden drivers, such as old Logitech & WD drivers that are not compatible, and can be hard to find and remove to allow enabling Memory Integrity on older systems that have been upgraded, for instance. -But I digress! Local Security Authority (LSA) Authority protection - is, as of this writing, causing many folks issues with warnings, and as of my latest investigations, relates to a security certificate model change in Windows Defender operations. That error is also not something that seems to have any effect on Cakewalk, that I have seen. -One recent Microsoft forum answer regarding that error stated that basically, they "are aware of the problem and are working on it..". There it was also stated that if the setting was enabled, and the system had been rebooted afterwards at least once and it still showed enabled afterwards, the error message could be ignored. -I am for now leaving those systems I notice the error message on enabled & rebooted for now, but I am doing this of my own choice - not any official guidance at this point. -For official info on any of these functions, etc., a search using those terms in your post regarding alerts you have, will get you more (possibly) direct & updated guidance for them properly. That all being said, again, neither of those issues seem to directly effect Cakewalk, -but in related notes, I have had lots of interference from Windows Defender when running Cakewalk, many exceptions to Real-Time Protection in the Anti-Virus component seem to be needed to keep it from slowing down loading plugins on startup, for instance, -but your mileage may vary. So far, however, it never stops any installation of Cakewalk, for me anyway. -Yet!

In my experiences moving projects from one system to another, I have found it best to set at least the output channel selection on each system - Cakewalk audio devices - preference panel, to match the number of outputs - it matters not what they are named, on each system. -In the case of multi-channel output devices (i/e more than 1 stereo pair), -un-check the output pair(s) that you will not be using on either system, before bringing in a project from the alternate/outside system. So, if you have only one pair of stereo outs in your project(s), make sure any other system you use to open them will have only 1 pair of output channels (as per your notes, whatever is the considered the main output pair) active, and it will make going back & forth much easier. Also, I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that as long as Cakewalk would open, and has passed the initial input/output settings dialogs earlier, etc., -if I had a question of audio output conflict or audio device settings, I could double-check things by opening a blank, or MIDI-only project at first, as that will usually honor the settings of the actual bit rate & depth of the ASIO configuration without crashing. Some ASIO control dialogues don't always link properly to the Cakewalk settings panel - if I remember correctly.

For what it's worth - I also have covered that song in a Cakewalk project, and there definitely are castanets (likely provided at the time by percussionist Ray Cooper) in the break/build up section. In my current version, I found castanet samples I feel match very closely to the source, using a Dimension (now Rapture) Pro percussion part, as well as in Native Instruments Battery 3 Library. I did initially program it using TTS-1 that comes with Cakewalk (and do still use that for some of the synth parts), and the castanet sample in there is certainly quite useable, -especially for free! -Worth a lot if you need it!

