Seeking advice on a setup to use Cakewalk live

[JnTuneTech]

On 3/26/2023 at 5:21 AM, remyhardy said:

using it with loopBE1 (witch is like loopmidi) and QLC+

@remyhardy I'm glad to hear you got some progress. And the basic concept is all I can help with here. -Any .ins file from my setup using DMXIS would only make sense if you were using that app as your lighting control software. I don't know anything about QLC+, and again, these other programs are best supported by their own forums & support. Cakewalk is wonderful for integrating audio & MIDI control, to be sure, and once you get the specifics of what you need to control, there may be ways folks here can help with clarifying that, if needed.

So, the basic concept: MIDI control works by using digital values, some of which are defined by historical standards, but most beyond those that apply to musical notes & basic expressions are up to each individual program to define & publish for others to use.

In your case, you need to find out what MIDI values are available to control in the app you want to use, -such as QLC+. Once you have that, in a basic situation you could create an .ins file for Cakewalk to use, in helping to map the available functions, when you are using MIDI in Cakewalk to control that particular app.

It may be very simple, as perhaps you only need to control the program change within the app, or, in many cases with lighting control, you may need to map out a control for each desired function between Cakewalk and the lighting app. In addition, some of those functions may have to be manually programmed in the other app first, -as I do in fact with DMXIS. -Only then can Cakewalk be set up to follow those functions with a matching .ins map, basically.

-This all assumes you understand there are many more layers involved, far beyond the Cakewalk MIDI control.   I would strongly suggest you learn all you can about your DMX control app first, as that will also lead you to understanding DMX lighting fixture control - which is an entirely different set of controls & mapping in of itself, but prerequisite to doing anything with all the above mentioned MIDI control. -And then, learn how the DMX control app can be set up to respond to outside MIDI controls, from the documentation it must provide for that.

Only after you know what you can do with the lighting from the control app, and exactly what part of that can be controlled with an outside MIDI control command set, can you even begin to set up your Cakewalk MIDI control map & tracking.  -It can be a lot, but it can also be rewarding, and, if you learn all the concepts, you will also gain a better understanding of MIDI control in general, as well as how to make your own specific .ins files for Cakewalk.

[remyhardy]

Ok, thx a lot JN, it helped me a lot. Finally I made my ins file and doubled it to have more room than the basic 127 control change. The Program change was not stable so I chose to work with the control change and value. Seem to work well so far so I’ll make a basic midi track of lighting (4/4) and copy it to different songs and then correct the punch of the song only, the track should follow the midi tempo so that should save much time I guess.

to be continued and hope that will help others to do it..  thx again @JnTuneTech

Edited April 3, 2023 by remyhardy

[JnTuneTech]

@remyhardy -Thanks to you as well - in researching this subject again during these postings, I re-connected with my DMXIS software, & the Cakewalk projects I have used it with, -it's been a while!  -In fact, I found that DMXIS is no longer available (new), but has been replaced by the programmer, with a more visual app (maybe similar to what you are talking about), and I can even use my old settings if I decide to upgrade!

It also claims to have a VST plugin version, but I have not tested to see if it still has the limitation of it shutting down all the light fixtures to 0 every time you change projects in Cakewalk... That is pretty much just a limitation of DMX itself though, since standard DMX has no feedback protocol to let a controller know "where" the light settings are at, and so you can only clear the board and start anew, or risk mixing a new set of presets on top of another... but I digress!

-Anyway, glad to hear you have found some techniques that will work for you, as I have said before, it's great to have a Cakewalk project control both sound & lights (and in fact any MIDI controllable device) all at once.  -Cheers.

[remyhardy]

Hey @JnTuneTech, I’ taking a chance here,  Cause I know you re better than me in CbB. How to transform midi notes into a repeated note of the same pitch for the duration of the key hold.  I found a way to do it but when hitting more than 1 note at a time, the 2 notes repeat alternatively so not good, any idea?

 

[JnTuneTech]

6 hours ago, remyhardy said:

I found a way to do it but when hitting more than 1 note at a time, the 2 notes repeat alternatively so not good, any idea?

Not much to go on - did you maybe arpeggiate some notes (automatic repeat in a pattern, basically) - and if so, did you try to set the duration & type of pattern? I don't know how to answer that exactly, I think you can arpeggiate multiple notes as one, but I have never tried it. And by "transform" - you don't mean actually changing the notes already on a track? Give us some more info. And this may be best in a new post entirely. Maybe someone else here can chime in?

[remyhardy]

Hey @JnTuneTech, I’ taking a chance here,  Cause I know you re better than me in CbB. How to transform midi notes into a repeated note of the same pitch for the duration of the key hold.  I found a way to do it but when hitting more than 1 note at a time, the 2 notes repeat alternatively so not good, any idea?

You’re right, the problem was the pattern, with the arpeggiator of cakewalk, it works fine now withe the choice of the right pattern, I knew you had the answer thx ?