Robert Bone

I see your Exactly, and RAISE you one Exactly. This is why I kept trying to figure out what settings could be problematic, ONLY with its interactions with Cakewalk, and I turned to a possible control surface definition interference, after (I think) exhausting other settings..... If midi output from the Z1 works, as is clearly the case using stand-alone synths, then something within the Cakewalk settings must be slightly askew. Bob Bone

If you are using external synths, did you remember to turn Local=Off on those? If you don't, then when you press a key, a note will be triggered, and Cakewalk will also send another Note On message back to the keyboard. By turning Local to Off on the keyboard, then when you press a note on the synth, it will NOT trigger its engine, but it will still react to the midi note on message sent back to it, from Cakewalk, so that you properly get a single triggered note, rather than 2 triggered notes, every time you play a note on the keyboard. Bob Bone

I have this plugin, as well, and have NO clue on how to properly use it. I used to think I was reasonably able to reason my way through most applications, but this one has humbled me up something FIERCE. I have NO idea on which 'standard' to use, nor best practices, nor even worst practices. SO - I am KEENLY interested in this thread....... Bob Bone

I had an M-Audio Axiom 61 Pro, that was several years old, that began randomly, but consistently, spewing out midi data - )Pitch Bend data, actually), and I ended up disabling the Pitch Bend wheel on the Axiom, to prevent it getting recorded on any midi tracks. I would use a different controller for any tracks where I needed to actually have any pitch bending. If Windows is properly detecting midi activity from the Z1, then unless something like a control surface issue is at play, then if all of the settings are correct in Cakewalk, it would look like somehow, and in some VERY weird way, Cakewalk would be having some sort of issue. That does not make ANY sense, though, because again, unless you DO have a control surface definition/mapping set up for it, Cakewalk shouldn't even be AWARE that it is any particular make/model of midi device sending midi data. If you DO happen to have a control surface set up for the Z1, can you please try removing it, to see if that has any effect? Bob Bone

I, too, am a bit confused why this would be happening with your setup - it seems like a settings and/or a device issue, that is either not working right, or is not configured right. I see you mention currently running Windows 10. I looked at the RME site for any drivers for that interface, and maybe I am missing the boat, but is this interface even supported anymore? If so, I don't seem able to select your interface on the drivers download page. IF this link is the correct one, you please tell me what I need to do to pull up available drivers for your model of interface, for ANY version of Windows, let alone Windows 10. (https://www.rme-audio.de/en/downloads/driver_updates_readme_hdsp.php) When you have Cakewalk running, you should see a little keyboard icon in the Windows 10 System Tray (bottom right corner of your display monitor - you may need to expand the display of items in the System Tray, by clicking on the arrow that points up). Anyways, when you trigger notes on the Z1, do you see any little tiny light turning on and off on that little music keyboard icon? (the little music keyboard icon is supposed to show midi activity, so when notes are triggered, it should have a little red activity indicator light go on and off on that keyboard icon - a bit to the left of the center of the keyboard icon). I see this turning on and off when I play notes on the Roland A-800 Pro midi controller I currently have hooked up to the computer using a USB cable - I do not know if connecting your Z1 through your RME card using a standard midi connector would also result in that midi activity indicator light go on and off - just because I do not know if that midi activity app in the system tray works for old-school midi cable connected devices, such as your Z1. I had mentioned earlier a suggestion of designating Omni or None on the midi track's Input, and I am unsure of whether or not you have tried running this way. I saw where you indicated it is set to something other than Omni or None, so please try changing to one of those. If set to Omni, the midi track should send ANY midi data received, to the Kontakt instance. In any case - it is a good thing you have a new controller/keyboard coming, so this issue shouldn't persist beyond when they new device arrives. Bob Bone

Please detail exactly what your midi input devices are set in preferences, and also exactly what you are setting for the midi track's Input, and also the Midi Output Channel for the midi track (if set in the parameter - right under the FX bin on the midi track). Bob Bone

DOH! That would have saved me some typing - wish I had read and retained that in his post prior to my authoring that 'book' of a post.

