I need help

[Jahrika!]

hi, I need someone to help me with this problem im having. Im using cakewalks built in "SI bass guitar 1" (thats what the plugin says, I apologize if the name is wrong) and im using the piano roll on it so I can make chords, the problem is I want the SLIGHTEST bit of reverb/echo and I cant figure it out for the life of me. if someone could help me, it would be much much apprenticed. (Im sorry if this is considered a dumb or stupid question, im really new to cakewalk as well as music production in itself)

[Amberwolf]

12 minutes ago, Jahrika! said:

 the problem is I want the SLIGHTEST bit of reverb/echo and I cant figure it out for the life of me.

Do you want reverb, or an echo (quieter delayed copy of the original)?  Often they are different effects.  Sometimes they are both used. 

In either case, if you right click in the FX bin of the audio / synth track (not the MIDI FX bin), you can choose from whatever audio effects you have installed already.  I don't know which ones came with your Cakewalk version (or which version you have), but there are probably the basic included.  

If none are, there are plenty of free VST effects you can download and install, and then have Cakewalk scan for them, and then "insert" the effect by the method previously described.

Once it's inserted, a window will usually come up with the options for that effect (plugin).  Some have presets you can choose from, and some you have to tweak the knobs yourself.   

If you need effects, we can suggest various ones depending on what you want.  Some old ones I've used for years are the ones at https://www.voxengo.com/group/free-vst-plugin-download/ and at https://web.archive.org/web/20220201063306/http://mda.smartelectronix.com/ (original site seems unreachable at the moment). 

Some others: These were recently posted about, and I have downloaded them all for future investigation, but I haven't tried any of them yet https://flowstoners.com/quilcom .   I've seen this listed before, but haven't tried them either https://www.kvraudio.com/product/free-effects-by-dead-duck-software .

There are also plenty available for purchase, but I'd start with free ones and work your way up as you discover you need things they can't do. 

[Jahrika!]

23 hours ago, Amberwolf said:

Do you want reverb, or an echo (quieter delayed copy of the original)?  Often they are different effects.  Sometimes they are both used. 

In either case, if you right click in the FX bin of the audio / synth track (not the MIDI FX bin), you can choose from whatever audio effects you have installed already.  I don't know which ones came with your Cakewalk version (or which version you have), but there are probably the basic included.  

If none are, there are plenty of free VST effects you can download and install, and then have Cakewalk scan for them, and then "insert" the effect by the method previously described.

Once it's inserted, a window will usually come up with the options for that effect (plugin).  Some have presets you can choose from, and some you have to tweak the knobs yourself.   

If you need effects, we can suggest various ones depending on what you want.  Some old ones I've used for years are the ones at https://www.voxengo.com/group/free-vst-plugin-download/ and at https://web.archive.org/web/20220201063306/http://mda.smartelectronix.com/ (original site seems unreachable at the moment). 

Some others: These were recently posted about, and I have downloaded them all for future investigation, but I haven't tried any of them yet https://flowstoners.com/quilcom .   I've seen this listed before, but haven't tried them either https://www.kvraudio.com/product/free-effects-by-dead-duck-software .

There are also plenty available for purchase, but I'd start with free ones and work your way up as you discover you need things they can't do. 

A ECHO, YES!!!! exactly what I want. How could I do that? Is there a vst I need? Or is there a built in way to do it through cakewalk?

[Amberwolf]

14 minutes ago, Jahrika! said:

A ECHO, YES!!!! exactly what I want. How could I do that? Is there a vst I need? Or is there a built in way to do it through cakewalk?

What happens if you perform the actions suggested?  What do you see in the list?

 

 

If you want a literal echo, with no other effect, you can do it entirely without fx plugins.   Copy the clips you want an echo of, and paste them into the same track at the point you want the echo to happen.  Sometimes you want a musical amount of time (like a quarter note, or eighth note) between echoes (that's what I usually do in my projects), and sometimes you want something more like a slapback very very short delay before the echo, so only a few milliseconds. 

Changing the volume of the clips (like with clip gain envelopes) changes the volume of the echo, so you turn them way down (by 20-30dB, or more) for a tiny echo.  

 

 

You can even clone the entire track to a new track, then use the time+ function in the track controls to do the shifting of the new track and the volume control of the track to turn the echo down.  

If you want more than a single echo, you can make multiple clones of the track, and time+ each one further down the timeline.  

You can pan each clone left or right some amount to make the echoes appear to bounce from side to side.

 

Delay plugins can usually do all those things in an easier way. 

Edited October 24 by Amberwolf

[Chaps]

12 minutes ago, Jahrika! said:

A ECHO, YES!!!! exactly what I want. How could I do that? Is there a vst I need? Or is there a built in way to do it through cakewalk?

If you do not have the effects you want in the program, one option is to download and install multiple free effects bundles from companies like Kilohearts or Melda Production. Both will require you to create an account and install their versions of Plugin Managers. While you can still download and install individual VST plugins, having them all in one place can be pretty convenient. Also, searching for 'free VST (the kind of effect you want)' can show you just how many free plugins there are.

Melda Production MFreeFXBundle

Kilohearts Essentials

[sjoens]

Cakewalk comes with Delay/Echo (mono) and Sonitus Delay.  Right-click the SI Bass FX Rack and select Insert Audio FX.

Edited October 24 by sjoens

[user 905133]

The beginning of the "Included plug-ins" sections is on Page 1477 of this Reference Guide .  TTS-1 (multi-timbral synth based on Roland's Sound Canvas ROMPlers) is no longer included.  However, there are other audio and MIDI FX plug-ins that might interest you.

As for MeldaProduction's MFreeFXBundle, as of about 2 weeks ago it included MDelay. As others have noted, there are many other delay/echo plug-ins as well.

On 10/23/2024 at 12:27 AM, Amberwolf said:

There are also plenty available for purchase, but I'd start with free ones and work your way up as you discover you need things they can't do. 

[emphasis added]

Good advice here! Two two minor additions: (1) Sometimes a plug-in maker or a third-party vendor will offer a paid plug-in for free as a promotion.  (2) Sometimes a plug-in maker or a third-party vendor will offer a paid plug-in for an unusually low price.  As a fan of delay/echo effects, I will sometimes  pick up plug-ins in either of these categories after a test drive of a demo or watching the manufacturer's demo/intro video.  

[sjoens]

Some real and virtual synths respond to chorus and reverb at the top of Inspector MIDI strip.  For some reason Cake's SI instruments weren't made for that.