The MIDI gremlins are coming for me....

S

shadow5606

New member
Ok... so Sonar & I have been living in peace for months. Then I do a full system restore on my PC. Re-Install Sonar & hit the ground running... but my MIDI works only spurratically in Sonar. Here's my setup...

PC:
1.3 Ghz Celeron
256 megs ram
40 Gig HD
Audiophile 2496

Sonar 2.0 XL

So... I say spurratically because when I re-installed it didn't work. I went into my "Audio Option" in Control Panel & changed what was selected for MIDI playback & fixed it. Now that dosen't seem to be doing the trick anymore. I know all the basic MIDI troubleshooting & I've also checked by playing a MIDI file in Windows Media Player (it worked) the only thing that's funny is there are no Banks to select on any MIDI tracks in Cakewalk... since I use MIDI very little I'm not very familiar w/ the setup.

Tell me what you need to know & I'll get you info...
 
Did you happen just restore the whole system ? Whew... :eek:
I think you wanna make sure you re-install necessary drivers for your hardware (including sound card & MIDI interfaces). I'm sure it has something to do with your MIDI setup in SONAR I guess.
When you re-install SONAR on fresh PC (or restored system), you need to re-configure MIDI in SONAR again.
Check Options --> MIDI devices, tell us what you got ? (In and Out) AND check Options --> Instruments, and tell us what you assigned for each output port ?
If everything has been installed propherly, then we can trace the problem from those points :)

;)
Jaymz
 
well, I did reinstall my Audiophile 2496 drivers so I'm good there..

I'm going based on memory here but in my "out" I think I just have "MIDI Mapper" & "AP MIDI" for my Audiphile soundcard. I think my "in" is just "AP MIDI".

When I select MIDI mapper for an out it says that no MIDI outputs are selected, so it wants me to choose my soundcard but then it produced no sound for MIDI files.

In the "instruments" by default it has nothing selected. (Whatever is at the top of the box on the right)

When I choose the next one down, like "General MIDI" I still don't seem to get any sound. I could try others there...

Cliff
 
Okay...
My guess is that you don't have any MIDI devices for playback the files. Unless you have DXi or "MIDI enabled" soundcard (Like SB Live! or Audigy which have internal MIDI synth) or any external MIDI devices, you can't hear any MIDI playback :)

SONAR comes with several DXi you can use to playback MIDI. Or at least, you can use Microsoft GS S/W wavetable in Control Panel (MIDI Mapper).

How to do that, Jaymz ?

Just go to Control Panel, and select the Microsoft GS S/W wavetable as your Windows MIDI playback device. Then in SONAR, select MIDI mapper. I believe AP MIDI is the "MIDI/Joystick" port on Audiophile, which you can use to connect external device.

...you mentioned DXi in SONAR, what is that ? How do I use it ?

Well, yes... it's software based synth which can be used within DXi host (eg. SONAR). It's alot better than the Microsoft GS S/W wavetable IMHO. Make sure when you reinstall SONAR, you select the option to install them (the optional DXi) specialy the Edirol VSC for GM. Then you can use it simple by click Insert --> DXi synth --> Edirol VSC (for example)... route all your MIDI track's out to this port. Play it :)

;)
Jaymz
 
Hmmm... so right now it says that when I select "MIDI Mapper" that no MIDI outputs are selected.... but if I go into control panel & chose GS SW wavetable then It'll let me work w/ "MIDI Mapper" selected in Sonar?

I don't know if this means anything but I am able with my current setup to play MIDI files in Windows Media Player. I don't know why it can play MIDI but not Sonar... Hmmm...

I think I might go the Dxi route... I've played w/ the Edirol VSC but I thought you had to go in & choose that on the FX field all the time... Is there a way to do it w/o a manual setup everytime? Is that what you meant when you said to go to: Insert --> DXi synth --> Edirol VSC (for example)

That might make more sense when I'm in front of Sonar!!

