How to get EZ Drummer track into Cakewalk Project

[Rick Derer]

I created a drum track in EZ Drummer (from within Cakewalk).  Now how do I turn it into a track in my Cakewalk project?

[jude77]

If you want to turn it into an audio track just freeze it (the "freeze function is that little snowflake looking icon).  Here's link with some pictures that may be helpful.

https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR X2&language=3&help=Mixing.23.html

If you want to get rid of the instrument track, after you freeze it, you can bounce the audio to another track, then delete the original track though personally I'd just archive it rather than delete it, that way you can go back to it if you want to.

https://www.modernbeats.com/hit-talk/freeze-bounce-sound-using-sonar-8/

[Rick Derer]

23 hours ago, jude77 said:

If you want to turn it into an audio track just freeze it (the "freeze function is that little snowflake looking icon).  Here's link with some pictures that may be helpful.

https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR X2&language=3&help=Mixing.23.html

If you want to get rid of the instrument track, after you freeze it, you can bounce the audio to another track, then delete the original track though personally I'd just archive it rather than delete it, that way you can go back to it if you want to.

https://www.modernbeats.com/hit-talk/freeze-bounce-sound-using-sonar-8/

But before this freezing process, how do I get the drum track from EZ D to Cakewalk? The track is created in CW but when I try recording while playing the drum sound in EZD nothing records. So I am asking for the very basic steps in capturing sounds from EZD into CW.

[tecknot]

On 12/18/2019 at 6:49 AM, Rick Derer said:

I created a drum track in EZ Drummer (from within Cakewalk).  Now how do I turn it into a track in my Cakewalk project?

Do you have a MIDI track in CbB?  Is EZD loaded in CbB?  If yes on both, set the MIDI track's input to EZD and activate the input Echo button.  If that is not the case, how did you insert EZD in CbB?

Kind regards,

tecknot

[jude77]

43 minutes ago, Rick Derer said:

But before this freezing process, how do I get the drum track from EZ D to Cakewalk? The track is created in CW but when I try recording while playing the drum sound in EZD nothing records. So I am asking for the very basic steps in capturing sounds from EZD into CW.

Got ya!  You need to render the EZ drummer track as a wav file then import it to CW.  Here ya go:

1. Open EZDrummer

2. At the bottom right (at the end of the ruler line) is an icon with three bars.  Click it

3.  A dialog box will open.  Click "Track" at the very top

4.  Click "export song as wav".   Name your wav and make sure you know the location of where your file is exported to.

5.  Once I get the wav file I drag it into the CW project file I'm working on.  I.E. If your song is named "The Greatest Song Ever" drag the wav file into that folder.  That way you will always have the file even if you move the folder somewhere else

6.  Create an audio track on CW called "Drums" and then drag the wav file there. 

7.  Add FX as desired.

 

[Lynn Wilson]

You shouldn't have to freeze or make audio tracks at all.  Leave them as MIDI tracks and drag and drop them in your EZ  Drummer track as MIDI files.  That way you can edit them in the Piano Roll View (PRV) as desired.  Check for videos on this on the Toontrack site.

[Rick Derer]

23 hours ago, jude77 said:

Got ya!  You need to render the EZ drummer track as a wav file then import it to CW.  Here ya go:

1. Open EZDrummer

2. At the bottom right (at the end of the ruler line) is an icon with three bars.  Click it

3.  A dialog box will open.  Click "Track" at the very top

4.  Click "export song as wav".   Name your wav and make sure you know the location of where your file is exported to.

5.  Once I get the wav file I drag it into the CW project file I'm working on.  I.E. If your song is named "The Greatest Song Ever" drag the wav file into that folder.  That way you will always have the file even if you move the folder somewhere else

6.  Create an audio track on CW called "Drums" and then drag the wav file there. 

7.  Add FX as desired.

 

Just what the doctor ordered! Thank you!

