My Metronome Problem

J

JPlush76

New member
well I tried setting up the metronome to use while recording

after some playing and setting adjustment I got the metronome to play out of my PC speakers but not out of my echo gina headphone jack. While recording vocals, of course I can't have a loud metronome in the background :)



there aren't any midi inputs/outputs on my echo gina


so can I still use the metronome feature?
 
yep, I know that much about what needs to be done

I just dont know what to change or where to change it

:(
 
You need a soundcard that supports MIDI, and I don't think the Gina supports MIDI...
 
well I guess I can always run a cable from my soundcards' mic out into my gina'a input in and just record a click track about as long as I think the song is

that sucks :(
 
The metronome can be set to use any midi device - this should allow you to use the VSC DXi - Drums will be on midi channel 10 and you can pick which instrument the 'nome uses - there's a differant drum on each note of the keyboard.
The DXi is an insert effect on an audio track - you set it's output to feed your headphone port. Then you set up a midi track on channel 10 with the VSC selected as it's instrument.
It's also possible to use microsofts own software midi synth or the Roland GS synth included in DirectX - but routing these to your headphone port might be tricky.
Once you have a Sonar arrangement that works, I would advise saving it as a Sonar template. It also helps to record some midi data into Sonar - Beyond the count in, Sonar will not sound the metronome unless, and only as long as, something is recorded - that helps for rehearsing before recording the initial track.
 
Jim Y said:
The metronome can be set to use any midi device - this should allow you to use the VSC DXi - Drums will be on midi channel 10 and you can pick which instrument the 'nome uses - there's a differant drum on each note of the keyboard.
The DXi is an insert effect on an audio track - you set it's output to feed your headphone port. Then you set up a midi track on channel 10 with the VSC selected as it's instrument.
It's also possible to use microsofts own software midi synth or the Roland GS synth included in DirectX - but routing these to your headphone port might be tricky.
Once you have a Sonar arrangement that works, I would advise saving it as a Sonar template. It also helps to record some midi data into Sonar - Beyond the count in, Sonar will not sound the metronome unless, and only as long as, something is recorded - that helps for rehearsing before recording the initial track.
Click to expand...


I'm having the same problem, could you please simplify your answer and explain it step-by-step?

your help is appreciated.
 
Sorry everyone - I started writing that answer like it was simple - realised half-way that it wasn't but bumbled through anyway...

Actually, Sonar will NOT allow a DXi to be used as a metronome device. It has to be a midi device installed under windows.

Options/ Midi devices gives you a list of valid midi outputs - make sure the ones you use are highlighted. Anything called MPU-401 or Midi out is your soundcard midi interface - not a synth unless you have a midi keyboard/drumbox/soundmodule attached.

In the main arrange window, click on a midi tracks Ouput to get a drop-down menu of available devices. Take note of the numbers used. If, for instance, Roland GS Wavetable SW Synth is 2 and you have to use this for the metronome then this is the number to remember. I'm not saying this is the best synth to use but any windows pc with DirectX installled has it and Sonar won't work without DirectX.

Go back to Options and pick Project Options. Open the metronome tab.
Check "Use midi note"
Check "playback" if you want the 'nome sound on playback too
You'll want to leave "recording" checked.
Under Midi note - click the + or - to get the midi device number you noted before. Channel will remain 10 and the midi note already there by default should be ok.
Click OK to close the dialog.
You should now get a click (closed hi-hat) out of your soundcard when you start recording. But this will be the soundcard output used by the windows soundsystem - this will be the same as Sonar uses if you only have the one card. Those with computers with on-board sound should note that these are no differant than cards as far as this is concerned.
You can now use "save as" and pick template as file type.
If you want to hear the metronome to rehearse to before you actually record anything - select a midi track and don't select any input or output. Entering record will not cause anything to be actually recorded as long as it isn't a midi instrument plugged into your pc midi interface that you're playing - but you should hear the metronome.
If you have the metronome toolbar displayed - you get quick access to the play on playback, record and options dialog.
Your soundcard may have a built in midi synth called something like a "wavetable synth" or FM synth - these would be better but the output is confined to that soundcard. S/W refers to Software meaning that the computer has to do all the work of creating the sounds - this does use more cpu power than a "real" chip based synth on the card.
Somewhere in Control Panel sounds/multimedia is a setting where you can change the Roland GS synths default output but I can't remember exactly how to do it.
 
