automation Recording MIDI Controller Automation While Hearing Track

[Ratthew]

Hi,

I'm using a Komplete Kontrol A61 MIDI Keyboard with Cakewalk. It has a few rotary knobs that I've previously managed to link with soft synth parameters, using just the standard Mackie Control surface in Cakewalk. Though this has worked before, I get very inconsistent results as sometimes I open the program and I can no longer get the keyboard to control any parameters, or sometimes it does control them but only at values of either 0% or 100%.

I'm finding this very frustrating as I can't find any suitable fix online and I would just like to have a smooth experience using Cakewalk.

Is it a problem with my settings or perhaps a problem with the keyboard? 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

Edited May 23 by Ratthew

[msmcleod]

Here's my recommendations:

1. Always use the same USB port for your keyboard - same for any other MIDI devices.  Choose your ports once, and make sure you always use the same ones.  If you change ports, Windows will think its a different device from the last time you plugged it in.
2. Always make sure the keyboard and any other MIDI devices are plugged in, preferably on PC boot, but definitely before starting Cakewalk.
3. Make sure USB sleep options are turned off across the board in Windows, otherwise the MIDI port can come and go.

Windows enumerates the MIDI devices giving them nothing but a number for their port.  Using different USB ports, or not having them all plugged in on start up can cause their device ID to change.  Although Cakewalk does use the device name to try to match if the device ID does change, it's reliant on Windows notifications coming through (which in my experience can take up to a minute, if at all).  So you can get into a situation where either the wrong device ID is picked, or none is picked for the control surface.

 

[Ratthew]

Thanks for the reply!

I've already ticked all 3 of your points; my MIDI keyboards always remain plugged in to the same port and I have USB sleep options off too.

I've been playing around for a few hours now trying to fix my issue and just discovered that I can use the MIDI keyboard knobs to control soft synths without having Cakewalk Control Surfaces setup? Seems to work perfectly, however my main issue still remains:

I'd like to record my MIDI automation onto my synth track during playback, but the only way I have achieved this is by turning the knobs after arming the track and pressing record. This does work, but then I can't hear the synth anymore.

Is there any method where I can record in my automations while also hearing the synth?

Thanks a lot for your help.

[msmcleod]

It depends on how the controls are mapped.

If the controls are mapped directly to the VST parameters (as is the case with the Mackie protocol), then you should be able to record the VST parameter.

If however you're doing it via a MIDI CC mapping, you need to create a new automation lane for that MIDI CC, then arm that.  You should be able to re-assign the CC envelope to the VST parameter afterwards if necessary.

[Ratthew]

1 hour ago, msmcleod said:

If the controls are mapped directly to the VST parameters (as is the case with the Mackie protocol), then you should be able to record the VST parameter.

To map the controls, I used the Learn MIDI option in Vital (synth I'm using). It works perfectly without setting up Control Surfaces in Cakewalk, but when I enable automation write, nothing happens. It does however work if I control the same parameter with my mouse, so I'm not really sure why controlling it with the MIDI keyboard doesn't.

[Ross Smithe]

What option do you have selected in Preferences for your project recording? Try setting to Sound on Sound. If it's on Comping, then when you record on top of the track you won't hear anything.