Reference Guide

230 Controlling playback
Controlling live MIDI playback—MIDI echo
Storing favorite configurations
If you want a track to respond to more than one port or channel, you must create a preset input
configuration. If you create some favorite configurations of MIDI input options, not only will they be
stored with the project you created them in, but you can save each one as a preset to load in any
MIDI track in any project you want. Clicking the drop-down arrow in a track’s Input field displays the
Inputs drop-down menu, which has the Manage Presets choice that allows you to create and store
your favorite combinations of MIDI input choices.
To play one synth at a time from one or more MIDI keyboards
• Since this is SONAR’s default behavior, simply use the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW keys on
your computer keyboard to choose the current track (the current track is highlighted), and use the
Track Inspector or Console view to choose the synth you want to play by using the track’s
Output, Bank, Patch, and Channel fields. With the default behavior, all MIDI input from all ports
and channels is merged and sent through the current track. Notice that the track’s Input field says
Omni.
• If you’ve disabled the default behavior (see next procedure), you must make sure that the current
track’s Input Echo button is lit up (on) before you can play the synth that the track is patched to.
To disable the default MIDI echo setting
• If you want to turn off the automatic MIDI echoing of the current track, disable the Always Echo
Current MIDI Track in Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Playback and Recording. If you then turn
off the current track’s Input Echo button and play your keyboard, SONAR will not produce
sound.
To play multiple synths from a MIDI keyboard
1. Choose a synth for each track that you want to play by using each track’s Output, Channel,
Bank, and Patch fields in the Track Inspector or Console view.
2. In the Input field of each track that you want to play, click the drop-down arrow and choose the
MIDI input port and channel that you want the track to respond to from the following options:
• None. This option actually sets the Input field to Omni. With this setting the track will
respond to any MIDI input coming in on any port (MIDI interface input driver) on any channel.
• (name of MIDI input driver) > MIDI Omni. Choosing this option causes the track to
respond to any MIDI channel coming from the named MIDI interface input driver.
• (name of MIDI input driver) > MIDI ch 1-16. Choosing this option causes the track to
respond ONLY to whatever MIDI channel you choose coming from the named MIDI interface
input driver.
• Preset. If you’ve created any preset collections of input ports and channels, you can select
one here.
• Manage Presets. If you want to create or edit any preset collections of input ports and
channels, you can select this option (see following procedure).
3. Make sure that the Input Echo button on each track that you want to play is turned on.