Hi! Yesterday I started working with Sonar Platinum after 6 years of using Logic Pro 9. So coming from another DAW it's normal to look for workflows I was used to in LP9. So far I found everything I needed except for a good way of handling Midi clips.
 
For example I record a short drum loop with Addictive Drums via Midi keyboard. When stopping the record, I shorten the clip by grabbing the end of the clip, so it has the desired length. (Step 1) It snaps to the grid. Now I don't want to copy and paste the clip because it takes a long time to fill the song with it. I found the Loop function which changes the appearance of the clip (the corners get cut) but when I expand the clip by dragging it always adds the part of the clip that I (thought I) removed in Step 1 so it's not in sync anymore. Is there any easy way to destructively shorten the clip without changing the clips properties or using the step sequencer and change the number of beats there? Something like "trim to 4 beats" or "remove everything behind the last note".
I hope my English isn't too bad and you get my problem. :)
 
Thanks in advance
Mike

Try 'Bounce to clip' and or 'Apply trimming' after Step 1, before you set it as a loop.
 
(Personally I don't bother making MIDI clips into loops because Sonar doesn't reflect changes made in one instance of the loop in other instances - but maybe that doesn't bother you. Just be aware of it!)

Kylotan
(Personally I don't bother making MIDI clips into loops because Sonar doesn't reflect changes made in one instance of the loop in other instances - but maybe that doesn't bother you. Just be aware of it!)

Oh ok. That's a bummer. Well maybe I should record the clips and add them to my midi clip collection and drag and drop them as I need them then.
 
But for drafting purposes, rendering them to an audio clip should be sufficient. "Apply trimming" probably removes all space before the first and after the last note?

Yes.

If you want changes in one MIDI clip reflected in copies of it, you need them to be 'linked' copies. I think ctrl-click-dragging creates linked copies, if I remember correctly. That's what I do with all my loops, since Groove Clips work unintuitively for this.

Kylotan
If you want changes in one MIDI clip reflected in copies of it, you need them to be 'linked' copies. I think ctrl-click-dragging creates linked copies, if I remember correctly. That's what I do with all my loops, since Groove Clips work unintuitively for this.

CTRL+Clicking where? On the clip and moving it or one end of the clip and dragging? That would be the perfect solution. :)

Ctrl-click on the middle of clip and drag it to create a new copy that is linked to the first.
 
If I need a lot of copies (eg. a loop that extends for the length of the song), I'll drag one copy to make 2, then select both and drag-copy to make 4, then 8, etc. Not as convenient as stretching out a Groove Clip by dragging the end, but I need my loops to be consistent.

You may be looking for groove clip looping? Just trim the midi clip to the length you want (I suggest setting snap to gird to bar langth), right click on the clip and choose 'groove clip looping'. Now when you grab and extend the right side of the clip the groove will repeat.

Yeah, he was aware of the ability to change a clip to a loop and I covered the trimming in my first reply. The issue is that if you expect each repeat of the loop to stay in sync when you edit one of them, Groove Clips won't do that.

Kylotan
Yeah, he was aware of the ability to change a clip to a loop and I covered the trimming in my first reply. The issue is that if you expect each repeat of the loop to stay in sync when you edit one of them, Groove Clips won't do that.

I am not so sure - re-read the first post. OP states the problem is when he extends the clip it restores the sections he wanted deleted rather then repeating the loop. That doesn't happen when you activate groove clip looping correctly - that is its purpose.

The problem you are solving was not the OP's original query. I think it may have been introduced in your post. Could be wrong of course:)