Where is Session Drummer?

[jkoseattle]

I am opening up some projects that are multiple years old, and I have since completely re-installed windows 11 on this machine, and therefore CW and everything else. This old project had a Session Drummer synth in it, but not only can I not find SD, I find very little about it on the web. It's like it's gone completely. Searching my machine finds a few straggler files but no install or VST or anything.

More broadly, this particular project has a dozen or so synth tracks in it, and although they are mostly Opus, and I still have Opus, Cakewalk doesn't recognize them so I am having to rebuild them with new synths based on the track names and the original mp3. Is there a better way?

And what happened to Session Drummer?

[John Vere]

Session drummer came with pre SPlat versions of Sonar. Splat included Addictive Drums instead. That’s when I stopped using Session Drummer. It was Ok but sort of outdated now. If you have your old installers from the x series look for it there.  

[jkoseattle]

So there is no drum plugin with CWB at all? Do I have to go buy something?

[HIBI]

CbB has the SI-Drum Kit. (Studio Instruments Suite must be installed)

Edited October 6, 2023 by HIBI

[57Gregy]

If you have really old projects, it could be referencing the original Session Drummer, a DX MIDI plug-in.
Then came Session Drummer 2, and then Session Drummer 3, which, confusingly, was called Session Drummer.
CbB comes with Studio Instrument Drums, so not all is lost.

[jkoseattle]

OK, well I went to look at the Studio Instruments Drum thing, and it said I needed to buy SI, but there's no way to do that. So I'm confused and starting to get a little worried. How do I make drummy sounds come out of my computer now?

[Starship Krupa]

1 hour ago, jkoseattle said:

OK, well I went to look at the Studio Instruments Drum thing, and it said I needed to buy SI, but there's no way to do that. So I'm confused and starting to get a little worried. How do I make drummy sounds come out of my computer now?

You're looking at a very old website there.

Cakewalk By BandLab comes with SI Drums as well as a other SI plug-ins (strings, bass, electric piano), all free. TTS-1 has drum kits as well.

I originally installed the Studio Instruments via the BandLab Assistant, but I thought that they automatically install with the current version of CbB. If that's not the case, maybe try installing BandLab Assistant and looking for the SI install there.

There are also many free drum VST's. Do a search on this forum for favorite freeware instruments and a big topic will show up that lists many of them. Spitfire's Labs series has a nice one.

[jkoseattle]

Thanks. I installed BandLab Assistant, but still can't see where to install SI. It looks like SI does not come with CbB because if it did I assume I would see it.

[user905133]

23 minutes ago, jkoseattle said:

Thanks. I installed BandLab Assistant, but still can't see where to install SI. It looks like SI does not come with CbB because if it did I assume I would see it.

Did you try to download and run the setup from this page?

[HIBI]

34 minutes ago, jkoseattle said:

I installed BandLab Assistant, but still can't see where to install SI. It looks like SI does not come with CbB because if it did I assume I would see it.

Launch CbB > Open Help menu > Click "Check for Updates"
If you don't have the latest Studio Instruments Suite on your PC, a toast should pop up to download it, I guess.

[user905133]

5 minutes ago, HIBI said:

Launch CbB > Open Help menu > Click "Check for Updates"
If you don't have the latest Studio Instruments Suite on your PC, a toast should pop up to download it, I guess.

Interesting: I am up-to-date and the pop-up even says I am up-to-date, but there is also a pop-up saying there is an update to to the CakewalkHelp Documentation.  So I downloaded it (CakewalkHelp_Documentation_1.0.0.21.exe).   I haven't run it yet.

[HIBI]

27 minutes ago, User 905133 said:

CakewalkHelp_Documentation_1.0.0.21.exe

I guess it will update a local help file which you can see with pressing F1 key (or Help > Documentation) when the "Always Use Local Help" option is enabled in the preferences (File - Advanced).

Edited October 6, 2023 by HIBI

[sjoens]

Yes. Updates the Cakewalk.chm file which can also be opened by 2x-clicking it from the folder.

[user905133]

19 minutes ago, HIBI said:

I guess it will update a local help file which you can see with pressing F1 key (or Help > Documentation) when the "Always Use Local Help" option is enabled in the preferences (File - Advanced).

1 minute ago, sjoens said:

Yes. Updates the Cakewalk.chm file which can also be opened by 2x-clicking it from the folder.

Makes sense.

BTW, when I run the setup/installer I linked above: 

1 hour ago, User 905133 said:

Did you try to download and run the setup from this page?

"Offline Help and Documentation" is now checked verifying that I haven't updated it yet.

Since my Studio Instruments are current, the setup/installer web-based apparatus has "Studio Instruments" unchecked.  But my guess is that I wanted to force them to be reinstalled, I could check the SI Additional Installer.  

People need to make their own decisions.  I can't say why jkoseattle doesn't have SI Drums, but if I was missing the Studio Instruments bundle, I'd use the link to see if they could be installed.  And if that didn't install them, I'd contact Cakewalk Support. 

 

 

[John Vere]

I imagine they made it as an option because there will be many people who are not interested in using them so why include what would be considered bloatware by those users. 
It has always taken just a little bit of an effort on the users behalf to gather and install VST effects and instruments. 
 

I have my office computer that only has free stuff on it. It’s stuffed to the hilt. I test freebies and demos there before I install to my main DAW or laptop. 
I think I have 6 different free VST drums on it. XLN AD 2 demo, SSD , Power kit. Mondo. 
Session Drums was cool because you could sample your own drums and plunk them in it. I sampled my real kit once and it was spooky to hear it Via midi tracks. 

Edited October 6, 2023 by JohnnyV