Please make *.cwp (normal) the default save fileformat !

I see nobody has responded to this post. I had a quick glance when it was posted and didn't think anything more about it. Guess what?!? I've just have exactly the same experience - a night's work down the drain. 
What an absolute...... .

At least I'll know in the future.

Grum.  

Actually it has worked out to my advantage as I was working in Sonar X1 64 and I realised too late that I really should have started in Sonar X1 32 due to rewire.
 
Always look on the bright side of life....
 
 
Grum.

It should work just like when you open an OMF file. The file gets opened into a CWP file.  So when you open a MID file, it should just get turned into a CWP file. Or make it an option to do that, for people who like the current behavior.  Does anyone like the current behavior?

kelsoz


Or, perhaps, an intervening dialog "are you sure you want to save as a .mid file?

I'm sorry to report that the above is not an interesting dialog.


Now something like "would you like us to give you your next version upgrade free?" would be an interesting dialog.

Does anyone like the current behavior?

Yes me, for reasons stated above. Why on earth anyone would want the file type changed automatically is beyond me. If I open a MIDI file I don't want it changing to a cwp file unless I tell it to change it by selecting "save as" - which I do sometimes but 90% of the time I want to keep it as a MIDI file.

I'm all for some sort of warning saying that the file you are about to save will lose some info is saved as a MIDI file (which TBH I thought you got anyway) but I sure don't want auto file type changing, that'll create chaos. There's plenty of users ready to moan that Sonar doesn't follow Windows conventions already without introducing more.

That's like opening a text file in word and it automatically saves it as a .doc file.

There's no way this "problem" would come up with actual, legitimate original work being done in Sonar.  The default format for a Sonar project is as a .cwp file.  What posters #1 and 2 are talking about is directly opening a MIDI file, a .mid file, and then swapping out the original instruments for various soft synths, and then being dumb enough, or--I suppose, inexperienced enough, to not know that a .mid file is a universal format which doesn't include proprietary data such as the particular soft synths used.

If you want to use .mid files found on the internet, you either need to import them into a project, or know the basics of Sonar enough to know how to save your "work."

I recommend actually writing some music yourself next time. 

Randy B.

rbowser


There's no way this "problem" would come up with actual, legitimate original work being done in Sonar.  The default format for a Sonar project is as a .cwp file.  What posters #1 and 2 are talking about is directly opening a MIDI file, a .mid file, and then swapping out the original instruments for various soft synths, and then being dumb enough, or--I suppose, inexperienced enough, to not know that a .mid file is a universal format which doesn't include proprietary data such as the particular soft synths used.

If you want to use .mid files found on the internet, you either need to import them into a project, or know the basics of Sonar enough to know how to save your "work."

I recommend actually writing some music yourself next time. 

Randy B.

Hmm, I'm not sure you can make that assumption about the posters who started this thread.  For example I know I did some work in Finale (a scoring program) a while ago and I saved off some of my files as MIDI files so that I could easily import them into other sequencers such as Sonar.  And after opening those files in Sonar it's easy to forget that it's still a MIDI file as far as format goes because within the user interface you are now working with all the capabilities of a Sonar Project File. 
 
Either way, not sure it's fair to cast opinions about anyone's smartness or otherwise, no?

rbowser


There's no way this "problem" would come up with actual, legitimate original work being done in Sonar.  The default format for a Sonar project is as a .cwp file.  What posters #1 and 2 are talking about is directly opening a MIDI file, a .mid file, and then swapping out the original instruments for various soft synths, and then being dumb enough, or--I suppose, inexperienced enough, to not know that a .mid file is a universal format which doesn't include proprietary data such as the particular soft synths used.

If you want to use .mid files found on the internet, you either need to import them into a project, or know the basics of Sonar enough to know how to save your "work."

I recommend actually writing some music yourself next time. 

Randy B.

Wow -- really? Totally uncalled for, IMO.

I'm with FBB on this -- I actually thought there was a warning when you tried to save a .mid file back with elements that weren't compatible with the format, and I think there should be.

There are plenty of times when I want to open a .mid file directly, and if it's so "dumb", SONAR shouldn't include it in the file types it opens (including "All Cakewalk", BTW). This came up with the orchestral shootout, IIRC, where some people were importing the trek.mid file into SONAR and didn't realize they were altering the original tempo.

I recommend not passing judgment on how people use SONAR next time.

-Susan

There's no way this "problem" would come up with actual, legitimate original work being done in Sonar

I beg to differ. I'll quite often write MIDI files for my live work which my Sonic Cell will play back from a USB stick. But if I need to make changes and hear them I usually insert something like TTS-1 just to get a 'preview' before saving it. My sonic cell is sometimes installed in my live rig so it's not always connected to Sonar.

