Cakewalk 9 with Roland XV-2020 Setup

Use this forum to discuss Midi Issues as they relate to Cakewalk.
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jasbags
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Feb 29, 2004 10:13 pm

Post by jasbags » Sun Feb 29, 2004 10:25 pm

Hi eveyone

I hope someone can help me.

I have just purchased a Roland XV-2020 midi module and want to use it for recording songs in Cakewalk 9. The XV-2020 has midi in/out/through however for ease of connecting, it also connects via USB (this is how i have it connected it to my pc).

Anyway, I have a midi keyboard which i want to use to compose some songs. Can someone please advise exactly how i should set this up? Do i plug in the keyboard directly into the input on the XV-2020 or should i plug the keyboard into the Midi In on my Soundcard?

I tried plugging it into the sound card on the weekend and found one problem. I can record in Cakewalk but i can't hear anything when i record!! When i play it back i can hear the sound of what i have just recorded but i can never hear any sound as i am recording it.

Please help me.

Thanks / Jason


andychap
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Location: UK

Post by andychap » Mon Mar 01, 2004 9:28 pm

Looking at what you described there have you tried just connecting the sound module to the PC via USB and connecting the Midi out of the keyboard to the midi through.

This way when you record the keyboard should route through the module via it's midi out. When you set up the track in cakewalk make sure the output is to the XV-2020. So the path it will take is:

Keyboard > thru on 2020 > out on 2020 > midi in in cakewalk > midi out in cakewalk > midi in on 2020 > creates sound in 2020 > audio out on 2020 > line in on amp and speakers or line in on soundcard to record back into cakewalk.

Does that make sense :?

Guest

Post by Guest » Tue Mar 02, 2004 12:39 am

thanks Andy.....i'll give it a go!! I reckon that may work.

Basically what you are sayiny is (if i get this correct)

Connect Midi Keyboard to Midi Through on the 2020 and that's it!! The USB connection between the 2020 and the pc should send and receive the midi data providing i have Cakewalk set to receive and send the information to the 2020. Then simply, RCA outs from the 2020 to amp/speakers.

Thanks i will give it a go tonight. :lol:

jasbags
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Feb 29, 2004 10:13 pm

Post by jasbags » Wed Mar 03, 2004 10:01 pm

Hi Andy and anyone else reading in

Well i tried what you suggested but it didn't work. Actually, when i plugged my dummy keyboard into the midi through slot on the 2020 it wouldn't power-on. It only lets me put it into the Midi-In slot on either the 2020 or my pc.

Anyway, my next thought was to plug the keyboard into the midi-in on the pc. When i open Cakewalk i have setup the devices to look for midi input from my sound card and have selected the 2020 for midi output (which is connected via USB). Anyway, when i tap my keyboard i don't hear anything. So i armed a track and hit record. NOthing comes up while it is recording but as soon as i hit stop, i can see the midi i have just played. When i play it back it sends the signal to the 2020 and i can hear everything i have recorded. The only problem i have now is i can't hear anything whilst i am recording (real-time) which is a big problem.

Any ideas on this would be great!!!

Thanks / jason

andychap
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Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:26 pm
Location: UK

Post by andychap » Thu Mar 04, 2004 1:27 pm

This is taken from the Sonar help files. It says you should have the ins and outs of the keyboard conected to the ins and outs of the soundcard. You should then use the midi through on the keyboard to the midi in on the sound module. Do you have a midi thru on the keyboard?

If set up this way it looks like you hear the sound from the module as you are recording the midi track and then when you play back the track it plays thru the keyboard and into the midi in if the sound module.

How does that sound?

andychap
Posts: 685
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:26 pm
Location: UK

Post by andychap » Thu Mar 04, 2004 1:41 pm

This looks like the type of setup you will need to create with the use of a midi thru box. This one shows a sampler in it as well but you can ignore that, None of the thru sockets are used on the midi devices, they are replaced by one unit.

Image
A more sophisticated device like this 2-In/4-Out MIDI patch bay, allows you to connect all your MIDI devices and ensure each is correctly configured. Multiple MIDI outs are particularly useful if your external devices aren't equipt with MIDI Thru

jasbags
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Feb 29, 2004 10:13 pm

Post by jasbags » Thu Mar 04, 2004 10:13 pm

Hi Andy

Thanks for your detailed reply. Maybe it would help if i explain my setup.

I use a dummy keyboard which has only 1 midi port on it (i am not sure if it is in or out??). On my sound card i have midi in, out and through. On my 2020 i also have in out and through and a USB connection.

Basically, the only time my keyboard fires up is when it is plugged into a midi in port. If i plug the keboard directly into the midi input on the 2020 i can hear all of the sounds perfectly!! However, when i press record in Cakewalk i don't get any data recording events even though i have set Cakewalk to 'look' for an input signal from the 2020.

