Reference Guide

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Joystick Support
Surround Mixing
Joystick Support
SONARSONAR allows you to use a joystick to control surround panning. A force-feedback joystick
such as the Microsoft® SideWinder® Force Feedback 2 joystick can add a tactile element to mixing
sessions, and add button control to some SONAR transport and/or menu commands with the extra
buttons on the joystick module.
The joystick will grab the current pan position/sphere anytime you pull the trigger button (the "firing"
button under your index finger). When recording automation, you write new automation every time
you pull the trigger button.
Various joystick buttons can be used to:
• Control SONAR’s transport
• Switch focus to adjacent tracks/sends
• Solo/unsolo current channel
• Open/close the large surround panner window
To Connect the Joystick to SONAR
1. Use the Options > Controller/Surfaces command.
2. In the Controller/Surfaces dialog, click the Add button , and choose Joystick Panner in the
Controller/Surface field of the Controller/Surface Settings dialog; click OK.
3. Close the Controller/Surfaces dialog, and display the Controller/Surfaces toolbar (Views >
Toolbars > Controller/Surfaces command).
4. On the left side of the toolbar, choose Joystick Panner in the drop-down menu, and then click
the Properties button that’s on the right side of the toolbar.
5. In the Joystick Panner dialog, select button 1 in the Buttons field, and then select Engage Pan
Mode in the Button Actions field.
6. Now select Button 2, and select Engage Pan Nav Mode in the Button Actions field.
7. Select any other buttons your joystick has (one at a time), and connect them to any transport or
menu commands you want in the Button Actions field; close the Joystick Panner dialog.
Now when you hold down button 1 (the “trigger button”), the joystick controls the surround panner on
the current track or send. When the pan/sphere is in the desired position, let button 1 up to hold the
position. When you hold down button 2, move the joystick vertically to change the current track, and
horizontally to change to a different send control. The window on the right side of the Controller/
Surfaces toolbar displays the names of the current track and send. Use any other buttons you
configured to control other SONAR Producer functions.
You can save your button assignments as a preset by typing a name for the current group of settings
in the Presets window in the Joystick Panner dialog, and then clicking the floppy disk icon that’s
next to the Presets field. Whenever you want to load a preset, just select it in the Presets window.