Please Help: How to create music with samples

[Aarool Bhaalerao]

So I am trying to compose music in my free time, and I have chosen Cakewalk.

I have several samples (.ogg and .wav) for instruments, and I want to use them to make sounds. 

I had experimented this with another Daw - LMMS, and the samples work perfectly there in accord to the midi information, though LMMS lacks in mixing and synthesizing options, which is why I decided with CbB, as it looks quite... complex... so I thought it would be better in mixing etc.  

I have loaded the samples into the "media" tab in Cakewalk now, but when I drag it in, it shows the "audio" track, not a midi track, like how it is in LMMS.

I tried creating a "midi track" and then dragging the .ogg/.wav on that, but then the piano roll does show up, but with no sound.

 

How do I create a working midi with samples? I have unsuccessfully browsed every possible thing that could give me the answer... with no luck. I understand, from whatever I read, this has something to do with samplers and stuff I don't know how to do.

 

So can someone please explain me how to do it?

 

Thanks in advance...

[Patrick Wichrowski]

 

 

[Nigel Mackay]

If you drag an audio sample onto the track pane you get an audio track because it is audio.

Drag an audio sample onto an audio track. Press play. You hear the sample.

Watch the videos yo learn how to make music with MIDI. Completely different thing.

 

[Kurre]

Maybe you should start with the step sequencer.

 

[Will.]

What you need to remember is, if your samples are not the same BPM - it will definitely be a monster quest for anyone that is starting out -- irrespective of which you're using. 

You will have to stretch; cut them; nudge them and often,  you'll have to stretch most of those split clips to be sync'd with the tempo and your "Beats Per Minute"(BPM.) 

Best that you watch some video's on how BPM work with samples. Once you understand that concept - it will be like breathing. 

Edited November 7, 2020 by Will_Kaydo

[abacab]

I think that sounds like the OP is looking for a virtual  sampler to drop the samples into, that can be triggered by a MIDI controller.

 

[Alan Tubbs]

Yea. 

 

To the OP,

samples are snippets to loops of audio.  Loops like a 4 on the floor kick and snare drum pattern.  If you don't like that kick drum you can find a hit of another kick you like better and manually lay it in over each of those audio loop kicks.  Or you can load these snippets into a SAMPLER, which can play back individual  hits at different pitches or entire loops.  So you could have an entire drum set contained w/in the SAMPLER and play it - usually via MIDI.  And edit that MIDI data on screen in Cakewalk.  The midi notes aren't audio until played or played back.  Kinda how electricity doesn't sound like music until it passes a speaker. 

 

of  such as a kick drum hit.  You can lay in this kick hit  over every kick on your repeating 4 x 4 pattern

[Aarool Bhaalerao]

Sorry for the late replies everyone. Been a bit busy.

 

@abacab yeah that is what I meant.

 

@Alan Tubbs oh so you need a sampler correct? can you please suggest which one I can use, or link a video for explaining how samplers work, and how to use samples with these? 

 

Much thanks!

[abacab]

5 hours ago, Aarool Bhaalerao said:

Sorry for the late replies everyone. Been a bit busy.

 

@abacab yeah that is what I meant.

 

@Alan Tubbs oh so you need a sampler correct? can you please suggest which one I can use, or link a video for explaining how samplers work, and how to use samples with these? 

 

Much thanks!

Hello @Aarool Bhaalerao, and welcome to Cakewalk!

Since you are new to Cakewalk you should probably be made aware that it does not include an integrated sampler or sampler track. But it does include a virtual drum instrument. The samples are already loaded in this kit and cannot be changed by the end user. But it is a drum  virtual instrument that you can trigger with a MIDI pattern, or from a controller.

Here is a great video tutorial by Creative Sauce (about 30 mins) that explains the basics  how to make beats in Cakewalk with this drum kit, as well as demonstrating the use of the piano roll, step sequencer, and drum maps.

Once you understand this workflow you can replace this drum instrument with a virtual sampler plug-in of your choice.

But because Cakewalk is very deep and complicated, I'd recommend that you completely understand the workflow in this video before going out and acquiring a 3rd party sampler.

