Newbie Question - Best Way to Add Drums to Sonar LE? Now with Session Drummer 2 Issues.

Cakewalk's Session Drummer 2 is available as a download for $9.99 right now. It's been my standard for a few years, and at that price, it's a no-brainer.
It has plenty of basic patterns to get you started, and you can also build your own drum tracks (as MIDI tracks) inside Sonar LE.
For some examples of what it sounds like, check my Soundclick page.
Strolling with the reaper and Stiletto boots use SD patterns.
Celebration and Donna Michelle feature drum tracks played using a keyboard.
Hope that helps.

Yes, you insert it as a VST in Sonar LE. The procedure is the same for all VSTi's (virtual instruments). Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy.
Read the help files included with Sonar LE. It's a fairly deep program, and the help files will answer many questions you will have. I know it's a bit daunting at first, but take your time, and learn it little by little.
I've been doing this five years, and still learn new things all the time.
Keep it fun, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

That's correct. You don't absolutely need a keyboard, but as you get farther into this, you may want to get one.
You can create your own drum tracks using the Piano Roll View in Sonar.
Insert SD2 and select:
MIDI Source Track
First Synth Audio Output (or alternatively All Synth Audio Outputs-Stereo)
Synth Property Page (this is the GUI)
In the SD2 GUI, select a Program (this is the drum set you will be playing, and you won't get sound until a program is loaded).
In your MIDI Source track, select Drum Map as the Output, and select Session Drummer 2 from the dropdown menu.
In your toolbar, click Views>Piano Roll.
You should see the Piano Roll with names for all of the drums.
Select the draw tool, and click on the PRV grid where you want drums to sound.
After a bit of practice, it should start to make sense.
The drum track in Black Wind was entered this way (it uses a different synth, but the idea is the same).

Okay, I think I followed your instructions fairly well. However, when I select a kit as my output, my MIDI controller stops working. Is there a way to use the MIDI controller in the piano roll view or should I be doing something else since I have a MIDI controller.

I've never used Session drummer, but like in all sample based drum VSTs I've used, I suppose you should drag the beats to the MIDI track, not audio track. If you want a clip to repeat when stretched, you must turn it into a Groove Clip first.

I've never used LE, but those problems you describe seem very strange to me. I've never witnessed nor read about such. You haven't given us you PC and soundcard specs, that's usually the basic info when asking questions.

I hope an experienced SD2 user chimes in.

Here's a link to a SOS article about SD2. Maybe there's some additional help
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr07/articles/sonarworkshop_0407.htm

Ok, you have lots of questions.
First, don't panic. You have stepped into some fairly complex software. Sonar LE doesn't have the fancy stuff, but it is still Sonar. Most of us felt like we were in over our head at first. It gets better, really.
I'm going to try and pick off your questions one at a time.
If anything is not clear, please ask more questions.
Your biggest hinderance is that LE does not have the documentation and tutorials that other versions have.
1. Insert SD2 (or any soft synth) with a MIDI Source Track, and at least the First Synth Audio Output.
Think of SD2 as an external sound module.
The MIDI Source track sends data to the synth (SD2).
The Synth Audio Output is a return. This is how the sound from the synth gets to Sonar.
When you drag your patterns from SD2, drag them to the MIDI track.
Whichever pattern is hilighted (A-H) will be the one that is dragged in.
2. You don't need to convert the patterns to groove clips. They already are. Note the corners are clipped. This is a visual cue that the clip (pattern) is a groove clip, or loop. Hover your cursor over the right edge, click, hold, and drag to the right. You will see the pattern repeat.
PRV questions:
1.I'm not sure about the zoom tool, but at the lower right corner of the PRV, you should see magnifying glass icons with(-+). Click on these to expand the view horizontally and/or vertically.
2.Velocity and volume are not the same thing. Volume affects overall loudness. Velocity affects timbre, and is essentially how hard you hit the notes. You can adjust the volume in the GUI. Click on the drum icons in the GUI, starting at the bottom, and move up. Do you hear how the sound changes? That's velocity. Velocity comes from the MIDI data being sent to the synth from the MIDI track.
In the PRV, find the toolbar icon for Show Controller Pane, and click that. The PRV will show a split view, with the notes at the top, and velocities at the bottom. Expand the PRV horizontally, so you can easily discern the indivudual notes. Select the Draw tool, and drag across the velocity lines.
3. You don't change tempo in the PRV, or any individual instrument. Think about that for a minute.
If you have several instruments in a project, would you want to change the tempo on only one?
The tempo is changed on a project level.
You can change it using the BPM in the transport, or the tempo tool.
4.It's possible you have scrolled out of range. The drums are a limitted set. Do you have the SD2 Drum Map selected as the output of your MIDI track?
I realize that's a lot to absorb. Take your time, and if you need clarification on anything, don't be afraid to ask

