How To Use Cakewalk by Bandlab - misc. threads consolidated

[Erisian]

Midi generators/seguencers/arps/chorders often show up as an instrument in Cakewalk.

Not showing there either.

If the vst has an exe installer can i assume you have checked that the dll is installed in the right folder?
Program files / steinberg / is common but isn't scanned by CbB.

Later addition: There's also that thing about vst3. Do not put any .dll in the vst3 folder. Cakewalk will ignore those.

It's a 64bit VST2 and I have put it in my custom vst folder. Cakewalk scans it and finds all the instruments and audio effects but MIDI plugins don't seem to show anywhere.

[Saffran]

Can you see it in any of the categories in the plugin manager?
Maybe put it in the default folder "Program files\Cakewalk\VstPlugins" to check if it turns up then.
If it's being scanned but fail Cakewalk gives a notification about it. So it would seem it isn't being scanned because you haven't mentioned any error notification.

And there's the sneeky labeling plugin. It had change its name slightly when found in the plugin manager.

[Erisian]

Can you see it in any of the categories in the plugin manager?
Maybe put it in the default folder "Program files\Cakewalk\VstPlugins" to check if it turns up then.
If it's being scanned but fail Cakewalk gives a notification about it. So it would seem it isn't being scanned because you haven't mentioned any error notification.

And there's the sneeky labeling plugin. It had change its name slightly when found in the plugin manager.

I had a good look through everything and Cakewalk is reading most MIDI plugins, just not this one (MIDI Strummer 3) It must be the plugin's fault. I even opened all the "Instruments" that were labeled "Container" and "Container Synthedit" and it wasn't any of them. Do you know of any good, preferably free, strum plugins?

[Erisian]

Can you see it in any of the categories in the plugin manager?
Maybe put it in the default folder "Program files\Cakewalk\VstPlugins" to check if it turns up then.
If it's being scanned but fail Cakewalk gives a notification about it. So it would seem it isn't being scanned because you haven't mentioned any error notification.

And there's the sneeky labeling plugin. It had change its name slightly when found in the plugin manager.

I had a good look through everything and Cakewalk is reading most MIDI plugins, just not this one (MIDI Strummer 3) It must be the plugin's fault. I even opened all the "Instruments" that were labeled "Container" and "Container Synthedit" and it wasn't any of them. Do you know of any good, preferably free, strum plugins?

Scrub all that. I found it under "Mildon." Now I just have to figure out how to load it to control an instrument.

[Saffran]

Scrub all that. I found it under "Mildon." Now I just have to figure out how to load it to control an instrument.

Sneeky labeling plugin then...
Good you found it.

[planetearth]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I have some MIDI vst plugins that I would like to use to control instrument plugins. I can't work out how to make them work in Cakewalk. They don't show up in the MIDI plugins list.

Sonar always had problems with third-party MIDI VST plug-ins, where they simply wouldn't show up in the list or work. This was a known issue, apparently, and if you're trying to use them in Cakewalk by Bandlab, it could just be that they haven't addressed that yet.

Some MIDI plug-ins do work, and if you were able to find it and get it to work, it might help others to know which plug-in it was.

Steve

[Erisian]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I have some MIDI vst plugins that I would like to use to control instrument plugins. I can't work out how to make them work in Cakewalk. They don't show up in the MIDI plugins list.

Sonar always had problems with third-party MIDI VST plug-ins, where they simply wouldn't show up in the list or work. This was a known issue, apparently, and if you're trying to use them in Cakewalk by Bandlab, it could just be that they haven't addressed that yet.

Steve

I'm thinking I might have to record strummed instruments in another program and import the audio into Cakewalk to finish off. I can't find any useful information online.

[planetearth]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I have some MIDI vst plugins that I would like to use to control instrument plugins. I can't work out how to make them work in Cakewalk. They don't show up in the MIDI plugins list.

Sonar always had problems with third-party MIDI VST plug-ins, where they simply wouldn't show up in the list or work. This was a known issue, apparently, and if you're trying to use them in Cakewalk by Bandlab, it could just be that they haven't addressed that yet.

