Instruction Manual

1207
MIDI
Beginner’s Guide to Cakewalk Software
Controlling Which Sounds You Hear
Because each MIDI instrument can probably play many different sounds at
the same time, you need a way to tell each instrument which tracks are
meant for which sounds. You do this by assigning a MIDI channel to each
track, and by assigning a specific sound, called a patch or program, to
each track.
Because there are only 16 MIDI channels, and each instrument can
probably play 16 different sounds at the same time, you need a way to
create more MIDI channels to make sure that instruments play only the
notes that are specifically meant for them. The way a MIDI program gets
around this limitation is by assigning an output number to each group of
16 MIDI channels. For example, if your MIDI interface has 8 outputs, you
might set your first 16 tracks to use output 1, the next 16 tracks to use
output 2, and so on. The MIDI messages on the first 16 tracks would only
be sent out through the cable that comes out of the first output port, the
messages from the next 16 tracks would only come out of output 2, and so
on. So if your MIDI interface has 8 outputs, you effectively have 128 MIDI
channels to work with. Of course, the way you choose what output you want
to send a track’s data out of is determined by what instrument is connected
to that output. So, even if you only had a keyboard track and a drum track in
your project, and your favorite keyboard instrument was connected to
output 1 of your MIDI interface and your drum machine was connected to
output 2, you would assign the keyboard track to use output 1 and the drum
track to use output 2.
In the picture below, notice that the two tracks both use Channel 2. But
these are not the same channel! The tracks are assigned to different
outputs, so the MIDI messages in these two tracks will be sent to different
instruments. The bass track will send its data out on Channel 2 of Output 2.
The piano track will send its data out on Channel 2 of Output 1.