• SONAR
  • Managing track volume in MIDI channel
2016/05/14 01:43:24
stantough
Hi,
 
I'm using SONAR steam edition version 22.4.0, builf 28, 64 bit, on Windows 8.
 
I am having some challenges on managing the track volumes in my project. 
 
I launched a new synth - Kontakt 5. I have also created two different MIDI tracks, the output of both are routed to two different Kotakt 5 channels.
 
I'm not sure what exactly I've done and how to reverse it - but for one of the MIDI tracks I can change the track volume comfortably by changing the fader on the Inspector View (for that MIDI track). Let's call this Track A. For the other track (Track B) however the volume is totally unaffected by the fader. I can only change the track volume by: 1) Changing the Kontakt 5 fader (which will affect every other tracks routed to Kontakt 5), 2) Changing the track-specific fader in the Kontakt player. 
 
I've spent time looking at the settings for both Track A and Track B, and I can't find any difference from the track interfaces.
 
I realized that for Track B I previously clicked on "learn CC# automation" in the Kontakt Player itself, which is the only difference between Track B and Track A. Nonetheless, even after I "unlearn" the automation, the fader from MIDI Track B still cannot change the track volume. I would like to ask for advice on how to enable this - which works for Track A and not Track B. 
 
Thanks in advance.
2016/05/15 07:35:18
Bristol_Jonesey
Midi volume isn't the same thing as Audio volume.
 
The slider you see on a Midi track isn't volume - it's velocity.
It could be that you've selected patch that doesn't respond to velocity - this is quite common in soma patches which have a fixed velocity.
 
You should be able to control the volume via the audio track. You need to have as many audio tracks as you do synths route inside Kontakt.
 
Do not insert Kontakt as a Simple Instrument Track - use split Audio/Midi
2016/05/15 08:45:15
promidi
Bristol_Jonesey
The slider you see on a Midi track isn't volume - it's velocity.


Are you sure about that?

As a test, I set up a MIDI track to drive a AAS Ultra Analog VA-2 synth with the VCA1 and 2 levels mapped to CC7. The velocity parameters of the synth were not set, therefore the velocity of any notes played had no effect on the volume of the sound.

I then moved the volume slider on that MIDI track (I split the instrument) and when I did, the level of the VCA1 of the Ultra Analog synth did indeed change with the slider. 

This means, on my system, that changing the volume slider on a MIDI track sends out CC7 events. 

So in order for your soft synth's level to respond to changing of the volume slider on the MIDI track, the master level (or the level of the part) of the softsynth needs to be mapped to CC7.
2016/05/15 10:32:50
Bristol_Jonesey
Interesting.
 
Have to do some testing.
2016/05/15 12:09:47
brundlefly
No, you're right, promidi. the MIDI Volume controls in SONAR send CC7, Master Volume, which most multi-timbral synths will respond to on a channel-by-channel basis by default. The only thing that's generally required to make it work with a multitimbral synth is that you have a specific forced output Channel assigned to the track so that SONAR knows what channel to send the CC message with; if no channel is assigned, it will default to Ch 1. Otherwise I'm not sure why it wouldn't work on just one channel. In case there's still something going on with MIDI Learn, you might try recreating the MIDI track to clear it.
2016/05/15 12:45:16
Klaus
Per default, Kontakt volume faders are linked to SONAR's MIDI volume faders.
 
If you want them to be independent, click on the "wrench" symbol of the instrument in Kontakt.
Then, click on "Instrument Options" --> "Controller" and uncheck: "Accept standard controllers for Volume and Pan".
 
Now only the MIDI volume fader in SONAR controls the volume of the appropriate Kontakt instrument.
 
Edit: Hmm, I think you want the opposite, so check if this setting is enabled.
 
HTH.
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