Reference Guide

800
Software instruments
Stand-alone synths
Stand-alone synths
Some soft synths can be run independently of SONAR and do not need to be inserted to the Synth
Rack or an effects bin to use. After you install this kind of synth and restart your computer, the name
of the synth’s MIDI driver appears in SONAR’s MIDI Devices dialog box under Outputs.
See:
“Playing a stand-alone synth” on page 800
“Recording a stand-alone synth” on page 801
Playing a stand-alone synth
SONAR plays this kind of synth by seeing it as additional MIDI outputs in both the MIDI Devices
dialog box and in MIDI tracks’ Output fields.
To play a stand-alone synth
1. Go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices.
2. In the Outputs field, make sure the name of your stand-alone synth’s MIDI driver is highlighted,
and click OK.
3. Click the Output field of an unused MIDI track to display the Output menu.
4. Select the name of the stand-alone synth’s MIDI driver.
5. If your stand-alone synth is multi-timbral, change the track’s MIDI channel to the same one that
the synth uses for the sound you want to hear.
6. Select a bank and patch on your stand-alone synth, if you haven’t already.
7. Record some MIDI data in the MIDI track, or play any MIDI controller that’s an input for the MIDI
track.
When you play your MIDI controller or play back the recorded MIDI data, you should hear the stand-
alone synth through your sound card’s outputs. If you don’t, make sure you’re playing in the right
range and that your monitor speakers or headphones are turned up, and that none of the relevant
tracks are muted.
See:
“Recording a stand-alone synth” on page 801