Roy Slough

I have discovered how to achieve what I need... Instead of browsing for templates and opening them, I copied the template files into the Sonar\project templates folder. Then when I opened using the quick start menu create - the new template were there to select. This then opened a new project with no name. When I saved the project and entered the name it did create a folder within the projects folder with all the required sub folders. I thought it must be something I was doing incorrectly.....

I am investigating using Sonar to replace the Cakewalk by Bandlab (CbB) I have been using. I either do not understand how Sonar utilises templates OR am doing something incorrectly. in CbB I would open a template and then when I saved it created a folder in Cakewalk Projects with sub folders for Audio, Audio Export etc. and a .cwp in that folder containing the project. In Sonar when I open the template and save it just saves the template. If I "save as" it does create the .cwp project file but it is in the projects folder. It does not create a folder with the project name nor the sub folders. Can someone please advise the correct method to open a template and save a new project in it's own folder i.e. each of my projects exists in unique folders with all their data etc. Thanks

Thanks John, Where can I find these videos? It should help me plan my way forward.

OK, I have a number of CbB projects saved, is it known if any other DAW is able to import these projects or will I have to re-mix and re-work from scratch? Also, the VST's I have, Some are new (Ample Guitars, SPAN etc.) others came with CbB - is it possible to know which DAWs will be able to utilise these? These factors along with the price tag will determine my choices (CbB with no Save or export is useless to me)

My Thoughts were much the same, however as CbB has never asked me to activate (or re-activate) since the initial setup it could have been, but I too doubt it and believe it to be 1st August.

I am getting this message when I start Cakewalk by Bandlab. Will this stop me using CbB after this date? I do not really understand what is meant by activations, it is already activated or does it require repeat activations after a period of time? Also can someone confirm this is 1st August 2025 (in UK this date would be 8th January 2025) Thanks

Thanks, I thought there must be some easy method I was missing. I had only been working in the preset manager. It never occurred ro me I could type in that box and save it, but now you point it out it seems obvious. Doh!! Thanks again

Hi, I have a few setting in some sonitus presets I would like to store so they are there when I use the plugin in other projects. Currently, I have to export the settings and record where it was saved. Then when I want to use this preset I have to import it from the location saved. n.b. the "default" location appear to move dependant on the project so I have to navigate to where I stored the presets. This seems to be very convoluted, is there a way to store sonitus presets so they are just there when I select the plug in Or do I need to get more organised in my storing of presets? Thanks

Thanks ProMidi, I will take a look at this. Since posting my question I have also "found" the Event list view This shows Articulations ahead of notes. This then the keeps all the midi within the measure and I can copy & paste without too much pre-planning. However, as I get more involved with midi and include midi events I can see how your script may prove invaluable.

Firstly, can someone describe for me the difference between a Midi Event and a Midi Note ( So I can better understand and answers to the following) I use a couple of Ample guitars and may use articulation maps to control chord changes and strum on/off but I may start using Articulation maps for sustain, palm mute, legato etc.. If I can understand the order in which midi is processed. An example would be to turn on strum mode, select a chord from a chord bank (both of these being an articulation) the a midi note to either strum the chord (e.g. downstroke treble) or play a "sequence" in the ample guitar sequence section. Here lies the problem... If I place the 3 items (Strum on, Chord select, downstroke treble) all at the start of the section, then I cannot guarantee they will work as I desire. My current solution is to place the strum on and chord select just prior to the section/clip, then the downstroke treble works correctly. However with these being ahead of the section/clip they do not get copied with the clip and I also need to place any markers just ahead of the clip also. If I define the clip and markers just ahead of the bar it makes copy/paste more complicated as I have to remember this and paste ahead of the bar also. Depending on the situation I may also NOT use articulation maps and just place the midi note required to Strum On, Chord select etc. but again how to get these processed in advance of the downstroke treble needs careful planning. There are many other ample guitar controls (e.g. string force etc.) which I could begin to experiment with but am always unsure if they have been triggered correctly to control the midi note. I somehow feel I am overcomplicating what should be a simple thing, but your knowledge and responses will help me - Thanks.

Thanks, I didn't know there was an arranger section in the modules, this will be useful for many things, Also the Menu Edit> Select> Select track articulations with clips appears to do exactly what I require.

Hi, I have been working with articulation maps to control chord changes in some Ample Guitars, It is much clearer here than using midi notes to select the chord. However, If I copy or move a clip the articulations do not follow, I have to remember to find these and copy or move them also. This can lead to errors. If I had used midi notes to control these changes they would move with the clip automatically. Is there a way to tie the articulation map entries to the clip and not to the track? This I think would solve the problem. Otherwise what is the recommended way to achieve this?

I am trying to work with the riffer feature on Ample Guitars. I want to add things like vibrato to notes within a riff. When I click on the note it plays the note, but it does not appear to play some of the changes I make. e.g. If I change the note or it's velocity I can hear the change by clicking on the note. However, If I change the vibrato depth I cannot hear this until I play the entire riff. This makes editing very cumbersome. Also I am not sure if any of the other amedments I might make are being heard. (hammer on/pull off, legato etc.) Am I doing something wrong. Is there a setting to allow these changes to be previewed without playing the entire riff. I appreciate this is not an ample guitar forum - but I hope some of you may have some advice for me. Thanks

Thanks Guys, These are good suggestions for me to experiment with.

