Reference Guide

293
Recording specific ports and channels
Recording
To use pattern-based step recording
1. Click the Record button and keep the button pressed for a bried moment until the pop-up
menu appears, then choose Step Record. The Record button changes to .
2. Click the Step Record button to open the Step Record dialog.
3. Set the insertion point where you want to start recording.
4. Click in the Pattern field.
5. Press any number key to indicate a beat at which notes will be played.
6. Press the SPACEBAR, period, or the letter R to indicate a beat on which there is a rest.
7. When the pattern is complete, click elsewhere in the dialog box.
8. Step record as before.
From now on, after you record each step, SONAR automatically advances past all rests to the next
step on which notes will be played. If you change step sizes while recording, the size of each rest
changes also. To stop pattern-based step recording, simply delete the pattern from the Pattern box.
SONAR stores up to 10 patterns in the Pattern field.
Recording specific ports and channels
Most MIDI instruments are capable of sending information on several different channels at once. By
default, SONAR merges all incoming MIDI data and records it on whatever MIDI tracks are armed.
However, SONAR also allows you to control which MIDI input ports and channels each track will
record. Here are some examples of when this feature might be useful:
• There are several performers, each playing a different MIDI instrument. By setting each
instrument to transmit MIDI on a different channel and/or port, you can record each player’s
performance into a separate track, even though they are all playing at the same time.
• You are using a MIDI guitar controller and want to record the notes played on each string on a
separate track.
• Your electronic keyboard has a built-in auto accompaniment feature that plays a drum part and an
accompaniment while you play lead. You want to record each of these three parts into a different
track in a SONAR project.
• You have a MIDI sequence stored on your synthesizer’s built-in sequencer, and you want to
record each channel onto a different track.
You can use external MIDI synchronization to automate the process of loading multichannel
sequences from other MIDI devices. For more information, see “Synchronizing your gear” on
page 1079.