bitflipper

I gave some of them a listen. Not bad at all. I'm always suspicious of live 60's-era recordings, which are typically pretty awful - poorly recorded, weirdly mixed and retrieved from tapes that probably haven't been stored in a climate-controlled vault for the last 50 years. But these are pretty clean recordings, if a bit band-limited.

Tom's right. The only time you need to export tracks is if you'll be sending them to someone else for mixing. That's pretty common for collaborative projects in which multiple performers submit their tracks to one person who handles the mixing. Different collaborators will almost always be using different DAWs, or at least different configurations of the same DAW. In that scenario, audio files are the only universal currency.

BTW, the synchronization problem is solved in that scenario by exporting every track from 00:00:00. You can also export files in Broadcast Wave format, which includes timestamps, but I don't recommend it. Just having every file start at zero is the simplest solution, with the only downside being larger files.

But if yours is a one-man show and you intend to do all the mixing and mastering yourself, then there's (usually) no advantage to exporting as an intermediate step. You don't even have to freeze the tracks if your computer's got enough horsepower. The only preparation you may need is to simply bump up your buffer sizes.

Clowns bring joy and humor to the world. They have never prompted anyone to seek therapy.

No doubt a rare and valuable historical document. But the cynic in me wonders if it isn't just some animal acupuncturist cashing in on his dad's name. Don't know what the price is for the 7-disc set, but I'd want to hear some of it before buying.

Plugins can reside anywhere. Easiest way to find out where they are is to open the Cakewalk Plugin Manager, click on the Options button under "VST Configuration". That will provide you with a handy list of every directory you'll need to copy onto your thumb drive.

Unfortunately, as pointed out above, that won't be enough because installing plugins often involves more than just copying DLLs. In some cases you'll need the original installation files, and in many cases you'll have to re-authorize the plugins.

I'd advise maintaining a folder dedicated to holding all your plugin installation files, the ones you downloaded from vendors originally. Keep all those in one place and back it up so that if disaster strikes you'll know where to go to reinstall everything. Keep that backup someplace far from your DAW for extra insurance. I speak from painful experience.

21 hours ago, coffincoffee said:

...I'm going to require months to churn and assimilate all the info I get from just this one thread? but I also believe it's going to be one hell of a fascinating ride.

 

That's the spirit! Keep telling yourself it'll only take "months". That optimism will keep you going for at least the next ten years. ?

Seriously, though, it is a fascinating ride. I won't tell you how long I've been at it, and how much I still don't know despite my longevity, lest you be discouraged. Let's just say that the learning curve is endless and no matter how long you've been doing it there will always be something new to learn. That, of course, is what makes this such a great hobby.

1. As a general rule, you are correct: it is usually unnecessary to layer ensembles. That doesn't mean it's never done, though. Layering ensemble samples from two different libraries can fatten a track. The larger libraries will offer different variations, e.g. close- and far-miked versions or ensembles of different sizes.

2. It's not unusual for a rhythmic ostinato to repeat the same articulation over and over. Think Ravel's Bolero. Or superhero movie trailers. However, the technique can be very boring, and I'd suggest avoiding it for more than a few bars. Best way to learn articulations is to listen to each one in your sample library so you can recognize how they are being used in classical music. You'll find that even cellos and basses alter their articulations often, even if it's just for one note in a phrase.

3. I prefer to use effects in Cakewalk's fx bins over the built-in effects in a Kontakt library. They are usually more configurable and can be left in-circuit after freezing the track. If you use a lot of big sample libraries in a project, it's likely that at some point you'll want to freeze some tracks to conserve computer resources, mainly RAM and disk I/O. If you use the intrinsic effects in Kontakt, they'll get frozen too and therefore be un-tweakable.

Beware of effecting each instrument differently, though, as that can create an unrealistic sound. You want the orchestra to sound like they're all playing in the same room. That means using aux busses so that any delays or reverbs are shared by every instrument. You can still exaggerate the effect on particular sections, though, e.g. more reverb on solo violins and less on basses.

All of the above assumes you want your orchestra to sound realistic. Maybe you don't, and that's OK - it is, after all, a creative endeavor. If a flanger sounds cool to your ears on that cello ensemble, go for it!

