Instruction Manual

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Instrument Definition Tutorial
Instrument Definitions
when using a digital mixer as a MIDI control surface (and not using the
generic control surface plug-in).
Instrument Definition Tutorial
The following tutorial takes you through the process of setting up an
instrument definition for a Roland keyboard so that the bank and patch
names, including any self-created sounds, read the same in SONAR as
they do on the display screen of your keyboard instrument.
Next topic: Why Use Instrument Definitions?
Why Use Instrument Definitions?
The main reason to import or create an instrument definition is so you can
use patch names that are specific to the MIDI module you’re using, instead
of using generic General MIDI patch names. It’s much easier to find a
particular sound on a MIDI module when the actual names of the patches in
the current bank of sounds pop up on a list, instead of just the numbers 0 to
127, or General MIDI names like Trumpet. Of course, if you’re only using
General MIDI modules, General MIDI patch names might be all you need.
You can also rename each MIDI output with the name of the MIDI module
it’s connected to. For example, it might be more meaningful to name a MIDI
output Roland Sound Canvas instead of MOTU MIDI Express 5. That way,
you won’t have to remember that you connected the Sound Canvas to the
MOTU MIDI Express output number 5—the name Sound Canvas shows up
as an option in the Output field of each MIDI track in SONAR’s track view.
Also if you have an effects processor or module that’s hard to get to in your
studio, you may find it convenient to control it from SONAR.
Next topic: What Can They Do and Not Do?
What Can They Do and Not Do?
Instrument definitions don’t increase the number of sounds or the
capabilities of your modules, they just make it easier to find and remember
the sounds and/or MIDI controllers you want to use, if they’re not all generic
General MIDI items. After you define an instrument, SONAR displays the
names that you choose for the sounds in each of that instrument’s banks,
rather than displaying the same 128 General MIDI names over and over for
each bank of sounds.
Next topic: Where Do Instrument Definitions Come From?