No Audio From Sonar. What's up?

[Dr. Varney]

I've gotten over the basic hook-up issues I was having and made some successful recording tests into both Steinberg Cubase and Cakewalk Sonar LE.

Now I want to move on with Sonar and begin learning the basics. I've started with reading Help and loading up 'Tutorial 1'. Now I'm stuck!

The problem is that although I have managed to successfully record (and play back the audio) in Sonar, I cannot get any sound from Tut~1.

This does not make any sense; especially as I was starting to gain a little confidence in setting up Sonar, in accordance with my hardware. Now I feel I am back to sqaure one and feeling frustrated again... One step forward and two back!

Relevant hardware consists of the E=MU 0404 PCI soundcard, which uses DSP Patchmix.

Now, when I came to set up for recording, I didn't really need to do very much. I notice that the inputs and outputs for each track on my test piece read: Stereo E-MU PCI CARD and E-MU ASIO ASIO31/32. This is obviously why it works.

Now on Tut~1, the output reads: "1-E-DSP MIDI Port (AC00)" and the only other options consist of "New Drum Map" and "Drum Map Manager"?! (Quite what drums have to do with selecting an output to a soundcard, I really can't fathom!)

Input reads: "Omni" and the other options consists of: "None" (that's useful!) and then a sub-menu of "E-DSP MIDI Ports" from "MIDI Omni" and then: "Ch 1-16". The only other options available are "Manage Presets" and "Presets", which is greyed out.

Now if I start with a new project, I find the I/O of the empty tracks appear already set up correctly. I don't understand why Tutorial 1 isn't the same.

So can anyone tell me- what I am missing here?

Thanks in advance

Dr. V

 

[Bristol Posse]

Is tutorial 1 related to MIDI by any chance?

All of those settings are related to receiving input data from a MIDI controler and outputting MIDI data to a module

Perhaps the tutorials are not well executed to run with EMU and patch mix. I know it confused the heck out of me when I was researching interfaces which is why I ended up going in a whole other direction.

If you disable the EMU and use the computers onboard sound for the purpose of the tutorials does that make any difference.

 

[Dr. Varney]

Oh yes, I'd say it's related to MIDI alright... Just about everything in Tutorial-1's I/O parameters says: MIDI.

I see... So are you saying this isn't meant to be just heard, through the soundcard then? I have only a vague concept of MIDI but I guess you're saying the tutorial consists of a bunch of instructions for some other kind of machine (other than a soundcard) to interpret ?

So do you think I am barking up the wrong tree and should use Cubase or Ableton instead? I like the way Sonar is laid out. I've plumped for it because I was advised it's a similar environment to Pro-Tools, though I do have other programs I could use.

I did make a really nice recording with it. I was hoping to learn more about Sonar, through the Help Files but I've suddenly hit this dead-end. Do you know of any 3rd party beginner's tutorials out there?

No, I haven't tried disabling the E-MU. Understand it's in the interests of troubleshooting but I don't feel sure of myself changing anything, in case I can't get it to work again (it took me AGES to get this far - ).

Though I can't quite see how or why that would make any difference. Options for each track's I/O do not seem to contain anything related to any available soundcards.

Dr. V

 

[BentRabbit]

It definitely sounds like this is a Midi tutorial...

I'm not that familiar with Sonar LE, but normally to play your Midi's, you would set up a Softsynth, pipe your Midi channels through it, and have it output to your soundcard...

If Midi isn't where you're at right now, maybe just move on to the next tutorial?

 

[Dr. Varney]

You're right. MIDI is definitely not where I'm at right now. I have a MIDI controller keyboard but haven't connected it yet.

What is a 'softsynth'?