If you're not getting any MIDI from your keyboard, then the issue has nothing to do with Kontakt. It's either a routing issue, a configuration issue on the controller, or your cat has become entangled with the MIDI/USB cable and unplugged it. 

Record some notes even if you can't hear them, just to make sure Cakewalk is getting MIDI data. If nothing is getting recorded, then make sure the keyboard is sending on channel 1 and the track is set to receive data on channel 1 (or the track input is set to Omni, in which case it doesn't matter what channel the controller is transmitting on). If you still can't get any MIDI to record, check your physical connections and make sure Cakewalk can actually see the device (e.g. it shows up in the dropdown list of input devices).

Such a thoughtful and insightful reply, John!

Relax, 'sOK, pwalpwal. No religion mentioned aside from the thread title. Lots of folks play in churches; it's a legit venue (even if I personally would probably burst into flames if I attempted it).

First thing I'd do is re-heat each soldered connection, just enough to melt the solder, making sure that the connectors are secured somehow (e.g. a vise or taped to the workbench) so they don't move while cooling. Also make sure the wires are physically touching metal and not relying on the solder alone to pass current.

And the last remaining member of Cream is 75. Rock won't be killed by disco, punk, rap or Nickelback, but by the inexorable passage of time.

At least these guys all survived 27.

Disabling a plugin may or may not affect overall latency. While it does reduce CPU usage and thus accommodate smaller buffers, SONAR still has to consider the latency that plugin would have added when calculating plugin delay compensation, in case you want to re-enable it mid-playback. Amp sims typically include effects (e.g. EQs, delays and reverbs) that are inherently latency-increasing regardless of CPU demands.

The only way to guarantee lowered latency is to print the track by baking in the fx with a freeze, after which SONAR is free to treat it as a simple audio track with no extra processing. (Well, it's not the only way; you could archive the track, but only if you don't want to hear it anymore, e.g. a click track or unused takes).

Sarcasm explained...because the concept doesn't exist outside of the English language.

I'm sure you're all as excited about this as I am.

That is pretty somber. Now I'm gonna have to replay the Ernie Kovacs bit to wash the somber out of my head.

Tell me these guys weren't on drugs...presages Monty Python, Cheech and Chong, 2nd City, SNL, et al.

My boomerang came back. The guy I smacked in the face with it delivered it personally.

Don't know why that wouldn't work. The only reservation I'd have is that the Sonitus gate can be finicky if levels are too variable. Make sure you compress the tracks before the send.

On 10/3/2019 at 1:11 PM, abacab said:

...I don't believe that the full Kontakt is required. I was looking into getting Amadeus, and the SonicScores site lists the requirements as: "Kontakt Player 5.8.1 or higher". https://sonicscores.com/amadeus/

I think you are right. I never use the Player, so the only way I can tell if it's player-compatible is to look on the Libraries tab. Which I also never use.

[EDIT] OK, I found some know-it-all "authority" who wrote a review on Amadeus for SoundBytes, and according to him it is player-compatible.

I have two main presets/track templates for Superior Drummer: the simple one where everything's mixed to a stereo out via SD3's own mixer, and the full-on version with separate outputs for kick, snare, toms, overheads and room mics. It really comes down to how much I want to effect each kit piece.

SD3's internal fx are good, but I have better ones as plugins. Plus I lose the ability to tweak effects after the drums have been frozen. Sometimes I only realize the kick's not punching through after the mix is near completion, and then have to un-freeze SD3 to tweak it. I also like to route individual drums to a distortion bus, which requires separate tracks. So it'll be the full-fanout template that gets used most often. 

One issue you need to confront when seeking a natural-sounding drum track is managing mic bleed. The beauty of sampled drums is that each hit is pristine and isolated. But that's also why you end up with results that just "sound off". Real drums aren't isolated. They interact with each other. That's why many engineers still use old-school methods for recording acoustic drums, using a minimal number of microphones. Each drum sampler has its own way of implementing mic bleed (Superior Drummer probably has the most sophisticated bleed features), but most of them have at least token support for it. In addition to mic bleed, judicious use of room mics also does a lot for achieving a realistic sound (again, it's SD3 that offers the most sophisticated room mic options).

