[Solved] I guess the next step....

[Byron Dickens]

...is to try a second monitor, keyboard and mouse and string big long cords everywhere!

 

I'm trying to learn to play drums.  And trying to record them. Tripping over cymbal stands while making multiple trips back and forth between the drum throne and the desk is a real drag to say the least.

 

So I tried TouchDaw.  Worked great.  At first.  Now I can hardly get it to make a connection at all. It can seriously take longer to get the @#$%^ ***^^% to work than I spend playing.  And I need a lot of takes to get it right.   What a waste of  money.  At least it was only $5.

I thought,  I have a laptop sitting around. Why don't I try TeamViewer.  People use it all over the world to remote control another computer.  Perfect!

So I thought. 

Worked great.  At first.  Now I can hardly get it to make a connection at all. It can seriously take longer to get the @#$%^ ***^^% to work than I spend playing.  And I need a lot of takes to get it right.  What a waste of time. At least it was free.

 

Is there any f***** ing remote control software that actually f*****ing WORKS? For longer than a couple weeks? Or am I just stupid?  All I want to do is start & stop my DAW from 10 feet away behind a drum kit.  Why is something so simple so difficult?

 

I really don't think this is a network issue, because my laptop/ tablet  (depending on which garbage nonworking app I try to use) see each other just fine. 

 

As it stands, this $&!t is so frustrating that tripping over the hi hat is actually starting to look like the preferred option!

 

Edited October 13, 2019 by Byron Dickens
Solved

[mettelus]

10 feet? A wireless (computer) keyboard has that range easily. If you do not need any mouse control (that sucks at range due to monitor precision), a wireless keyboard is the most effective "controller" anyone can use. Arm everything, trip over the hi hat with the keyboard, and R/spacebar. 

Edited October 7, 2019 by mettelus

[Leighton Cooper]

Some of the Amiga midi programs Dr. T's KCS allowed you to use a footswitch to stop and start the sequencer.  I don't know if Cakewalk will accept that or even if they make those any more.  Has been decades since I thought about it.  Someone with more knowledge than I have I'm sure can guide you.  

[msmcleod]

I've got one of these velcro'd to the wall next to my vocal mic, configured as a Mackie Control with a long USB cable:

 

[TVR PRODUCTIONS]

For $30, buy a wireless keyboard and mouse (logitech).  Go walk over to your drums and press letter R to record. Press R again to stop. Press Home key to go to beginning. I do it all the time.

[chuckebaby]

I use a 10 ft midi cable to control my Mackie Controller. Wouldn't even bother with wireless unless I had to.

[Byron Dickens]

Something like one of y'all have suggested might be the next step. Being able to see the screen from where I am would be a big plus, but not essential. 

 

Buying more stuff is really not on the table right now, but I can start researching. 

[reginaldStjohn]

If you have had two solutions that worked at first then stopped working for you then there must be something about your network that is getting messed up or is not configured correctly.  

[Noel Borthwick]

Like others mentioned, if all you need is starting and stopping the transport or recording a simple wireless keyboard is all you need. I use this all the time from about 15 feet away across the room to start and stop recording. 
In fact many keyboards have dedicated multimedia media controls on them and CbB will respond to them as well. Here is one example of a keyboard with media controls.
 

[backwoods]

Wish you'd somehow make it possible to use an xbox controller to offer basic portable sonar control Noel. Hi quality, relatively cheap, easily replaceable!

[Grem]

4 hours ago, backwoods said:

Wish you'd somehow make it possible to use an xbox controller to offer basic portable sonar control Noel. Hi quality, relatively cheap, easily replaceable!

Actually, joysticks was part of the sound card properties back in the day. Maybe it wouldn't be a stretch to try and have a Xbox controller do remote operations. Maybe a separate program that could assign different buttons to different commands.

I did have a game controller with assignable macros that worked well for years. I abandoned it after the X series came out. So this us possible. 

[Noel Borthwick]

7 hours ago, backwoods said:

Wish you'd somehow make it possible to use an xbox controller to offer basic portable sonar control Noel. Hi quality, relatively cheap, easily replaceable!

There is an API for the XBox controller so someone could write a control surface extension to allow it to control Cakewalk.

[Grem]

3 hours ago, Noel Borthwick said:

There is an API for the XBox controller so someone could write a control surface extension to allow it to control Cakewalk.