If I think I'm going to need to change it again I'll also save the file as a "cwp" using save as but 90% of the time don't bother - and then usually regret it 2 days later.

FastBikerBoy

There's no way this "problem" would come up with actual, legitimate original work being done in Sonar

I beg to differ. I'll quite often write MIDI files for my live work which my Sonic Cell will play back from a USB stick. But if I need to make changes and hear them I usually insert something like TTS-1 just to get a 'preview' before saving it. My sonic cell is sometimes installed in my live rig so it's not always connected to Sonar.

If I think I'm going to need to change it again I'll also save the file as a "cwp" using save as but 90% of the time don't bother - and then usually regret it 2 days later.

Im happy you still use GM MIDI devices, but most of uses uses diferent softsynths and diferents external synths, tone generators, samplers or also diferents soundfont banks/instruments in my case, the point is..., you lose nothing working on cwp files, just a mouse movement, save as....we lose 60-90 percent of the work if no audio/synth data will be included in the file

carlosagm79

FastBikerBoy

Does anyone like the current behavior?

Yes me, for reasons stated above. Why on earth anyone would want the file type changed automatically is beyond me. If I open a MIDI file I don't want it changing to a cwp file unless I tell it to change it by selecting "save as" - which I do sometimes but 90% of the time I want to keep it as a MIDI file.

I'm all for some sort of warning saying that the file you are about to save will lose some info is saved as a MIDI file (which TBH I thought you got anyway) but I sure don't want auto file type changing, that'll create chaos. There's plenty of users ready to moan that Sonar doesn't follow Windows conventions already without introducing more.

That's like opening a text file in word and it automatically saves it as a .doc file.

Sorry, but your comment does not haveany sense, cwp includes all the MIDI information, plus audio, synths, automation and other Sonar Proprietary information, so you can always work on a cwp file as a MIDI file , but not vice versa, you always can save as MIDI at the end! 

I think it makes perfect sense. If I'm working on a cwp file or start a new one I expect it to save as a cwp file when I press save. If I open a MIDI file I expect it to save as a MIDI file when I press save, I don't expect it to auto-change the file type to cwp which is what I believe the OP is asking for.

I'd be mightly pi$$ed off if I worked on some of my MIDI files save them and then discover on getting to a gig that none of the changes are usable because they are in a cwp file.

I DO agree that some sort of warning should be issued but auto changing file types? No thank you.

FastBikerBoy

carlosagm79

FastBikerBoy

There's no way this "problem" would come up with actual, legitimate original work being done in Sonar

I beg to differ. I'll quite often write MIDI files for my live work which my Sonic Cell will play back from a USB stick. But if I need to make changes and hear them I usually insert something like TTS-1 just to get a 'preview' before saving it. My sonic cell is sometimes installed in my live rig so it's not always connected to Sonar.

If I think I'm going to need to change it again I'll also save the file as a "cwp" using save as but 90% of the time don't bother - and then usually regret it 2 days later.

Im happy you still use GM MIDI devices, but most of uses uses diferent softsynths and diferents external synths, tone generators, samplers or also diferents soundfont banks/instruments in my case, the point is..., you lose nothing working on cwp files, just a mouse movement, save as....we lose 60-90 percent of the work if no audio/synth data will be included in the file

I think you mis-understood me. I use TTS-1 as a preview device if my Sonic Cell isn't attached using GM but most of my files are set up to use the Sonic's own sounds. If you read the original post I believe the OP is asking that he doesn't need to select "save as" to change file format but it should happen automatically.

While that may be convenient for some it definitely doesn't suit me or make any sense at all, thanks very much.

Once you are using SOFTSYNTH or AUDIO...forget about SMF, or MIDI file...thats what hes talking about!

Some sort of warning if you are about to save a MIDI file with changes that aren't compatible is a great idea

+1

Auto changing the file type to cwp isn't a great idea, it's a very bad idea - that's what I'm talking about.

I understand your position.. if some kind of warning mechanism is implemented then I have no problem with the way how sonar handles midi-files.
You might also want to think about having *.mid in the export-menu instead in the "save"-menu, just an idea. In that case Sonar would underline it's dominance as a sequencer host with it's own fileformat.. just a small change, but since a lot of chances occured in the past..

I'd be satisfied with either way.. or leave it as it is..

Can someone with 8.5 still installed see how that handles MIDI files. I could have sworn blind that if you tried to save a MIDI file with say a softsynth inserted you'd get a warning. X1 doesn't give one, a bug perhaps?

Anyone?

Thanks. Perhaps a feature request is in order. Off to log one now.......