New cakewalk user w/midi drum questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter EddieRay
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EddieRay

EddieRay

#?
I recently started using Cakewalk 9. I'm getting a handle on the audio aspects but having some trouble with midi drums. For one, if I set the resolution to a qtr note in the piano roll and lay down some beats, they still sound a little out of time. Yet the staff view shows qtr notes.

For another, how do I apply effects, like reverb? The console view has a reverb slider but it is ineffective.
Also, I can use Yamaha, Roland or Gen'l midi drums. Who is supplying these? Cakewalk or the soundcard? Can I add other kits?
 
If you are sure you have inserted the notes alligned to the grid, then there might be a latency issue with your MIDI playback devices. I'm not sure, but since you mentioned named like Roland, etc... I assume you use softsynth which sometime produce little latency on older machine / configuration / Cake 9. If you had a chance, then it will be good idea to upgrade to SONAR or Homestudio, since it handles softsynth (DXi) in alot better way ;)

About the reverb, it applies only for audio track. Not MIDI track. To do so, insert (right click on reserved black square area) and insert the DirectX plugins there. Double click to adjust the property. You must have DirectX plugins in your system. I can't tell you much since I don't use Cake 9 for long time...

Newer version of Cakewalk (eg.SONAR, Homestudio) comes with tons of usefull software based instrument / sample called DXi. These DXis can act as MIDI device to playback your MIDI track. Livesynth Pro DXi can be used to load soundfonts as well. There's very rare audio card which support integrated MIDI except Creative's SB Live! or Audigy. If you use either those brand, you have bunch options of using soundfonts... :)

;)
Jaymz
 
???

Thanks for the response. Something tells me I have a long way to go...

When I add a snare beat from the piano roll it appears on the staff as a C note. But if I add the same C note to the staff, a different note is added to the piano roll. Is there not a direct correlation btwn the piano roll and the staff?

The console strip for the midi track has reverb and chorus fx. They were placed there when I created the midi track. What are they for? How/when do they work? If they have settings, l how do I access them?

When I rightclick on the strip I can add Cakewalk FX (no reverb avail though) and something called Style Enhancer. Not sure what that is or where it came from.
I do have DirectX installed on my XP PC. Is this what enables 3rd-party plugins?
 
I don't know how about this in Cake Pro 9, but let's make it easier by repeating and after to me...

"I will never use Staff View to sequence my drums MIDI track... " :D

Use the Piano Roll View (PRV) for do such is much more easier IMHO. You'll get exactly what you entered. (and be very carefull, sometime, duplicate notes present in exactly same position / key will produce unwanted sound). Make sure only one note on same position / key). It's also good to re-check your track's property for assigned MIDI channel and banks/patch. Make sure each track has it's own assigned channel.

About the reverb and chorus, it will be meaningless to tell without knowing exactly what's your MIDI devices. But for general info, GM specification contains general control for chorus and reverb effect for each MIDI track IF it's allowed by the MIDI playback device. So, usualy, GM compatible MIDI devices included controllable chorus and reverb to be applied to the MIDI part. Thus, the slide controller you mentioned appear on the console view will control the amount of chorus and reverb for specified track. Usualy, it sent MIDI control message (CC) no. 91 for reverb, and no. 93 for chorus. These controller has to be recognized by your MIDI playback devices as chorus and reverb controller. You better read the MIDI implementation chart (on the manual) provided by the MIDI playback devices you are using.

As for the DirectX plugins, it's third party add on effect, applied for Audio track only. You cannot use it for MIDI track. It's not actualy DirectX provided by Microsoft. It's additional plugins which used relly on DirectX technology. You can only use this effect on audio (wave) tracks.

Please go this link for better info about DirectX addon plugins :

http://www.directxfiles.com/index.htm

And a list of plugins available (free and paid):

http://www.directxfiles.com/plugins.htm

You may post here if you need further infos. Numerous regular members here will be gladly help you out...

Hope it helps,
;)
Jaymz
 
Yeah, like James said don't use Staff view to program drums. The "notes" you see in the staff view don't necessarily correspond to the note that triggers that drum sound. It's just drum "scoring" notation you're seeing in the staff view, which tries to go along with widely-accepted standard formatting for where the different drum "hits" are represented on a musical staff. I believe you might even be able to customize this in the staff view in case you're used to reading drum music with hits in different places, but I'm not positive about that...

HTH,
-Jeff
 
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