JoseC

I just had time to check that the port numbers persist with your FX Chain, and sure they do! Thanks again!

Thanks again, I will try that as soon as I have a minute.

Thanks, scook. I already explained the state of things to Noel by PM, but it seems that he got interested nonetheless, which tells a lot about his commitment to CbB and its users. Not that we had not noticed, but still. The bridge is unsupported in v 1.0, but is working here fine, with this minor annoyance in CbB, that does not exist in Ableton Live, at least. Differences between v 0.6 and v 1.0 of VCV Rack are important enough to try and make it work. I am using Bridge instances just as audio inputs in CbB, with all midi sent from CbB to VCV Rack using virtual midi cables, and it works fine this way. The only thing is having to set bridge port numbers every time I open the CbB file, that is something I can live with until v 2.0 arrives and VCV Rack becomes a full VSTi as announced.

Thanks a lot, Noel for taking your time to take a look a this. You are the best!!!!

How did you do that? Here, as soon as I insert a note in the Step Sequencer, a midi clip gets created in the track. I have tried to get the results that you show, but I always get a new clip, that can be dragged anywhere. Anyway, what I do is to open the PRV first and choose there just the notes or scale that I am going to use there, inserting a note for each. Then I right click in the new clip to make it a Step Sequencer pattern. This way the Step Sequencer opens with the rows I need.

I am currently using VCV Rack connected to CbB with its Bridge plugin. For some reason, the Port number is not saved, and if I use multiple instances I need to reasign the port every time I load the project in Cakewalk. Since the VCV Rack bridge is actually on its way out until next version, when a VST is announced, I was just waiting for it to fix the problem. Maybe this will fix it. Everything is saved and recalled correctly in Ableton Live, btw.

Just grab it with the mouse and drag it to wherever you want, just like any other clip.

One thing to experiment with is using the Step Sequencer with the Matrix to experiment with polyrythms, like setting up a slightly shorter sequence, like 15/16 and looping it against the main beat until it cycles back. With the Matrix it is easy to make the sequence shorter or longer and then recording the output when you get results that you like, instead of dragging patterns around in Track View. And don't forget that you have Swing per step, too.

The main error with the Matrix is thinking that it is like Live's Session view, trying to use it like it and becoming frustrated. It is not Session View, but it can be a useful tool, even though it still needs some more work to be done, especially to use it with the Step Sequencer. The main setback is that you can not do any editing from a Matrix cell, it is basically just a player. You create your patterns or loops in a track, and then drag them to a cell in the Matrix. Currently you can create and edit a Step Sequencer pattern from a Matrix cell, but you can not listen to changes while the Matrix is running, you need to stop the Matrix and start it again, which makes it a little clunky workflow. Having said that, besides the obvious use as a scratch pad and repository for storing patterns, loops and ideas that you want to try but not want to clutter your Track View, or even as an arranging tool to create sections and recording the output, I also use it to send sysex and CC commands to hardware synths, for example: I have a Waldorf MicroQ rack that only outputs arpeggiated notes to its midi out when set to Local On. Problem is, there is no front panel way to do it, just CC messages, and the synth always initializes itself in Local Off. So I have two short midi patterns with just a CC message, one for Local On and another for Local Off and drag them to a Matrix row pointing to that synth, set like one shots, and I can send them with just a mouse click, or even map an external controller to do it. Anyway, once you get over the current poor integration with the Step Sequencer, for me the best use is what I said before, generate and record pattern variations using the step probability. Since you can do it for all CC parameters, you have a very powerful tool that will generate not only variations in notes and velocities but also in any other parameter automation, in a controllable, not random way.

As I said above, you can automate that using step probabilities and recording the Matrix output. I agree with you that it needs more polishing. If its integration with the Matrix was a bit better it would be a more powerful tool than it looks at first sight.

Different tools for different tasks. CbB's Step Sequencer is like those sequencers found in synthesizers and drum boxes, it is not meant for complex midi writing. OTOH, you can get very interesting results with it if you use its probability features to introduce variations in hi hat patterns, or in synth patterns for old styles like Berlin School, for example. I let the pattern play in the Matrix and record the output.

I have not tried, but I think that step sequencer clips should follow pitch markers in the timeline if you decide to use them, but they would only transpose the sequence chromatically, not fit to a scale, AFAIK.

Said the shark.

León, Northwest Spain.

The midi activity that you are seeing might be Active Sensing or even Midi Clock if the Z1 is sending any, or both types of messages. I don't believe that modern synths use Active Sensing anymore, but old digital synths did.

My main controller is a twenty year old Kawai K5000S synth conected to an ancient usb MOTU MidiexpressXT interface and its activity shows in the Windows 10 system tray midi activity icon. So does a usb midi cable connected to the DIN midi ports of my Tascam audio interface. I have currently six devices in total that send midi data to my computer and all show in the system tray with the latest W10, CbB and Komplete 12 updates, including Kontakt, Massive and FM8. I would bet that considering what he says, other controller won't make a difference. I could lose, though.

Have you tried all the possible input ports in that track? I don't know how many input ports you have in your interface, maybe CbB doesn't assign numbers to them as expected. Did you try setting input channel to Omni or None in that track? Have you tried with a new project and track? Maybe your project or project template is corrupted somehow. Have you got any other program running at the same time that might use your midi driver? Close all apps, restart CbB and check. At this point, if none of the above show any midi arriving into CbB, I would reinstall CbB. If the Z1 is working fine with standalone synths, while its input does not even show in any midi activity indicator in CbB, I don't think that any other controller will work, either.

Yes, I am curious about that, too. If you had any other midi device you could test if this is actually a problem with just the Z1. Did you check what I told you about not being filtering notes in midi preferences? Does the Z1 mod wheel or any other controller data get recorded?

Check that in Preferences/Midi/Playback and recording the Record Notes box is not unchecked.

He wrote that he can trigger Kontakt from the Piano Roll, so this is is between the synth and CbB. Maybe CbB is filtering out input data, for some reason?

That should be specified in the manual, then, because it states that Assignable Controls can be recalled every time the synth is inserted again, after being created once. Track templates are my preferred way of inserting synths, but that method is not supported. Remote Control assignments are also not saved with track templates, this should also be improved, because makes that feature incomplete, IMHO.

Thanks for your reply, scook. So, it is confirmed that Add Track does not recall Assignable Controls. I tested again with a Track template saved with all assignable Controls created, and that method does not recall them either, as I stated in my original post.

So, yours is the Big Brother theory. Cakewalk as a big marketing Trojan. Around here we call that "conspiranoid"

Nobody?