New user (sort of) questions

[Jon L. Jacobi]

So in Cakewalk you don't create MIDI clips in the arranger, you use the piano roll to create them by editing? Or did I miss something?

Is there any way to make arming exclusive to a single track? I.e., arming a track deselects arming on other tracks unless you use shift or ctrl.  I have a definite tendency to leave things armed when I don't really want to.  More than once I've scrolled back to a track to find it overwritten when I didn't want to overwrite it.

[scook]

There are several MIDI editors:

the event list view,

the inline PRV in the track view (a.k.a arranger), 

the piano roll view,

the step sequencer view and

the staff view.

[Jon L. Jacobi]

Okay, there are several editors, but I was really trying to confirm that there’s no create a blank clip then edit workflow as with most DAWs. Thanks.

[scook]

There is no concept of a blank MIDI clip. CbB creates MIDI clips based on the data in the track.

[Leighton Cooper]

Isn't the overdub mode or the recording punching in and punching out, examples of creating midi clips, or the comping mode examples of that?

 

[James Argo]

2 hours ago, Jon L. Jacobi said:

Is there any way to make arming exclusive to a single track? I.e., arming a track deselects arming on other tracks unless you use shift or ctrl.  I have a definite tendency to leave things armed when I don't really want to.  More than once I've scrolled back to a track to find it overwritten when I didn't want to overwrite it.

If it's MIDI track, then there's workaround to accomplish that goal in different way. Go to Preferences --> MIDI --> Playback and recording. Tick "Allow MIDI recording without an Armed Track". Make sure you un-arm all tracks (including audio and MIDI tracks). Now, you you don't have to arm MIDI track to record. Just press R, and Cakewalk will automatically arm and record any active selected track, leaving the rest not active tracks un-armed.. Stopping the recording will also un-arm the track automatically.

This thing will not work with audio track , nor if you have armed track.

Edited September 21, 2019 by James Argo

[Jon L. Jacobi]

4 hours ago, scook said:

There is no concept of a blank MIDI clip. CbB creates MIDI clips based on the data in the track.

Thanks!  I thought so. Just wanted to confirm.  I suppose it actually saves a step.

[Jon L. Jacobi]

3 hours ago, James Argo said:

If it's MIDI track, then there's workaround to accomplish that goal in different way. Go to Preferences --> MIDI --> Playback and recording. Tick "Allow MIDI recording without an Armed Track". Make sure you un-arm all tracks (including audio and MIDI tracks). Now, you you don't have to arm MIDI track to record. Just press R, and Cakewalk will automatically arm and record any active selected track, leaving the rest not active tracks un-armed.. Stopping the recording will also un-arm the track automatically.

This thing will not work with audio track , nor if you have armed track.

Not having to worry about disarming tracks is kind of the point. Logic lacks exclusive arming and by default will record if you press record, even if nothing is armed but it’s not optional.  I can understand it, but don’t like it. I now remember having overwritten stuff back in the day with Cakewalk.

Not a huge deal, but exclusive (with modifiers to select more) would certainly be a nice option, at least for me.

On an up note, I’m quite impressed after being away for about 15 years. How does one go about a feature request?

[scook]

Feature requests go in the Feedback Loop area of this forum

To avoid overwriting clips select a different recording mode.

[Robert Bone]

I happen to always take a quick look to make sure ONLY the target track has record armed, prior to moving to record on a different track, and whenever I save a project, I always make sure NO track has been left armed for record.

Bob Bone

[Jon L. Jacobi]

16 hours ago, Robert Bone said:

I happen to always take a quick look to make sure ONLY the target track has record armed, prior to moving to record on a different track, and whenever I save a project, I always make sure NO track has been left armed for record.

Bob Bone

Good habits, but I’m sometimes hasty when pursuing an idea. Especially when I have a guitar in my hands. Also, you can get to said idea quicker if you can simply create a track, arm it, and start recording. Not a huge deal, but I think a lot of people might like it.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Jon L. Jacobi

[Robert Bone]

16 minutes ago, Jon L. Jacobi said:

Good habits, but I’m sometimes hasty when pursuing an idea. Especially when I have a guitar in my hands. Also, you can get to said idea quicker if you can simply create a track, arm it, an start recording. Not a huge deal, but I think a lot of people might like it.

One of the beauties of working in Cakewalk, is that there are generally multiple ways to approach things, so that folks can work out what works best for their ways of looking at it all. 

I am a keyboard player, primarily, so I usually take some time to set up a new loaded synth and preset and audio tracks etc., but I do also sometimes insert one of several track templates for different synths, to quickly get me in business with some sound to play or record something bouncing around in my head. 

(I have a variety of track templates I set up for this, with single midi tracks for: Piano, Bass, Rhodes, Organ, Piano/Strings, and a couple of leads.  I also have a couple of track templates to bring in multiple midi tracks and instruments, such as one that has: Piano, Bass, Organ, Drums).

Regardless, I would approach arming one of those tracks the same way I would any track - arm for record when ready to record, and disarm when done recording.  But, that is just my approach, and it is a big planet, with room for folks to do as they choose.