Instruction Manual

483

Controllers, RPNs, NRPNs, and Automation Data

Editing MIDI Events and Controllers

Automation Data

SONAR projects contain a lot more information than the notes and digital

audio files that are at the heart of your work. Controllers, RPNs, and NRPNs

(xRPNs, for short) are special types of events used by MIDI software and

hardware to control the details of how MIDI music is played. Automation

data are used to adjust volume, pan, and other parameters of MIDI and

audio tracks on the fly while playback is in progress.

SONAR lets you enter or edit controller, xRPN, and automation data in

several ways:

• Using envelopes in the Track view

• Using the Piano Roll view and Inline Piano Roll view

• Using the Insert-Series of Controllers command

• Editing controller events in the Event List view

Editing data in the Track view’s Clips pane or the Piano Roll view gives you

great flexibility. You can examine the controllers in graphical form and edit

them even while recording or playback is in progress. This means you can

loop over a portion of your project and hear any change you make on the

next loop.

Note: MIDI envelopes you create in the Piano Roll view and MIDI

envelopes you create in the Track view Clips pane are actually separate

envelopes, even if they control the same parameter. Both kinds of

envelopes are visible in the Clips pane, and should generally not be used to

control the same parameter. You can convert Piano Roll view envelopes to

Track view envelopes by selecting the time range and tracks that the Piano

Roll envelopes occupy, and using the Edit-Convert MIDI To Shapes

command.

For more information on automation, see the online help topics

“Automation,” and “Mixing.” For more information about the Event List view,

see The Event List View.