From Ableton to Cakewalk: How to Import Files (MIDI and Instruments)?

[Jimi]

Hi! (I am new to DAWs and music creation in general, so please go easy on me!) 

TL;DR: How to import MIDI tracks from Ableton Live into Cakewalk (MIDI notes --and-- Instruments/Sound?)

I have used the "Import" function in Cakewalk to Import the .mid files from Abelton Live and yes, I DO get a new MIDI track, and the Piano Roll shows the appropriate MIDI notes that I made in Abelton Live. But I need to assign an instrument to the track so the MIDI actually plays sound (not sure how to do that yet.)

So far, the best I could get from Cakewalk is the MIDI notes playing, but playing as a piano (instead of the 808, or the 909 from Abelton. I chose the "TTS-1" for a track in Cakewalk and my Akai pad IS working and I can play and record 'drum' sounds with the Akai. But when I use the Piano roll to manually create notes, they sound like a normal piano and not drums or a bass.

How to import not just the MIDI notes data, but the instrument sounds themselves?

 

 

Background: I got an Akai pad/controller and was messing around with the free version of Ableton they give away (Abelton Live Lite.) It has a limit of 8 tracks and a limited selection of sounds, instruments, etc. I started making a song, and even started writing lyrics  but the 8-track limit in Abelton Live was.... limiting. I was "this close" to buying the Standard version of Live, but since I'm very new, I looked around for alternatives and found Cakewalk.

Abelton Live seems to be geared towards live performances, and it was clunky for me to figure it out at first. But I started getting used to it, enough to make a basic framework of a song. I reached the (8) track limit, and am now trying to recreate the song in Cakewalk. I think I could manually create it note-for-note using MIDI/Piano Roll, but the instruments are different and all I have gotten so far is a basic piano sound (in Cakewalk.)

For reference, in Abelton Live, I was using these Instruments:
 

• 909 Core Kit (for drums: bass, snare and low tom)
• Sub 808 Pitch Boom (for a bass line)
• Basic Radar Pluck (for the 'voicing' of the verses)
• Basic Synth Brass (for the 'voicing' of the chorus)
• Did not record VOX yet

 

Thanks very much!!

[scook]

MIDI files only contain MIDI data.

They contain references to instruments defined by the MIDI standard only.

Usually entire performances are opened in Cakewalk using File > Open from the main menu or the Start Screen.

Import is used for clips. Import strips out data such as tempo.

When opening MIDI files in Cakewalk, if no MIDI output device is selected in preferences, the DAW loads the MIDI file and sets up TTS-1 (the GM synth included with Cakewalk) to play the file.

Once opened, swap out TTS-1 for what ever synth plug-ins you wish.

 

[Jimi]

23 hours ago, scook said:

MIDI files only contain MIDI data.

They contain references to instruments defined by the MIDI standard only.

Usually entire performances are opened in Cakewalk using File > Open from the main menu or the Start Screen.

Import is used for clips. Import strips out data such as tempo.

When opening MIDI files in Cakewalk, if no MIDI output device is selected in preferences, the DAW loads the MIDI file and sets up TTS-1 (the GM synth included with Cakewalk) to play the file.

Once opened, swap out TTS-1 for what ever synth plug-ins you wish.

 

Thanks

Maybe what I need to ask is how can I use the Abelton instruments in Cakewalk? If I have Abelton still installed on my computer, are the instruments stored on my computer (sort of like VST plugins which are stored in a directory)? If so, can I 'give' Cakewalk access to that directory?

[John Vere]

If the Abelton instruments are VST then they will be in a folder. Find that folder at set Cakewalk VST settings to scan it 

[rsinger]

6 hours ago, pwalpwal said:

rewire - load live as a rewire client in cw (cw as rewire host)

I think that depends on the version, I think live 11 dropped support for rewire.