Hmm, Next Unit of Computing, indeed. -I don't have direct experience with your setup, but many years running Cakewalk on Intel, and lately Intel/NVidia combo systems, has led me to a few conclusions of late. -One - unless you have some monster multi-ganged monitor needs, -nothing that the NVidia gfx chipset offers seems to do anything for what Cakewalk requires, but in fact complicates things with additional software & updates that constantly want to interrupt music editing, if they are not shut down -in advance, and after every forced update (Microsoft updates NVidia drivers too), unless of course you shut off updates entirely and stay offline, which is pretty much tougher to do nowadays than dealing with the updates anymore... But I digress. Two - I have had many of the gaming-specific aspects of modern systems & software components present complications with trouble-free use of Cakewalk, and really it comes as no surprise that would happen. Many aspects of gaming use, such as overclocking, high-speed peripheral and networking components, -some of which utilize sound & video I/O (for in-game conferencing, etc.), can really interfere with mission-critical AV editing - like Cakewalk, -if you intend to use it that way of course. One of the NVidia components that gives me grief on my system, for instance, is the nahamic service (I think it's spelled right because by now it's burned into memory) - which has something to do with the NVidia in-game system mic connections, I think, and every time I turn it off, an update turns it back on. Plus, I really need to disable the NVidia HDMI audio driver, because whenever my external screen turns back on after sleep, Cakewalk thinks I may need to add that HDMI audio I/O into my project... Even the built-in Xbox utilities in Windows can present challenges, if you accidentally enable the control aspects, they can fight for keyboard & mouse control, to name a few things that Cakewalk also wants to have control of. -And so on. -You do have to pick your priorities, in some cases, as multi-purposing any PC can lead to compromises, which may only pop up when you least expect (or need) them. On my current system, I have connected my external screen only to the Intel graphics controller, as it provides more than enough for displaying Cakewalk, and is probably more power efficient. In fact, since about the second or so iteration of on-board Intel graphics integration, I have never had any problems just using that for Cakewalk. -Never had a need for overclocking to get any serious work done there either. And I generally have Windows preferences dialed down to a minimum, since I don't need anything else but Cakewalk in focus on that machine. So, I don't know if the latest Intel graphics driver update for your system has anything to offer Cakewalk, but if the system is primarily designed for gaming, then those updates may be more tailored to that part of the works, and as I say above, none of that usually helps Cakewalk in any way, -so beware. -If there is an option to configure the system as a non-gaming workstation at the base level, with reliability as the mean setting, then you will probably have less in your way with Cakewalk performance. -Just my suggestion anyway!

@remyhardy I'm glad to hear you got some progress. And the basic concept is all I can help with here. -Any .ins file from my setup using DMXIS would only make sense if you were using that app as your lighting control software. I don't know anything about QLC+, and again, these other programs are best supported by their own forums & support. Cakewalk is wonderful for integrating audio & MIDI control, to be sure, and once you get the specifics of what you need to control, there may be ways folks here can help with clarifying that, if needed. So, the basic concept: MIDI control works by using digital values, some of which are defined by historical standards, but most beyond those that apply to musical notes & basic expressions are up to each individual program to define & publish for others to use. In your case, you need to find out what MIDI values are available to control in the app you want to use, -such as QLC+. Once you have that, in a basic situation you could create an .ins file for Cakewalk to use, in helping to map the available functions, when you are using MIDI in Cakewalk to control that particular app. It may be very simple, as perhaps you only need to control the program change within the app, or, in many cases with lighting control, you may need to map out a control for each desired function between Cakewalk and the lighting app. In addition, some of those functions may have to be manually programmed in the other app first, -as I do in fact with DMXIS. -Only then can Cakewalk be set up to follow those functions with a matching .ins map, basically. -This all assumes you understand there are many more layers involved, far beyond the Cakewalk MIDI control. I would strongly suggest you learn all you can about your DMX control app first, as that will also lead you to understanding DMX lighting fixture control - which is an entirely different set of controls & mapping in of itself, but prerequisite to doing anything with all the above mentioned MIDI control. -And then, learn how the DMX control app can be set up to respond to outside MIDI controls, from the documentation it must provide for that. Only after you know what you can do with the lighting from the control app, and exactly what part of that can be controlled with an outside MIDI control command set, can you even begin to set up your Cakewalk MIDI control map & tracking. -It can be a lot, but it can also be rewarding, and, if you learn all the concepts, you will also gain a better understanding of MIDI control in general, as well as how to make your own specific .ins files for Cakewalk.

The OP was dismayed at how MIDI device order had changed unexpectedly, and I'm sure at some point we all have been. As noted here, there is no single full fix for that. Being aware of what is on your system (MIDI & audio devices) is just as important as, say, what plugins you have added or removed, especially when it comes to opening saved projects. And, when you use different gear altogether, there will simply need to be re-adjustment. One thing I practice, as best I can anyway, is mapping the devices, and as much as possible - tracking plugins installed or removed, along with my basic backups, regularly. I do screen captures of the Cakewalk audio & MIDI device settings (yes, I know most of that can be found in preference files), and I keep notes in the project of any specific plugins or instruments that may not work on a different system. -This has come in handy many times, for setting up a new system quickly. -For the OP in this thread here, I could say at least checking the MIDI devices list for new or changed listings in Cakewalk Preferences could point out which device(s) are "mysteriously" changing. Also, if you happen to rely a lot on getting the same settings right away when opening a Cakewalk project, follow the guidance regarding keeping the same system & device setup before starting the DAW. In fact, I have gone as far as creating different project versions, when using different I/O setups for performance, to ensure that for instance, the right keyboard input is patched when I open the project. Yes, it takes time, but thankfully saving alternate project files for performance isn't terribly taxing or resource intensive, compared to rebuilding a complicated project I/O setup while time is a wasting..! -In my experience, anyway .