Bottom line is to think of your sampled drums as if they were real drums, and how you'd handle those physical instruments in a real space. It's messy. Your digital equivalent is therefore going to get a little messy, too.

I stopped hearing notes above the 12th fret ten years ago. 

I realized that after buying a new synth that had only 73 keys (a concession to my aching back) and soon found that I didn't miss the other 15 at all.

Don't try to do orchestral arrangements with solo string instruments alone, as it's a lot of work. Get a nice library that includes both solo instruments and ensemble sections. Layering the two will get you the fatness while preserving clear melodies.

My orchestral projects will usually have a minimum of four and up to 16 tracks. But if the strings are just serving as backing pads, then the right library will let you do it all with just one track. The number of tracks has little to do with how full a sound you get - more tracks let you get more creative with the interplay between instruments, but won't necessarily make it sound fatter. Cellos and basses, that's where the beef is.

Orchestral libraries can get incredibly expensive, but there are some good-enough ones for cheap. In my most recent orchestral outing, I set aside the monster string and orchestral libraries and exclusively used Amadeus Symphonic Orchestra from Sonic Scores. It's got both ensembles and solo instruments, and not just strings but also brass, woodwinds, percussion and even a serviceable choir. The downside is that it needs the full version of Kontakt.

If the only playback option you have is laptop speakers, you're going to have a real difficult time of it. They are simply physically incapable of informing you about how the music really sounds. Invest in some decent headphones, which will set you back between $150 and $300. Bear in mind that some higher-end headphones won't perform well when driven from your laptop's headphone output without adding an external headphone amplifier, so if you don't want to go through that hassle choose low-impedance (< 150 ohm) headphones.

Craig, thanks for that YT link. Sheesh, I hope that's not a preview of the show I'll be attending. Poor Todd clearly didn't do his vocal warmups before the show. Granted, old folks like me do lose the upper end of our pitch range (see Robert Plant), but they could have at least lowered the song keys for him. 

Are you sure the problem is with the interface? It could be, of course. But it would most likely be an issue with its driver (as opposed to a hardware problem or with the firewire port). I'm sure you've already verified with Apollo that you have the right driver for Windows 10.

Another possibility is that something is running that wants to own the Win10 audio subsystem. When you migrated from W7 to W10 it will have re-enabled some services and features that you probably had turned off before. Win10 is like that...I've had it, for example, re-enable my motherboard's integrated audio interface as part of a W10 update (resulting in similar symptoms to what you're describing).

When SONAR attempts to set the interface's sample rate, it won't necessarily know why (or even if) the operation has failed. That's why you get such a vague error message - too many possible explanations and the driver ain't talkin'. Examine your background processes and see if there might be something monopolizing the interface.

Just an idea...have you tried switching to something other than ASIO as an experiment? If, say, WDM didn't exhibit the problem then you could at least eliminate the interface as the problem. Or if shared-mode WASAPI works, that could suggest a software conflict, e.g. some other process laying claim to the audio driver.

Craig...a hippo, a parrot, deer, sheep...is this one of those "which one of these doesn't belong" puzzles?

Re Todd Rundgren: I was not a big fan during his heyday, and only became interested in his career after reading his biography. That's when I realized how much of a premier musician/engineer/producer he is/was. How he could take a mediocre bar band like Grand Funk Railroad and turn them into superstars. He wasn't just their producer. They'd come in and record rhythm tracks and lead vocal and then go home. When they returned in the morning, overnight the song had become fully fleshed out with backing vocals, keyboards and lead guitar - all done by Todd while they slept.

Nowadays, he's more or less retired, but still enjoys jams and collabs with friends. The show's being billed as "An Unpredictable Evening with Todd Rundgren", which I take to mean there may be unbilled guest artists. At a hundred bucks a pop, I figured it would be a lightly-attended affair of interest only to geezer music nerds such as myself. But he's sold out two shows, so I guess I'm not the only one who's curious to see what The Runt's been up to.