hey guys and gals. First post here, I've been a long long lurker and this forum has helped me a ton to know the ins and outs of sonar, but I'm having a problem here that I can't seem to rectify.

First, I've been out of the game for a few years due to a lack of space. Recently I've annexed one of my garage bays with some drywall and 2x4s and turned it into a mancave/studio. I acquired a box to run sonar in. It's not a blazing rig or anything but it's light years above what I was running. It's a dual core Athlon. I'm not sure about the exact system specs since I just got it and since it was generously donated to me, I've not had the chance to delve. I do know that it is insanely more powerful than the rig I was using 10 years ago with the same software. So hardware shouldn't be an issue.

Here's the way I have it set up:

Daw box as described above.
Analogue mixer.
MOTU 896HD
Connected via FireWire


Here's the meat of my problem:

I cannot get any sound out of any soft synth. I've tried everything that I know to do. It's been a few years like I said, so I am a bit rusty.

I've been experimenting with the tutorial file and here is what I've done:

Load the file.
Insert dxi synth
I've been trying to use vsampler.
MIDI track to bus
Bus input vsampler
Bus output to MOTU main outs
Mash the space bar....

Nothing. No sound.

What am I doing wrong here? I know there is probably some silly setting im forgetting about.

Can anyone stick me on the right track here? I'm pulling my hair out.

Edit:

Duuuurr.. Forgot to post the software. It's sonar 3.

Did you remember to load sounds into the sampler? You might want to start with something simpler, lie PSYNE II, and graduate from there. Or even better, load an existing Soft Synth Track Template as that will reduce the variables.
 
Also the MIDI track doesn't go to a bus...it should feed directly to the soft synth MIDI input. Don't worry, we'll sort it out...try the Track Template and see what happens.
 
By the way, I don't want to be a buzzkill but a dual core Athlon is not a very powerful computer by today's standards. You'll be able to make music and all that, but you'll run into its limitations fairly fast with complex projects...sorry...!
 
 

Thanks for the reply. Here is what I just tried to do.

I loaded a plane Jane normal template

Inserted a midi sequence into the track from sample content. The A major Pentatonic scale or something.

Midi 1
output (vsampler3 dxi2 synth 1)
Ch: vsampler 3 dxi2
Bank: bank 1
Instrument: 19

Vsampler
Input: vsampler3 dxi2 synth1 vsmastermix

Output: MOTU phones

Spacebar=no output

Wtf?

Ok I give up for the night. I'll try to tackle this in the AM. Here is a screen shot of what I just tried that didn't work. Any ideas and I'll take a look at them when I wake up.

I would, to get started use Virtual Sound Canvas.  Vsample is not all that user friendly. You need to load samples into it for it to work.  

Ok I'm starting back into this again.

I've just discovered that the edirol option is not listed...I've went through the install disc and i don't see it. Anyone know what's up with that? It's been so long that I can't remember what soft synth I used to use. So I dunno if it was ever there.

OK.

What you need is routing like this.

A MIDI track, which contains the MIDI (only MIDI, no audio).

An audio track with a synth in the fx bin.

The MIDI track's output pointed at the synth's MIDI input, which should show in the MIDI track's output pulldown menu.

The audio track should have it's output pointed to the master bus.

I'm not sure which version of Sonar you're using, but this should work.

Load a new project using the "normal" template. You should now have, amongst other things, a master bus which in turn sends to the soundcard. Go to the "insert" menu and select "soft synths" or to the browser's synth tab and click on the + button and pick a synth. I suggest one included with Sonar because it'll be easiest for the collective mind to provide help with one of them.

In the window that pops up choose the options for a MIDI track and first synth output (not instrument track).

That should create two tracks, a MIDI one and a stereo audio one with the synth loaded into the audio track. The routing should be set up correctly for you.

If you then enter some notes into the MIDI track using piano roll editor or step sequencer you should get sound out of the synth. If you are using a MIDI controller such as a keyboard you need to make sure Sonar has picked it up as a MIDI device and activated it, then select the controller's output port as input to the MIDI track. To hear it while you play you need to enable input echo on the MIDI track which should happen automatically when you focus on the track (unless it's been turmed off in preferences).

Working through the MIDI and soft synth tutorial sections in the help can be very useful when you're at the "how does it work" stage as well.