Reference Guide

External Devices
SONAR can be controlled by a wide range of MIDI controllers and external MIDI devices. SONAR
also contains two generic controller/surface plug-ins (the ACT MIDI Controller plug-in, and the
Cakewalk Generic Surface Plug-in), which allow you to use almost any MIDI controller or controller/
surface with SONAR. You can also control certain external devices from SONAR by using
StudioWare or OPT (Open Plug-in Technology) panels.
SONAR allows you to control soft synths as well as effect plug-ins. Active Controller Technology
(ACT) allows you to control any plug-in that has focus, using the same widget mappings for each
instance of the same plug-in (Note: some older plug-ins do not support ACT). You can also choose
to lock a particular controller/surface to a particular instance of a plug-in.
To keep track of your mappings, SONAR displays different-colored markers on each track and/or
bus to show you which controller/surface is currently controlling that particular module. These visual
markers on tracks and buses are called the WAI display (Where Am I).
SONAR includes preset mappings for popular controllers/surfaces and MIDI controllers such as the
Edirol PCR series. If SONAR does not currently include preset mappings for your controller/surface,
you can create mappings by using the built-in ACT MIDI Controller Plug-in or Cakewalk Generic
Surface Plug-in.
See:
Edirol PCR Controllers
Setting up Control Surfaces
ACT MIDI Controller Plug-in
Cakewalk Generic Surface Plug-in
The WAI Display
ACT
OPT Panels
Working with StudioWare