Instruction Manual

1203
MIDI
Beginner’s Guide to Cakewalk Software
MIDI instruments have a third port called a MIDI THRU port. This port
passes through MIDI messages without changing them in any way. You can
chain MIDI instruments together by connecting the MIDI THRU port on one
MIDI instrument to the MIDI IN port on another instrument, with several
instruments chained together that way. If you had a MIDI interface that had
8 outputs, and you chained 3 instruments together on each of those outputs
by using the MIDI THRU ports, you would be able to play 24 instruments at
one time.
For more information, see:
MIDI Drivers
MIDI Files, Projects, Tracks, and Clips
Controlling Which Sounds You Hear
MIDI
Audio
Audio Hardware (Sound Cards) and Drivers
MIDI Channels, Interfaces, Inputs, and Outputs
MIDI Drivers
Your MIDI interface needs a driver to function. A driver is a small software
program that controls input and output for a peripheral device. To use a
MIDI interface in Cakewalk, you need to make sure that your interface’s
driver is installed, and that you have told Cakewalk to use it. That way,
Cakewalk knows to use the driver and to list all of your interface’s inputs
and outputs in the proper menus. If your MIDI interface is part of your sound
card, you probably installed its driver when you installed the sound card.
You can check this in Cakewalk by using the Options-MIDI Devices
command to open the MIDI Devices dialog. In the Outputs list, see if the
name of your MIDI interface is listed. It should be called something like SB
Live MIDI Out. Make sure it is highlighted. In the Inputs list, you should see
something like SB Live MIDI In. Make sure this is highlighted and click OK.
If you don’t see the name of your interface listed, you need to install its
driver from the CD, floppy disk, or Web site that your interface’s
documentation recommends.
After you have installed the driver and restarted your PC, you need to tell
Cakewalk to use this particular driver. Use the Options-MIDI Devices
command to open the MIDI Devices dialog. In the Outputs list, make sure
that the name of your interface’s driver is highlighted. If it isn’t, click it to
highlight it. If your interface has more than one output, make sure you