Sometimes I want to send the same midi notes to 2 (or maybe more) instruments. For example I create a bass line then want it played by both a bass guitar and a Piano to create a layered effect. Currently I have to duplicate the track, but then each time I edit or amend anything in the midi I have to repeat this in the second track (or copy & Paste the amended midi clip onto the 2nd instrument track) It would be good If I could have a single midi track and route the midi output to multiple synths on other tracks - very similar to a drum map but It isn't for individual midi notes it is for all the notes. Any advice please or is it a bad idea? Thanks

Thanks, That solved the problem,

Hi, I have been given some audio tracks, One contains drums and percussion. I am trying to use either drum replacer or Melodyne to work out what is being played. When I right click the clip containing the drum mix the option to create region FX is not available (remains grey) If I right click a Bass guitar clip (provided with the drums) the create region FX is available but this isn't the track/clip I am interested in. Any Ideas why the option is not available on the track/clip I want? Thanks

Thanks Guys, I can see situations for both methods. I currently use "save copy as" to hold a copy before I attempt something significant, just in case I mess things up. I will try the clean up after making a security copy of the entire folder (just in case). Also currently redundant tracks are just routed to a muted bus, so technically they are still in the project, but I will delete these tracks prior to the "Clean up audio" option.

I am working on a project where we have many tracks that are now redundant. These were experiments on instruments and vocals that have been superseded, Therefore, I have may wavs in my audio folder that are no longer required and are making the folder too large. Is there a way to identify which audio files are still in use and those which can be deleted/archived. N.B. there are some which are the result of bouncing from stereo to mono (as the original file was stereo but only contained a mono recording i.e. both L&R identical) Thanks

Thanks Guys, Adding start & end notes with zero velocity (or another non effective midi note/control) seems a good way to go, It just requires planning ahead. It is also possible to just re-check and correct the beginning and end of a clip If I do a Bounce. (just must remember to do so) I wonder why copying and pasting notes creates separate clips, is it for the non-destructive editing? I do this often, If I create a good bass riff I copy and paste it where needed, but then I have to bounce all the clips created. Either way I have more techniques now to deal with it so thanks again

I do a lot of editing of midi in the PRV, drums & bass mostly. As I add and remove notes to an existing clip it often results in multiple clips of varying lengths e.g. add in few bass notes will create a new clip but with blank (no notes) to the end of the existing clip. When I select all these together and bounce to clip(s) it merges all the notes & truncates all the clips to the first and last note. It is this truncation which can cause me problems. If I do not notice that the clip is short by maybe a 16th or 32nd, when I copy & paste or duplicate the clip everything can be slightly out of time. Now, each time I "bounce to clip(s)" I zoom in check if the clip is now short, extend the end if necessary, and zoom out again. Lots of zooming in & out extend etc. Is there a method to retain the overall length when bouncing OR better still, how do I avoid creating these multiple clips when adding/editing midi notes? Thanks

Thanks for all the responses, I haven't quoted you all as there are so many all with good ideas. By accident I did find pasting the midi clip slightly late improved the feel but messed up other things. I had not thought of just delaying just the kick and/or snare. The selection of a different snare also improved the feel Also the comment about FX velocity very interesting and will experiment with that also. As usual, there are so many areas and features of Cakewalk I have not discovered, many of which are not so self evident as to their usefulness, so having them explained is good.

I am not a drummer. I create a midi drum track for my songs using templates and samples I have available. (apologies to all real drummers but I don't have access to one anymore) I have a song which is uptempo but laid back in feel. All the drum tracks I have tend to try and drive the song which isn't the feel I want. Think R.E.M. for a reference. Is there a way or method to alter an existing pattern to drive less or what technique should I employ e.g. which beat count for kick, snare, hi-hat? Alternatively a source of midi drum track might yield results. Any advice on this welcome - Thanks

Thanks for solving my earlier problem, Do you know much about the editing of instrument files - I am finding it confusing and I don't want to mess things up. As you can see in the screenshot I have added Note Names in the right hand window and have Created one for stumming mode and one for non Strumming mode. I cannot find where these are stored (e.g. If I wanted to edit with notepad) (I also want to add one for Ample Bass Lite) But I can select these note names from the piano roll = All good for me, but while they are in an unknown file/location there is always the risk an update may destroy the work I have done. Now in the left hand window I added an Ample Guitar Instrument file and exported it, and it appeared in the Cakewalk Content/Cakewalk core/instruments folder But initially this was just a template file with no useful information in it. I the dragged the Note name "tree" I had created in the left window (Both of them) and exported again. Now the .ins file has the note names in it. However, This is not selectable from the piano roll window as note names, So what is the point. It may be there is a way to assign an instrument .ins to a synth but this too has complications. The reason I am exploring this topic more is so that I may upload something useful for others using ample guitars. I do appreciate different Ample guitars may have slightly different controls (e.g. only those with Riffer have the riffer controls) but the work I have done may assist others.

Thanks, yes connecting a midi device for output enabled the define button.