Hey Kids,
So I just started using Sonor Artist (Great software) and I am having trouble with my archaic midi devices. They just won't talk to Sonor like they are supposed to. They are being very disrespectful and downright rude.
 
Promise not to laugh.... Okay... I have an Alesis SR-16 Drum Machine and a Yamaha D-5 Keyboard (circa 1984) and I'm using a Midiman 4x4. They all appear to work fine and Sonor sees that they are there.
 
I'm running the SR-16 on Midi Channel 10 with Clock in-OFF and Drum in-ON V1. Sonor sees it fine and let's me record parts..... sort of.
I'm running the D-5 set to Channel 1.   I've got my Bass coming from the D-5 on Channel 7 and other keyboard sounds coming from channels 2, 3, 4 ,5, etc. Sonor doesn't recognize the D-5 but allows me to use D-20 settings and I get all the same patches.
 
Now the fun begins.  While I can step record with the SR-16 or Smpte start the drums to record, two things don't happen. 1-I don't get any of the patches of the SR-16 that I've selected. If I select Hard Rock drumset in the midi settings on Sonor, all I get is the Rock 1 drumset. Regardless of what Sonor shows that I've selected, all I get is Rock 1.  Thing 2 - After recording is complete, I get nothing on playback. It obviously recorded, but it won't playback what was recorded. I've turned off the Clock, turned on the clock, all the midi ports are set correctly with the Midiman... I don't get it.
 
Keyboard issue:  Regardless of what patch I select, input, output, Midiman port or Keyboard channel I select, I'll either get nothing OR I'll get the same patch regardless of which one I've selected.  If I select Acoustic Bass in Sonor, the Keyboard display will show that I've changed it to Acoustic Bass and yet all I hear is a Brass patch.
 
Bratty Midi devices will be the death of me. 
 
Your witty knowledge and expertise will be greatly appreciated. 
 
Make much music and stuff.
Ted

 
Hi Ted,
Welcome to the forums.  I don't have any Hardware-specific suggestions for you - me not being a midi hardware user, but I'm confident others will chime in shortly. 
 
One tip:  Put your system specs in your signature (See mine for an example).  This will help others troubleshoot, and it ultimately saves a lot of time as the basic questions about your system will already be answered.

Am I to assume that you only have the devices connected VIA MIDI cables?
 
Where are the "patch" sounds located? On the devices themselves? Or is there software that you installed on your computer that has the sounds?
 
The reason I ask this is because if you are trying to use the onboard sounds of your MIDI devices and only have MIDI cables connected... well you aren't going to get any sound because MIDI does not transmit sound. Only MIDI data. You would have to have an audio output from the device connected to an audio input on the computer as well.
 
In that set up you would be recording live audio from the device. You would at the same time, if hooked up correctly, be recording the MIDI performance too which could then be used to be sent BACK to the device where the performance triggers the sounds on the device and then gets recorded via an AUDIO output into an AUDIO track.
 
Basically you need to record the onboard audio no matter what if you want those onboard sounds.
 
Now what you REALLY want is to use the devices to trigger a "softsynth" (software synth) inside the computer. Then the MIDI will make sounds without the device connected. SO the MIDI performance goes to the "softsynth" which has virtual audio outputs that go to audio tracks in Sonar that allows you to hear the performance.
 
So for drums you would want to use a drum synth like SessionDrummer3 or Addictive Drums (both of which come with Sonar). For keyboard/synthesizer sounds there are a TON of softsynths/virtual instruments that come with Sonar to choose from so just pick the most appropriate one.
 
But... if you truly want those old school onboard sounds on the devices themselves you have to record them as audio from an audio output on the device (whether for the live performance or from a MIDI track).
 
 
If you already have that set up figured out and this is just about the worng patch being selected on the device from your MIDI tracks in Sonar... well maybe the Patch/Bank system or messages aren't being read properly or set up properly. Like even though you have manually set the patch on the device because you have not set the track in Sonar to use that patch/bank it is forcing the device to switch to whatever the default is. So essentially Sonar says "Go to Bank 1 - Patch 1" because you have not set it to do otherwise.
 