Steve

I'm thinking I might have to record strummed instruments in another program and import the audio into Cakewalk to finish off. I can't find any useful information online.

I just read up a bit on this -- it's not really a MIDI plug-in per se; it's an instrument which can output MIDI (in this case, the "strumming" of notes in another plug-in).

You should be able to load this as a standard instrument, and enable MIDI Out (if it's not already enabled by default). Then choose it as the MIDI In on whichever guitar VSTi you're trying to "strum".

If that doesn't work, let me know. Since this is (now) a free plug-in, I'll try it myself.

Steve

UPDATE: Well, the dev's website says a new version of "Strummer" is coming "very soon" (in a post from 2015), but there's no way to download it, as far as I can see. If you found a way to download it, please let me know.

Thanks.

[Erisian]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I have some MIDI vst plugins that I would like to use to control instrument plugins. I can't work out how to make them work in Cakewalk. They don't show up in the MIDI plugins list.

Sonar always had problems with third-party MIDI VST plug-ins, where they simply wouldn't show up in the list or work. This was a known issue, apparently, and if you're trying to use them in Cakewalk by Bandlab, it could just be that they haven't addressed that yet.

Steve

I'm thinking I might have to record strummed instruments in another program and import the audio into Cakewalk to finish off. I can't find any useful information online.

I just read up a bit on this -- it's not really a MIDI plug-in per se; it's an instrument which can output MIDI (in this case, the "strumming" of notes in another plug-in).

You should be able to load this as a standard instrument, and enable MIDI Out (if it's not already enabled by default). Then choose it as the MIDI In on whichever guitar VSTi you're trying to "strum".

If that doesn't work, let me know. Since this is (now) a free plug-in, I'll try it myself.

Steve

UPDATE: Well, the dev's website says a new version of "Strummer" is coming "very soon" (in a post from 2015), but there's no way to download it, as far as I can see. If you found a way to download it, please let me know.

Thanks.

This is the version I have: http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?pl ... er&id=2388

I'll give that a go but I am relatively new to Cakewalk and I haven't worked out how to enable MIDI out. Thanks for your help.

[planetearth]

I got it to work, but I don't think you're going to be terribly happy with the results. Strummer can send "strummed" chords to another VSTi, but they're the same chords you have to play on the keyboard itself, and they're strummed exactly how you play them, even if that's now how they'd be played on a guitar. For example, playing G-B-D on the keyboard while using the "MIDI OUT" in Strummer will send the same G-B-D notes to your guitar VSTi. However, that would not be the same as a "G" chord on a guitar, which would be G-B-D-G-B-G.

Strumer will offset the notes in the chord you play, but only by 1 tick per note at its highest setting. This is almost indistinguishable from having them all hit at the same time, and that timing doesn't vary, so each chord will sound very similar. (Strummer's manual wasn't updated to explain what "Offset MIDI" is supposed to do, but I couldn't hear any difference.)

Also, unless your version of Srummer came with some presets (mine didn't), you don't get any chord inversions or other types of chords. For example, playing that same "G" chord on the keyboard won't get you a G7 or Gsus or barre version of a G chord. To get chords variations and inversions, you'll have to play those notes exactly how you want them (and in the proper note order) to get that out of your guitar VSTi.

All that said, if you still want to know what to do, follow these steps:
1. Load your guitar VSTi into CbB
2. Load Strummer into CbB and make sure "Enable MIDI Output" is selected in the Options box before Strummer is inserted into CbB
3. Set your guitar VSTi's MIDI track to "Input Echo On" and set its MIDI Input to "Mildon Strummer"
4. Set Strummer to MIDI Output

Now, any chords you play on the keyboard will be sent to your guitar VSTi, and when you use the C0 and D0 keys on your keyboard, Strummer will "strum" the chords for you. You don't have to keep holding the chord notes after you hit C0 or D0; Strummer will continue to strum that chord until you play a new one.

If you want a great-sounding guitar VSTi with a LOT of features, Ample Guitar M Lite II is free: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... -M-Lite-II. According to Plugin Boutique, this even comes with its own strumming feature though I can't confirm that.

Hope all this helps!

