drums & synth in Sonar

M

ModalMike

New member
Is there some sort of midid for dummies book I can look at? I just want to play a simple drum track in Sonar. I dont know what mapping is all about, i dont know what the "piano roll view" does, but 5the help file seems to assume that I do. Also, I want to check out some of the synths but it says I dont have enough memory to run the DxI synths. How much memory does it take?
What I would Reaalllly like to do is set up my keyboard to check out some of the sounds that come with sonar (piano, clav) Does anyone have some time for a newbie?
It is the sonar demo, but i believe the only disabled option is save. I want to know what im doing before i dror a couple hundred on a program. Any answers or tutorials you can point me towards????\
thanks,
mike
 
ModalMike said:
Is there some sort of midid for dummies book I can look at? I just want to play a simple drum track in Sonar. I dont know what mapping is all about, i dont know what the "piano roll view" does, but 5the help file seems to assume that I do. Also, I want to check out some of the synths but it says I dont have enough memory to run the DxI synths. How much memory does it take?
What I would Reaalllly like to do is set up my keyboard to check out some of the sounds that come with sonar (piano, clav) Does anyone have some time for a newbie?
It is the sonar demo, but i believe the only disabled option is save. I want to know what im doing before i dror a couple hundred on a program. Any answers or tutorials you can point me towards????\
thanks,
mike
Click to expand...
Mike, There are a number of ways to get drums in and out of Sonar... Depending on your keyboard, there is probably a instrument definition file already created. You can simply setup to record a midi track, setup your drum patch on your keyboard and go to town with your drums! The help files are pretty specific. I'm not really sure why you aren't understanding them.

Since you didn't give us any idea what you are working with here are Sonar's system requirements...

System requirements

Minimum

Operating System(1) Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP
Processor Speed 500 MHz
RAM 64 MB
Hard disk space 100 MB for full program installation
Hard disk type Any
Graphics (resolution; color depth) 800 x 600; 256 colors
MIDI Interface(2) Windows-compatible
Sound Card(3) Windows- compatible


Recommended

Operating System 2000/XP
Processor Speed 1.2 GHz
RAM 256 MB
Hard disk type EIDE/Ultra DMA (7200 RPM) or SCSI Hard Drive
Graphics (resolution; color depth) 1024 x 768; 24-bit color
Sound Card(4) WDM compatible

1. Note: SONAR does not support Windows 95, 98 original (98SE is supported) or NT
2. Required to connect to external MIDI devices
3. Required for audio playback
4. Requires Windows Me/2000/XP




Vice
 
ModalMike said:
Also, I want to check out some of the synths but it says I dont have enough memory to run the DxI synths. How much memory does it take?
Click to expand...
How much memory do you have? What's your computer specs?
 
I have am AMD 1800+ 1.2 GHz, 256 RAM, 40 gig HD.
I am slowly learning how to load patches in but I cant hear the midi play. For example, I create a new midi track, insert DXi Synth > Edirol VSC and click OK. When I want to preview the sound the meter jumps but with no sound. Also I've figured out the piano roll view...actually I just use the staff. The only thing I can get to play after trial and error is the "standard patches" ie Grand Piano etc..This however stopped working abd I can get it going again (I'm sure I did something and its not a hardware faliure) How do I use the synths that Sonar comes with? I'm using the delta 44 but I dont think that has midid capabilities...
thanks...
mike
 
ModalMike said:
How do I use the synths that Sonar comes with? I'm using the delta 44 but I dont think that has midid capabilities...
thanks...
mike
Click to expand...
No, the Delta 44 has no midi capabilities, but you can still use the Piano Roll and Staff View.

How to use DXi's:
  1. Open Sonar
  2. Click the DX button on the toolbar, or go Insert -> Soft Synt
  3. Click the 'star' to the left on the menu of the Synth Rack
  4. Select the instrument you want to use.
  5. Create these tracks: "MIDI Source Track" and "First Synth Output (Audio)"
  6. Play like a mad man.
    [/list=1]


    The help-files are actually very good (in my opinion). They should be more than able to guide you through it...
 