[Rick Derer]

22 hours ago, Lynn said:

You shouldn't have to freeze or make audio tracks at all.  Leave them as MIDI tracks and drag and drop them in your EZ  Drummer track as MIDI files.  That way you can edit them in the Piano Roll View (PRV) as desired.  Check for videos on this on the Toontrack site.

Thank you! I will probably stick with the WAV file because I don't have the patience for the PRV but I like knowing about this option.

[Rick Derer]

On 12/19/2019 at 9:33 AM, tecknot said:

Do you have a MIDI track in CbB?  Is EZD loaded in CbB?  If yes on both, set the MIDI track's input to EZD and activate the input Echo button.  If that is not the case, how did you insert EZD in CbB?

Kind regards,

tecknot

Yes on both. So I active input Echo, play the track in EZD and hit record in Cakewalk?

[chuckebaby]

On ‎12‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 9:52 AM, Rick Derer said:

Thank you! I will probably stick with the WAV file because I don't have the patience for the PRV but I like knowing about this option.

you don't need to use the PRV, only need to drag the midi file from EZ drummer to the EZ drummer midi track within Cakewalk.

Once you freeze the data to audio, its final. If hi hat is too loud, snare too low, exc... you'll have to unfreeze, delete the Audio track and start over in a vicious circle.

Using the midi track you can move volume sliders, add reverb to separate tracks, exc easily.

[FrankenStrat]

On 12/22/2019 at 3:24 AM, chuckebaby said:

you don't need to use the PRV, only need to drag the midi file from EZ drummer to the EZ drummer midi track within Cakewalk.

Once you freeze the data to audio, its final. If hi hat is too loud, snare too low, exc... you'll have to unfreeze, delete the Audio track and start over in a vicious circle.

Using the midi track you can move volume sliders, add reverb to separate tracks, exc easily.

Well, like Lynn, I like to use PRV to modify or create my own EZDrummer drum patterns. It's how I'm used to working in Cakewalk from when I first bought it years ago.  I like the convenience of PRV to modify velocities, too.

 

I have another couple of issues with EZD in CbB, the GUI no longer shows the hits on the various parts of a kit, it's like looking at a static picture instead of seeing the dynamic hits I'm used to seeing in Sonar 8.5. Also, I can't seem to get the drum kit to change if I want it to, let's say from Blues Kit to Vintage Kit. It's really easy in Sonar, just click on the drop-down menu in the top RH corner of the EZD GUI and click on a different kit and it loads. But not so in CbB, even though the drop down menu shows the name of the new drum kit, the GUI and the kit don't update, and neither do the sounds.

[DeeringAmps]

6 hours ago, FrankenStrat said:

I have another couple of issues with EZD in CbB, the GUI no longer shows the hits on the various parts of a kit, it's like looking at a static picture instead of seeing the dynamic hits I'm used to seeing in Sonar 8.5. Also, I can't seem to get the drum kit to change if I want it to, let's say from Blues Kit to Vintage Kit. It's really easy in Sonar, just click on the drop-down menu in the top RH corner of the EZD GUI and click on a different kit and it loads. But not so in CbB, even though the drop down menu shows the name of the new drum kit, the GUI and the kit don't update, and neither do the sounds.

Are you running the 2019.12 Early Release?
I was having an issue where I was no longer seeing the hits as well, I just updated the office rig to today's release and all is well here.
I didn't run the problem project before the update, and maybe the "issue" was only on the studio rig, that's running 2019.11
I've been porting the project back and forth from the studio to the office and can't remember if the issue was common to both rigs.
I'll check the studio rig later today and report back; pre and post update to 2012.12

Tom

[FrankenStrat]

13 hours ago, DeeringAmps said:

Are you running the 2019.12 Early Release?

I am now, Tom, but the behaviour of the GUI is as previously; the animation isn't working, and changing the kit to another kit doesn't update the kit in the GUI nor the samples. I checked for updates to EZD2 but everything is up to date.

