Inserting soft synths

In order to play a soft synth from a MIDI controller or with recorded MIDI data, you need to have at least one synth track that lists the soft synth in its Input field, and at least one MIDI track that lists the soft synth in its Output field. The data from the MIDI track feeds the synth track and plays the soft synth. If you’re playing the soft synth with a MIDI controller, the MIDI track that’s feeding the synth track must have the focus (lighter color). You can also patch the soft synth into an audio track’s FX Rack instead of a synth track’s Input field.

To add a soft synth to the audio and synth tracks’ Input menus (drop-downs) and the MIDI tracks’ Output menus, you have to insert each soft synth that you want to use into each project. There are two basic ways to insert soft synths in SONAR:

1.

You can insert soft synths from the Synth Rack view or with the Insert > Soft Synth command. If you use this method, you can choose to have SONAR create the necessary synth and MIDI tracks, and patch them together correctly. If you want to use multiple synth tracks to take advantage of SONAR’s support for the multi-output soft synth format, you need to create and patch additional MIDI tracks manually to feed the additional synth tracks.

2.	You can insert soft synths into FX Racks of individual audio tracks. If you use this method, you need to set a MIDI track’s Output field to the name of the soft synth you inserted. Then you can record MIDI data in the MIDI track to play the soft synth with.

The procedure for inserting multi-output and single-output soft synths is basically the same. There are just more tracks possibly involved when you insert a multi-output soft synth.

You can insert more than one copy (also called an instance) of the same soft synth. Each new copy has the same name as the previous copy except for having a higher number after the name. Every copy appears in a separate row in the drop­-down menus of synth and audio track inputs and MIDI track outputs.

To insert a soft synth from the Add Track menu

1.	Click the Add Track button in the Track view to open the Add Track menu.

2.	Click the Instrument tab.

3.	Select the desired settings.

Instrument. Select the desired soft synth. The options are as follows:

Default. Select the default Cakewalk TTS-1 soft synth.

VST3/VST2/DirectX. Select any available VST3, VST2, or DirectX soft synth.

MIDI Only. Create regular MIDI tracks.

Input. Select the desired MIDI input device. The options include the on-screen Virtual Controller/Keyboard and all available MIDI input drivers.

Record Enable. Activate the Arm for Recording button on each new track (requires an input to also be selected).

Open Virtual Controller. Opens the on-screen Virtual Controller/Keyboard after tracks have been created. For details, see Virtual Controller/Keyboard.

Advanced. Show/hide the following advanced settings:

Create Folder. Place the new track(s) inside a new track folder. For details, see Track folders.

Split Instrument Track. Split the instrument track into separate audio and MIDI tracks. For details, see Splitting an instrument track to separate audio and MIDI tracks. Specify which instrument output(s) to use for the split audio track(s). The options are as follows:

Main Outputs. A new audio track appears that uses the instrument’s first audio output as an audio input.

All Stereo. One new stereo audio track appears for each stereo audio output that the instrument exposes. Each new track uses a different instrument output as an audio input.

All Mono. Two new mono audio tracks (one Left and one Right) appear for each stereo audio output that the instrument exposes. Each pair of new audio tracks uses a different instrument output as an audio input.

Output. Specify the output. For Instrument tracks, select an audio port. For MIDI tracks, select an existing instrument or MIDI port.

4.	In the Track(s) box, specify how many tracks you want to create.

5.	Click Create.

Figure 360. Instrument track settings.

A. Add Track button B. Instrument tab C. Close D. Instrument E. Input F. Record Enable G. Open Virtual Controller H. Advanced (expand/collapse) I. Create Folder J. Split Instrument Track K. Instrument Output for Split Instrument tracks L. Output M. Number of tracks N. Create 

To insert a soft synth from the Synth Rack or menu

1.	If you want to use the Synth Rack, click the Views menu and select Synth Rack View (or press ALT+9), then click the Insert button to display the pop-up menu of installed soft synths.

