This feature request is related to midi loop recording . Say I'm recording a drum part using my midi keyboard with loop mode enabled. I would like to layer up parts. The first pass is the kick drum the second pass is the snare and the third pass is the hi hats and so on. Even when sound on sound mode is enabled I end up with three midi parts stacked on top of each other. Meaning I have to glue them all afterwards in order to merge them. So what I'm suggesting is that there should be an auto merge recording mode for midi. I'm really surprised Sonar doesn't have this. Every other DAW I use allows you to merge midi when loop recording. In fact Cubase has had it since the days of the Atari STE so has Logic when it was called Notator/Creator. So does Samplitude and Studio One.
 
Regards
Marty
 

Big +1

I just got a reply from support an he said this : 

For the 'MIDI Merge' type of recording, you can go to Edit > Preferences > Project > Record and set the Record Mode to 'Sound on Sound'.

Well I tried this X3 and nothing gets merged, the part just get stacked on top of each other. So maybe this have been fixed in Platinum. Could someone check for me?
 
Thanks

I've just tried it in Platinum and it's still the same as expected. The support must be mistaken.

Thanks for testing Tak. Seems that support don't even know there own product as far as this (non) feature goes.

Without knowing how you described the issue to Support, it's hard to say whether they "don't even know their own product" or whether they just didn't understand that you're more concerned about the visual presentation of clips than the audible result. Historically, "merge" just means combining two or more MIDI data streams into one. Sound on Sound recording and playback of layers does that.
 
 

I want to take it a step further. This should be a function of the step sequencer. In fact, this should be exactly what the step record function of the step sequencer should do. it should be what Sonar does with ease.
 
"Cakewalk, please allow the "step record" to run freely as if you pressed play and allow us to tap pads on our controller to enter beats onto the sequencer."
 
I don't understand the logic of the step record function staying in place until you tap, then only moving to the next step. Who creates beats like that? Not only would making this change be a small but great added feature, but it would allow us to connect electronic drums and record directly into the step sequencer. Recording into midi is OK, but I'm more of an old school guy and would love the ability to use Sonar like a traditional 808 or 909. It seems like a very simple feature request that would go along way to home studio producers having fun rather than doing work. 

I agree there should be a MIDI merge function. I've gotten used to just lassoing the stacked clips and selecting "bounce to clip" so it's not that much of a workflow bummer, but it would be a whole lot tidier if there was a specific option for it. 

Of course there are times when MIDI merge is not what you want and having individual clips is advantageous. Let's say you record a hat pattern in loop mode and quantize it to 32nd notes. Then you record a kick pattern in loop mode. You may want to quantize the kick differently, to 8th notes. Because the kick is in a new clip on top of the stack, it's easy to just select it and quantize it separately without affecting the hats you've already quantized. 

sharke
I agree there should be a MIDI merge function. I've gotten used to just lassoing the stacked clips and selecting "bounce to clip" so it's not that much of a workflow bummer, but it would be a whole lot tidier if there was a specific option for it. 

Of course there are times when MIDI merge is not what you want and having individual clips is advantageous. Let's say you record a hat pattern in loop mode and quantize it to 32nd notes. Then you record a kick pattern in loop mode. You may want to quantize the kick differently, to 8th notes. Because the kick is in a new clip on top of the stack, it's easy to just select it and quantize it separately without affecting the hats you've already quantized. 

I definitely agree @sharke. There are times when recording takes as individual clips is useful but there absolutely needs to be a toggle feature that allows us to record within the same midi clip. If I play a pattern and want to just redo 2 bars in that pattern, Sonar creates a new clip on a new take lane. If I record a controller, that's another take lane.  I can get around the take lanes by record enabling the lane that has the original midi on it. But that doesn't solve the issue described in this thread. Which is creating multiple clips when recording on overlap.  

Bouncing to clips is a huge time suck for me and kills my work flow. But's it's necessary because I don't want a 16 bar phrase on 5 or 6 different take lanes. 

Bumping this FR hoping it will be implemented soon. I'm still finding it awkward working without auto merge.