Sounds like maybe an authorization thing. You could try copying all the 32-bit plugins off to a newly-created folder that isn't included in the VST scan path in the plugin manager, then deleting the 32-bit plugins from the folder that IS currently included in the VST scan path, and then trying to add back in, say 10 or 20 32-bit plugins back into that folder (copying them over from the folder you had saved them all in). This way, you could kind of work your way through a few at a time, where if any batch of 10-20 got hung, you could pull those back out of the scanned folder, and try maybe 5 of those again, or 2, or 8, or some smaller number from that last batch that had failed, repeating this until you were able to build up that scanned folder again with only those 32-bit plugins that scanned successfully. Then, you would be able to work out why the specific ones you were able identify as causing the VST scan to hang, had issues..... I hope the above makes sense. I do think that licensing can be a frequent cause of these kinds of issues, but if you are just now moving all of those 32-bit plugins to a 64-bit Windows, then some of those 32-bit plugins could just freak out at running bridged in a 64-bit environment. IF you determine that the failing to scan is primarily caused by bridging with the Cakewalk-included Bit-Bridge, you could also consider buying the commercially available bridging software called J-Bridge, which can often give better results for some 32-bit plugins (it runs about $20, but do keep in mind that it won't be able to help ALL 32-bit plugins run in a 64-bit Cakewalk). SO, for whatever the worth, I keep the vast majority of 32-bit plugins in a VST32 folder, in Program Files (X86), but I only keep a folder I named Bridged in the VST scan path in the Cakewalk Plugin Manager, and the only plugins that are kept there, and thereby available for Cakewalk projects), are those 32-bit plugins that I have tested and found stable for use in a 64-bit Cakewalk. If I find a need for some additional 32-bit plugin, mostly from those in my VST32 folder, but sometimes newly-downloaded off the web, I will add just that individual 32-bit plugin to the Bridged folder, and will make sure it works, before allowing it to remain there for general use in projects. This keeps MY system quite stable......Doesn't help my composition or playing skills, but at least I am not crashing or hanging due to 32-bit plugins. Bob Bone

If you arm the midi track for Record, and then hit the transport Record button, (or hit the letter 'R' on your computer keyboard), then play notes on your Z1, if any midi data is coming through, you should see it drawn on the midi track as you are recording, and after you hit Stop (or the space bar on your computer keyboard), that midi data should still be visible on the midi track that is routed to the Kontakt instance, and your Z1 for input. I thought maybe just seeing if any midi data is getting recorded would be a reasonable place to start. Additionally - as a separate test, if you open the Kontakt instance, in your project, there should be a keyboard at the bottom of the Kontakt instance. If you do not see it, then click If you arm the midi track for Record, and then hit the transport Record button, (or hit the letter 'R' on your computer keyboard), then play notes on your Z1, if any midi data is coming through, you should see it drawn on the midi track as you are recording, and after you hit Stop (or the space bar on your computer keyboard), that midi data should still be visible on the midi track that is routed to the Kontakt instance, and your Z1 for input. I thought maybe just seeing if any midi data is getting recorded would be a reasonable place to start. Additionally - as a separate test, if you open the Kontakt instance, there should be a keyboard at the bottom of the Kontakt instance. If you do not see it, then look at the top of the Kontakt instance window, and you will see a round toothed gear, that is for setting, and to the right of that is an icon/button that looks like a multi-pane window - and THAT is what you want to click on - the little arrow at the bottom right corner of that icon/button. That will open up a little menu of options for what is displayed - like the Output Section, etc. One of those options is for displaying a keyboard at the bottom of the Kontakt instance. Anyways, you can test whether or not you get output from Kontakt, coming out of that instance's associated audio tracks, by clicking on notes on that keyboard, using your mouse. It's just a validation that you have a working instance of Kontakt, able to actually produce sound when notes are triggered. If it doesn't produce sound on the associated audio tracks, then you have an issue between the Kontakt instance (or one of multiple instruments in the instance), and the associated audio tracks. If, on the other hand, you DO hear the appropriate sounds coming from the audio tracks, when using the mouse to play notes on the Kontakt instance's keyboard, then that part of it all is OK, and there is some issue with the Z1, or something like the output midi channel on the midi track being different than the midi channel the Kontakt instrument is set to. I suppose you could also double-check to make sure you don't have something like Port B instead of Port A (each midi Port gets its own distinct 16 midi channels, and there can be Ports A, B, C, and D available to pick from). You should have: 1) your Z1 checked in Preferences as a valid midi input device 2) The Z1 transpose function should be set to match playable notes in the Kontakt instance (like you wouldn't want to have the Z1 transposed down several octaves when the Kontakt instrument doesn't have playable notes that low, etc...) 3) A Kontakt instance with at least one loaded instrument (if only 1 instrument, then it will automatically be set to receive and respond to notes on midi channel 1) 4) A midi track with its output set to the Kontakt instance you are trying to trigger notes from. Input can be set to None, Omni, or specifically to your Z1 (doesn't have to be set to the Z1). If your Z1 is left to its default, it will transmit on midi channel one. You can always FORCE the midi channel output from the midi track to be whatever midi channel exactly matches the midi channel for the desired instrument loaded into the Kontakt instance, by first setting the midi output for the midi track to the desired Kontakt instance, and then setting the Midi Output Channel for that midi track to the desired midi channel - this setting is immediately below the FX Bin on the midi track, in either the Track Inspector, or in Console View. If the Midi Output Channel is set to match the correct midi channel that the instrument in the Kontakt instance will respond to, then it doesn't matter what midi channel your Z1 is set to, because Cakewalk will change it in any midi data output from that track, to match the Midi Output Channel. 5) If this is an existing project, make sure you haven't accidentally switched which midi port you connected the Z1 to the computer with, because that will cause issues. You ALWAYS want to make sure you keep track of which midi devices are connected to which midi ports on the computer - I ALWAYS leave them connected, and if I ever do need to reconnect them, I ALWAYS follow a little map I made for myself, to ensure they are always plugged into the computer using the same midi ports. If you are not sure if this is the case - then I suggest not selecting specific midi devices as the Midi Input for your midi track(s), but instead, just specify Omni. 6) I don't actually HAVE anything for number 6, I just wanted to end on an even number. I quite honestly do not know if I have covered everything I meant to - it is coming up on 2 AM, and my brain has left the building, so this is as far as I go this evening. I hope something in the above not only makes some sense, but maybe also WORKS to get you past your present issues with getting Kontakt sounds to play, using your Z1. Best of it all, and good luck Bob Bone