Steve

[Erisian]

I got it to work, but I don't think you're going to be terribly happy with the results. Strummer can send "strummed" chords to another VSTi, but they're the same chords you have to play on the keyboard itself, and they're strummed exactly how you play them, even if that's now how they'd be played on a guitar. For example, playing G-B-D on the keyboard while using the "MIDI OUT" in Strummer will send the same G-B-D notes to your guitar VSTi. However, that would not be the same as a "G" chord on a guitar, which would be G-B-D-G-B-G.

Strumer will offset the notes in the chord you play, but only by 1 tick per note at its highest setting. This is almost indistinguishable from having them all hit at the same time, and that timing doesn't vary, so each chord will sound very similar. (Strummer's manual wasn't updated to explain what "Offset MIDI" is supposed to do, but I couldn't hear any difference.)

Also, unless your version of Srummer came with some presets (mine didn't), you don't get any chord inversions or other types of chords. For example, playing that same "G" chord on the keyboard won't get you a G7 or Gsus or barre version of a G chord. To get chords variations and inversions, you'll have to play those notes exactly how you want them (and in the proper note order) to get that out of your guitar VSTi.

All that said, if you still want to know what to do, follow these steps:
1. Load your guitar VSTi into CbB
2. Load Strummer into CbB and make sure "Enable MIDI Output" is selected in the Options box before Strummer is inserted into CbB
3. Set your guitar VSTi's MIDI track to "Input Echo On" and set its MIDI Input to "Mildon Strummer"
4. Set Strummer to MIDI Output

Now, any chords you play on the keyboard will be sent to your guitar VSTi, and when you use the C0 and D0 keys on your keyboard, Strummer will "strum" the chords for you. You don't have to keep holding the chord notes after you hit C0 or D0; Strummer will continue to strum that chord until you play a new one.

If you want a great-sounding guitar VSTi with a LOT of features, Ample Guitar M Lite II is free: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... -M-Lite-II. According to Plugin Boutique, this even comes with its own strumming feature though I can't confirm that.

Hope all this helps!

Steve

Thank you for the info. I actually have Ample Guitar M Lite II so I'll probably use that but I wanted to know how to work with midi plugins. When I open Strummer, I am not given an "Enable Midi Out" option. Would you be able to provide a screenshot because I must be missing something.

[JoseC.]

Click in the VST2 or VST3 menu in the plugin header:

[Erisian]

Click in the VST2 or VST3 menu in the plugin header:

I don't get that menu with Strummer. I get it with other vsts, just not Strummer.

[planetearth]

I got it to work, but I don't think you're going to be terribly happy with the results. Strummer can send "strummed" chords to another VSTi, but they're the same chords you have to play on the keyboard itself, and they're strummed exactly how you play them, even if that's now how they'd be played on a guitar. For example, playing G-B-D on the keyboard while using the "MIDI OUT" in Strummer will send the same G-B-D notes to your guitar VSTi. However, that would not be the same as a "G" chord on a guitar, which would be G-B-D-G-B-G.

Strumer will offset the notes in the chord you play, but only by 1 tick per note at its highest setting. This is almost indistinguishable from having them all hit at the same time, and that timing doesn't vary, so each chord will sound very similar. (Strummer's manual wasn't updated to explain what "Offset MIDI" is supposed to do, but I couldn't hear any difference.)

Also, unless your version of Srummer came with some presets (mine didn't), you don't get any chord inversions or other types of chords. For example, playing that same "G" chord on the keyboard won't get you a G7 or Gsus or barre version of a G chord. To get chords variations and inversions, you'll have to play those notes exactly how you want them (and in the proper note order) to get that out of your guitar VSTi.

All that said, if you still want to know what to do, follow these steps:
1. Load your guitar VSTi into CbB
2. Load Strummer into CbB and make sure "Enable MIDI Output" is selected in the Options box before Strummer is inserted into CbB
3. Set your guitar VSTi's MIDI track to "Input Echo On" and set its MIDI Input to "Mildon Strummer"
4. Set Strummer to MIDI Output

Now, any chords you play on the keyboard will be sent to your guitar VSTi, and when you use the C0 and D0 keys on your keyboard, Strummer will "strum" the chords for you. You don't have to keep holding the chord notes after you hit C0 or D0; Strummer will continue to strum that chord until you play a new one.

