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MIDI
Beginner’s guide to Cakewalk software
MIDI files, projects, tracks, and clips
In Cakewalk programs, the file that you use to store usually a single song’s data is called a
project
.
This is the file you use to record, play back, and edit your song. The file extension for a project is
.wrk in older Cakewalk programs and .cwp in newer ones. Projects that use only the MIDI format (no
digital audio) can be saved in a format called a
Standard MIDI File
, and can then be played back in
any program or machine that plays MIDI files. These files have the extension .mid.
The MIDI messages within a project are usually separated into smaller containers called
tracks
, and
even smaller containers called
clips
, which are sections of a track. You usually use tracks to
separate the MIDI messages that are intended to play one kind of sound from the MIDI messages
that play other sounds. You usually assign each track to its own MIDI channel. A typical MIDI project
might have separate tracks for drums, bass, and piano. In this example, you might assign the bass
track to Channel 2, and the piano track to Channel 5. Then you would set your MIDI sound module
to play a bass sound on Channel 2, and a piano sound on Channel 5. Instead of manually setting
your MIDI modules to play these sounds, you can send Program Change messages to tell your
sound module what sounds to play on what channels (see
“Controlling which sounds you hear”
page 1671). You usually assign drum tracks to Channel 10. Because you stored the MIDI messages
that are assigned to each sound on separate tracks, you can then control and edit the stored MIDI
messages that go to one sound without changing the messages that are sent to other sounds.
Figure 484.
Track view
A.
Tracks 1 through 6
B.
Buses
C.
Track pane
D.
MIDI messages recorded in Tracks 3,4, and 5
E.
Clips
pane
F.
Vertical Zoom fader—drag to change track height
D
C
E
F
A
B
Summary of Contents for sonar x3
Page 1: ...SONAR X3 Reference Guide...
Page 4: ...4 Getting started...
Page 112: ...112 Tutorial 1 Creating playing and saving projects Saving project files...
Page 124: ...124 Tutorial 3 Recording vocals and musical instruments...
Page 132: ...132 Tutorial 4 Playing and recording software instruments...
Page 142: ...142 Tutorial 5 Working with music notation...
Page 150: ...150 Tutorial 6 Editing your music...
Page 160: ...160 Tutorial 7 Mixing and adding effects...
Page 170: ...170 Tutorial 8 Working with video Exporting your video...
Page 570: ...570 Control Bar overview...
Page 696: ...696 AudioSnap Producer and Studio only Algorithms and rendering...
Page 720: ...720 Working with loops and Groove Clips Importing Project5 patterns...
Page 820: ...820 Drum maps and the Drum Grid pane The Drum Grid pane...
Page 848: ...848 Editing audio Audio effects audio plug ins...
Page 878: ...878 Software instruments Stand alone synths...
Page 1042: ...1042 ProChannel Producer and Studio only...
Page 1088: ...1088 Sharing your songs on SoundCloud Troubleshooting...
Page 1140: ...1140 Automation Recording automation data from an external controller...
Page 1178: ...1178 Multi touch...
Page 1228: ...1228 Notation and lyrics Working with lyrics...
Page 1282: ...1282 Synchronizing your gear MIDI Machine Control MMC...
Page 1358: ...1358 External devices Working with StudioWare...
Page 1362: ...1362 Using CAL Sample CAL files...
Page 1386: ...1386 Troubleshooting Known issues...
Page 1394: ...1394 Hardware setup Set up to record digital audio...
Page 1400: ...1400 MIDI files...
Page 1422: ...1422 Initialization files Initialization file format...
Page 1463: ...1463 Misc enhancements New features in SONAR X3...
Page 1470: ...1470 Comparison...
Page 1518: ...1518 Included plug ins Instruments...
Page 1532: ...1532 Cyclone Using Cyclone...
Page 1694: ...1694 Beginner s guide to Cakewalk software Audio hardware sound cards and drivers...
Page 1854: ...1854 Preferences dialog Customization Nudge Figure 518 The Nudge section...
Page 1856: ...1856 Preferences dialog Customization Snap to Grid Figure 519 The Snap to Grid section...
Page 1920: ...1920 Snap Scale Settings dialog...
Page 2042: ...2042 View reference Surround panner...