2.	If you want to use the menu command, use the Insert > Soft Synth command to display the pop-up menu of installed soft synths.

3.	In the pop-up menu, click the name of the soft synth you want to insert.

The Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box appears, unless you’ve previously unchecked the Ask This Every Time check box that’s in the dialog box. If you have, SONAR inserts the soft synth according to the preferences you set the last time you used the Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box. If you need to open the Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box when it’s hidden, click the Insert Soft Synth Options button in the Synth Rack.

4.	Choose options from the Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box according to the following:

If you want to create a MIDI track that uses the soft synth as an output, select the Create These Tracks: MIDI Source check box.

If you want to create a single synth track that acts as an output for Output 1 of the soft synth, select the Create These Tracks: First Synth Audio Output check box.

If you want to create separate synth tracks for each of the soft synth’s outputs, select the Create These Tracks: All Synth Audio Outputs check box.

If you want to use existing MIDI and audio tracks to play the soft synth, uncheck all of the Create These Tracks options. SONAR adds the soft synth to the audio track input and MIDI track Output menus. You need to set an existing MIDI track’s Output field to the soft synth, and set an existing audio track’s Input field to the soft synth (the audio track will then become a synth track).

If you want to open the soft synth’s interface from this dialog box, select the Open These Windows: Synth Property Page check box.

If you opened this dialog box from the Insert menu and want to open the Synth Rack view, select the Open These Windows: Synth Rack View check box.

If the synth you’re inserting can create or send MIDI data, and you want to record or redirect this MIDI data, enable the Enable MIDI Output check box.

Any automation data you create for this synth is displayed by default on the Synth track for this synth. If you want to display this data on a different track, choose the track in the Display Automation On menu.

If you create some new knobs on the Synth Rack to control certain parameters on a particular synth, you can display the same knobs every time you insert that synth by enabling the Recall Assignable Controls check box.

If you want to open this dialog box every time you use the Insert > Soft Synths command, or click the Insert button in the Synth Rack view and choose a synth from the pop-up menu, select the Ask This Every Time option. If you always insert soft synths in the same way, you can uncheck this option so you don’t have to deal with the dialog box each time. To open the dialog box when the option is unchecked, click the Insert Soft Synth Options button in the Synth Rack.

5.	Click OK to close the dialog box and insert the synth.

SONAR adds the soft synth to the audio track Input and MIDI track Output menus, and creates any new tracks that you requested. The new tracks already have the correct inputs and outputs patched. Now you can record MIDI data in the soft synth MIDI tracks, and/or play the soft synth from a MIDI keyboard or controller. See Playing a soft synth.

To insert a soft synth in an FX Rack

1.	In either the Track view, Track Inspector or Console view, right-click the FX Rack of an unused audio track or bus.

Note: If you patch a soft synth into a bus that has no audio track assigned to it, the soft synth does not sound. Always use a bus that has at least one audio track sending data to it.

The plug-in menu appears.

2.	Under Soft Synths, choose the name of a soft synth.

Two things happen: the soft synth’s interface appears, and the soft synth’s name appears in the track’s or bus’s FX Rack, with a Bypass button next to the name.

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

4.	Click the Output field of a MIDI track to display the Output menu.

5.	Select the name of the soft synth that you patched into the audio track or bus.

6.	If the soft synth is multi-timbral, choose a MIDI channel for the MIDI track.

7.	Also in the MIDI track, select a bank and patch.

Now you can record some MIDI data into the MIDI track to play the soft synth with. See To play a soft synth with recorded MIDI data.

You can also play the soft synth in real-time from a MIDI controller. See To play a soft synth from a MIDI controller.

 

See also:

Using the Synth Rack

Multi-port soft synths

Recording a soft synth’s MIDI output

Synth tracks

Playing a soft synth

Converting your soft synth tracks to audio

Muting and soloing soft synth tracks

To remove a soft synth from a track or bus