scook
Maybe the videos on the PRV and automation might help with controllers. The videos are for X2 but MC6 Touch is based on X2 so the info should apply. You can add the data either by recording a MIDI controller or draw them directly in the lanes.

Yes! That's exactly what I'm looking for. I remember in Digital Orchestrator, you could literally draw controller effects on-the-fly. That's what I would like to do, if that's a built-in perk of MC6. :) (Seems like you should be able to...?)

Yes, it is there. You can draw controller data either in the automation lanes in the Track view or in the Controller or Note Panes in the PRV. The videos show you how.

TTS is a cool synth but it uses patches.... programmed setting on synths and such to make the sounds. They are quite good for what they are. TTS can handle up to 16 different midi tracks at the same time. So if you are needing dozens of midi tracks playing at the same time, TTS can handle that for you easily.
 
Cakewalk Sound Center (CSC) uses sampled sounds.... much better quality as a result.... things sound more real. However, you do need to add one instance of CSC for each midi track you have.
 
I bounce to audio and build the tracks one at a time using CSC.

Thanks! Valuable input regarding the difference between the synths. :) However, I have further questions pertaining to MC6 and sound cards.
 
I'm currently using onboard audio ("Microsoft Wavetable Synth"), but I'm pondering the potential need for a sound card. The only snag I hit since I started this was notes being dropped in playback. This was resolved by increasing the buffer. Therefore...
1) Would increasing the buffer have been necessary if I had a sound card?
2) My motherboard's only two years old. Is onboard audio sufficient for building projects in MC6? What specific advantages would using a sound card offer?
3) Would the synth sounds change when a new sound card is used? Or do they not because they're strictly software synths built in to the software?
 
By the way, I have found the Cakewalk TTS synth to be rather remarkable. Between the onboard audio synth (Microsoft Wavetable), the TTS synth and SoundCenter, that's three whole libraries of instruments (and 20+ MC6 drum kits) at my disposal! I love it.
 
That being said, since this software has been working so well for me and the synth sounds are incredible, the only justification to buying a sound card is for General MIDI provided by the onboard audio. If necessary, I'm looking at either the Sound Blaster Audigy ($30) or Sound Blaster Z ($120)...the only two choices available at my local Best Buy. (Do you think the Audigy would be a downgrade from my motherboard audio?)
 
So those are my questions...sorry for the ramble.

1) Which buffer are you referring to? Many find the buffer setting in Edit > Preferences > MIDI > Playback and Recording "Prepare Using nnn Millisecond Buffer" is too low regardless of the audio interface. I set it to 500ms. If you are referring to your audio interface settings Edit > Preferences > Audio > Driver Settings Mixing Latency, probably not if you had a dedicated interface designed for DAW use. The internal sound chip is designed for playback only. For that matter so are the cards you mentioned. None of them are a good choice for DAW work. Before spending money on another playback device try using the ASIO4ALL driver. An interface designed for DAW use is a far better solution. There are several budget solutions like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Most budget solutions are external interfaces.
2) A dedicated DAW audio interface is a good idea. The onboard chip is designed for playback only.
3) The sounds created in the DAW are not affected by your choice of audio interface.

Thanks for the information! :)
 
I did neglect to mention that the basis of my MIDI compositions is entirely internal, without the use of external keyboards or equipment. I basically do sequencer work with the using my sound card (or whatever audio device is intact).
 
There is a chance I may use WAV/MP3 audio, but not as of yet.

For your current scenario, the built-in sound card may be adequate.
If you are getting acceptable performance with the larger buffers, you should be ok.
For real-time MIDI work, it would probably be a bust.
This statement caught my eye:
"the only justification to buying a sound card is for General MIDI provided by the onboard audio."
While the Souldblasters generally have a built-in synth, you would not be gaining much, if anything.
Check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_MIDI_Level_2
The MS Wavetable Synth only gives you the sounds listed in bank 0.
This is the GM1 sound set.
I'm not sure, but I think the Soundblasters may also be GM1. My old one was.
TTS-1 is GM2, and supports the sounds listed in the additional banks.
Also, exporting your finished song can be problematic using onboard sound, but is very easy using TTS-1.

Using the built in sound chip has inherent problems. Since they are designed mostly for playing single waves and MP3's they tend to overload and choke when asked to preform the duties that MC will place on them. Especially when you are doing full duplex recording .... playing live and recording while listening to the other tracks in sync.
 
The purchase of a decent USB based interface (fancy word for a third party external sound card) which is running native ASIO drivers, is worth every dollar you pay for it. I'm not a big fan of the ASIO4ALL "wrapper" since all it does is fool the existing card into working with a lesser driver and the DAW thinks it's running ASIO. The better solution is almost always the sound interface running ASIO.
 
If what you have works, by all means use it. However, as the projects get larger and you start using the better sounding synths, the need for a decent interface will become apparent.
 
My first DAW used the wavetable synth to create it's sounds. Now, with all the good sounding synths using sampled sounds, there is no reason to use the wavetable any more. Learn about the softsynths like TTS and CSC and many others, and use them. Most are one channel synths which handle one thing at a time. However, for that inconvenience, the sound quality is worth it. To keep the number of synths low.... every synth in the project uses a fairly large amount of processing power, you can bounce the synth to audio and use that same synth on a different midi track with a different sample. Audio can be handled more easily than a project full of synths...especially with a factory card. With a dedicated interface, the limiting factor is the computer power, speed, and CPU.....generally not the soundcard/interface.
 
hope this helps.

ROBERTB --
I looked over the link you sent pertaining to General MIDI 2...I'm mildly curious. So if it offers more instruments, I'm almost sold. (That is, if I were to purchase a sound card offering this feature).
 
EDIT: I misinterpreted your post until you said TTS offers GM2. To me, that provides significant added value to the versatility of Music Creator 6. :)
 
GUITARHACKER --
Still "dancing the line" between using onboard audio or picking up the Sound Blaster Z. However, what you've said concerns me, mostly because 1) I don't have a thorough understanding of how digital audio production works and 2) I don't want such limitations to affect my work, whether I have a sound card or not.
 
I guess I find myself confused. The way I look at it, all three synths offered to me (GS Wavetable from the mobo, TTS and SoundCenter) provide a large variety of instrument patches I'm so extremely lucky to have. I could use them all interchangeably at any time.
 
However, I guess that brings about the concern as to whether I'm laying down the tracks (no slang intended) in the proper manner and using the synths the way they were technically meant to be used. True, I intend to use SoundCenter on the forefront and leave General MIDI as low priority...but granted, I still have three different libraries of instruments.
 
I guess what I'm saying is...although I did a MIDI compilation in the late 90's, I still consider myself amateur, although if I plan on taking this project seriously, I will have to step out and learn more. But for now, I guess I'm trying to use what I have without the fear of limitations, because at the moment, I know no better... LOL

If you ever want to make a CD of your work, or an MP3 to email to friends, family or a movie producer, you'll find that the MS GS Wavetable synth is hard to render to audio. Not impossible, but more difficult than when using a software synthesizer which is already audioized.
The wavetable synth is a good tool to use for learning how to use MIDI, but the sounds are not very realistic, especially when compared to almost any modern soft synth.
We usually steer folks away from buying any Sound Blaster audio interface since they are not designed for recording and playback of the large amounts of audio data that are in many recordings, especially when recording while monitoring those multiple tracks.