Cakewalk 4.0 (DOS version) MIDI Sequencer in 2021 ??? YES!

Back to my old gear...
I think this is the best MIDI sequencer! More stuff coming soon.
Setup:
CAKEWALK 4.0E (DOS) , Yamaha TG100 as MIDI interface (Serial to HOST cable)
IBM Thinkpad PII 233MHz, MS-DOS 6.2
-- Yamaha TG 100 --
-- Roland D110 --
-- Roland Alpha Juno 2 --
-- KORG MicroKorg --
-- Behringer K 2 --
-- Roland TR 626 --

[@newbraskia.3992]

Man!!! This is amazing that just shows you that you can use older equipment and still make great tracks thank you very much for this eye openning experience. I am also using Cakewalk and Kinetic 2 cakewalk.

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

thanks

[@resynthesizer4565]

Just installed this on a 486. I totally followed what this guy is doing. He really knows his menus

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

I just bought a Yamaha CS1x ! Again 😀 Will make some videos soon

[@RodBeauvex]

Damn, you just zip through those menus.

[@mojito6629]

I remember using Cakewalk in DOS. (How old I am LOL). Sometime limitation can made somebody be more creative

[@1BitFeverDreams]

I tried my best to reproduce your tune (except the solo part, haven't found a proper instrument yet) with this gear: WeeCee mini computer acting like a 800 MHz 486 using a SOM from 2011, meant for legacy industrial use, but rigged as a msdos/win98se gaming mini-pc Roland Sound Canvas 88ST I bought from Yahoo Auctions Japan a few years ago Rock Band 3 keytar as a midi controller (it has midi out) a breadboard taking the controller's MIDI, opto-isolated and sent to the WeeCee's gameport pin 15 Cakewalk 5 running in MSDOS 6.22 It was a blast following your workflow, I'm more used to cubase 2.5.3 running on my Mac SE/30 but I can see the appeal of focused keystroke copy-pasting in cakewalk

[@nickcollins9893]

I can't even imagine how painfully long it took for guys at Morrisound (heavenly studio for 80s-90s death metal bands) to replace acoustic kick drum with sample using this thing 😮😮😮

[@d4t4b4s3f4c3]

Ma waener iz hard

[@jaydj]

I heavily used cakewalk for DOS then.arranged hundreds of songs. I wonder if this can run on a laptop running a DOS window. The other challenge is if it can detect a newer kind of midi interface like usb to serial

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

I think the easy way is to use a old sound module with a Serial to Host cable. There’s a wiring diagram in the Yamaha TG100 user manual. It works with Yamaha TG100, 300, Roland SC55, Korg x5dr , O5rw, CS1x. Then you can chain another synths, modules, etc

[@shyaomamio2802]

Hi CHARLIEtheCAT. I'm trying to get started with MIDI using the dos version of cakewalk. I was browsing the internet and came across your video. I am currently connecting my equipment with the following status case one - simple 1. master keyboard(Roland PC-200mk2) MIDI OUT 2. PC MIDI IN 3. cakewalk 5.0 dos 4. PC MIDI OUT 5. MT32 IN case two - complex  1. master keyboard(Roland PC-200mk2) MIDI OUT 2. MT-32(1) MIDI IN 3. MT-32(1) MIDI OUT 4. SC-88 MIDI IN 5. SC-88 MIDI OUT 6. PC MIDI IN 7. cakewalk 5.0 dos 8. PC MIDI OUT 9. MT32(2) IN  I've only ever used .mid to listen to midi music. I'm trying midi input for the first time. I'm also new to cakewalk dos. Of course I realize that using cubase and VST on windows or mac is a more modern way. But I love the retro culture, so I really want to try this. I don't have any problem listening to .mid files through cakewalk, but I want to make music like CHARLIEtheCAT... Can anyone give me some minimal tips or resources for making music in cakewalk dos?

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

Hi! Do you have a MIDI interface for Cakewalk??

[@shyaomamio2802]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial im using roland MT-32. :D

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

If you want to use the MT32 also the SC88, then use the MIDI Thru. For example: PC MIDI OUT to MT32 MIDI IN, and from the MT32 MIDI THRU to SC88 MIDI IN. BUT you'll have to set the Midi receive channels in MT32 and SC88. For example the MT32 will use the 1-8ch, and the SC88 from 9-16ch. A bit complex... Also the PC200 is connected to the PC MIDI IN

[@shyaomamio2802]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial Ok. I understand what you are saying. Then I have one more question to clarify the situation. In the case one of my post, I connected the master keyboard to the PC MIDI IN and the MT-32 with the PC MIDI OUT based on the PC. In this case, I want to put the performance of the master keyboard into cakewalk dos. What do I need to do in cakewalk? I am new to cakewalk.

[@shyaomamio2802]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial ps. I have already tested that the master keyboard sounds fine when connected to the MT32 MIDI IN.

[@manuelstuder766]

Wow 🤩 I love it. absolutely nostalgic. would you make the song available for download?

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

That's all I have :)) I was lazy to finish it

[@TheNeonRabbit]

The hours/days/weeks/months I spent working with exactly this program.....

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

Me too! The best midi sequencer!

