Hello
I purchased a Behringer UMC audio interface and using it with Sonar 5 producer edition.  I have everything working as it's supposed to except midi. In the midi input section there is nothing listed to choose from.  I talked to Behringer the audio interface has no midi. I thought the onboard computer sound card had midi capability, but maybe not.  I only use midi for drums, so it there a simple way to work around this.   Thanks for any help.

You can pick up a cheap MIDI interface and it should then connect to the computer via USB.
 
It's been ages, so I don't recall prices, but they were certainly inexpensive way back then.
 
Bob Bone
 

It is possible to directly enter MIDI data into the Piano Roll View.
The PC keyboard can functions as a virtual MIDI controller here is how http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/2991556
Or as Bob points out buy an inexpensive USB connected controller.

midi is really confusing to me - so I look for a usb midi controller at the music store.  I install it on my computer, then sonar recognizes it as my midi input - right?  I actually thought that the cheap soundcards that come with computers had midi, but maybe not.
Thanks
David

A USB MIDI controller usually does not require any software be installed on the PC. A controller makes entering MIDI data easier. It seems like there is some be confusion between MIDI input with playback. All PCs can play MIDI data using the built-in MS GS Wavetable synth but this is not necessary as SONAR provides better soft synths for MIDI playback.

sjhscoach
midi is really confusing to me - so I look for a usb midi controller at the music store.  I install it on my computer, then sonar recognizes it as my midi input - right?

You only need a MIDI input if you want to use a controller, keyboard, or electronic drumset to enter your midi information.

MIDI is simply a data protocol that is sent to whatever generates a sound.  Think of MIDI data as a robotic drummer or piano player.  Each midi note tells the MIDI playback device (external keyboard/softsynth) what note/drum to play as it moves along the timeline as well as how hard to play it and how long to hold down the key on things like a piano based instrument.  MIDI makes no sound in and of itself, only the device it sends the info to makes sound.  In Sonar, any MIDI information is played back internally by a Softsynth, (TTS-1, Rapture, Addiciting Drums etc.).  Those softsynths are assigned an AUDIO output (the chosen channel of your UMC device) so you can hear them through your speakers.

Again, not having a MIDI input or output showing in Sonar is fine unless you have an external Keyboard, Drums or Controller you wish to use for input.  If you have that, the interface allows them to "talk" to SOnar and input or record the MIDI data.  For output (what you hear the data actually played by) you have softsynths already in SOnar and they will link to the midi tracks as the MIDI output device.  If you wanted to use an external synthesizer or hardware sound canvas, you could instead route the "MIDI Out" to send info to that device via a MIDI interface (usually USB connected these days) but it sounds like you are just wanting to hear the MIDI data played back by the sonar provided softsynths.

Here is a link to a very informative page to help you understand how MIDI works.

http://tweakheadz.com/how...home-recording-studio/