Post by JohnG on Apr 1, 2009 14:12:45 GMT
Setting up CakeWalk / Sonar
What I shall try to explain in this series of three tutorials is how to set up your copy of CakeWalk or Sonar firstly to recognise the MIDI of your attached instrument e.g. keyboard or sound card / tone generator / sound module. The second lesson will look at the audio set up and how to make sure you are recording a good signal. The last lesson will deal with the MIDI set up and more specifically patch maps or instrument definition files, and then how to insert a patch into a MIDI file.
Lesson 1, instrument set up.
Driver installation
So, you have just bought yourself a brand new keyboard or sound module? Or, maybe new to you, but second hand, possibly through eBay. Whichever route you take make sure you have the latest drivers from the manufacturer by visiting their web site. They will usually have a "support" page, and following the various links, you should be able to find your way to an area where you can download the latest "drivers" for the operating system that you are using, be it Vista, XP, Windows 2000 or whatever. It is always as well to check that you can get hold of these files before you commit to a purchase, especially if what you are buying is not new. You should also look for the User Manual in advance, often available to download as a .pdf file. A quick browse through that before purchase may save heartbreak when you discover your shiny new keyboard possibly won't work with Windows Vista.
So you have the instrument, the manual and the driver files. For those not "in the know" the driver files are, in effect, tiny programs that sit inside the computer, in the operating system (e.g. Windows XP), and are responsible for making sure that the data and/or audio flow between the program (e.g. CakeWalk), and your keyboard or sound module goes smoothly. Often the very first versions of these drivers have minor faults in them, that's why it is worth looking for the latest version.
Read the documentation carefully where it tells you how to install these drivers. With some you must install the driver first, before you connect your keyboard/sound module, with others it is the other way round, keyboard first and then Windows will ask you to insert a CD for example. It is not possible for me to help you here, every manufacturer is slightly different in its procedure and the process will also be slightly different depending on the version of Windows you are using. Just because you installed a device from, say Yamaha, in one way, doesn't mean to say that another later device from the same manufacturer will install in the same way. Read the manual and do what it says.
Instrument set up in CakeWalk
Before starting CakeWalk make sure that the instrument you are going to setup is plugged in and switched on. As it starts, the CakeWalk program asks Windows for a list of available devices, and if your device isn't there CakeWalk won't see it.
No, not yet! Before we start the CakeWalk program we are going to take a backup of the MASTER.INS file. Start up Windows NotePad (you should find it in the Acessories folder) and then open MASTER.INS file in it. You will find this file in the main Cakewalk directory. You will have to select within the "open file" routine in NotePad "files of types", "All Files". Then you should be able to find the right file.
DO NOT EDIT IT! Just do a "save as" and name the file "MASTERINS0.txt" or something similar. We are doing this because Cakewalk will add all extra instruments defined to this master file. So if, at some time in the future, you change your keyboard or sound module, you can revert to the original file and then add the new instrument without the instrument definition file getting too cluttered. This step is strictly optional but highly recommended.
Now start up CakeWalk. Initially don't bother loading any MIDI file or CakeWalk project file. Because when we have finished setting up we are going to close CakeWalk and reload it. So just "close" the "quick start" menu.
Now select "Options / MIDI devices" as shown below.
The following "MIDI ports" window will open up. and you should select the MIDI input and output devices you are going to use from the variety that may be available.You should see your device listed here and you should make the necessary selections, usually just one input and one output. In my case, where I am using a Yamaha UW500 USB multiple audio/MIDI interface, I have selected 2 MIDI inputs and 6 outputs. Just click on the devices you want. If you select the wrong one, click it again.
Click on "OK" and that's it done! You have successfully set up CakeWalk to recognise the MIDI ins and outs of your device. Now there well may be other selections you have to make in order to play your instrument through CakeWalk and have it all work successfully, but that lesson may follow when we get to recording MIDI. i.e. a lesson on sequencing.
Close all open CakeWalk windows, close it down, then restart it and double check that what you have just done has been captured successfully.
If you are using a USB connected device and you forget to plug it in before starting CakeWalk, you will almost certainly have to go back and repeat what you have done here and in the next audio set up lesson.
What I shall try to explain in this series of three tutorials is how to set up your copy of CakeWalk or Sonar firstly to recognise the MIDI of your attached instrument e.g. keyboard or sound card / tone generator / sound module. The second lesson will look at the audio set up and how to make sure you are recording a good signal. The last lesson will deal with the MIDI set up and more specifically patch maps or instrument definition files, and then how to insert a patch into a MIDI file.
