I decided to aim my explanation at the novice. Just like I was before I tried this, sorry if this is basic stuff to MIDI pros.
My setup:
Win2K SP2, AMD Duron 700MHz, 512MB RAM, Creative Vibra 128 SC (cheap but does OK in spec tests) WITHOUT WDM drivers. This affects the outcome for me. If I check the checkbox in Sonar under Options > Audio > Advanced tab > Playback and recording “Always Use MME Interface even when WDM driver are available” it works, but if I use WDM drivers then Sonar will refuse to play any audio if another audio application of any kind is open (I think I just have dodgy drivers though!)
Using Sonar XL 1.01 and floops 3.11.
Dual Monitors (via 32MB ASUS 7100T and 8Mb PCI cards). Highly recommend this for playing Sequencer on one and floops on the other. It is really cheap and easy to setup (I got an old crappy 14” monitor for free but it does the job alongside my 17”).
I used MIDIyoke to patch for MIDI sync which you can get from
http://www.midiox.com/
You can use HubisLoopPack too but this only supports Win9x.
Install MIDIyoke following instructions on the above website. Then in floops go to options > MIDI. Under Remote control input choose “MIDI yoke NT: 1”. You can choose another channel if you like, just make sure the output channel of your sequencer (ie Sonar, Cubase, Logic etc) is the same. Also go to options and check “enable MIDI remote control”. Close the dialog box, but leave floops open. That’s all you need to do in floops. You do not need to set “playing output” or “master sync output” just leave on none. In fact if you set this to the same channel as the input and run, you will get MIDI feedback and may freeze your system.
Open your sequencer. In Sonar go to Options > MIDI devices. Under outputs select the same channels as you did for the input in floops. You can also select your standard MIDI driver if you also use one for playing back MIDI software instruments in your sequencer. You don’t need to select an input but selecting one for other MIDI input won’t affect things (unless it’s
a midiyoke or hubis input and you set it to the same channel as your output > MIDI feedback). Then open Options > Project > go to MIDI Out tab. Under Send MIDI Sync heading Select the checkbox for “Transmit MIDI Start/Continue/Stop/Clock”, and make sure MIDI output port is set to the same number as your MIDIyoke choice above (usually “1”, the default). Click OK.
Now put a few beats in floops and make sure they playback in that application first. In Sonar MAKE SURE TEMPO IS SET TO SAME AS FLOOPS. Floops by default has tempo of 140 and Sonar has 100, play this back and you will get double beats, try it for fun or pain! Now in order to play floops from Sonar, there must be something in one of the tracks (doesn’t matter if it is an audio or MIDI track. This makes sense as there is no point synching to nothing! (ie if there is nothing in any tracks and you press play you will get a short beat from floops but nothing more). Of course the best way to put something in there is to record. So if you arm a track (In Sonar put a check on the “R” record button of a MIDI or audio track) and press record you should now hear floops playing. Arrange both floops and Sonar on the screen (or go dual monitors) and you will see the MIDI light flashing in floops.
Bear in mind that what you are doing is PLAYING floops through your sequencer. You are NOT RECORDING the floops sounds into your sequencer. This matters little though because they are synched. So if for instance you arm an audio track in your sequencer and have a mic or guitar plugged in then press record, floops will start, then you start singing or playing at the appropriate part of your song. Your Vocal or Guitar will be recorded in your sequencer but not floops. Why doesn’t this matter? Well because they are synched if you save your floops file as a wave, then import it into Sonar, it will then be synched to your vocals or giutar! The beauty of MIDI synch as I have very recently discovered is that you can play floops via your sequencer, and whilst it’s playing you change the beats in floops in real time, even while your singing, or playing back your vocals. I find playing back my vocals and being able to adjust the beats/rhythms in floops to match, invaluable in the song creation process. As Sonar supports MIDI instruments you can create MIDI notes on a MIDI track using the piano roll, then you can set the output of the MIDI track to MIDIyoke NT: 1 and it the notes will play through whatever instrument you have playing in floops. You can also put ACID loops into Sonar, but I found it did strange things to the tempo of the ACID loop when I was using them with floops piped through Sonar.
I also believe you could even control some functions of floops totally within Sonar if needed. Sonar has a thing called studioware, which are icons you can drop and drag and associate them with MIDI remote controls. This might be handy for some people. I have used the studioware panel called “Cakebirth” for controlling Rebirth from Cakewalk Sequencers (via MIDI yoke or Hubis). This worked, but only for some of the 909 drum panels. But it could be b/c it was designed for Cakewalk Audio 7 and above and not Cakewalk Sonar. Anyhow, I look forward to checking this out with floops.
However one annoyance is the each time I open Sonar it doesn’t seem to remember my checkbox for MIDI sync, so I have to check it again. Annoying too because I can’t see a shortcut icon for it. If anyone figures how to save this setting please let me know.
You can also sync Rebirth to your sequencer in a similar way. In Rebirth (2) go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI input section > choose “MIDIyoke NT: 1” or ch 2 if you also use floops. Then check “Sync to MIDI clock”. Close and Choose same MIDIyoke output channel in Sonar. Press record and viola!
Also I have had success synching both floops and rebirth simultaneuosly with Sonar. I daisy chained them. i.e Sonar is the Master and floops the slave, then an output from floops on a diff channel gives input to Rebirth. I could only acheive this with different sound card drivers. I've noticed BIG differences with different drivers for my card, so you might want to play with this. Only problem for me now is. With these drivers when i record i get an annoying banging sound through floops!
Also I have had no luck in getting Orion synched, which is a real pity, because it is KICK ASS! I will try
Propellerhead Reason soon also.
Also played around in Cubase, but haven’t figured it out how to sync it with floops yet. I know though that Rebirth and Reason work really well with Cubase as you can use Propellerhead’s proprietry Rewire connections.
Let me know how you go. Hope it works!