GPO, Cakewalk, Bidule, & Maple Cable

[Furlan]

Maybe I just don\'t get it, but I am having a hard time getting GPO to run from my old dinosaur sequencer. I\'ve tried to configure Maple Cable, Bidule, and GPO as outlined in the \"GPO and Midi Ports\" thread below, and have even downloaded PatS\' bidule setup for GPO, but still get no sound.

I have a bunch of old sequences I created in Cakewalk 3.0 (yes, 3.0, bought in 1996!), when I was using it to trigger an EMU E-Synth hardware sampler. I wanted to try them out with GPO, but I can\'t get sound. I\'m sure I\'m just missing something really basic, but I can\'t see it.

Could someone please give me a helping hand in configuring GPO for use with either Cakewalk (3.0. the pre-audio version) or Cakewalk Home Studio. I know I should update to a newer sequencer, but there\'s a learning curve that I don\'t have time to negotiate right now. Even the simple Cubasis that comes with GPO seems daunting right now. I know my old Cakewalk sequencer so well, that composing with it is second nature, and the \"technology\" does not get in the way of the music making.

This was a feature that really drew me to GPO: the idea that the user interface is so clear, and the controllers so streamlined and standardized, that it is a simple matter to get what\'s in your head into a concrete form. I am so done with tweaking things to make them sound right, finding the exact articulation to use in a sequence, and composing around the samples. I know tweaking helps to create realism, but I sometimes find that I lose the \"forest through the trees.\"

GPO is not the end of this, but a beginning. I would note however, that some of the programming (which is quite adept, thank you Mr. Hopkins) is not unlike some of the programming on hardware samplers and sound modules of years past. While I feel that GPO is a new beginning, it does borrow some excellent things from the past in the way of programming to create a transparent user interface.

So if someone could give me a helping hand, I would be most grateful. Sorry for the digression above, but it is cool to have a \"personal orchestra\" at your beck and call.

By the way, the sounds in GPO are outstanding, and being able to build small chamber string sections from individual instrument samples is brilliant. The sound is very realistic. Just listen to the Vivaldi demo on Mr. Garritan\'s website and you might think you\'re actually hearing live musicians.

Thanks in advance to all those that reply.

[JonFairhurst]

Start with the basics. You should be able to run one instance of GPO standalone and trigger it from your MIDI keyboard. Were you able to get that far?

Also, what soundcard do you have? You definitely want ASIO support. Otherwise the latency will be too long to play the parts in live.

[Furlan]

Thanks for the reply. I am able to get sound by triggering one instance of GPO via my midi keyboard. I am also able to run instances of GPO as a VST in the bundled Cubasis VST. So far, so good. I just don\'t have time to learn Cubasis right now, and would like to get some instant gratification with Cakewalk. My Cakewalk midi devices show the four installed Maple Cable ports. I believe I have assigned them correctly in Cakewalk. However, I am unsure I have done the proper things in Maple Cable and Bidule. My soundcard is an M-Audio Delta Audiophile 2496 with the most recent drivers. I think latency is only 2-4 ms. I would think this is acceptable and not keeping me from hearing sound. When I used PatS\' Bidule setup, I properly assigned by Audiophile card. However, I still don\'t seem to be able to get sound, or seem able to get GPO to trigger its sounds from the Cakewalk sequences. Perhaps my problem is that I have Maple Cable incorrectly configured? Any help would be welcome. Thanks.

[JonFairhurst]

I recommending taking things slowly to the next step.

Setup Bidule with one instance of GPO. Connect your keyboard\'s MIDI port to the GPO input. Connect the GPO outs to your soundcard. Get that working first.

The typical problems would be
* Not moving the mod wheel
* Not turning on Bidule\'s \"power switch\"

Next let\'s get Cakewalk connected. Since the 2496 doesn\'t have multiple outs, you should select \"no device\" for the Cakewalk Audio output. Otherwise it may fight with Bidule.

Replace the keyboard/GPO connection with a Maple/GPO connection in Bidule. Set up CW to output to the Maple Port. Test.

I wouldn\'t worry about multiple GPO instances until you get that working.

Best of luck!

[PatS]

In Overture SE, I had to enable MIDI Thru. You may have to do the same in Cakewalk 3.0.

Pat

[sri_bubba]

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