hello,
 
noob question here.  I've just bought a midi for my teenager and am hooking it up to his ypg-235 keyboard.  we don't have external speakers to it's low budget setup I guess.  what I'd like to do is have the output from the midi / keyboard go to the laptop.  I've got the laptop hooked to the midi with USB, then the keyboard is hooked to the midi with whatever cable the store gave me.  when I play the keyboard, I see stuff happening on both the midi and the sonar xi le software gui; however I hear no sound.  I've gone to control panel / sound and on the "playback" tab chosen "speakers / headphones" which is what the laptop uses for sound. unfortunately this doesn't work and now I'm at a bit of a loss.
 
any comments appreciated

Midi is not sound,  it is data that represents which keys you are pressing on your (midi) keyboard.
 
To hear any sound you need to send that data (inside Sonar) to a "soft synth",  that's a synthesiser written in software that creates the sounds for you.
 
Insert one of those in a Sonar track.  Tell Sonar to use the computer speakers.
 
This is all the basic stuff you should be able to learn by reading the basic getting started manual.

Karyn,
 
thank you for your response.
 
>> This is all the basic stuff you should be able to learn by reading the basic getting started manual.
I have no manual.  the sonar software I have is OEM and came with a Roland Quad Capture Midi that I purchased.  I have googled some videos on youtube and have been reviewing these; but have not seen anything that touches on what you're suggesting.
 
can you take me a bit further along the path?  I've added a synth track.  when I did that, I only had 3 options for adding which included "cakewalk sound center", "si-drum kit", and "square I".  not knowing any better, I simply chose the "cakewalk sound center".  assuming this is correct, how do I now tell it to use the computer speakers?
 
thank you for any further help you can provide.

any thoughts from anyone?

You probably do have a manual, you just don't know where it was installed, try a search for files with name "Sonar*" and look for a pdf. You might get better information by providing more information. I am guessing you bought an interface from Roland and had the LE version as a freebie. If it is X1, as you indicate, much of the material in the Sonar X1 reference may be applicable.
 
Try looking here:
https://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Knowledge-Base/2007013228/SONAR-X1-Documentation
 

Is the version "SONAR X1 LE" and which version of Windows are you running?
 
As mentioned above, MIDI data is merely note data and requires something to convert that data into audible sound. In Windows XP, the generic Windows "GS Wavetable Synth" can be chosen as the audio output, but that vanished from subsequent Windows versions. It seems that your version is LE, as you do not have Cakewalk's "TTS-1" (pg. 1248 of the English manual above), which is an internal general MIDI synth.
 
The YPG-235 has its own speakers, so that is the preferred playback. Within SONAR X1 LE, you can record MIDI, but would also need to have the YPG-235 play this data (choose the YPG-235 as the MIDI output in Preferences). Alternatively, you can have SONAR record the audio from the YPG's audio out/headphone out into an audio file. You may have to select WDM, or even MME as the "driver mode" within SONAR X1 LE's audio preferences.
 
FYI (and something to consider), SONAR X1 LE is an old version of SONAR, and did not have patch updates released for it. If you register that, you qualify as a "registered customer" and can upgrade to SONAR X3. This is something to consider, especially since X3 is a newer and much more capable platform than X1 LE was.

>> SONAR X1 LE is an old version of SONAR, and did not have patch updates released for it. If you register that, you qualify as a "registered customer" and can upgrade to SONAR X3
 
I did not know this.  appreciate the heads up.
 
>>Try looking here:

 
thank you.  also helpful.

First, welcome David.
A few thoughts to help you on your way. Yours is a fairly typical first post. You have a lot to learn, but you have the world's best support team right here. But we need accurate information from you to for us to give you the aswers you need.
Learn the correct terminology. For instance, what you initially referred to as a "midi" is actually an audio interface that has MIDI ports. Just " interface" is fine. We know what that is.
This isn't entirely directed to you, but also to the new users who may be reading this thread.
Yes, read the manual. It may be a pfd on the disc.
However, the LE manuals are infamous for including stuff that you do not have.
The tutorials for using soft synths refer to TTS-1, a general purpose GM synth that is not included with LE. This has led to much confusion and frustration. To an extent, Sound Center will work for the tutorials, but it bahaves differently, and you will have to wing it for a bit.
With the synth in focus, hit F1 to bring up a specific help file. That may not work, but it should.
Using the computer speakers will completely defeat the purpose of having the Quad Capture. Your laptop speakers are driven by the internal sound card. It is physically impossible to get the sound from the Quad( or any interface) to the laptop speakers. The sound has to go to to external speakers. Monitors would be ideal, but that unused home stereo in the attic would get you going.
Expect a somewhat vertical learning curve for a bit. Then the pieces start to fall into place, and it gets really fun.

thank you Bob for all the pointers.  it's much appreciated.