If you want a great-sounding guitar VSTi with a LOT of features, Ample Guitar M Lite II is free: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... -M-Lite-II. According to Plugin Boutique, this even comes with its own strumming feature though I can't confirm that.

Hope all this helps!

Steve

Thank you for the info. I actually have Ample Guitar M Lite II so I'll probably use that but I wanted to know how to work with midi plugins. When I open Strummer, I am not given an "Enable Midi Out" option. Would you be able to provide a screenshot because I must be missing something.

As I mentioned in Step 2: " Load Strummer into CbB and make sure 'Enable MIDI Output' is selected in the Options box before Strummer is inserted into CbB"

The plug-in Options box comes up after you choose which plug-in to insert, and before it's actually inserted into CbB. This is how CbB (and Sonar) work by default. You could disable this box and bypass this step, but you'd have to have a pretty good idea what you're doing (and why) to do that.

CbB Insert Soft Synth Options.jpg

The option to "Enable MIDI Output" is on the left, about two-thirds of the way down; the option to disable this Options box completely is at the bottom.

Steve

[Erisian]

I got it to work, but I don't think you're going to be terribly happy with the results. Strummer can send "strummed" chords to another VSTi, but they're the same chords you have to play on the keyboard itself, and they're strummed exactly how you play them, even if that's now how they'd be played on a guitar. For example, playing G-B-D on the keyboard while using the "MIDI OUT" in Strummer will send the same G-B-D notes to your guitar VSTi. However, that would not be the same as a "G" chord on a guitar, which would be G-B-D-G-B-G.

Strumer will offset the notes in the chord you play, but only by 1 tick per note at its highest setting. This is almost indistinguishable from having them all hit at the same time, and that timing doesn't vary, so each chord will sound very similar. (Strummer's manual wasn't updated to explain what "Offset MIDI" is supposed to do, but I couldn't hear any difference.)

Also, unless your version of Srummer came with some presets (mine didn't), you don't get any chord inversions or other types of chords. For example, playing that same "G" chord on the keyboard won't get you a G7 or Gsus or barre version of a G chord. To get chords variations and inversions, you'll have to play those notes exactly how you want them (and in the proper note order) to get that out of your guitar VSTi.

All that said, if you still want to know what to do, follow these steps:
1. Load your guitar VSTi into CbB
2. Load Strummer into CbB and make sure "Enable MIDI Output" is selected in the Options box before Strummer is inserted into CbB
3. Set your guitar VSTi's MIDI track to "Input Echo On" and set its MIDI Input to "Mildon Strummer"
4. Set Strummer to MIDI Output

Now, any chords you play on the keyboard will be sent to your guitar VSTi, and when you use the C0 and D0 keys on your keyboard, Strummer will "strum" the chords for you. You don't have to keep holding the chord notes after you hit C0 or D0; Strummer will continue to strum that chord until you play a new one.

If you want a great-sounding guitar VSTi with a LOT of features, Ample Guitar M Lite II is free: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... -M-Lite-II. According to Plugin Boutique, this even comes with its own strumming feature though I can't confirm that.

Hope all this helps!

Steve

Thank you for the info. I actually have Ample Guitar M Lite II so I'll probably use that but I wanted to know how to work with midi plugins. When I open Strummer, I am not given an "Enable Midi Out" option. Would you be able to provide a screenshot because I must be missing something.

As I mentioned in Step 2: " Load Strummer into CbB and make sure 'Enable MIDI Output' is selected in the Options box before Strummer is inserted into CbB"

The plug-in Options box comes up after you choose which plug-in to insert, and before it's actually inserted into CbB. This is how CbB (and Sonar) work by default. You could disable this box and bypass this step, but you'd have to have a pretty good idea what you're doing (and why) to do that.


CbB Insert Soft Synth Options.jpg


The option to "Enable MIDI Output" is on the left, about two-thirds of the way down; the option to disable this Options box completely is at the bottom.

Steve

I get a totally different options box that doesn't have the Enable Midi Output option. Are you using the latest version of CbB?