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New to recording.. unable to mulitrack via midi

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Topic New to recording.. unable to mulitrack via midi
Hi,
I am a pianist, new to recording software and sequencing.
Heres the skinny,

Yamaha S08
Cakewalk Pro 9
Midi via USB
I am runing audio out of my keyboard just to my amp, I dont have a sound card to my laptop

I can record a midi track, and play them back through my keyboard.
But I cannot get the set up to playback or record mulitple tracks or intruments.
Lets say I play a piano on track one, then strings on two, it only plays back whats on track one.
I input my instrument patch discription into the software track.
Also, what ever intrument is chosen on the keyboard LCD, thats what instrument the midi playback, it doesnt playback the actual patch/instrument I recorded with.
My goal,
I am trying to lay mulitple tracks with different intruments on top of each other. And hear these through my keyboard.
i know the keyboard is capable of this as it has a demo mode and plays gobs of instruments all at once.
I know the keyboard does not have on board sequencing, but it can be done via a SmartMedia card or hopefully, via midi.

Thanks in advance for any help
-Dez
2
You need to find or create a Cakewalk Instrument Definition for your keyboard. You need to make sure that Cakewalk is transmitting the patch info to your keyboard when you load a project. You need to make sure you have "local mode" turned off on the keyboard.

You also need to make sure you have your keyboard set to recieve on multiple midi channels.
The Axeman (##(===> Cuts From My New Blues CD
3
Thanks Axeman for the Reply,
"Cakewalk definition", I take it this is not the same as when Cakewalk displays all my patches that are in the keyboard when I choose "instrument" in Cakewalk?

"Local mode" turned off in the keyboard, and "recieve on muliple channels" ,

I'll look for those option's. I am new to the Yamaha S08 synth, so I am still kind of stumbleling around with all the features of this unit.
I'm guessing I am pretty close to a sucessful interface as the keyboard (S08) does playback the first track.

Also, when would I want to use the "solo" setting in a track from Cakewalk?

I replaced a DX7 with this unit, as I discovered the Dx was not multitimbral.

Thanks again,
-Dez
4
In Cake, if you go to "Options" and "Instruments", you'll get a dialog box that shows the tracks on the let and their assigned Midi Instruments on the left., with lines showing which tracks are assigned which instruments. I you're keyboard doesn't show up by name on the right, you need to import or build an instrument definition for it.

The Solo button is just like the Solo button on a regular mixer. It causes the track to be the only one that you hear. You could have 100 tracks, but if you hit the Solo button on Track 1, that's all your going to hear.
The Axeman (##(===> Cuts From My New Blues CD
5
Thanks again Mike,
I found a few settings to tinker with. I found "recieve channels" to be set at "Omni". Which I am guessing is to recieve all. I didnt see and exact discription for "Local mode". I am sure it would be in thier, possibly under a different discription. Some of these peramaiters look like thier written in Clingon or something.
I did discover my definitions were NOT loaded in the Cakewalk. I was picking from some generic general midi list. I "googled" the definitions with sucess and got them loaded and am able to acess the exact patches I want now (boy was that frustrating trying to get a particular patch when its not on the list, but the name is very close).
I didnt have a bunch of time to spend with the settings yesterday, but I did try to mulitrack, and its the same problem, all the tracks play the same patch. I have done channel one = piano, channel two = bass guitar etc. The one frustrating thing, is when you set the keyboard to a particular channel, it doesnt give you a conformation. I will just continue to play with it till I find what I am doing wrong.
You know, I cant get the software from Yamaha, SQ1 that came with the instrument, to even see this keyboard. Thats why I am back at using Cake walk. Maybe now that I know about the very basic stuff like definitions, I could acess that software later.
Oh, I did also have a clitch when i tried to record a piano/strings, I was playing, 'My Love" by Paul McCarthy, climbing that initial scale, and the it got all crackely and studdered and delayed at one part. BUT, it did it again also when I tried to record it one more time. I didnt get a chance to check the CPU usage when it struck. I am using a Dell Inspiron laptop with the Duo Processor and a gig of ram. I cant imagine I maxed out the PC ability. Oh well, I'll just have to watch for the clitch again.
Take care, thanks again,
-Dez
6
You can find the Yamaha S08 instrument definition file here.

For multi-timbral operation, set the S08 to Multi mode.
7
Thx KitC
ok, WE HAVE SUCESS!!!!!
First, like I mentioned in my first post. I am VERY new at synths and midi. I got frustrated with Cakewalk, and went back to trying to get the Yamaha SQ1 sequencing software that came with the S08 to work. I did a driver update and got the two (laptop and keyboard) to interface. I ran into the same problems trying to record with the SQ1 also.
I sat and re-read the manual AGAIN. And low and behold, buried in the pages of patch editing was instructions for multi timber.. I dont know who writes these manuals, but they really are not to user friendly, no step by step, and information is just scattered all over the book. Theres more detail in how to editi LFOs and stuff then how to connect and use the damn thing.
I also downloaded some midi songs and played them through the SQ1 program so I could see the settings.
Here were my main mistakes, so these can be passed on to other struggling begining users of the yamaha S08.
1) updated drivers
2) Sequencing can be done without a Smart Media card
3) You have to go into multi- THEN "edit"
4) I guess this is just basic info, but I didnt know, you have to assign a midi channel to each instrument in the software (in each track) and the same corosponding midi channel in the keyboard instrument. Theres other steps in the settings of the software you have to adjust also.

It was such an awsome feeling when the sequencer started playing back and I could just step in a jam right along. I also learned channel 10 is for drums and you have to change the setting for the drums from "normal" too "drums" in the S08 for track/channel 10

I did run across a snafu after all the sucess.... I stopped playing for awhile and went back to it later and I cannot get th sequencer to now make a "block" when I am recording. I have midi, but no recording block. I am sure its something simple in a setting.
thanks again for the help,
-Dez