Do you have a project file you can upload? I can try to see if I can figure out what is happening. Use a file hosting service, like Dropbox or Google Drive, and then post the link to download it here in this thread. If you think I need the whole project folder, then I suggest creating a new compressed folder, and then copying the contents of your actual project folder into the compressed folder, and then upload that. If instead, you think I would have what I need to test out your midi data playing issues, without needing the whole folder, then just upload the file ending in '.cwp', as that is the extension for a Cakewalk project file. If you are not comfortable with posting a download link in an open forum, you can shoot me a private message through the forum, and then it would only be visible to me. I will keep an eye out for either a download link here, or one in a private message, and will do my best to figure out what is happening. Bob Bone

I confess that there have been SEVERAL occasions where I felt like that, after some drive-by brilliant comment from scook, and I have used Cakewalk since before Windows existed, back when Cakewalk was originally developed and released by Twelve Tone. (a long time ago - I won't reveal the number of years, because it makes me realize my age). I mostly work with midi tracks and data, so there are all kinds of things I am still learning about the software, whenever I venture into additional areas, such as recording actual instruments. Little by little, I move my overall knowledge forward. Very happy you got sorted out. Bob Bone

You should also be able to just press and release your sustain pedal, while that midi track is in focus, and that should also turn it off. I sometimes have articulation changes switched on because I played a section where one was deliberately made, and then I move to a different spot on the timeline and there wasn't a midi event that switched it back to what the different section was intended to have - for that situation, I just press the key-switch for the desired articulation - same principle, just pressing and releasing the sustain pedal works too. I don't want to insert a bunch of articulation or other events just because something is left hanging or changed due to my moving around the time line during tracking or editing.. I MUCH prefer to just dynamically adjust the sound, because if I insert a midi event correction - I would then have to go find that event if I end up wanting to make some general change articulation change to that track later on. By only temporarily dynamically switching the articulation or pressing and releasing the sustain pedal, there aren't a bunch of otherwise unneeded events that might become a pain in the rear later. I hope the above makes sense, it is pretty early in my day here, and I am still waiting for my first cup of coffee to finish brewing. Bob Bone

Here are just a few of the links out there - I did a Google search on: Headphones shootout https://www.cnet.com/topics/headphones/best-headphones/high-end/ https://www.techradar.com/news/audio/portable-audio/best-headphones-1280340 https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/studio-headphones-0 Bob Bone

I always edit/mix with open back headphones - I happen to use an AKG K712 set of headphones, but there are a number of less expensive phones that still sound great. When I record anything involving a mic, I switch to a closed back headphone, so I don't get any bleed from the phones getting picked up by any mic. I suggest you look at some of the shootouts that are out there, on headphones, for some guidance. These compare multiple makes/models of headphones, at different price points. Bob Bone

Glad you have it sorted out, now. So, it appears that either method of inserting a meter change worked all along, and it is just that the insertions were not being done at the measure on the time line where you thought they were being inserted. So - I always make sure the Now Marker is positioned at the point where I want to insert a meter change, and afterwards, I always click a measure back from the inserted meter change, and let it roll over the measure where the meter change was inserted, to make sure it was done where I had intended. Also, make SURE you have the correct check box selected, in the Insert Meter Change dialog box, because one of the options is to insert a new meter change, while the other option is to change the LAST meter change done (and I believe that option - changing the most recent meter change) is the default - which can really mess you up, unless that is what you intended. Almost every time I insert a meter change, I want it to insert a brand new meter change at the current Now Time marker position on the project timeline. Good luck with it all - I hope I explained things enough to where I haven't massively confused you. Bob Bone

