Hi again folks, it's the newby Sonar guy again.
I've managed to get Sonar 8.5 to use Cakewalk as standard, for playing my Midi files. Thanks for all your info, it was a real benefit to me. Having got my headround more of Sonar, I was wondering how I change Cakewalk tts-1 instruments. For example, if I open one of my midi files using Sonar and I set Cakewalk as the soft synth( I don't use an external sound canvas), how could I select a different bass, or a different piano to trigger within the soft synth? This might sound a daft question again, but please bear with me. I've been a cubase/ Roland virtual synth person for years........curse windows 7!!!

On the MIDI track, set the output to the TTS-1, select a channel (1-16), select a bank and then select the patch. 

daveny5


On the MIDI track, set the output to the TTS-1, select a channel (1-16), select a bank and then select the patch. 

I thank you for your knowledge and wisdom!!! I apologise for being very slow, I'll get there mate. Davy

Hi again mate. This process seems to work with other instruments, but not with the drums. I select as instructed, but when I select a different kit, it makes no difference to the drum kit sound. Any ideas why?

Another way to change patches is to leave the track bank and patch as none, then open the TTS-1 and click the name of the instrument near the bottom of the window. If you haven't changed it, it should say Piano. After clicking the name a box will open where you can select a patch from a list that includes all the banks.

Changing the patch for drums may not give you much different sounding drums if you're sticking to basic sounds like kick/snare/toms/cymbals. Some of the sounds are different but may be on different notes.

To add a question as a respons to the answers from Dave and Chappel. If you change the instrument settings, will it stay that way or will the program change in the SMF make them change back again?

(not worked with SMF yet, but probably will some day)

Rudo

If you open a SMF it will already have patch events inserted. If those are not removed they will be used by the track. You can remove them in the Event List View. Clicking an icon for an event type will hide/show it. So by clicking all the icons for all the event types except patch change you can easily spot and remove them.

Chappel


If you open a SMF it will already have patch events inserted. If those are not removed they will be used by the track. You can remove them in the Event List View. Clicking an icon for an event type will hide/show it. So by clicking all the icons for all the event types except patch change you can easily spot and remove them.

Thank you for making that clear!

Rudo

I have set up to use a Banjo sound in channel 2 of TTS-1.  No matter what I do, the TTS-1 sound reverts back to the original patch when I hit play.  I have deleted all controller events from the even list.  And I can't find any place to change the channel or patch in the track view.  How can I get the sound changes to stick?

At the top+right of the track header list there is a drop-down control that chooses which control-widgets will show up in the track headers. Try 'All', and then expand the track header for your banjo track. Then you'll probably see the bank and patch widgets that show the original patch.
 
Generally, when opening a MIDI file, patch/bank settings before the notes will populate the bank/patch widgets in the tracks. So they won't show up in the event lists.