All guesswork on my part but might give you some things to look into.
 
Welcome to the forum.

CORRECTION
Roland D-5 Keyboard
 
Yes Beepster, I connected via Midi cables. However I do have 1/4" audio cables running from each device back to the Alesis Multimix 8 USB FX and that is pumping the audio to my Alesis Speakers.
 
I'll try and assign the output as the software generated sounds for both the SR-16 and the D-5.  I'm really only using the sounds from the drum machine as a placeholder while I record my guitar and vocal tracks.  A real drummer will be providing the real drum sounds later.  As goes for the bass....  maybe. If I can get the bass to sound the way I want I'll forgo the live musician.  
 
What I find very odd is that prior to using Sonar Artist I was using Cakewalk Guitar Pro and it all worked great and with no issues.  The downside to that software was that it wasn't all that great with handling direct audio.
 
I'm going to try and use the Sonar plugin's for drums, bass and keys.  Just to clarify one thing though.  I am getting the midi data through.  All of my tracks have the midi data and the piano roll shows my notes.  Once I can get the sounds squared away I'll be good to go.  It's just really hard to play guitar when you are hearing a brass band where there should be a lone bass player.
 
I'll keep you all posted.
 
 
 

I see you answered some of my questions already as I was composing them (including that the D-5 is Roland, not Yamaha).
 
A little clarification on what tracks are in the project, and what their I/O port/channel assignments are will help, but I think the following might be part of the problem:
 
In order for the patch/bank setting in the track header to set the synth correctly, you need to have a forced output channel set in the CH field of the track; have you done that?
 
Likewise, if you're recording or step-recording MIDI as channel 1 events (check the event list), you'll need to have a forced output channel set to re-channelize those events to match the desired receiving channel on the synth.
 
 

If the drum sounds are just a placeholder it'd probably be much more efficient/less problematic to just use one of the drum programs that come with Sonar (Session Drummer or Addictive Drums). That way the signal isn't having to bounce back and forth and you won;t need as many cables (just the MIDI out from the device... no MIDI in or audio cable).
 
For the synths... unless you REALLY like the onboard sounds the same would be true for your keyboard and I bet you could find much better (or at least very similar) sounds in the included synths.
 
BUT... yes what you are attempting should work. I'm guessing you just need to really dig in and make sure the right messages are getting sent to the right banks and all that fanciness. Check out the Reference Guide entries on how to set up the MIDI tracks to send to specific banks on your hardware. There are dropdowns on the tracks (and in the Inspector) that allow you to make those types of settings. It's bit convoluted for me because I'v enever done it but all the controls are there.
 
The hardcore/oldschool MIDI guys should be able to help you more with that. There may even be MIDI standard issues in play due to the age of the devices (I think that was around the time MIDI was just becoming standardized so maybe your devices need some extra TLC to make them behave properly).
 
Cheers.
 
PS: Listen to brundlefly (who posted while I was typing). He be smart, yo. ;-)

Beepster
PS: Listen to brundlefly (who posted while I was typing). He be smart, yo. ;-)

Maybe more importantly, he be old-skool (note Roland D-110 and RD-300s still in use, and there's an MC-500 around here somewhere). 
 
To give a quick example of what I would would expect to see just for the SR-16:
 
- D-5 sends on channel 1 by default, and you haven't changed the output channel.
- MIDI track has Input set to D-5 port, channel 1.
- Output is assigned to SR-16, CH is 10, and both bank and patch are set in the track header.
- Input Echo is enabled on the MIDI track, and the track is armed to record.
- Audio track is set to receive input from the SR-16 and output to Master bus, and also has Input Echo enabled.
 
- When you start recording and hit a key on the D-5, the MIDI Note On/Off events come in and get recorded as channel 1, but are re-channelized and echoed out to the SR-16 on channel 10, which responds by sending audio that's echoed through the audio track in SONAR and heard in your monitors.
 
- The patch change message is sent to the SR-16 on channel 10 every time you start the transport, whether for recording or playback. The SR-16 responds as expected, and plays the correct kit sounds both while recording and on playback.