Lesson 1, instrument set up.
Driver installation
So, you have just bought yourself a brand new keyboard or sound module? Or, maybe new to you, but second hand, possibly through eBay. Whichever route you take make sure you have the latest drivers from the manufacturer by visiting their web site. They will usually have a "support" page, and following the various links, you should be able to find your way to an area where you can download the latest "drivers" for the operating system that you are using, be it Vista, XP, Windows 2000 or whatever. It is always as well to check that you can get hold of these files before you commit to a purchase, especially if what you are buying is not new. You should also look for the User Manual in advance, often available to download as a .pdf file. A quick browse through that before purchase may save heartbreak when you discover your shiny new keyboard possibly won't work with Windows Vista.
So you have the instrument, the manual and the driver files. For those not "in the know" the driver files are, in effect, tiny programs that sit inside the computer, in the operating system (e.g. Windows XP), and are responsible for making sure that the data and/or audio flow between the program (e.g. CakeWalk), and your keyboard or sound module goes smoothly. Often the very first versions of these drivers have minor faults in them, that's why it is worth looking for the latest version.
Read the documentation carefully where it tells you how to install these drivers. With some you must install the driver first, before you connect your keyboard/sound module, with others it is the other way round, keyboard first and then Windows will ask you to insert a CD for example. It is not possible for me to help you here, every manufacturer is slightly different in its procedure and the process will also be slightly different depending on the version of Windows you are using. Just because you installed a device from, say Yamaha, in one way, doesn't mean to say that another later device from the same manufacturer will install in the same way. Read the manual and do what it says.
Instrument set up in CakeWalk
Before starting CakeWalk make sure that the instrument you are going to setup is plugged in and switched on. As it starts, the CakeWalk program asks Windows for a list of available devices, and if your device isn't there CakeWalk won't see it.
No, not yet! Before we start the CakeWalk program we are going to take a backup of the MASTER.INS file. Start up Windows NotePad (you should find it in the Acessories folder) and then open MASTER.INS file in it. You will find this file in the main Cakewalk directory. You will have to select within the "open file" routine in NotePad "files of types", "All Files". Then you should be able to find the right file.
DO NOT EDIT IT! Just do a "save as" and name the file "MASTERINS0.txt" or something similar. We are doing this because Cakewalk will add all extra instruments defined to this master file. So if, at some time in the future, you change your keyboard or sound module, you can revert to the original file and then add the new instrument without the instrument definition file getting too cluttered. This step is strictly optional but highly recommended.
Now start up CakeWalk. Initially don't bother loading any MIDI file or CakeWalk project file. Because when we have finished setting up we are going to close CakeWalk and reload it. So just "close" the "quick start" menu.
Now select "Options / MIDI devices" as shown below.
The following "MIDI ports" window will open up. and you should select the MIDI input and output devices you are going to use from the variety that may be available.You should see your device listed here and you should make the necessary selections, usually just one input and one output. In my case, where I am using a Yamaha UW500 USB multiple audio/MIDI interface, I have selected 2 MIDI inputs and 6 outputs. Just click on the devices you want. If you select the wrong one, click it again.
Click on "OK" and that's it done! You have successfully set up CakeWalk to recognise the MIDI ins and outs of your device. Now there well may be other selections you have to make in order to play your instrument through CakeWalk and have it all work successfully, but that lesson may follow when we get to recording MIDI. i.e. a lesson on sequencing.
Close all open CakeWalk windows, close it down, then restart it and double check that what you have just done has been captured successfully.
If you are using a USB connected device and you forget to plug it in before starting CakeWalk, you will almost certainly have to go back and repeat what you have done here and in the next audio set up lesson.
::)i am still unable to lock in Sonic Cell as a midi input,i followed your instructions to the letter but when i load the midi the input on the channels still reads omni although the output on the channels does read Roland Sonic cell,with the result that the computer does not recognise the S/Cell editor hence any instrument changes etc are not possible,i will keep having a play with it to see if i can have a breakthrough
Hi again John,Ole Simmo has just spotted your next tutorial 2a so bear with me while i read through the latest info,will let you know how i get on,its around midnight our time so i will leave it until tomorrow & report back to you,sorry about that,Simmo staggering out of the music Den heading for the bedroom totally knackered ;D ;D