Crg: I've spent some time with it. That's why I'm here. I've spent hours and hours poking around trying to get it to work. I figured out Vegas on my own. I imagined I could do the same with CW. I was wrong and I don't like poking around and trying to figure things out when I'm failing to figure them out. That's a waste of time. Thanks for the heads up about the plugin manager. I'll go poke around and see if I can figure out how to redirect my plugin manager to SD3. Thanks much. You've been a big help.

doncobb


I would love to find some "Get Started" videos to teach me how to get Session Drummer 3 to work. I can't find anything. I'll try googling it and see if there's anything on YouTube I guess.

There are many get started videos for SD3 and SD3 has numerous drum loops-samples. It doesn't sound as if you've spent any time with it. You have opened the SD editor? You can't expect it to work like Vegas. If you're getting SD2 you upgraded from a previous version of Sonar and you need to redirect your plugin manager to SD3.

lorneyb2

doncobb


I would love to find some "Get Started" videos to teach me how to get Session Drummer 3 to work. I can't find anything. I'll try googling it and see if there's anything on YouTube I guess.

The following is a copy of my answer from another post where you asked the same question.

Have you watched the Drum Master class at Cake TV ..?  The second session will likely answer your question above but it would be a good idea to watch the whole thing.  Just over half way through the second watch closely what he clicks on and drags(the little note icon on the right side of the midi box) and where he drags to. 

Link for Cake TV  http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=2056253

Thank you. Sorry to bother you with the same question a second time. (I forgot to quote your post the first time I replied. I don't see any option to delete my last message or I would have deleted it. Sorry about that, too.)

Have you done a rescan of the vst plugin     ( Tools -  Cakewalk Plugin Manager - SCAN VST PLUGINS) .  When you said you you tried to import did you use the above method.  The import button in the Plugin manager is for presets only. 

Well, Soundcard has become a kind of generic description for Audio Interface. An audio interface that goes into a slot inside your computer is a card. What you have is an external audio interface. But anyway, your device should work fine as long as you are using the latest drivers for your operating system. That's the first thing you should check... download and install the latest drivers.

Sonar may not recognize your audio interface until you run the wave profiler in Options>Audio. Have you done that yet?

If you set up a project and then change the driver more or other settings you may have to reassign the audio outputs. Is there any way you could post screen-caps of your Audio Options tabs? Especially the driver tab. Until we rule out settings that may be in conflict it's hard to get past that. That is usually the culprit with problems like yours.

If you click on the Session drummer(not Session drummer 2)  in synth rack what does it come up with?

doncobb

lorneyb2


If you click on the Session drummer(not Session drummer 2)  in synth rack what does it come up with?

Clicking on the synth rack, both 2 and 3 are listed. It's the plugin manager that doesn't list 3 and our friend Craig said that's where Cakewalk finds it's default setting. I can't get SD3 to show up in the plugin manager. Only SD and SD2 and it's SD2 that comes up automatically. Look, I figured out how to do it manually. If you don't know an easy fix, I'm not worried now that I figured out how to access SD3. I'm more worried about figuring out how to access and edit loops so I can put some freaking songs together and produce some more music! LOL Thanks for your help thus far. Anything else you've got is welcome.

If you're opening an existing project with SD2 in it, thats what you will get. You need to delete SD2 from the project, insert SD3 into the project. Save the project. In the plugin manager there's a line that shows the computer address of the plugin you have highlighted. It will say SD2 or SD3 in the line. You need to delete SD2 from the plugin manager. Close the manager. Close out the project, save if it asks you. Reopen Sonar, reopen the project, reopen the plugin manager. You should have SD3 in the plugin manager at that point. I think that's the way I got SD3 into an existing project and got the plugin manager to see it and not SD2.
For some reason it seems if you have an existing project with SD2 in it, SD3 doesn't list in the plugin manager. Try that, let me know. 

Crg

doncobb

lorneyb2


If you click on the Session drummer(not Session drummer 2)  in synth rack what does it come up with?

Clicking on the synth rack, both 2 and 3 are listed. It's the plugin manager that doesn't list 3 and our friend Craig said that's where Cakewalk finds it's default setting. I can't get SD3 to show up in the plugin manager. Only SD and SD2 and it's SD2 that comes up automatically. Look, I figured out how to do it manually. If you don't know an easy fix, I'm not worried now that I figured out how to access SD3. I'm more worried about figuring out how to access and edit loops so I can put some freaking songs together and produce some more music! LOL Thanks for your help thus far. Anything else you've got is welcome.