When i create a track and insert a dxi, it creates 2 tracks, one audio and one midi. The midid track is where i can input the notes but the sound comes from the audio track. is there a way to make this one track?


thanks in advance
mike
 
You can easily play drums in Sonar.

First open the VSC DXI otherwise known as the sound canvas.
Next open up in a midi track the session drummer.
Load some patterns.
In the midi track box ther will be an "out" box,assign this to the vsc.
In the session drummer there will be a small "gear" icon.This is for settings,open this and set the output port to the same number as the one in the "out" box on the midi track.(right next to the words edirol-vsc)

Also all midi channels should be set to 10 as this is the default drums channel.

Push play and you should be cooking!

At this point you can change the drumkits if you please.

You can also save the settings in the session drummer so you don't have to go to the setup dialog box everytime you want to play the soft synth.

IMPORTANT:you must click the "name" bar in the session drummer when you reload the project as the patterns will be listed but not loaded.

Also you may want to go into the VSC setup and set the volume to max and maybe set it to "GS" as this will give you a greater variety of sounds.
Then save this as a preset so you don't have to go into the setup dialog each time you load the synth.

IMPORTANT:the preset in the VSC will load whatever instruments you have assigned,if you want different instruments loaded for different projects just make more presets.

Also,the amount of polyphony in the VSC dialog box will have an effect on your resources.If your just using drums you may not need alot.

This may seem like a lot of stuff to learn,but in the end YOU WILL HARNESS THE POWER THAT IS MIDI!

good luck!
 
As far as the two track thing....
no you can't or more properly don't want to make it one track at this time.Once you get the hang of midi and softsynths it will be more apparent why.

If you keep coming to this forum you'll get a LOT better at this stuff.
 
There are no settings for me to load when I open the session drummer. I am almost there, some patterns would be noce so I dont have to map out a drum track manually though. Thanks so much for the help though you guys rock
mike
 
Last time I looked there was a lot of info on the Cakewalk web site, forums like this are a great resource, but making music takes a lot of legwork and learning. While help files are good, it requires other input as well.

Try: http://www.cakewalk.com/tips/desktop.asp for some good info on midi, audio etc.

Try: http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/Books/default.asp for some books you can look into

Try: http://www.cakewalk.com/tips/ for some tips on using Sonar

Try: http://www.studiocovers.com/articles.htm for some info on just about any music topic you could imagine.... for example, click on effects and there is all kinds of info.

Good luck!
 
I am trying to work session drummer too. I can get the patterns I want and even save them. But I cannot get them on my MIDI track. I just can play them from the session drummer. Can't record them. I see no VSC DXI option in my MIDI OUT.

What do I have to do to get these saved on a MIDI track? And then get the Kick, snare, hi hats and cymbals on different trackds for mixing.

This seems like great software, but the drum thing is killing me.

Thanks

Jim D
 
Found the VSC DXI. Thanks. I'm getting there.

Now all my drums are on one track. I would like to record my pattern on multiple tracks, so I can get individual effects and new patches for each drum sound.

Record button is greyed out, so I'm just playing the kit now.

Help?
 
To split tracks...

First load your session drummer

Then highlight the track number by clicking on it

The click the process menu on the toolbar,apply midi effects should be in black if you highligted the track properly,apply midi effects

Now all your midi notes should show up in the track pane

Next highlight the track again,and click the process menu

At the bottom will be an option called run cal,click on this

Pick the split note to tracks option

pick the midi track as the source track

Pick the next available midi track as the destination track

Pick 10 as the destination channel

Pick the port number that coincides with your VSC

this should divide the notes to seperate tracks

Now if you have Sonar two your VSC will support four different outputs
If you reset the channels and outputs in the individual track panes along with assigning a drumkit to each of the corresponding channels you'll be able to split your drums to four seperate tracks and mix as you wish without commiting to anything.

GOOD LUCK!
 
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