Reference Guide

214
Controlling Playback
Controlling live MIDI playback—MIDI echo
Two other MIDI settings can affect what happens when you play back your project, as described in
the following table:
To set these options, choose Options > Project and click the MIDI Out tab. If you have set up a
playback loop, enabling either of these options can cause an audible delay when the loop is
restarted.
Controlling live MIDI playback—MIDI echo
When you play your MIDI keyboard or controller, the sound that SONAR produces is determined by
what hardware or software synth SONAR sends the incoming MIDI data to after SONAR receives
the data. This is called MIDI echo. By default, SONAR sends the data to the MIDI output or software
synth listed in the Output field of the current track. The current track is the one whose titlebar has
the lighter color—press the up and down arrows on your computer keyboard and watch each track
turn lighter in succession as you change different tracks into the current track (you can also click any
of a track’s controls to make it current).
However, you can echo MIDI data to much more than just the current track, or turn echoing off on
the current track if you want. With a single keyboard or controller, you can echo MIDI data to as
many MIDI tracks as you want, meaning that you can simultaneously play as many hardware and
software synths as you can hook up to your MIDI interface or run on your computer. You can also
have multiple performers on different controllers sending MIDI data to either the same synth or
multiple synths. Each SONAR track allows you to select what MIDI input ports and channels the
track will respond to. The Output field of the track determines what instrument will sound when the
track receives the data. Each track’s Input Echo button determines whether the track echoes MIDI
data.
The Input Echo button
Each MIDI track has an Input Echo button, which controls whether the track will echo MIDI data or
not. The button has three states: on , dimmed , and off . When the button is on, the track
Option How it works
Zero Controllers When Play
Stops
If this option is enabled, SONAR zeroes (resets) the pitch wheel, the pedal
Controller, and the modulation wheel Controller on all 16 MIDI channels
whenever playback is stopped. It also sends a “Zero All Continuous Controllers”
MIDI message, which turns off other continuous Controllers on newer
synthesizers. If you experience frequent stuck notes when playback stops, try
checking this option.
Patch/Controller
Searchback Before Play
Starts
If this option is enabled, SONAR searches for and sends the most recent patch
change, wheel, and pedal events on each output and MIDI channel before
starting playback. This ensures that all these settings are correct, even if you
start playback at an arbitrary point in your project.
Table 37.