Fit to Improvisation, problem?

I am doing some MIDI sequencing. MIDI only, no audio.

I played the notes in with the metronome. Sounds like a machine.

Then I recorded a track of just the beat. One note per beat. My reference track.

Then I highlighted that reference track and did a "fit to improvisation."

From what I understand, Sonar is supposed to take MY beats and adjust itself to that. It should adjust beat 1 to wherever MY beat 1 ended up. That way I capture my own nuances in the beat.

I've done that -- record the reference track, and click 'fit to improv.' But I'm not getting the results. I can't tell what it's trying to do.

My reference track is pretty clean. I made one that is nearly exactly beat tapping just to see what's going on. No nuances added in that one, but of course it's my human timing so it's off from the exact grid.

But in all attempts, I can't get that grid to adjust to my playing. I play in a beat that might be off :025 (something like that, as an example). I do the 'fit to improv' and I see my beats are still off like that.

It seems to be adjusting the tempo. Maybe my concept is off? I want Sonar to recognize MY beats as THE beat. I want my reference track beat 1 2 3 4 to become Sonar's beat 1 2 3 4.


Any advice? I'm very frustrated with this. I think it's probably me. I'm not understanding it right.

My reference track is just notes. I turned off everything else that it records except notes. So I don't think there is any other garbage getting in there, messing up the adjustments.

I am using Sonar 2.2 XL. I know Sonar is up to version 6, but my version should still be able to do MIDI stuff. I don't think what I'm asking is too much for it.


What I'm trying to do is realize a printed music score with MIDI sequencing. I play in the notes on the keyboard and record bit by bit. I've been successful doing this kind of crudely myself -- I set the tempo on 100 and record things myself, without having the program do much. Just record and I WAS doing all the adjusting.

Now, I'm trying to get Sonar to line up all my notes precisely -- all the vertical notes I want happening at exactly the same time. It's nuts for me to go through a piece and copy the start times. Waaaay too much work.

What I thought I needed to do was to record a reference track with all my own nuances for tempo. Then do a 'fit to improv' so Sonar adjusted its beats to my beats. Then quantize the static MIDI recording so it matches my nuanced beat BUT all the notes are lined up exactly with my nuanced beats.

Before I made a reference track and then I manually adjusted notes that were clearly note together to that reference track. But I did all that myself. I want Sonar to do that for me. I think it should be able to. I don't think I'm asking for much.

Any help?

Is there somewhere on this site that explains how to sequence like I want?

I have Scott R. Garrigus's Sonar 2 Power and the manual. I've combed through those many times. I just can't seem to figure this out.

Thanks for any advice. Very much appreciated. This is very, very frustrating. I'm stuck and I've spent so much money trying to get this stuff to work right.

Your not understanding what Fit to Improv is meant to do. It's meant to generate a Tempo map that follows a rubato performance not create a rubato performance to a click track.

You need to go back and perform the piece with the feel that you want.