Tripecac
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Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
I'm converting to Simple Instrument Tracks, and am wondering how to handle left/right piano parts (or organ parts, or multiple horn parts).
In my old method, I used separate MIDI tracks for left and right hands. This was for editing convenience. It actually made mixing harder, since if the tracks shared a MIDI channel, I had to keep making sure the second track's parameters (e.g., volume, pan) were disabled.
My understanding is that we cannot have a second MIDI track feeding a Simple Instrument Track, so we would need to either use 2 MIDI tracks and a normal audio track (which is what I'm trying to avoid) or use some other way of keeping the left and right parts separate within the Simple Instrument Track.
Are layers the only answer? I haven't used them enough to get comfortable with them, so am wondering if other people use layers to keep parts separate within a Simple Instrument Track.
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Tripecac
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/13 22:50:17
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I just found a way to assign a second MIDI track to a Simple Instrument Track: 1) create the Simple Instrument Track first 2) create the MIDI track 3) assign its output to the same synth as the Simple Instrument Track If you ever split the Simple Instrument Track, Sonar won't let you recombine it (since there are 2 MIDI tracks for input), unless you perform this workaround: 4) change the second MIDI track's output to something else 5) recombine the Simple Instrument Track 6) change the second MIDI track's output back to the Simple Instrument Track The procedure is kinda clunky. Is there a way to smooth it out?
post edited by Tripecac - 2011/06/14 12:35:32
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bitflipper
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/13 23:13:30
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The procedure is kinda clunky IMO, everything about Simple Instrument Tracks is clunky.  I've never used them, never understood the need for them, and never saw any benefit to them. And I still don't see the logic of making something more complicated and then calling it "simple".
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Tripecac
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/13 23:35:44
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What I am enjoying most about Simple Instrument Tracks is seeing the audio effects on the same track as the MIDI data.
I also like the way it forces me to use single-instrument Kontakt instances, which means when I double-click a track's icon, I can see right away the instrument that is used by the track. No need to scroll through the Kontakt GUI.
The effects, MIDI data, and Kontakt opener are all right there on the same track. I'm enjoying that proximity.
(NOTE: I'm a mix-as-I-go type rather than a 2-stager, so having the audio and midi stuff close together is very useful. Perhaps if I ever graduate to "real" production I'll go back to keeping the MIDI and audio separate.)
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Bristol_Jonesey
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/14 05:43:15
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2) MIDI the MIDI track Lost me there fella.
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Cactus Music
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/14 11:35:23
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I can see right away the instrument that is used by the track.
Would not naming the track work too?
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Tripecac
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/14 12:39:37
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Lost me there fella. Sorry, that should have been "create the MIDI track". I fixed it in that post. Would not naming the track work too? I wasn't referring to just the name; it's nice to see the correct instrument appear so that you can edit its parameters.
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Chappel
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/14 14:04:46
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Tripecac
I wasn't referring to just the name; it's nice to see the correct instrument appear so that you can edit its parameters.
You can open the synth the same way in an audio track and instrument track. Just double click the icon. Personally, I think you're just making things more difficult for yourself by using an instrument track. The advantages you mention in using them don't really seem like advantages to me.
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Beagle
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/14 14:19:21
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we went thru these same things when he asked about multiple outputs and simple intstrument tracks for kontakt.
it's his preference - obviously he likes it that way, but I personally think they're a waste of programming.
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Tripecac
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/14 14:59:00
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You can open the synth the same way in an audio track and instrument track. Just double click the icon.
As I said in my post, an advantage of Single Instrument Tracks is that it "forces me to use single-instrument Kontakt instances... No need to scroll through the Kontakt GUI." I would have the same advantage if I always had a one-to-one pairing of MIDI tracks and audio tracks, but that setup has disadvantages, which I outlined here: http://forum.cakewalk.com/fb.ashx?m=2321864
Personally, I think you're just making things more difficult for yourself by using an instrument track. The advantages you mention in using them don't really seem like advantages to me.
Please substantiate. Someone could just as easily say: Personally, I think you're just making things more difficult for yourself by NOT using an instrument track. The advantages you mention in using them don't really seem like advantages to me.
post edited by Tripecac - 2011/06/14 15:01:25
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Chappel
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/14 15:14:51
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Well, I've wasted enough of my time on this. Good luck with your problem.
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Tripecac
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/15 02:01:00
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Is there a way to bind a key to the mute-clip function, so that it's easy to mute a clip within a track layer?
What would be even better is a mute layer command; is there such a thing?
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brundlefly
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/15 02:19:40
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Yes you can keybind clip mute. I don't have the path at my fingertips, but it should be in the Track View group.
There is also layer muting; but I don't think you can keybind it. You have to use the tiny mute/solo buttons in the track scale area when showing layers.
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Tripecac
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/15 12:54:58
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Thanks, those mute/solo buttons will work fine. They seem to be the same height as the layers themselves, so they are only tiny if the layers are tiny. Out of curiosity - do you use layers frequently? Or do you usually split into separate MIDI tracks?
post edited by Tripecac - 2011/06/15 12:56:03
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Beagle
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Re:Simple Instrument Track - How to separate left/right piano parts?
2011/06/15 13:09:59
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I use layers all the time in audio. I never use them in MIDI. just the way I work I don't seem to need layers for MIDI>
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