Question about setting levels in MC 6

 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.

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. 

  5 channels (1 audio 4 midi) 4 tracks.

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 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. 

OK... I got the project loaded up.

It was looking for Microsoft Wave table   so I had to switch it to my Saffire.... 

Track 1 audio is TTS  

tracks 2,3,4,5 are midi but there is nothing assigned in the channel , Bank, and patch fields.... on playback the meters move but no sound.  Clicking into the CBP fields I have no options in there.... just default which gets me nowhere. 

So I will make some assignments... the project appears to have at least 2 instances of TTS in it.... I've done a few things and nothing gives me sound..... so.....

  I now deleted the audio track and added a new audio track...EDIT TO ADD: deleting the track was not necessary..... just one of my tests... I later deleted the entire project to remove all the things I did to get sound and reloaded it from the memory stick and proceeded  as follows. I wanted to restart with your project just as it was sent. 

I manually inserted TTS as a soft synth into the FX bin of track on...the new audio track.  

NOW.... when I go to the Channel, Bank, and Patch fields I have options available....   So I now select the following fields:

Input is set to OMNI...and this doesn't matter

OUTPUT is set to the TTS-3 synth... the one I added. If I select either of the first two... I get no sound.

Channel is set to TTS channel 1

Bank is the first one in the list 15488 preset normal 0

Patch is PIANO 1 from the drop down


for the next track #3  I use the same output setting.... I set the channel to the NEXT higher number (2)..... select the SAME bank and then choose the PATCH that I wish track 2 to be.....

I repeat that process for tracks 4 &5

 hitting playback gets me going with all the tracks playing. 

I click in the midi track on CLIPS> AUTOMATION> volume default ch 1  I repeat that for all the midi tracks.... 

It all works fine. 

I'm thinking the issue may be related to using the Wavetable synth rather than MANUALLY inserting a TTS synth in the FX bin... because while there was what appeared to be two instances of TTS in the project... selecting either by proper methods produced no sound.  I don't have the wavetable synth so the difference between my DAW and yours appears to be the sound card. I had to assign the Saffire to do sound duties. 

When I insert TTS into the FX bin of track one.... then click the output of a midi track.... I see as possible outputs
1-Saffire
2-Cakewalk TTS-1 1     
3-Cakewalk TTS-1 2
4-Cakewalk TTS-1 3
New DRum Map >

I must choose #4 to get sound. Nothing else works..... I did not try the drum maps.

Greg pointed out that the midi tracks MUST have different midi channels and this is true.   

I would recommend you try inserting TTS into the FX bin..... it will show up as yet another instance of TTS.... #3...and try reassigning the CB&P using it. Then drop in the envelopes and see if that works for you.


As far as I can see the file you sent worked fine once I added TTS in the bin and made the changes to assignment. 

Let us know.