[ddots-l] Re: General Sonar feature requests.
- From: "Gordon Kent" <dbmusic@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:37:27 -0400
Hello:
I agree with you about the first two points, but the sfz format is really
wonderful, especially for us. I can't imagine a better way for us to set up
the intricacies of creating a sampled instrument, such as key mapping, velocity
zones, etc. Any software sampling environment that is not text based is going
to be graphical in order to achieve this. I do agree though that cakewalk
could probably develop a dedicated editor that would work with asio drivers so
that we could audition changes as we make them.
And I agree about the drum map manager. You can copy and paste material from
one project to another, and include tempo changes and automation etc. but if
you have soft synths in your track trhey would not be automatically inserted.
For now, you do need to firest set up the tracks you want to copy as a track
template, import it into your new project, then copy the actual data to these
newly imported tracks.
Gord
----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin Reeves
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 5:58 AM
Subject: [ddots-l] General Sonar feature requests.
Hey folks. Due to the nature of Dancing Dots, I know that there are a few
folks on this list who work closely with Cakewalk developers. I have a couple
of general feature requests for Sonar itself that are apart from accessibility
needs. I want to throw this out there and start some dialog, eventually hoping
to get this into the hands of Cakewalk themselves.
1. Importing tracks from another project.
Pro tools has been able to do this forever. Essentially, you can select the
project you want to import from, select what tracks you want, and select what
attributes such as tempo map, plugins, audio, markers, etc. It really blows
having to reconstruct a project from the ground up if I'm needing to change any
work flows such as adding my new drum library. I've created a sonar template
with the library in the synth rack and all it's respective tracks in place and
named. I now have to go back and paste in piano and vocal tracks from an old
session so that I can lay the new drums. I shouldn't have to do that. I should
be able to just import them all in 1 fell swoop with all my tempos, plugins,
etc ready to roll. I guess I could export them all as a track template and then
import that cwx file into the new session, but again, that is a step I
shouldn't have to do. I'm curious as to why Cakewalk didn't include this. It's
so basic.
2. Ability to select keys using the keyboard in the drum map manager.
Ok. this one is just plain ridiculous. I had an idea to do some major
remapping of a drum softsynth. However, I found that when in the drum map
manager, there is absolutely no way to tap keys on your keyboard and input the
notes into the in and out note boxes. Are you kidding me? So you're saying that
I have to actually know what the note numbers are? I don't have that kind of
time. They've made it wonderfully easy to choose notes with the keyboard in so
many other dialogues such as the metronome and event filter select. Why not the
drum map manager? It just makes it seem so archaic putting in numbers instead
of note names.
3. Can we please ditch SFZ as a sample format?
Pro Tools has Structure, logic has EXS 24. Can we please have a sample format
that is actually in the 21st century? There's no easy way to actually construct
instruments without either laying down tons of money for one of these sample
converters, or burning a ton of time up editing a text file instead of being
creative. Even if cakewalk went with one of Roland's formats, I'd be satisfied.
I don't know about you, but building an instrument by writing or editing a text
file sounds like work for Commander Data rather than a creative artist.
I'm not trying to sound harsh with any of these feature requests, but I do
get extremely irritated when things that should be simple and not hinder the
creative process are complicated and end up doing so. Having messed with
several recording platforms, I am now convinced that because of the nature of
why we record and the motivation behind working with these tools, the learning
curve should be as low as possible. Not because anyone is dumb or slow, but
because we as musicians are pulled by the currents of creativity and if we have
to edit a text file, or look on line for a midi chart just to change some notes
around in a drumkit, the creative tide will soon go out and so much for getting
that idea down. One of the things that I have appreciated about my switch to
sonar was the fact that in some ways, there is almost 0 learning curve. I
literally bought Cake Talking, and was in a session that next week putting
together sequences for my casino duo. I didn't have time to get nerdy. I needed
to get busy. So my conquest as a musician, consultant, teacher, artist,
learner, etc, is to find ways to make this stuff so easy that anything left
brained is kept to a bare minimum. Obviously, you have to have a somewhat
strong knowledge of computers and how the whole concept of digital recording
works. I'm not expecting things to be easy in a hand holding sort of way where
people don't learn and grow. However, I do expect developers of creative tools
to take extra consideration when implementing technology to aid in the creative
process. We should be creating, not geeking out. Simple as that. You're
thoughts?
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