Features request : Instruments assign to a MIDI port

[Cédric Lawde]

I do not know if it is possible (I am not a computer expert), I would like an improvement for the MIDI configuration.

Let me explain: I have a lot of synthesizers (really) but they do not all work at the same time. Some are even occasionally connected via USB. Sometimes I forget to connect the power to a part of the studio that I don't need and the USB hubs that power the MIDI hubs are not active.

As a result, for each launch of Cakewalk, I have to go to the Preferences>MIDI>Instruments to assign the right instruments to the right MIDI ports. After 20 years, it starts to become boring:) Is it possible that Sonar remembers the reference of the drivers corresponding to such a port? Thus, it would be stored in memory and automatically recovered in each branch until one decides to forget this event for a reason? This rather than a constant shift of the MIDI ports.

[user 905133]

3 hours ago, Cédric Lawde said:

I do not know if it is possible (I am not a computer expert), I would like an improvement for the MIDI configuration.

Let me explain: I have a lot of synthesizers (really) but they do not all work at the same time. Some are even occasionally connected via USB. Sometimes I forget to connect the power to a part of the studio that I don't need and the USB hubs that power the MIDI hubs are not active.

As a result, for each launch of Cakewalk, I have to go to the Preferences>MIDI>Instruments to assign the right instruments to the right MIDI ports. After 20 years, it starts to become boring:) Is it possible that Sonar remembers the reference of the drivers corresponding to such a port? Thus, it would be stored in memory and automatically recovered in each branch until one decides to forget this event for a reason? This rather than a constant shift of the MIDI ports.

For hardware sound modules I tend to use friendly names for the midi ports (Preferences > MIDI Devices). As long as I use the same usb ports for my midi interfaces and use the same 5-pin din connections, the friendly names match my gear and I can select them as needed in the track headers.  To expand on this, last summer I made Cakewalk templates with about five or six modules. Not sure if I set up tracks in the template for 16 channels each or 32 channels each. 

Would something like that work for you? Or do you change around gear connections?

Edited February 1, 2020 by User 905133

[Cédric Lawde]

I'm used to using a friendly name for MIDI and audio. Unfortunately, I very often change the configuration of my studio .... And the friendly names are unchecked gradually. The big problem is that the names of the associated instruments keep the order of preference.

 

For the example :

SYNTH1 = Patches name synth1
SYNTH2 = Tones name synth2
SYNTH3 = Performance name synth3

Next time :

SYNTH1 = Patches name synth1
SYNTH3 = Tones name synth2
SYNTH4 = Performance name synth3

oups...

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by Cédric Lawde

[Jonathon Barton]

it seems there are and will be many issues regarding preferences that are complex any will need to vary 

pending song structures and hardware setups  to note  Ableton  preferences update no-the-fly ,,I think its called

live-time  it helps a lot ,,then Ableton  is relatively new programm  ,,so I think  Bandlab is trapped  in old preference

programming that's not so easy to change  so  a suggestion is maybe  be able to   SAVE  preference settings as template

 and or related to a song file  ,,surely easier than  rewriting   preference  so as to be up dating in real time

and  possibly more useful    Jon...

[msmcleod]

One way around your issue is to make copies of TTSSEQ.INI & INSTRMAP.INI - just copy them out of %APPDATA%\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core, and put them in a folder for each of your configurations.

Once you've plugged in the synths for a particular configuration, copy those files back to %APPDATA%\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core and start Cakewalk.

I always have backups of these files, along with AUD.INI & Cakewalk.ini - any time I forget to switch something on (and Cakewalk re-configures everything),  I just come out of cakewalk, copy the old ones back, and restart after I've switched everything on that should be.

You could even create batch files with short-cuts on your desktop, so you just double click to apply the configuration.

 

[Cédric Lawde]

Thank you so much. But, honestly, do not you think that it could be integrated into the program, is not it?

[abacab]

I really like the idea of restoring MIDI devices being automatic.

For example, just this weekend I was vacuuming out my PC and doing a bit of fan maintenance. In doing so I unplugged my USB MIDI controller (not actually even a synth). When I put everything back together again, I plugged the MIDI controller into a different USB port.

The next time I started Cakewalk the MIDI device was not enabled. I had to go into settings and re-check the box to enable it.  Funny thing is that a couple of my other DAWs found the MIDI controller on the new port automatically.

This is not really a big deal, but it does get old. I believe it stems from the same underlying issue that Cedric has raised.

[user 905133]

4 hours ago, abacab said:

I really like the idea of restoring MIDI devices being automatic.

For example, just this weekend I was vacuuming out my PC and doing a bit of fan maintenance. In doing so I unplugged my USB MIDI controller (not actually even a synth). When I put everything back together again, I plugged the MIDI controller into a different USB port.

The next time I started Cakewalk the MIDI device was not enabled. I had to go into settings and re-check the box to enable it.  Funny thing is that a couple of my other DAWs found the MIDI controller on the new port automatically.

This is not really a big deal, but it does get old. I believe it stems from the same underlying issue that Cedric has raised.

I agree--would be very nice. However, I'm not sure the Cakewalk devs can counteract what Windows chooses to do. For example, after some failed feature updates, even though Windows allegedly restored my settings, I started having BSODs. Most of times the "cause" (according to the BSOD) was a specific midi interface driver that had been not causing any issues. 

Based on other midi software triggering the system crash as well Cakewalk, I strongly suspect the problem is with Windows, not the software.  If I am right, Cakewalk devs would have to second guess what Windows MIGHT do to mess up device tables (or however they are tracked).

At present, I have disconnected the MIDI interfaces and have been trying to uninstall the drivers manually.  My hopes are that (1) I will be able to install them again (one-by-one over the span of several days to test for BSODs), (2) the interfaces will work as they did previous to the Windows 10 Feature Update attempts, and (3) I will remember not to allow Windows 10 to attempt more Feature Updates.

It would be great if Cakewalk could (1) create its own device table, (2) had options to allow users to re-scan all devices (at start up and/or on-demand) and  (3) had  a way to keep track of devices  used in projects (maybe a separate per project file, but not in the file itself) and have an optional smart per project  (or per setup/hardware configuration) reassignment mechanism.  Perhaps this could be done with selectable  "Preferences  Presets" so maybe each project could track which set of hardware [midi/audio] preferences should be used, if available--with the reassignment mechanism  triggered if the hardware devices weren't all there.

 

[abacab]

6 hours ago, User 905133 said:

I agree--would be very nice. However, I'm not sure the Cakewalk devs can counteract what Windows chooses to do.

 

I do not believe this is the case. As I said before, there are other DAWs that that do not lose their MIDI devices. Ableton being one example.

[Jonathon Barton]

thanks to the staff ,,, so  good to find  app data STUFF and ID it ,, tho,,with all Good intentions  saving those files

 and remembering months latter  is clutter ,although  maybe try and save that PREFERENCE setting  thats been 

working for months ,, that  even more unlikely,, any one no how quick copy paste to feature request,, Ableton  as

mentioned,, had  "absolute mouse control " issue that required  a command prompt  that worked  After much

cliqin.  only to be sorted in updates  a month latter  ,point is ±20 hours bandlab ± 1 hour sorting preferences

um  10 or 15 minuets playin  ,,  how  do u identify those appdata files  ,,,,must no a thing or too,  Jon,,,, slow

progress   journey towards an arrangement.