As everyone is saying - having the same MIDI devices plugged into your system, powered on and ready, before starting Cakewalk, is key to maintaining the same routings when a project with settings using MIDI input or output is loaded. Cakewalk gives each one a number, and if one is missing, the numbers shift to fill the gap. If you have a saved project, the actual number that was assigned when you last saved will only be honored, not the actual MIDI device itself. That being said, I have noticed that the control surface assignment seems to also have its own precedence. If I plug in a different MIDI controller that has transport controls, that seems to change the control surface assignment, even when I add the device after starting normally. -Perhaps it only happens to devices I have previously also mapped as a control surface, I am not sure, but just plugging in a device with no transport functions doesn't seem to "bump" my first control surface offline. So, do be careful to start all the MIDI connected devices & software drivers you used at the time you originally set up your control surface preference in Cakewalk, in advance of starting the DAW. And beware of plugging in or starting any different MIDI control software after starting Cakewalk, as for me, that often knocks the control surface preference off. -BTW - The Komplete Kontrol software can be quite a heavy duty MIDI element on your system, so I would make sure it is up and configured before starting Cakewalk as well. -Just a suggestion!

Yes, I would agree that is most likely too. -In fact, in my experience anyway, installers that force an installation of MS VC++ (to ensure that the required libraries are going to exist to match the software being installed) seem to somehow vary in their results, maybe it's a command line option they use? -Most of the time, there are no such ill effects when an older version is installed, but sometimes stuff like the things described in this thread happen. MS VC++ version issues occur, and are hard to pinpoint. I am not qualified to know enough about the exact programming, so I will stop there, but I will say that I have experienced this many times over the years, and I have set up a text log on my DAW systems over the years, and when I see the "installing MS VC++..." flash by on any driver or major component install, I make sure to log it, as that has come in very handy. -Repatching to the current library version is usually the fix if problems happen right after that, -for me anyway. I have had similar issues with dot net updates, which happen constantly with the monthly Windows Update cycle, but none I can recall caused problems with my DAW or audio drivers, -so far anyway! -True though, MS VC++ is usually only brought in by a 3rd party install, although compatibility with various Windows major versions & such always brings up additional issues wrinkles! -Now, I already have too many wrinkles, so again, I'd better stop here.

This is a thread that indeed may prove as something that needs to be added to the setup instructions/info for users combining their older SPLAT components with the current Cakewalk suite going forwards. The install order, and versions of the MS VC++ redistributables is a known and constantly changing struggle with PCs. -Seeing that both BAKTRAK and KellsBells2400 seem to have had this happen at nearly the same time is troubling. The recent MS Win Updates cycle ended almost a month ago (2ond Tues. of each month), so maybe these things are already happening and haven't been affecting too many users, but if it's a variety of audio software users getting affected, likely more of this will show up here. Good to have the links also to documentation & installers for the fix, -I know I will keep this thread handy for the next time I do a migration or re-install of my Sonar/CbB setup! -Thanks All!!