If you just record a one measure click track (wav), then copy and paste it, you will not need to mess with midi if you don't have it. Assign the track to the output of your choice. That will save you having to listen to 5 minutes if click... click... click... click...


Good luck...


Vice
 
I see this question come up a lot here and I always wonder why not use the session drummer with the vsc dxi? I would reccomend making a groove clip over the cut and past method,much faster to work with and can be used with multiple tempos and projects.
 
I did everything Jimy Y suggested and it worked, the problem is, the 'nome is out of sync!! I listened to tracks recorded in the past and they did not play with the beat at all, suggestions?
 
Well, if you are using a software synth and you have a high latency (options/audio, over 40ms will be noticable) then each tick will be late by that amount. Is it just a late tick or is it all over the place - that is, the correct timing but out of step or a completely unrelated timing?
Of course, if your old recordings were not made to the metronome there will be no relation but the metronome is a dumb beast and just follows the project tempo. This won't be a problem with a new song as Sonar takes account of the latency when recording (or says it does!).

I use either my korg synth or alesis drum machine for the metronome sound. To use an external midi sound you find out the port number exactly the same as I described. In the case of a drum machine you can actually use one of it's patterns - in options/project options you can enable transmit midi clock, send stop/start/continue and send spp then the drum machine will follow Sonars tempo and transport. If using a drum machine - it might be set for a channel other than 10 and the drum sound you want might be on a differant note number if you just want it for the metronome tick.

This is a growing problem with sequencers - once, all pc soundcards had a basic built-in midi sound generator to use for the metronome but proper audio cards don't and a growing number of consumer cards only provide a software midi synth - games don't use midi for soundtracks anymore.

Even the cheapest midi instrument will do for making a "click" sound but obviously, you can't use the instrument you are recording unless you are recording a midi only track.

Using session drummer with a DXi is an idea I have tried but you have the latency thing again. There is also the "looper" midi plug-in that loops a midi clip. Using a groove clip works too and you can set Sonar to loop on it while rehearsing but you will need to copy-drag it out for the length of the song to record your part - which is fine if you know how long that is.
I have found the synchronised drum machine to be best - it will play for as long as Sonar is recording and it has the least load on the pcs CPU of all the options.

The pc speaker is not a good option, it's too quiet but not quiet enough to have on while recording an acoustic instrument in the same room as the pc - you need something you can route into the headphones and won't get picked up on your recording.
 
If you use the vsc dxi and the session drummer latency IS NOT a problem as sonar will automatically compensate for the offset.
I have used the session drummer as a metronome countless times and with high latency settings with no problem at all.

If you use your drum machine to trigger the vsc then you will have latency,in order to correct it you must print the midi track first then run the vsc.In this case the sonar will automatically compensate for the latency.

If you don't start out with the metronome as a guide you are sol as Jim Y suggested.
 
Ping heh? Good one. I was going to suggest something like that was needed but didn't know it existed. Good call.
I did say that DXi latency would not matter on new recordings.
I wasn't suggesting using a drum machine to play a DXi but the more obvious solution of just syncing it to sonar and using the machines sound to play to - this has no latency issue at all.

Microsoft are supposed to be addressing the Direct Music midi - soft synth latency issue with the forthcoming DirectX 9 (set for October release) but don't rush to install it in case (as usual) they have "broken" something else with it.
 
I was having that problem with Cakewalk 9, I also have sonar 2 XL but I'm not sure it will solve the problem, maybe they made improvements with the midi sync with sonar. thanks for the help.
 
ok, I finally got my audiophile 2496 card today and found a solution to this metronome problem, first of all, keep your old sound blaster or whatever generic card you have, simply attach some cheap or computer speakers to the output of your old sound card, set that card as your midi synthesizer in sonar, then you'll be able to hear the metronome (midi) click from your old speakers and the audio from your original speakers at the same time, hope this helps.
 
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