Cliff

(I'll probably post some more when I get home from work in about 2 hours) Any other ideas would be great, I really appreciate the help!!!
 
shadow5606 said:
Is there a way to (have VSC inserted) w/o a manual setup everytime?
Click to expand...
Yes Cliff, and this is how I did it.

1) Open Sonar and insert an audio track.

2) Open the Audio track pane and insert the VSC DXi in the FX window.

3) Insert a few MIDI tracks and assign the instruments. Personally I use the following:

Ch1 Piano
Ch 2 Electric Piano
Ch 3 EP 2
Ch 4 Bass guitar
Ch 5 Other instrument*
Ch 10 Drums

* Usually Hammond Organ or something else that the new tune requires.

4) Save the file as Base (or something equally as memorable).

Oh yes, I always have a one-bar count-in at the start of the tune.

Next time you want to start a brand new project, open Base and compose your new masterpiece.

Remember to Save As and give your latest project a different name and your base file remains as is.

--
BluesMeister
 
K, well, I figured out how to work it w/ the Edirol, thanks to Argo & Bluesmeister! (thanks!)

But I'm stubborn & Know I could get MIDI sounds w/ out Edirol before...

I tried selecting "Microsft GS Wavetable SW Synth" in Control Panel but when I go to select MIDI Mapper in Sonar it still says I'm continuing w/ no MIDI Output devices like it is ignoring MIDI Mapper.

When I select "Delta AP MIDI" in Control Panel & Also "Delta AP MIDI" in Sonar I still get no MIDI playback...

Edirol will work (& probably better than my soundcard) but it's a workaround & I didn't need it before.

Any ideas?

(BTW, under Options--->Instruments I have "General MIDI" selected.
 
Alright... I didn't change the instruments... in fact right now I have the MS GS Wavetable SW Synth selected in Control panel & The Delta AP MIDI selected in sonar but it's playing MIDI... I don't know if this is temporary or what...

Any idea as to why this randomly worked when it wouldn't work an hour ago?

Cliff
 
So I look in

Options---->Audio----->Drivers

& find that my M-Audio Delta AP Multichannel 1/2 was deselected... So I pick that again, restart Sonar &

Voila...

NO MORE MIDI but the audio is back... grrr
 
Last.... despterate..... bump..... ugh.... need help :)

any ideas based on the posts above??

The MIDI gremlins have defeated me...

BUT, I'm loving that Edirol soft synth!!! Thanks guys!!!
 
Light Goes On! :)

Shadow, you need a separate dedicated Audio track for your Edirol VSC.

You then need to insert another Audio track to record your audio into. Your MIDID tracks can then access the VSC in Audio Track 1.

At least, I think that's the solution...

I don't have an Audiophile soundcard and I don't use SONAR, so I'm afraid you're on your own when it comes to anything involving those two.

--
BluesMeister
 
shadow5606,

Calm down.... quick lesson in MIDI and Audio.

MIDI is stored as individual notes, ie play this note for this long at this velocity.

Audio is stored as a wave form.

To convert MIDI to Audio you need some sort of sound module/canvas to take in the MIDI data and play it back as audio. The Edirol VSC (Virtual Sound Canvas) does this. Your 'Microsft GS Wavetable SW Synth' will also do this, which explains why your Media Play plays MIDI files.

I'm not 100% sure about the MIDI Mapper as a valid option in Sonar, you may have to select the 'Microsft GS Wavetable SW Synth' from that list if it appears.

When you select 'Delta AP MIDI', all you are doing is sending MIDI data to the MIDI Out on the sound card. If you don't have a MIDI instrument/sound module plugged into it, you won't hear anything.

In other words, unless you have an external MIDI device, your best bet is to you the Edirol VSC. When you insert it into the project, you have the options of creating an audio track for either all the outputs or one... if you select one, all you have to do to record the MIDI as audio is to click the R button to arm it then record on the transport toolbar... remember you have to set the outputs on all the MIDI tracks to the Edirol VSC and have them playing on different channels.

I hope this helps,

Porter
 
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