>I just recently bought an AN1x and I've got Cakewalk ProAudio 9
>installed on my computer. I understand that there is no way to play
>multiple patches on the AN1x at the same time (which kinda sucks,
>doesn't it?) besides using the Split or Dual mode (and then you
>still only get two different sounds simultaneously). I find this to
>be somewhat limiting. Obviously I could go out and by and good rack
>module with lots of MIDI channels and just use the AN1x as my MIDI
>controller - but isn't there some way I can get around this limitation
>and simply use the AN1x by itself to create good songs in Cakewalk? I
>mean, what do you all use it for and how?
It is possible to create whole songs in Cakewalk with just the AN1x, but it is a fairly long process. The heart of this explanation is also applicable to any MIDI sequencer with audio recording capabilities.
1.) Start by creating a click track, or enabling the metronome feature in Cakewalk. You'll understand why in a moment.
2.) Take the AN1x and program 1 (or 2) sounds that you like. Record the sound(s) as a MIDI recording and adjust it if necessary.
3.) When you are happy with the MIDI-recorded track, create a new track and set its Source to Left WAVE Audio, Right WAVE Audio, or Stereo WAVE Audio. The actual name you see in Cakewalk will probably be different, and will include something that depends on the kind of audio card or motherboard audio you have (VIA, Creative Labs, ESS, etc.). Arm the WAVE track for recording, and mute all other MIDI tracks, except the 1-2 sounds you want to use.
4.) Press Record and DON'T TOUCH THE AN1x DURING THE PERFORMANCE. The previously-recorded MIDI will cause the synth to play, and the audio output will be recorded on the WAVE channel.
5.) Disarm and mute the WAVE channel, and repeat Steps 2-4 until you have all the parts recorded as audio files.
6.) When all the parts are complete, un-mute all of the WAVE tracks (leave the MIDI tracks muted), and either record them to one master track, or use the Mixdown to Audio feature of Cakewalk to make a .WAV, .RA, or .MP3 recording of all the parts. You can use volume changes to balance the parts before recording.
The reason for using a click or metronome during MIDI recording is that with most computers, the WAVE tracks will have a slight delay on playback, compared to the Cakewalk beat, due to processing during recording. Sometimes this delay is annoying; other times, it can hardly be detected. If the previous track(s) are used as background during further recording, however, and the delay is significant, the ensemble of tracks will not line up on the beat. Whatever the delay is, though, it remains constant across all the WAVE tracks, so that when they are all played back at the same time, everything lines up. (The entire performance is actually delayed a little, but the first beat of the song is somewhat arbitrary, so it doesn't really matter in the end.)
OTOH, this method can be time-consuming, and I suspect that if you use it a lot, you'll end up going out and buying a multitimbral module to help things out.
I hope this helps you.
Regards,
-BW
--
Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions\ufffd http://music.ashbysolutions.com
CloneWheel Support Group moderator
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@...