-As in @bitflipper and @Byron Dickens posts - simple, or basic, as you say, is sometimes what actually obfuscates matters! -That certainly isn't your fault @Jaxeed - it's just the learning curve on these things. [Saavik: -I don't understand... Kirk: You have to learn Why things work on a starship...] - Ah, and one good thing about tinkering around with this stuff on your DAW is that, nothing is really "permanent like that" - at least as long as you saved a backup somewhere before venturing off into trying something (or for me, actually stopping & reading the documentation sometimes!). You can always move your data from a "simple" tracking to a per output, and carry on from there, as I say though, just create a backup if you are concerned at all about losing something. -One odd item I have to mention about internal midi routing in Cakewalk, maybe it's covered in another post somewhere, I am not sure. But: In my setup, when I create a basic MIDI track, and route it to anything, the volume fader setting on the MIDI track always sends out CC#7 (typically volume) data when the transport starts, and then when you use the fader. With the track MIDI filter set to 0 or 1, it puts out CC#7 values on channel 1, any other filter setting sends those values on the assigned channel. And I can never track the initial data in Event Viewer I thought at one point I could turn that off, but now I can't find it. -That behavior has thrown me off in the past, when I was programming some synths, as well as the remote control I do with my sound interface control app, which accepts MCP, and on that, as well as many synths, the old standard of MIDI CC#7 is volume on my master out. I happen to have a visual MIDI activity monitor on one of the patches going out of my sound interface, and I can see that Cakewalk outputs MIDI at the start of transport, and chase data (as per my choice in the MIDI preferences) when I return or manually select a different now time, so maybe the chase setting is where I turn that all off? I will have to try. I know by default CC#7 is output when I move the MIDI track volume fader, on my systems. Anyway, as a note to the OP, you may also find that MIDI control "simple" functions can be hidden in plain sight, and it can definitely be confusing at the start. -For instance, I was testing some of this with an instance of Cakewalk S1-Electric Piano, in an empty project with basic MIDI tracking (insert MIDI track - from right-click in track view), and in that setup, the MIDI track sending to the instrument controls instrument volume - but not the one on the instrument GUI! Really confusing. -And I am used to seeing some VST instruments automatically "adjust" a main volume control in response to the MIDI track volume fader position when I first load them & hit play, but usually it is obvious somewhere in the instrument GUI, and usually I can opt to shut that off as well. -Anyway... learning how all this works, and controlling it knowingly, is usually better in the long run, but once in a while, we go down a rabbit hole while experimenting!

I jumped on the friendly names setup early on, as at the time, I dedicated certain patches in my audio I/O to the same point every time, even when moving things & reconnecting, etc. Plus, it just was nice to have the input clearly labeled for my pattern of use when setting up a Cakewalk project. In fact, I set up very much like the screenshots of @scook - and it really helps with clearly identifying some interfaces that have different types of inputs, such as line vs preamped, etc. The pipe symbol addition I will now need to implement, that also looks great! -One thing I have had to deal with over the years, regarding this though, is that when you move to a different system, and set all the audio & Cakewalk back up, I had to remember to set up my I/O settings and naming exactly as it was on the old system, or my projects saved with audio interface & MIDI inputs defined would open with inputs reassigned (on a logical relative numerical order from first available to last I believe), and that could be a pain with lots of old projects on the fly. My solution so far, has been to do a screenshot like those here, of my Cakewalk settings, as well as make sure to copy the relevant initialization files, -though usually I prefer to install a new system clean first in case any old incompatible settings exist in those older setups... but that is just my preference. And anyway, then I set up the Cakewalk I/O the same way I had before in the screenshots, friendly names and all, and old projects open properly right away, -if I do it right of course!

Thanks so much @scook - that did the trick! -Sorry it took a while to check, the project is fairly long, and I wanted to play it back to check all my existing material. -All good. I still get an asterisk for project change at the end of playback, but that is not an issue for me. -Oh, and I did add the step - Turn OFF Ripple Edit - at the end of your instructions - for future readers. -I know there were other posts about this out there, but I couldn't easily reference them and find this, in case you've already posted it. -Do you know, is there some hidden data that determines "end of project"? -I guess for now, I will just use this method for setting that when I have a problem, -thanks again.