I'm also getting a series of error messages now with both installations (Sonar 8.5.3 & CbB) that it can't load the following modules:

SecordWGFilter_1 by Guido Scanamiglio

Muter1 by Guido Scanamiglio

RegistryCheck by Guido Scognamiglio

These seem to be linked to C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Utilities\BitBridge.exe 

Prior to installing CbB I never had this error message showing up in Sonar. I can only assume that CbB has overwritten or modified BitBridge.

[scook]

Do not use 32bit Toontrack plug-ins in 64bit DAWs. Bitbridge is only used when 64bit SONAR/CbB is asked to use a 32bit VST plug-in. This should not happen with Toontrack plug-ins as they provide 64bit versions of all of their plug-in line.

I looked up Guido Sconamiglio. He is the developer of GSi software. Is it possible some old 32bit GSi plug-ins are installed? It may be these plug-ins are trying to access parts of the registry or disk that have been secured by an OS newer than the one used to develop the plug-ins. Often times, this means running the DAW as administrator or changing permissions if one can identify what needs to be changed in order to use the plug-ins.

 

 

[FrankenStrat]

Thanks SCook for the response. I only have the 64-bit version of EZDrummer2 installed. I almost certainly will have some 32-bit VSTi's installed, but I wouldn't know which ones are 32-bit and which ones are 64-bit. This error message only occurred since installing CbB, it never happened with my Sonar8.5, although it now does when I open a project in Sonar. I haven't saved any of my current projects with CbB, not until I can see it's working in harmony with EZD.

Given the amount of grief CbB is currently giving me and the inordinate amount of time I'm spending trying to get it to play nice with EZDrummer2 I may have to uninstall CbB and carry on with my older but functioning Sonar.

[scook]

9 minutes ago, FrankenStrat said:

I only have the 64-bit version of EZDrummer2 installed.

That is why I struck out the remarks about 32bit Toontrack. The images above show a 64bit Toontrack plug-in. 32bit VSTs do not show the standard header above the plug-in UI and SONAR/CbB append (32-bit) to the end of plug-in names in the plug-in layouts.

If CbB is uninstalled plan on re-installing SONAR as many of the shared files will likely be removed by the uninstall process.

[FrankenStrat]

1 hour ago, scook said:

That is why I struck out the remarks about 32bit Toontrack.

Indeed you did, I only saw that after I clicked on the link in a notification email I received.

1 hour ago, scook said:

32bit VSTs do not show the standard header above the plug-in UI and SONAR/CbB append (32-bit) to the end of plug-in names in the plug-in layouts.

I didn't know that.

1 hour ago, scook said:

If CbB is uninstalled plan on re-installing SONAR as many of the shared files will likely be removed by the uninstall process.

I'm wondering if reinstalling Sonar could be a major issue, although I have the original Sonar 8 & Sonar 8.5 disks right here, I can't find any patches or upgrades in my downloads folder that would have brought it up to 8.5.3 so I may just have leave things be.

[scook]

The 8.5 updates are still on the old Cakewalk site

https://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Knowledge-Base/20091119/SONAR-8-5-2-Update

https://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Knowledge-Base/2007012920/SONAR-8-5-3-AudioSnap-Update

That said it is a big move from 8.5 to CbB (10 years of updates). I do not have EZD2 so cannot help with that one. As long as you are running a fully patched 7 or newer OS, CbB should work OK but there is quite a learning curve. CbB is developed and mostly tested on Win10.

[FrankenStrat]

Thanks SCook, those links are very useful and may come in handy if I need to reinstall Sonar.

 

My OS is Win10, CbB loads and runs just fine, and it's not too dissimilar from Sonar 8.5 other than some changes to the GUI and having to trawl through menus rather than having buttons in the tool bar (see screen shots). I could get to grips with CbB quite easily if it would play nicely with EZD2.

Edited January 1, 2020 by FrankenStrat

[DeeringAmps]

Are you running the Early Release or the final release 2019.12 build 26?
As I said above I was having "issues" on both rigs. 2019.12 build 26 is showing no issues.
I didn't make it into the studio yesterday, I plan on updating the studio rig today.
I wouldn't remove CbB without first updating to 2019.12 build 26.

T