Bug: Cannot define midi instrument definitions in 2020.05

[Josh Wolfer]

*** Edit *** Appears that this is working as designed. Just ignore this post. 

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Not sure if this is new to 2020.05, since this is the first time I'm ever trying to define an instrument. 

But when I go to prefs -> midi -> Instruments

"Define" is greyed out and cannot be modified. I tried this both with a project loaded and unloaded. If I click on any of the options under "user instrument" it immediate becomes deselected. 

I'm trying to load in an instrument definition for AD2 to make PRV easier. 

Cheers.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Josh Wolfer

[user 905133]

I de-selected all my midi devices and got the same thing.  

Then I re-selected a midi output device.

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by User 905133
(2) to make the images smaller; (1) to add part 2

[scook]

This is by design as this area is intended for use with MIDI hardware. The screen is disabled when no MIDI output devices are setup in CbB.

It is possible to define alternate note name entries for the PRV Note Pane with a text editor.

Open the master.ins in %appdata%\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core in the text editor (may want to make a safety copy of master.ins before editing)

Under .Note Names create a section called [AD Drums]  (or whatever you want between the brackets) and add the

MIDI note number=Drum Name

pairs to appear instead of the keyboard in the PRV

Then under .Instruments create a section using the same name (in this example [AD Drums] and add the following

Patch=1..128
Key[*,*]=AD Drums
Drum[*,*]=1

 

Save master.ins

Now the new section should appear in the drop down in the PRV note names dialog.

 

That said, the drum maps (I know you have already posted a request about them), track and project templates have already been built for AD2 and are available in the old Knowledge Base https://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Knowledge-Base/2007013364/Setting-up-a-Drum-Map-for-Addictive-Drums-2-in-SONAR

 

If one creates the .Note Names section as a free standing ins file. There is a utility to convert it to a simple drum map. The utility may be found at http://dis.sesseler.de/ in the Cakewalk Sonar section.

[Josh Wolfer]

@scook

I appreciate the information. What a royal PITA. I did see that KB article and was trying to follow it, but just got frustrated and gave up. Once I found that drum maps can't trigger multiple outs for the same in note, it lost a massive part of why I was trying to set this up in the first place (as is mentioned in my drum map post). 

I see the master.ins and can modify it. Is there an AD2 definition set for the values that should go into the master.ins already made somewhere? The KB download assets are a template file, drum map, and cwx file, which appear to all be different then modifying the master.ins values to get the right names to show up. 

Thanks. Very much appreciate your help. 

[Josh Wolfer]

Actually it looks moot. If you have to tell PRV every time to use that instrument def to display the correct names, it's not worth my time. I'm comfortable enough with finding the correct note to hit. This is just eating up time that I should be producing. 

Appreciate your help. 

If Bandlab ever makes this easier to use, I'll look at it again. for now, it's insanely too cumbersome.

[scook]

Whether a track uses a drum map or not the notes in the track will trigger only one target. A drum map can send data to multiple plug-ins but the notes in the map may be assigned to only one synth at a time.

To have the same MIDI data trigger more than one synth (whether using a drum map or not) the tracks either need to be cloned using linked clips or a virtual MIDI cable must be used to broadcast the MIDI data to multiple tracks.

[scook]

5 minutes ago, Josh Wolfer said:

Actually it looks moot. If you have to tell PRV every time to use that instrument def to display the correct names,

 

That's right, using alternate note names is not persistent. This request has been around for some time.

[Josh Wolfer]

I'm trying out the linked clips technique. I thought this was going to work. And it does work if I'm manually entering every note. But if I click in a pattern and then copy and paste it, the paste is ALWAYS a new clip and doesn't stay linked. Completely frustrating. 

I thought that this option in paste special would take care of it, but it doesn't. 

So I guess I'll just be programming my parts and then I'll either wait to until the end and dupe it over or just keep duping the parts every few minutes like I've been doing. 

 

[scook]

The "Link to Original Clip(s)" in the lower left of the dialog is not checked

 

[scook]

I think this may work better for you

Install LoopBe1

Configure it as a MIDI input and output device in CbB preferences.

In the project add a MIDI track and load the drum map preset to use in the track. Notice the outputs are routed to LoopBe1. Of course, the drum map may be skipped and use LoopBe1 out directly and if desired drum maps may be added to the actual drum synth tracks created in the next step. If a drum map is used in this track it may send notes to all tracks listening to LoopBe1 or to individual synths.

Add the drum synths using instrument or audio+MIDI tracks. Set the inputs on the instrument/MIDI tracks to LoopBe1 and enable input echo.

Program the drums in the MIDI track with LoopBe1 as the output. As a safety measure consider setting the input on this track to virtual controller to prevent accidentally creating a feedback loop in LoopBe1.

 

[Chaps]

On 6/7/2020 at 1:33 PM, scook said:

This is by design as this area is intended for use with MIDI hardware. The screen is disabled when no MIDI output devices are setup in CbB.

It is possible to define alternate note name entries for the PRV Note Pane with a text editor.

Open the master.ins in %appdata%\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core in the text editor (may want to make a safety copy of master.ins before editing)

Under .Note Names create a section called [AD Drums]  (or whatever you want between the brackets) and add the

MIDI note number=Drum Name

pairs to appear instead of the keyboard in the PRV

Then under .Instruments create a section using the same name (in this example [AD Drums] and add the following

Patch=1..128
Key[*,*]=AD Drums
Drum[*,*]=1

 

Save master.ins

Now the new section should appear in the drop down in the PRV note names dialog.

 

Thanks, scook. That was very helpful. I used the AD2 drum map as a guide and added all the AD2 note names to my Master .ins file, followed your instructions, and it works great. I'm attaching a .txt file of those note names for anyone who wants to copy them into their own master .ins file (after creating a copy as backup, of course). Any corrections to the numbers/names is welcome. I double checked them but mistakes are easy to make for me.

 

Master INS AD2 Only.txt