On the other hand, if i plug the keyboard directly to the input on the sound card, i can record data events but i can't hear anything.

I don't know, maybe i have to run midi out of the 2020 to the input on the sound card? I thought the USB cable should have done this???

Will have a big play around this weekend. This is killing me!! I have just speant a *** load of money on this new roland module which sounds great but i can't record anything. :cry:

Again, thanks for your help.

Jason

andychap
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Post by andychap » Sat Mar 06, 2004 1:59 pm

Hi Jason,

The midi port on the keyboard has to be a midi out so that must be connected to your midi in on the sound card.

The 2020 can be connected to the midi out on the soundcard or if you want it to transmit data back into you PC then you will have to connect it to the USB port.

This looks like it is a problem of hao to route the input through the sequencer and here it play at the same time.

You say you are using Cakewalk PA 9. The only sequencer I can comment on is Sonar but it will be much the same for PA 9, you will just have to figure out where the things are in the menus but I will explain it as it is done in Sonar then I don't miss anything..

Most of this you will already have done but if we go through it, there might be something thats been missed.

First thing: Set up midi input and output. Obviousley select the soundcard input for your keyboard and the output for the 2020 according to whether it is connected to the midi out of the soundcard or USB. So > Options > Midi Devices > select inputs and outputs and move selections to top of list. > OK.

Next Instruments. Options > Instruments > Highlight all 16 channels on the left and then highlight the XV 2020 on the right (this is assuming you have downloaded the Ins Definition file and imported it. Click OK.

Next go to Options > Project > midi input > make sure all 16 channels are ticked in the record and echo midi boxes and the echo mode is set to auto. Click OK. This hopefully will be the bit that echoes what you are recording to your output device.

Next: Select the track to record on. Set the input to omni. Set the output to the 2020, however you have it set up in midi devices. It should be listed there. Set the channel to whichever channel comes next. Here you should see the 2020 listed on all channels. Selct the bank and patch of the instrument sound you want on the 2020. This is why you need the ins definition file.

Arm the track and start recording. You should be able to hear what you are recording from the 2020.

If you have already followed all those steps and it still doesn't work I am at a loss. I think an email to cakewalk tech support or Roland tech support.

In the mean time I will keep thinking about. Let me know if you get it sorted.

andychap
Posts: 685
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:26 pm
Location: UK

Post by andychap » Sat Mar 06, 2004 2:17 pm

Just found my old PA7 help files. It does look the same set up as Sonar. Instead of the Options menu everything is in the tools menu.

It does look like the midi echo is the problem. This from PA7 help files.

Cakewalk lets you control the echo of MIDI data from your MIDI inputs to your MIDI ouputs — that is, from your master keyboard to one or more of your sound modules. This function is known as MIDI thru, and is configured using the Project Options dialog box.
There are three different echo modes, as shown in the table:

Mode... How it works...
None Disables MIDI echo entirely
Manual Enables MIDI echo, and lets you manu ally control the mapping of inputs to outputs, as described below
Auto (default) Enables MIDI echo and maps data auto matically by following the parameters of the current track view. The Auto mode allows you to use the Track view as a list of selectable MIDI echo mapping desti nations.
If you choose the manual echo mode, you can control the routing and processing of MIDI echo data, as shown in the table:

Setting... What it means...
Port The desired destination port. Blank means that the port is not mapped.
Channel The desired destination channel. Blank means that the channel is not mapped.
Key The desired note transposition, if any.
Velocity The desired velocity transposition, if any.

jasbags
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Feb 29, 2004 10:13 pm

Post by jasbags » Mon Mar 08, 2004 4:38 am

Hi Andy

Thanks for all of your help mate!!! I think you may be correct regarding the midi echo. I am at work at the moment but i will try and have a look tonight. I think that may just do it.

I'll let you know.

Thanks / Jason

jasbags
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Feb 29, 2004 10:13 pm

Post by jasbags » Tue Mar 09, 2004 10:07 pm

Thanks Andy. I adjusted the midi echo settings in the project menu and it worked!!! :lol:

I have only very two small problems now that i can live with however if you know any easy answer i would be greatful.

1. I have to change the midi echo settings everytime i open Cakewalk. Is there any way of saving to a default?

2. When i record, the very first click of my metronome is half cut-off, then it catches up on beats 2, 3 and 4. Is this a memory issue?? Any ideas on this?

Thanks again / Kind Regards

Jason

Mr. Fil

Post by Mr. Fil » Sun Jun 13, 2004 6:32 pm

Hope your system is working now. I had a few problems. I am still looking for definition files for the XV2020. Someone emailed me files for the XV5050, but they aren't the same. Any suggestions out there??

andychap
Posts: 685
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:26 pm
Location: UK

Post by andychap » Mon Jun 14, 2004 9:26 am


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