 

[Aarool Bhaalerao]

@abacabhmmmmm I am confused how is a step sequencer relevant here; two people suggested a step sequencer video but I don't see how it comes into play here

[abacab]

19 minutes ago, Aarool Bhaalerao said:

@abacabhmmmmm I am confused how is a step sequencer relevant here; two people suggested a step sequencer video but I don't see how it comes into play here

@Aarool BhaaleraoThere are two ways to trigger a virtual instrument via MIDI. Controller hardware input and/or data on a MIDI track. Samplers are virtual instruments that receive MIDI data, and play back audio via samples. Using a controller you can record the MIDI data on the track to edit and replay later, or play the virtual instrument live.

The three other ways to enter MIDI data in a MIDI track: Insert a pre-made MIDI pattern, enter notes on a piano roll that creates your own MIDI pattern, or enter notes on a step sequencer grid which also creates a MIDI pattern.

Many folks working with rhythm patterns prefer the step sequencer grid to editing notes in a piano roll, but they are interchangeable and both result in a MIDI pattern on a MIDI track. Use the method that you prefer.

Did you watch the video that I linked?

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by abacab

[Xel Ohh]

On 11/6/2020 at 2:25 PM, Aarool Bhaalerao said:

So I am trying to compose music in my free time, and I have chosen Cakewalk.

I have several samples (.ogg and .wav) for instruments, and I want to use them to make sounds. 

I had experimented this with another Daw - LMMS, and the samples work perfectly there in accord to the midi information, though LMMS lacks in mixing and synthesizing options, which is why I decided with CbB, as it looks quite... complex... so I thought it would be better in mixing etc.  

I have loaded the samples into the "media" tab in Cakewalk now, but when I drag it in, it shows the "audio" track, not a midi track, like how it is in LMMS.

I tried creating a "midi track" and then dragging the .ogg/.wav on that, but then the piano roll does show up, but with no sound.

 

How do I create a working midi with samples? I have unsuccessfully browsed every possible thing that could give me the answer... with no luck. I understand, from whatever I read, this has something to do with samplers and stuff I don't know how to do.

 

So can someone please explain me how to do it?

 

Thanks in advance...

You might need to get Komplete Start its free to download and use ... It has Komplete Kontrol vst that allows you to use samples like LMMS does in midi... I have a video showing how to use it.. Hope this helps...

 

[abacab]

6 hours ago, Xel Ohh said:

You might need to get Komplete Start its free to download and use ... It has Komplete Kontrol vst that allows you to use samples like LMMS does in midi... I have a video showing how to use it.. Hope this helps...

Hey great video! I had no idea that there was a sampler tucked away in KK! Just never looked past the plug-ins... ?

Thanks for sharing that! KK Sampler should stand in well for a basic integrated sampler in Cakewalk (much requested), and since it's produced by a major company like NI, it should stay well maintained.

Not that Cakewalk shouldn't integrate a solution like that, but it looks like a nice workaround!

[Xel Ohh]

2 hours ago, abacab said:

Hey great video! I had no idea that there was a sampler tucked away in KK! Just never looked past the plug-ins... ?

Thanks for sharing that! KK Sampler should stand in well for a basic integrated sampler in Cakewalk (much requested), and since it's produced by a major company like NI, it should stay well maintained.

Not that Cakewalk shouldn't integrate a solution like that, but it looks like a nice workaround!

Yea hopefully we will get an integrated one.. So we dont have to use third party samplers... Glad you git something out of the video.. Good luck on beat making..??

[Jazzi_1]

&  Will be  watching  these videos  +  Thanx

Edited August 19, 2023 by Jazzi_1

[Zaid Myers]

Sampler is the best way for me. As a sample format I use ogg because have a very good quality and the size is very small compared to wav. I use 3sampler a lot because it is user friendly, free, plays ogg and has no effects.

[RexRed]

Not to toot my own horn, I guess some people don't watch my tutorials.

35 years of using Cakewalk, I started with Cakewalk for MSDOS way back when Cakewalk needed all of the 56k of my RAM just to run.

And I don't get paid for my Cakewalk channel either, I do it simply for the love of music.