You might want to make sure you didn't accidentally insert meter changes in different time line locations than you meant to, with some of the earlier attempts. In any case, glad you are able to move forward again. Bob Bone

I always go to Project > Insert Meter/Key Change, after first setting the Now Marker to where I want the measure inserted, and I set the meter in the dialog box window that opens up. I do this all the time, as I work on prog projects with oodles of changing meters. Bob Bone

Boy - you couldn't have picked a better time to tell me about Samplit, and Sample Robot. The bass player from my Genesis tribute project has a real set of the original Taurus Bass Pedals, and they may be too delicate to use them on a regular basis. He also has no protective case for them, so there is some risk there. Anyways, I bought a shiny new set of Studio Logic Bass Pedals, but they are just a midi controller, so no Taurus sounds. The bass player and I were already planning to sample his Taurus pedals this weekend, so I think I will take a good look at both of these programs. Bob Bone

Are there any error messages when you get crashes? Are there any Windows error events visible in the Windows Event Viewer, that correspond to the time and date of any of the crashes? What version of Windows are you running? Is your Windows maintenance up to date? Is your system BIOS up to date? Are your drivers up to date for your interface? Are these 32-bit plugins you are working with when you crash? Are there any 32-bit plugins already loaded into projects that crash? (please list them if present) The issues you are having are just not prevalent - meaning whatever is happening to your system stability is most likely related to either (or both) your configured environment and/or one or more plugins you are using. If indeed this is the case, then we should be able to work out the issues and get you stabilized. You would see massive numbers of posts in these forums, if Cakewalk itself had problems so severe that the product was unusable, and that is just not the case, further lending credence to the idea that the issues are specific to your system itself or in the particular plugins you are attempting to use. (including 32-bit plugins). I cannot even recall the last time either Sonar Platinum or Cakewalk by Bandlab crashed on me. (I only mention that to illustrate it being stable). Please provide the information I am requesting above, and folks here in the forums will do our best to help you sort through whatever is happening. Bob Bone

I would just use the VST2 version until the plugin company updates their plugin's VST3 version. This happened with some Waves plugins, and I think maybe some Slate plugins too , a year or two back. Bob Bone

Kewl - can you please also provide the info I requested, in my earlier post? It would help me and hopefully others, assist you in figuring out what is happening to crash your project. Thanks Bob Bone

I concur with the thought that using one of the freeware 64-bit sample players would be well worth exploring, and the Tx16wX sample player is 64-bits with LOTS of features. Here is the link to the Tx16wx: https://www.tx16wx.com/ Bob Bone

Good idea, to try. The default size for this buffer USED to be 500 ms, but with one of the later Sonar releases - either in X1-X3 or Platinum, that default got changed to 250 ms, which lots of folks found to be too small, so the general approach by lots of folks was to increase that Prepare Using ______ Millisecond buffers back up to 500 ms, with some upping the size to 750 ms, and a smaller set of folks going up to 1000 ms. I run mine at 500 ms, and that seems to work just fine - experiment with it and if you find improvement to your playback, then go ahead and leave it at whatever setting works well for you. If one of your change attempts makes things worse, no problemo, just change it again to something different. It won't mess anything up if you try a bunch of different settings for this. For ME, I just changed it the one time to 500 ms and left it at that. Bob Bone

Well, on the ONE hand, we have ALL had epic DOH moments, but on the OTHER hand, look at how WELL we have all learned from those moments. I will NEVER again stop at an auto-parts store next door to where my gig was, and pick up a can of brake cleaner spray to get my keyboard's keys cleaned right before we started the gig. Sprayed the keys - and starting about 2 seconds later, in the order corresponding to which end of the keyboard I started spraying, each key's plastic internals melted, causing each key to simply drop down - as the springs for each key were no longer connected to the now-melted little plastic pieces meant to never have brake cleaner sprayed on them.... (the guitar player watched in horror, as each key became instantly unusable, 15 minutes prior to a high-dollar wedding gig. (please forgive me - this was 40 years ago) (I raced down the street to a music store that was just about to close, and essentially gave them all the money I would have been paid for the gig, to rent the exact same keyboard as the one I had decapitated, and miraculously the gig was saved, though I played for free - AND had to pay a couple hundred bucks the following week to have the entire set of keys replaced). I bet NONE of us will repeat these particular DOH moments we have shared... (I have lots of others, but I don't want to make myself cry thinking about them)... Bob Bone

I do not see any minidump - is there any information you can provide on: 1) Your project's contents - in terms of what plugins (synths and effects) you have loaded into it, and info on if it is all audio, all midi, a mixture... 2) Your computer specs - OS and maintenance level, audio interface make and model, Cakewalk version, etc 3) Any info on what kinds of operations you were doing when it crashed - I know you said random, but for a given crash, please explain what you were doing for that particular time a little before the crash and up to it... Bob Bone