Rocksmith Guitar and Beyond: Mastering MIDI Guitar 2 Setup in Cakewalk

For guitarists exploring the world of MIDI and digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Cakewalk by BandLab, setting up MIDI Guitar 2 can unlock a universe of sonic possibilities. Whether you’re looking to expand your sound palette beyond traditional guitar tones, integrate with virtual instruments, or even bridge the gap to interactive platforms like Rocksmith by leveraging MIDI capabilities, understanding the setup process is crucial. This guide will walk you through the steps to seamlessly integrate MIDI Guitar 2 with Cakewalk, both as a plugin and in standalone mode.

Setting up MIDI Guitar 2 as a Plugin in Cakewalk

Integrating MIDI Guitar 2 directly as a plugin within Cakewalk is a straightforward process, allowing for real-time MIDI conversion and synth triggering within your project. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Add MG2 to an audio track’s FX Rack: Begin by inserting MIDI Guitar 2 as an effect on an audio track in Cakewalk. This audio track will be where your guitar input is routed.
2. Enable MIDI Output: Within the MIDI Guitar 2 plugin interface, locate the VST2 dropdown menu. Click it and select “Enable MIDI Output”. This crucial step allows MG2 to send MIDI data to other tracks.
3. Enable Input Echo on the Audio Track: Activate input echo on the audio track where MG2 is inserted. This ensures you can hear your guitar signal processed through MG2.
4. Add a Synth to Your Project: Create a new instrument or MIDI track in Cakewalk and load your desired synthesizer plugin onto it. This synth will be triggered by the MIDI data from MG2.
5. Set Instrument Track Input to MG2: Configure the input of your newly created instrument/MIDI track to receive MIDI from MIDI Guitar 2. You should see MIDI Guitar 2 listed as a MIDI input option for the track.
6. Enable Input Echo on the Instrument Track: Finally, enable input echo on the instrument/MIDI track. This will allow you to hear the synth sounds being triggered by your guitar playing in real-time.

At this stage, you should be able to play your guitar and hear the connected synthesizer respond to your playing, effectively transforming your guitar into a MIDI controller within Cakewalk.

Setting up Standalone MIDI Guitar 2 with Cakewalk

For situations where you prefer to run MIDI Guitar 2 outside of Cakewalk as a standalone application, perhaps for performance or specific routing needs, you can utilize a virtual MIDI cable to bridge the two. This method involves using software like LoopMIDI or LoopBe1 (LoopBe1 is often preferred for its buffering capabilities). Here’s the setup:

1. Start MIDI Guitar 2 Standalone: Launch the MIDI Guitar 2 application independently from Cakewalk.
2. Configure Audio and MIDI Interfaces in MG2: In MIDI Guitar 2’s settings, verify that your audio interface is correctly selected for audio input and output. Crucially, set the “MIDI Output” to your chosen virtual MIDI cable (e.g., LoopBe1).
3. Load the Default Patch in MG2: For this standalone setup focusing on MIDI conversion, use the default patch in MIDI Guitar 2. This ensures that MG2 primarily functions as an audio-to-MIDI converter without loading internal synths.
4. Start Cakewalk by BandLab: Launch Cakewalk after setting up MIDI Guitar 2 standalone.
5. Verify Virtual MIDI Cable in Cakewalk Preferences: Navigate to Cakewalk’s preferences and ensure your virtual MIDI cable (e.g., LoopBe1) is recognized and enabled as a MIDI input device.
6. Add a Synth to Your Project: Create a new instrument or MIDI track in Cakewalk and load your preferred synthesizer plugin.
7. Set Instrument Track Input to Virtual MIDI Cable: Configure the input of the instrument/MIDI track to receive MIDI from your virtual MIDI cable. This cable is now carrying the MIDI converted signal from standalone MIDI Guitar 2.
8. Enable Input Echo on the Instrument Track: Activate input echo on the instrument/MIDI track to monitor the synth sounds triggered by your guitar via the virtual MIDI cable.

With this standalone configuration, playing your guitar will send MIDI data through the virtual MIDI cable to Cakewalk, triggering your chosen synthesizer.

Note: Both of these methods deliberately avoid loading synths directly within the MIDI Guitar 2 plugin or standalone application when working with Cakewalk. While MIDI Guitar 2 can host synths, routing them to separate tracks in Cakewalk offers greater flexibility in mixing, processing, and overall workflow, particularly for users familiar with DAW-based production. This approach allows you to leverage the strengths of both MIDI Guitar 2’s accurate guitar-to-MIDI conversion and Cakewalk’s comprehensive DAW environment for a powerful and versatile guitar performance and production setup, which can be beneficial for musicians interested in expanding their sonic palette beyond the traditional “Rocksmith Guitar” experience.