If you're opening an existing project with SD2 in it, thats what you will get. You need to delete SD2 from the project, insert SD3 into the project. Save the project. In the plugin manager there's a line that shows the computer address of the plugin you have highlighted. It will say SD2 or SD3 in the line. You need to delete SD2 from the plugin manager. Close the manager. Close out the project, save if it asks you. Reopen Sonar, reopen the project, reopen the plugin manager. You should have SD3 in the plugin manager at that point. I think that's the way I got SD3 into an existing project and got the plugin manager to see it and not SD2.
For some reason it seems if you have an existing project with SD2 in it, SD3 doesn't list in the plugin manager. Try that, let me know. 

May I ask you one more thing, Craig? When I deleted SD2 from plugin manager list, closed the project and reopened it, I had no sound and had to reboot my computer to get sound back. Also, when I let Sonar languish (not give it any attention) and then come back to it in 15 minutes or a half an hour, there is no sound and I have to reboot the computer to get it back up. I've tried rebooting my sound card (I use Line6 Pod X3 Live as my external sound card) but that doesn't do it. I have to reboot my computer to get sound back. Do you know how I can fix that? What a pain in the ass that is. 

Update: I've been digging around, closing the project and reopening. Still, when I go to select a kit, it's offering me SD2 kits, and no SD3 kits. That is, I'm in the SD3 folders, but on the right it lists only "Session Drummer 2 kits", no SD3 kit option. I'm having a real navigation problem with Sonar. 

I know you can't do this for me. But clearly, I won't be recording anytime soon, it seems. I guess I have to just watch these videos over and over until I get it. The videos are showing me things I don't have in my view. It's showing me how to reduce the input gain, but I can select all of my drums, but there is no input gain that I can see. Only output. What do you suggest for someone like me, Craig? Seriously, what do you suggest. I'm a smart enough guy. I don't do drugs (19 years clean). Where would you suggest I start in order to get a working understanding of this program? 

BTW: I just figured out that I have no midi input gain because I haven't hooked up my keyboard to the midi cables, only coming in through my Pod as an audio input. I can hear drums without my synth plugged in. I wanted to use SD3 for loops, not for midi. Oh well. I'll set up my midi. I thought softsynths were supposed to fill the gap for people who don't have synthesizers. I just have to spend some hours dinking around, I guess. If you have a suggestion as to where a new person who is totally unfamilar with Sonar 8.5 Producer should start, I'd love to know. Thanks.

I do see that the "Session Drummer" listed in the plugin manager is SD3. I can see the path. Thanks. 

I'm just working with my band right now, and trying to rough-draft record a bunch of my original songs so they can familiarize themselves with them before we re-record them. I was hoping to use Sonar for this, to familiarize myself with the program. Damn, it's nothing like Vegas at all and I know nothing about this program at all.

I've saved a bunch of Sonar how-to videos on YouTube. I just immerse myself in them I suppose until I get a general understanding of how to use drum loops and SD3. I'm clueless.

Thanks for your help, Craig.

Crg


Hmm, I don't know. Is it only that project you lose sound on?

I lose sound on the whole program. Rebooting brings it back. If it's not familiar to you, it's probably something on my end.

travtek

doncobb

Crg


Hmm, I don't know. Is it only that project you lose sound on?

I lose sound on the whole program. Rebooting brings it back. If it's not familiar to you, it's probably something on my end.

Don for what it's worth you might try reloading the drivers for your audio interface (sound card), run some system registry scans for repair, basic PC maintenance stuff to try to remove the hickup.  I have had Windows Updates wreck my PC and luckily I had System Retore enabled to where I could just roll back to a previous 'snapshot' of the Opersating System.
 
You almost need to have a dedicated PC just for use as a DAW then unplug it from the Internet to keep it contained (from automatic updates, malware, viruses, etc.)  It's drastic but something to consider. 
 
Hopefully you are not using the PC for gaming as it wrecks any productivity potential (time, system resources and the like).  If you need to be entertained get a freestanding game console (Wii, Playstation, etc.) Not saying you do game but for those that read this comment may game and it is a factor in how healthy your PC remains...especially if network gaming.

Thanks, man. I'm going to make this computer solely my recording facility. No, I'm not a gamer. It seems, though, that using a browser for YouTube seems to steal the audio ability from Cakewalk. I'm going to disconnect this computer from the internet. Thank you.

PRAISE REPORT! I went back where I was told to, to the YouTube SD3 vids and learned and applied all that I needed to know (so far). I laid down one full song, with three different drum parts (intro, verse, chorus/lead break and ending) and just laid down my first guitar part and I am ROCKIN' NOW! I'm telling you, I'll be done rerecording this EP within two weeks, I'm guessing. Thanks for your patience, all who helped or were bothered by my questions.
 
I still don't understand why I get those odd midi note when I open the program or start the song. If you can help with that, that would be great. Thanks. Happy new year to all of you!