Also, I really appreciate the help.

Make sure you are dragging the clip to the MIDI track associated with SD2.
The color doesn't matter. It is arbitrarily generated.
The tempo problem you are describing has me a bit baffled. Everything should be locked to the project tempo(BPM).
Have you been able to drag the loop out so it repeats? You should see a visual representation in the MIDI track.
Also, hit the stop button in the SD2 GUI( I forgot that part)
I'm going to have to sleep on this. We're missing something basic, but I'm not sure what it is.
In the meantime, trace your signal path. Let me know what you see ( or don't see)

One small thing:
You don't need to have any tracks for the soft dynth you're about to insert. When you insert soft synth, the tracks are created.

That tempo-mess sounds really weird. How it sounded on the video played back in the track view was like a crazy quantization or a snap-to-grid setting gone crazy.

You say you can't change the tempo. What happens if you write the new tempo on SONARs tempo pane?
Is the projects Meter/Key-signature  set to 4/4?

Missing midi-notes are sometimes due to a setting in "Midi buffers>prepare using ***." Raising the buffer size keeps the notes
audible. But I don't think that's the cure in your case.

Your soundcard (the lack of a proper one) could be a part of the problem, but most likely  it's not the actual cause. 

You mention "max. 8 Gb RAM supported" You're not using a 64 bit OS, are you?

Are your Recording and Playback Timing Masters the same?

Here's another video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkTAUG6jkjI

The first bars play correctly, but when the first looped section starts it just kinda "dies." Then I scoot it over and it plays with nothing there. I have no idea what is going on here.

Sorry to keep posting so much, but I am really trying to figure this out on my own. I'm getting antsy.

Anyway, it is definitely a sound issue, not a tempo issue. I just inserted a beat, and it played correctly the first time, but on the loop it only played the snare drum. I deleted the tracks and went back into Session Drummer, but couldn't get any sounds. Additionally, after I deleted the track, I could hit a key on my MIDI controller and see the sound levels jump up, but no sound.

Also, I completely uninstalled and reinstalled both Sonar and the Session Drummer. Nothing changed.

On the bright side, at least it's not me. Like I said, I'm very good at reading and learning, but this was just frustrating me. However, the free time is giving me time to mess around with the NanoKey, which is fun.

I notice that you drag the clip into the track settings area.  Try just dragging it into the track.  I don't know if that'll make any difference or not, but it's worth a try.

Might also be worth checking the drum map to make sure it's not on some convoluted set up (not likely but possible).

So I may have hit on part of the problem, and Robert alluded to it earlier.  When you have SD open and you hit play it will play whatever loop is loaded in SD if the 'play' button (|>) is lit up.   If you leave SD open you can see it playing.  After you drag the loop over press the 'stop' button in SD so it's not lit up.  (And yes, I think that's a little quirk but not a big deal and maybe a good reason to do it that way.)

So, when you have the start bar at the start of your loop BOTH the midi track and the SD drum loop are playing so it sounds louder if they line up then softer after the SD stops playing its loop.

Hmmm, I think you missed my point.  When you drag the clip to the right and it still starts to play even when it's not to the clip then that's exactly what I'm talking about.  Watch the SD window and you see it start to play.  Now try pressing the stop button in the SD window (the button with a square on it).  Now press the space bar to start Sonar playing and you won't hear the loop until it reaches the clip on your track.

I tried doing a screen capture video to show you but it didn't come out well.  So give that a shot and see what happens.