[@teodorocromberg]

Hello Charlie! I'm fascinated!!! How you run it??? Please, help me. I need it!!! I loved this sequencer!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

Hi! I use it with an old IBM pentium laptop. With MS DOS 6.22. I don't have a MIDI interface, but it works with old Yamaha sound modules. Through a "SERIAL TO HOST" cable. I use it with a cheap YAMAHA TG100 sound module. Then daisy chain the other instruments through the MIDI out.I can send you the driver, if you don't have it. Also you can buy cable on ebay, but you can make one. If you download the user manual for the Yamaha TG100, there's the wiring for the cable.

[@teodorocromberg]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial wow!! It seems that is not imposible. I'll try. I'm not very technical but perhaps somebody can help me. I have a general midi Roland module, perhaps it works. Sincerely thanks. I hope we will stay in touch. From Argentins. Sorry my english

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

@@teodorocromberg Which Roland is it? If it's the Sound Canvas SC 55 with the HOST connector, then I should work! I tried before

[@teodorocromberg]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial Hi Charlie: i find it: is a sc 7 sound module. It can be connected through MIDI or by a serial connection at an IBM PC/AT: the manual show wired it. I suppose that i should install DOS in a computer and boot with it. But the problem would be the driver for the midi interface (MPU 401). I´m not remember well all this stuff. I´ll to my computer expert and then i´ll tell you. Thanks again

[@HPPalmtopTube]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial Hi CHarliethecat, can you tell me, is it possible to create patterns in the DOS Cakewalk versions of say 4 bars, record them, and then copy/paste and move/layout the patterns in a layout view, so you don't have to manually copy all the notes for your whole song. a bit like in cubase's main song layout view where you can see all your blocks/patterns and you can copy/paste and move them around ? Also, is there a piano roll view where you can see the notes you recorded and fine tune them with the mouse ? like drag them to another note by dragging them higher/lower?

[@eugene_386]

Hi Charlie, very nice project! I am thinking about trying something similar with a 486 and a PCMIDI ISA MPU card (MPU-401 clone). Do you know if Cakewalk recognizes the MPU-401 and may I ask you what kind of latency you are experiencing?

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

Hi! Thanks. I don’t know if there’s a midi driver for the mpu 401. The only driver I have is the Yamaha TG100.DRV. It’s for the Serial TO HOST cable. It works with the Yamaha TG100, TG300, CS1X, MU80, Also with Roland SC55

[@brianbatie6650]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial The original cakewalk definitely supported the MPU401. It was designed by Roland Corporation, which also co-authored the MIDI standard. it was required for DOS games that depend on the Roland MT-32’s intelligent mode.

[@kurtiunlisted8589]

Very cool ❤️ Do you have an idea about the system requirements of cakewalk 4? I‘m wondering whether this would run on one of the portable 80186 machines like the HP200LX)

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

I don’t think it works. You need a VGA screen. I used to run it on 386dx40, and I remember the 286 was the min. Now I use it on a IBM thinkpad laptop 200mhz, with MsDOS 6.22. + Yamaha TG100 module+ TG100.DRV driver. connected with a “Serial to HOST” cable

[@kurtiunlisted8589]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial I searched the web a bit for it and found a picture of a Box, mentionning IBM PC/XT/AT and minimum 512K RAM as requirements, and nothing in terms of graphics. There was a Cakewalk 4.0E Floppy in that box, but I don‘t know if its actually the corresponding box 😁 So it might work. Are you sure about the VGA bit?

[@kurtiunlisted8589]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial It seems to start, but won‘t get past the splash-sceen. Is the splash-screen supposed to disappear on it’s own?

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

@@kurtiunlisted8589 yes, it should after 2-3 seconds

[@kurtiunlisted8589]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial Now I got past the splash screen by installing the MIDI Driver for the SCP55 Card. Main screen of Cakewalk 4 appears now and looks completely normal, but then the machine takes no key input at all (probably freezes) :/

[@kyma1999x]

could you explain me WHAT has cakewalk on dos to be the "best" midi sequencer? In the old past I've used cakewalk pro 8/9 with midi and audio and moved soon to mac with digital performer and then logic/cubase (I use them a lot since 2000s...) ....sincerely I don't see anything special in this cakewalk version, performer has chunks, logic has midi environment and midi transform page, cubase has advanced quantize algoritms and logical editor.....what has cakewalk a part from nostalgia to be prefered in 2023 against cubase pro, digital performer, logic or pro tools? ....or against atari stuff like notator sl which was an industry standard since modern daw on mac and pc.

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

I just love it. I used this version for years. I love the shortcuts, mouse is not neccessary at all. But of course my main DAW is the Logic or ProTools. This is just for fun now. With the old gears. D110, U220, TG100, 500, Tr626

[@kyma1999x]

@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial surely it is possible to get pro midi sequences with cakewalk on dos...but I think has very slow workflow with no visual feedback, I mean when you have to make deep editing of midi data or move/copy/mute midi regions assembling musical structure of a song. I remember cakewalk 8/9 on windows having such interesting fuctions e.g. the CAL script language and interpolation page which was a sort of midi transform editor of logic, it was quite powerful.....does the dos version have it still? ....so why you moved to pro tools or logic instead to sonar on modern pc which has the same dna of cakewalk?

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

@@kyma1999x I didn’t like the Windows Cakewalk😀 Sounds weird, I know

[@jaydj]

​@@CHARLIEtheCATofficial me too. I could sequence faster on dos than the windows version

[@jevogroni4829]

cakewalk is a tracker? lol

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

no! Normal MIDI sequencer, but this is the old DOS version. Very good, very stable