I have a few older projects that stopped ending at the last observable event, at some point in working on them over the years. I have tried & tried to find any events timestamped at the point where the transport actually stops, but to no avail. Maybe I am using the wrong tools? Event Viewer is my main resort. In one current instance, I found all events close to the end of the last musical data points shown by doing select all - in track view, then looking at Event Viewer. There were only a few tracks with envelopes, that had envelope data showing, -they looked like nodes that were not important, so I deleted them. -After that, the transport would "end" at about the farthest point of all those points I just deleted. -Project would stop there. -But, I saved, closed, re-opened said project, and as soon as I started the transport, the asterisk for project changes appeared. I repeated my earlier procedure, and the nodes I had deleted were back. Project "end" was not how I had saved it. -Any info on what does that, and how I might better avoid this?

Wow, interesting story. Glad you fixed it, -whew! -How the heck did that not show up with all the other audio in the project (especially since it was audio system-wide) - is my question. -I guess I never know what questions to ask, to cover everything! -Anyway, Carry On!

Thanks to both @reginaldStjohn and @Lord Tim - I have found what I bumbled into, which was basically turning on AudioSnap for every track in my project. I have reversed my steps, by selecting all tracks, bringing up the AudioSnap Palette tool (from the View menu), and then turning off AudioSnap altogether. -Since I was not, and had never actually intended to do that in the first place, nothing in the project seems to be for the worse, and I'm sure processing cycles area also now being saved! -That sure had made a mess of the Cakewalk track view though, probably used too many display resources for that section of the DAW... Leave it to me to do these things! I also put it down to my inadvertent use of a keyboard shortcut (I did that once long ago with Offset mode - DONT!) - and I really need to take better care with what I type when the DAW is in focus! Doh!! -Thanks again Folks!

Wow, thanks @Lord Tim - that may be indeed the root of the problem, but fixing it is looking to be something else! -It must have happened when I had selected all tracks at one point, because that little symbol shows up on almost every clip in the project at this point. -There are no real audio transients in view though, nor in the track selectors when I look individually - maybe I'd better try a select all again I guess? At the moment, I can see that if I select an individual audio clip that has the AudioSnap key on the top bar, toggle the track selector from Clips to Audio Transients, and then back to Clips again, it removes the AudioSnap marker - for that clip - but now somehow I suppose I need to switch that for every offending clip in the project maybe... Wow, I really did this one!

@Mo Jonez- Well, perhaps you have different settings on your system, and there are all kinds setups! I answered you right after having done what I just said on my own system, with a Cakewalk file save giving the message you quote, and when I have left "Copy all audio with project" selected ... It doesn't happen if I only save the file by itself with a different name, or as you mention, just saving normally without renaming. You might try saving without that selection (below the file name dialog) checked, then it doesn't try to create a new attached Audio subfolder. -And, don't change anything about the new folder you create (if you use the new folder method) before saving your newly-named version, except of course the folder name itself.

Not sure if there is an easier method, -I forget those old posts too... -But: If you are confident with your Windows system, disk stability, file management skills & all that, and I also highly recommend offline backups already done and stored close by, you can create a new folder for the project files in question, and then move (or copy, your choice), all the data inside the original project folder (the one that "won't" let you save!) to the new folder. -Then once you open the project from that new folder, you should have full access to work normally again. -You can even rename things & thusly "swap back" the new to the original folder name if you want. I do also know it has something to do with the way Windows File Explorer handles its view preferences - I usually have the issue when I have copied an old project folder from backup, and then open the folder and do a sort on the view options Windows File Explorer automatically assigns most folders containing audio files. -Annoying!

@reginaldStjohn - Hmm, I looked at that, but it does not affect the problem. -Thanks though! -Update: I have started taking each track out of the project, one by one, going from last to first, and when I get to the last few, my "extended" ending time problem goes away. However, I opened the project again to delete just the one track I (thought) caused that - by itself, and that did not fix anything! -I guess I will try deleting tracks going forward from 1, and see what result that has... (Don't worry, I am only operating on a backup copy, and not saving for these tests!).