@azslow3 @abacab @scook

Doable? : )

Edited October 8, 2019 by Grem

[azslow3]

1 hour ago, Grem said:

@azslow3 @abacab @scook

Doable? : )

I do not see any reason... There are "normal" gamepad controllers, which are already supported. Yet after 3 (!) years this relatively complicated preset exists, I have not spotted a second person which use it.

The person for which I have written that preset originally was using it on stage, some people was wondering in which game he plays, in parallel with drumming ?

The preset has an extra features, using second sound card (Windows sounds) it audition all operations. Up to the level it was possible control Sonar/CbB without monitor. Really control, with adding/removing effects, sends, detecting clipping, etc.

[abacab]

3 hours ago, Grem said:

@azslow3 @abacab @scook

Doable? : )

Believe it or not, a game pad controller works out of the box with the x-y pad in Z3TA+2.

I searched around for some Windows plug-in to use a game pad as a MIDI controller, and there seem to have been a few attempts, but it doesn't seem to be a high demand item.

I would highly suggest just using a basic wireless Logitech keyboard with the 2.4GHz nano USB transmitter. The specs say it should be good for 33 feet/10 meters. That should be fine for transport control. https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/mk235-wireless-keyboard-mouse

I use one from the coffee table in my living room to control my PC based DVR in the entertainment center.

[azslow3]

There are several way with a game controller.

Interesting that people do not like "simple" solutions. My "Not a..." extension for REAPER does not attract people.  While it is definitively the winner as a transport controller, in terms of price and size. The extension makes any mouse a dedicated MIDI controller from the DAW perspective (the mouse no longer works as a normal mouse, but buttons/combinations can be assigned and the wheel works as a pushable encoder ). Plus a dedicated 100+ buttons MIDI controller from any computer keyboard, as a bonus ?

But I think OP can fix IP addresses for devices inside local router configuration and that will make network based solutions stable.

To press "Record", this toy http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,288.0.htm  should do the trick, as long as IP address of computer running CbB is fixes. TouchDAW involves extra service, this one  http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,295.0.html has no external dependencies. But again, stable IP is a must.

 

[Starship Krupa]

I use the Korg nanoKONTROL2 on a long USB cable method  that @msmcleod uses. Works a treat, and you can bring the nanKONTROL2 back to your desk and use it for mixing as well.

[Blades]

I still use my frontier designs tranzport for drums and vocals and it still works.  It technically isn't supported in windows 10, but running the setup.in compatibility more allows it to install and it works, though it doesn't support the pause key specifically.

I see a few on eBay right now for about $40.  Still don't understand why this was discontinued.

[John Vere]

I used to use my wireless keyboard but I now use a USB footswitch. I like to hold my lyric sheets in my hand so nice to use my foot to stop start or rewind. I have W-R and spacebar programed..  I have 4 or more different brands.

X Keys,   https://xkeys.com/xkeys/footpedals.html   solid as a rock, used for 16 years still works but I needed 1 more pedal so now use the stealth. 

A no name el cheapo   this one I use for Cakewalkb https://www.amazon.ca/DOLITY-Programmable-Triple-Control-Switch/dp/B07D14Y2NX/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=usb+foot+pedals&qid=1570597116&sr=8-9      

and one I control Power point for lyrics. https://www.amazon.ca/Homyl-Double-Control-FS2016_USB2-Computer/dp/B07G22QHWS/ref=sr_1_23?keywords=dual+usb+foot+pedals&qid=1570597716&sr=8-23

and best of them all is my  Stealth system.  https://stealthswitch.com/applications/stealthswitch3/

I use the Stealth for controlling my laptop at live gigs.  It has a 5 pedal inputs. Super easy to program.

 

They all work about the same and use software to program the macros. Anything is possible if it's a keyboard or mouse move. The Stealth has the best design as you can use better quality footswitches like you use for sustain or drum machines. The software is also better. The elcheapos software is kinda freeware stuff but you only have to suffer it once and the device retains those settings forever.

Edited October 9, 2019 by Cactus Music

[Byron Dickens]

I think I got it figured out.  

 

Somehow,  Windows Firewall had gotten set to allow Team Viewer on public networks but not private.  Weird. I certainly didn't set anything up that way that I remember.