I know I am missing something so simple...please help!

I am beyond frustrated...simple here I want to use my DR-880 to play\control SD3 SD 3 and my A-Pro 800 to play sounds using Dimension Pro...seems pretty simple to me. Make sense? Please bare with me as I am TRULY stupid with MIDI, all I have ever done is audio. I have dabbled a bit, but don't really know what I am doing...anyways...I can only get one synth to work with BOTH contollers...I want the A Pro and The DR to control the syths separate from one another...I want the DR to be able to run the drum patterns using SD 3 while I use the A-pro to play Dimension Pro...make sense? Can someone please help me set this up correctly as I am lOST and beyond frustrated...Thanks in advance as I know a few of you are going to be laughing at me and others might be a little confused as to what my issue is...sorry its late and I'm not thinking to clearly! I would laugh at me too! But,seriously..please help if you can! David

I wish I had a clue of what you are saying...I have DR 880 set up for drums on channel 10 and it works perfectly by itself...then I add the A Pro and set it up for (not sure what channel??...and this is where I may be lost...) the Dimension Pr output and then it does nothing...I have tried all different inputs and channels but it always ends up with only one of the synths working with one or both controllers...never one controlling the other separately...ugh...

how are the 2 units connected also ? as I don't own the DR thing.. I assume usb ?

However they are connected they will be on a specific port. Unless somehow you are using MIDI through which is highly unlikely. 

For the Dim pro MIDI input track, (and I hope you are not using a simple instrument track), be sure that its input is set to the port that your A Pro is on. Now do the same with the SD 3 MIDI track's input for your DR 880. The channel doesn't matter in this case for either.

Its the port that matters. If you can hear sounds from using either you have them on different ports which is the way they must be.

In Sonar just don't select either of the tracks that have the A Pro or the DR 880 going to. Play either keyboard or the DR 880 and if the echo button is on you should have it off on both MIDI input tracks.

Now play away.

 

The DR880 hardware midi number is fixed, can't be changed. But it's General Midi compatible but implemented a little less. Such as less Toms than the full GM spec.

With the DR note number fixed, the other end of the software must be flexible enough to set the correspondent midi number.

Refer to the DR manual (can download a copy) pg 126 for a full set of Midi note/pad numbers.

Ah, I think I get it.
I've been sending various appropriate samples and then making loops from them and editing in PRV rather than trying realtime input.
This other method is beyond me so far.

Sounds like you may be sorted but remember to hear both at the same time you will need to make sure that the input echo button on both tracks are lit.

Apologies if that's already been mentioned and I missed it.