I want to have one instrument playing 5 notes per measure, while another instrument plays 4 notes per measure, etc as per the post title.  How can I accomplish this when writing notes manually on the piano rolls?  I can figure out to use triplets for the three part, but how to write the 5 notes bit?  
 
Ideally I could set a different time signature for each midi track, but I didn't see how.
 
Thanks for your help :)

use EDUs, divide measure by 5?

What is an EDU?

Hammerhole
I want to have one instrument playing 5 notes per measure, while another instrument plays 4 notes per measure, etc as per the post title.  How can I accomplish this when writing notes manually on the piano rolls?  I can figure out to use triplets for the three part, but how to write the 5 notes bit?  
 
Ideally I could set a different time signature for each midi track, but I didn't see how.
 
Thanks for your help :)

 
Here's the math for what you want to do:
tb =  timebase (the number of ticks designated to a quarter-note)
 
if tb=480, then
tb/5 = 480/5 = 96
A quintuplet group fitting into one beat will consist of 5 notes, each note being 96 ticks in length. 
A quintuplet group fitting into 2 beats with consist of 5 notes, each note being 192 ticks in length.
 
This describes the math involved, but since I work in the staff view and event list, I can't tell you how to do it in the PVR.   But either way, the math is right.
 
JG
www.jerrygerber.com
 

jsg
Here's the math for what you want to do:
tb =  timebase (the number of ticks designated to a quarter-note)
 
if tb=480, then
tb/5 = 480/5 = 96
A quintuplet group fitting into one beat will consist of 5 notes, each note being 96 ticks in length. 
A quintuplet group fitting into 2 beats with consist of 5 notes, each note being 192 ticks in length.
 
This describes the math involved, but since I work in the staff view and event list, I can't tell you how to do it in the PVR.   But either way, the math is right.
 
JG
www.jerrygerber.com

I'm getting a tick just thinking about it :)  
 
But that works I think.  Closer to what I wanted was 1920 divided by 5, that gives me 5 evenly spaced notes (snap points) per measure.  
 
I had never worked with ticks and "timebase" before, so thank you very much jsg!
 
One more edit, this is from official documentation for anyone who got here by the same question:
"Each SONAR project has a setting for the timing resolution, or timebase, that indicates the resolution of MIDI data. This resolution is measured in ticks or pulses per quarter note and is often abbreviated as PPQ. The default resolution is 960PPQ, which is accurate enough for most applications. In this timebase, each quarter note is represented by 960 ticks, each eighth note by 480 ticks, each eighth-note triplet by 320 ticks, and so on.
In some projects you may need a different timebase. For example, if you wanted to use eighth-note septuplets (7 eighth notes per quarter note) and represent them accurately, you would need to have a timebase that is divisible by 7, such as 168PPQ. SONAR uses the timebase you choose for a project to determine the range of tick values in the Now time.
To set the timebase for a project
1.
Go to Edit > Preferences > Project - Clock.

2.
Choose the timebase you want from the Ticks per Quarter Note list.

3.
Click OK.

The timebase will be saved with the project file.
"

Hammerhole
 Closer to what I wanted was 1920 divided by 5, that gives me 5 evenly spaced notes (snap points) per measure.

At the default 960PPQ, there are 3840 ticks in a 4/4 measure. And snap values in ticks are always referenced to 960PPQ, regardess of the Clock setting; this is a bug I noticed recently. I'm not sure how far back it goes, but to prevent confusion, I recommend leaving the Clock at 960. SONAR always records MIDI event times with 960PPQ resolution internally, anyway.
 
Bottom line: The correct snap value for 5 notes per 4/4 measure is 3840/5 =768 ticks.
 
 
 
 

brundlefly

Hammerhole
 Closer to what I wanted was 1920 divided by 5, that gives me 5 evenly spaced notes (snap points) per measure.

At the default 960PPQ, there are 3840 ticks in a 4/4 measure. And snap values in ticks are always referenced to 960PPQ, regardless of the Clock setting; this is a bug I noticed recently. I'm not sure how far back it goes, but to prevent confusion, I recommend leaving the Clock at 960. SONAR always records MIDI event times with 960PPQ resolution internally, anyway.
 
Bottom line: The correct snap value for 5 notes per 4/4 measure is 3840/5 =768 ticks.
 

Bottom line only for a timebase of 960.  I've used 480 for over twenty years because it gives more than enough resolution, down to the 128th note. 

Hammerhole

jsg
Here's the math for what you want to do:
tb =  timebase (the number of ticks designated to a quarter-note)
 
if tb=480, then
tb/5 = 480/5 = 96
A quintuplet group fitting into one beat will consist of 5 notes, each note being 96 ticks in length. 
A quintuplet group fitting into 2 beats with consist of 5 notes, each note being 192 ticks in length.
 
This describes the math involved, but since I work in the staff view and event list, I can't tell you how to do it in the PVR.   But either way, the math is right.
 
JG
www.jerrygerber.com

I'm getting a tick just thinking about it :)  
 
But that works I think.  Closer to what I wanted was 1920 divided by 5, that gives me 5 evenly spaced notes (snap points) per measure.  
 
I had never worked with ticks and "timebase" before, so thank you very much jsg!
 
One more edit, this is from official documentation for anyone who got here by the same question:
"Each SONAR project has a setting for the timing resolution, or timebase, that indicates the resolution of MIDI data. This resolution is measured in ticks or pulses per quarter note and is often abbreviated as PPQ. The default resolution is 960PPQ, which is accurate enough for most applications. In this timebase, each quarter note is represented by 960 ticks, each eighth note by 480 ticks, each eighth-note triplet by 320 ticks, and so on.
In some projects you may need a different timebase. For example, if you wanted to use eighth-note septuplets (7 eighth notes per quarter note) and represent them accurately, you would need to have a timebase that is divisible by 7, such as 168PPQ. SONAR uses the timebase you choose for a project to determine the range of tick values in the Now time.
To set the timebase for a project
1.
Go to Edit > Preferences > Project - Clock.

2.
Choose the timebase you want from the Ticks per Quarter Note list.

3.
Click OK.

The timebase will be saved with the project file.
"

Instead of changing the timebase for note values that end up with a fraction, i.e. 74.2, I just round-up or round-down.   For example with a timebase of 480, if you want 7 16th notes in one beat, each note would get 68.57 ticks.  I round up to 69 and it works fine.   The ear cannot hear 1/2 a tick in nearly any tempo.  Now of course if your entire piece is going to use 7 16th notes to a beat, better to simply use a timebase divisible by 7, although that could limit resolution...
 
Jerry
www.jerrygerber.com
 

From the Online Help:

Tip: You can easily create tuplets by stretching note events. First draw the desired number of notes, then select them and hold down the CTRL key while you drag the end of any selected note. For example, draw 5 quarter notes, then stretch them to fit in the space of 4 quarter notes.

https://www.cakewalk.com/...e=3&help=Tools.25.html

Or......
 
Change the timebase to 20/4
 
Your 5 beat part has a note on every fourth measure
Your 4 beat part has a note on every fifth measure