What is the relationship with midi setup and Audio?

[Clovis Hailey]

In my Audio Devicesc: ASIO4all v2 micn 1 input driver and ASIO v2 hpout 1 output then i see "in use by another application" ms g5 wavetable synth enabled? Driver Mode=ASIO and Assign Inst to midi to output. How does all of this effect or interact with my Akai LPK25? Thanks!!

[Robert Bone]

Your Akai LPK25 is a midi controller, and has nothing to do with ASIO4ALL, which is an audio driver - really a software wrapper around I believe the WDM drivers of Windows, and it basically pretends you have a real ASIO driver, but your CPU has to work really hard to convert analog signal to digital data, and back to analog again, frequently causing audio performance issues.

I am wondering if you have the ASIO4ALL driver being used for Windows sounds and Windows audio output, while also trying to use it in Cakewalk.  If this is the case, you can try changing the Windows audio driver to something else, and see if that clears it up for you.

I would also suggest that if you do not currently have a dedicated audio interface, I HIGHLY recommend you consider picking one up - it will give you much better performance in dealing with streaming audio - which is what you are doing when working with music projects in Cakewalk.  You can get a decent USB 2 or now possibly a USB 3 class of audio interface, with a couple of combo mic/line inputs, for $150 or less - with interfaces having more ins and outs and other features running up to a whole lot more - but to get started, $150(ish) would get you into something that would work well.  An audio interface would handle the task of converting analog signal to digital data, and also the reverse - digital data back to analog signal, using internal circuitry for the conversions, rather than dumping all of that work on your poor CPU.

Bob Bone

 

[scook]

Consider disabling the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth in Preferences > MIDI > Devices. Especially if it is the only MIDI output device.

When there are no MIDI output devices enabled, the DAW will automatically add and setup TTS-1 when opening MIDI files.

TTS-1 is a GM compatible softsynth bundled with Cakewalk.

Add the Akai LPK25 as a MIDI input device.

To test the keyboard

• create a new project from the start screen or File > New
• add TTS-1 using the Add Track menu (see the section on creating instrument tracks)
• set the track input to the Akai LPK25 and enable input echo (the button to the right of the record button in the track strip)
• play the keyboard

TTS-1 should play its default piano sound.

 

 

[Clovis Hailey]

Thank you guys! I think I am starting to understand on this subject. For some reason this program is complex to me but I learn by digging in and conquer one thing at a time so there will be lots of questions to come. THANKS!!!!!

[Robert Bone]

A lot of it is simply connecting the dots kinds of actions, if working with audio only, you would simply insert the appropriate audio tracks needed, and then set up the Inputs for each audio track (like which input from your audio interface.

For midi, you have to have either a stereo audio track, or a left and a right mono audio track, and you need a midi track, and you need a soft synth - with a preset loaded, and then you play connect the dots, routing the midi data that will be generated on the midi track, to connect it to the soft synth, and connecting the routing on the audio track(s), to pick up the audio output from the soft synth.

Lastly, you bring your midi track into focus (which sets the midi input echo on), if working with a soft synth, which will let you hear whatever you are playing on your midi input device (like a midi controller or an external synth that is being used to generate midi note data).

For hearing your audio track input (like a guitar or mic that is plugged into your audio interface), you want to turn the input echo on to 'On' and then you should be able to hear your guitar or mic in either your headphones or main speakers, and you should see the audio meters on the audio track(s) move, as well as your master track's audio meters.

Bob Bone