Okay, so here's the situation. I can't really play a piano/keyboard/or whatever, so if I want to make a track of written music, I have to go to the staff view and enter the notes by computer. I had copied one piece of music with one audio track, and 4 midi tracks and entered each of the 4 parts on separate midi tracks. I can play it fine, but the problem is that the parts are not in balance with each other. When I went to console view and tried to adjust the individual levels, all 4 tracks went up or down together. I do work occasionally with a real mixing console, but I've never run across something like this. I should also note that there is nothing showing on the master bus or masters on playback. The one thing about that is that I have a freebie program to convert midi to mp3. This way I don't have to worry about having to pay for the program to export to mp3. So, what do I need to do to end up with a midi file that I can balance the levels on as needed, and can save as a midi file for export to a conversion program. If you have read one of my previous posts, I found that I couldn't export to mp3 in MC4, and as it turned out the ability to export to mp3 was on a trial basis and had to be purchased for continued use. I don't even have the option to export to mp3 in MC6. I need these files in mp3 to load to iphone for playback. I can't use the computer for playback as I'm using that for running powerpoint during a church service. There are times when I have to use "canned" music for the service as our organist is away from time to time.

Change the channels of each MIDI track to different channels. If they're all using the same channel, they'll sound the same and any volume movement in one affects them all.
MIDI itself is not audio and won't register in an audio bus.
If you're playing the MIDI through a software synthesizer, set that synth's output to your bus instead of being output directly to the sound card/audio interface.
You don't need a MIDI-to-mp3 conversion program; just bounce the soft synth tracks to audio and export that to your mp3 converting software. I use Windows Media Player for that.
But if you're using the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth to hear MIDI, you can't bounce that, so you would need that freebie software. But software synthesizers almost always sound better than the computer's wavetable synth. Try them.
 
 

You should also know that you can link the volume faders and buss faders.   One thing I always do at the beginning of all projects is link the master output faders to the L/R interface....

if the faders of the other 3 tracks are following the movements of a specific fader that you are adjusting manually, it is possible that they are somehow linked together.  In the track inspector and I don't recall if this is in track view, I'm 99% sure it is in console view.....there is a small....very small color light that lights up to show which tracks are in a certain group. It's near the fader. 

Cakewalk calls this GROUPING. All sorts of things can be grouped. Simply right click on the fader or control and the grouping menu/window opens. Used groups are marked with *.  Simply click on the existing group to add that fader to it or again to remove it or an unused group to start a new group. All sorts of cool things can be done in grouping. Do this from the console view mode. Most often it is used in orchestral composition to group the faders on the strings all together, and so on....

I only use the grouping on the master output so I can grab either one and drag the volume up or down. In the tracks, I make sure to not use groups. I prefer to use individual envelopes for level control with automation.  Automation only works in playback and it overrides all manual fader manipulation. For example, if you move a fader when playback is stopped, as soon as you start playback the level will snap back to the enveloped level. 

Cake's MP3 converter. Yeah it is on a 30 day trial. Many of us use a third party converter. Some use Audacity. I prefer Wavepad. both are free on the net and do a fine job. 

  Okay, when making adjustments on one channel, the levels are changing on all, but the changes aren't being represented as changes to any of the other faders. The levels change, and it's shown in the meters but the other faders all stay in the same position. Do I need midi tracks, or can I just do the same authoring on audio tracks?

  5 channels (1 audio 4 midi) 4 tracks.

what synth are you using for this? 

Guitarhacker


what synth are you using for this?  from the setup of 1 audio and 4 midi it sounds like TTS or some other multi-timbrel synth. So it's possible that you are controlling the master volume level in TTS...

Even so... In TTS, it is possible to have individual level control in the tracks. The volume fader is usually controlled in the audio track and envelopes are good for that.  With all the midi tracks going up and down together it sounds like you are only contriolling the audio track and not the individual midi tracks. 

I do think it is possible to use envelopes in the midi track to control levels because I seem to remember doing that back when I used TTS in it's multi-channel format.  Give it a try and see it that works.... I believe it will. 

Unfortunately, I am already supposed to be headed to a job site which has an emergency situation happening..... so I don't have much time... but I did open a new project in MC6... inserted 3 tracks.... 1 audio with TTS.... 2 midi with piano patch and 3 midi with bass patch. 

Hit record and recorded a few measures of piano and then bass.  played them back and it played OK... next in the track inspector on the MIDI tracks.... I clicked right under the track name where it said CLIPS  (see TRACK 1) and selected automation and volume.... this inserted a volume envelope in the midi track.... adjusted the envelopes to see a major difference and it works perfectly.

In the pic you can see the faders at different levels and the meters showing the output of the midi channels. As playback continued, the levels changed according to the envelopes.

Give that a try and see if that solves the problem...

 I must be doing something wrong. Nothing works to separate the volume controls on the tracks except as a single unit as if the master. A couple of questions for you. Is there a way I can link each midi track with it's own audio track and adjust the volume that way? Is there a way I can send you the project file to look at? I see many vst instruments listed under the "patch" in track inspector, but I don't see anything listed as available under the insert soft sync other than the generic synth that is there. Last but not least, are you familiar with the DSK HQ plug ins? They have a bunch of free plug ins after a "donation" of $25. Are these compatible with MC6? Are there other freebie downloads that will work? I'm just interested in the instruments, not the effects, at least for now. Thanks.

I just PM'd you. It's OK to send me the project and I'll have a look at it for you. 

Question 1. yes. With TTS it's possible to have up to 16 midi tracks sending to one instance of TTS..... but I use synths that only support ONE track and ONE instrument at a time.... most computers can handle a fair number of individual synths in this manner. 

Q2 yes.... 

Q3 no

there are a number of VST's and synths that are totally free..... no strings attached.  With the free stuff, some of it works and some of it doesn't.  You can google search the net for free VST/synths and also this forum... there are a few threads here mostly in the software forum which talk about the old and new freebie stuff. search that forum as well. 

You have TTS and you also have Cakewalk Sound Center in MC6..... if you have not played with CSC...I recommend it highly..... there are some really nice instruments in it AND.... the add on packs are like $20 a shot.... not very expensive and well worth it. I added the pianos and the world instruments. IN addition, cake sells a number of other VST instruments like GPO (orchestral stuff) and Dim LE & Pro.... nice synths and sounds...... I recommend checking the store on a weekly basis..... as you can often kind un-advertised specials from time to time....I recall picking up GPO & DimLE for $20 as a package deal if I remember correctly about 2 years ago.  In addition, the folks in the software forum let you know about new cool deals and freebies..... you gotta keep a watch there and be patient and you can snag some unbelievable deals. 

Did you set the MIDI tracks to different channels?