Reference Guide

786

Software instruments

Playing a soft synth

There are several ways to play a soft synth:

• You can record MIDI data and use the soft synth as a playback device.

• You can play the soft synth in real time from a MIDI controller or keyboard. To avoid excessive

latency, your sound card must be using a WDM or ASIO driver. Also, you must set mixing latency

to the lowest achievable level (probably less than 10 msec.), which you do by adjusting the Buffer

Size slider in Edit > Preferences > Audio - Driver Settings.

• Some soft synths that use the DXi 2 format can send MIDI data, sometimes including MIDI notes,

from their interfaces to SONAR. For example, some soft synths have MIDI keyboards built into

their interfaces that you can click to send note on/off messages.

See “Recording a soft synth’s MIDI output” on page 794 for more information.

To play a soft synth with recorded MIDI data

1. Insert a soft synth into the project.

2. In the MIDI track that sends its output to the soft synth, choose a MIDI channel.

3. Open the soft synth’s interface (see “Opening a soft synth’s property page” on page 784).

4. Set the soft synth’s parameters (choose sounds, effects, etc.), and drag its interface out of the

way (the soft synth’s interface does not have to be open for the soft synth to sound).

5. If you want to save your soft synth settings, type a name in the Presets field, and click the Disk

icon that’s next to the Presets field.

6. Record some MIDI data into the MIDI track.

When you play back the recorded MIDI data, you should hear the soft synth through your sound

card’s outputs. If you don’t, make sure your data is in the right range; a bank, patch, and channel are

selected; your monitor speakers or headphones are turned up; and that none of the relevant tracks

are muted.

You can add effects to each of the synth tracks. You can also add MIDI effects to your soft synth

MIDI tracks.

To play a soft synth from a MIDI controller

1. Make sure your controller is set to local off.

2. Make sure that the Audio Engine button in the Control Bar’s Transport module is enabled.

Note: WDM or ASIO drivers do not improve performance when you play back recorded MIDI

data—the improvement comes only when you play a soft synth in real time from an external MIDI

controller or keyboard.