Recording Midi - RESOLVED

OK, I've done the tutorials related to MIDI, and I still have a question. When I play a sequenced accompaniment on my Yamaha DGX-500 digital piano, I notice that there is a tract with the midi data, and another track which is created that allows me to play back the tract. Unfortunately, these tracks only play back on my keyboard. Is there a way I can use the sequenced accompaniment and be able to record it so that it plays back in Sonar 8 withouth having my keyboard attached, without having to assign soft synths from Sonar 8? Also, if my accompaniment has say, drums, bass, piano and strings in the sequence, is there a way for me to record each instrument to a separate track in Sonar so that I will be able to edit each track? Or, will it just record the sequence with all the instruments to one tract?

I don't know. I'm very new to all this midi stuff. I from the old school where everything was tapped live. I also have a 3.5 floppy on my keyboard where I can save sequences. When I play back from the floppy, it doesn't go thru the midi out, so I guess I would have to use the line out to my audio interface. I dom't like that idea beacause it would record all the sequenced insturments to one track and then I would not be able to edit them individually. I was wondering if I played the midi track, along with the midi audio track, which then plays on the keyboard, if I could bounce both midi and audo tracks to one track that I would be able to play back on Sonar.

According to the manual: http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/emi/english/port/DGX500E.pdf you can save the Song as SMF Format 0, which will put all the data onto 1 track. If your DAW has a floppy drive, you can transfer/open it with Sonar. But then you'll need to separate that 1 track into separate tracks for each instrument. There should be a CAL script to do that.

If you can find out if the Sequence can send MIDI out during playback, then you can record that MIDI data directly in Sonar.

I do understand the difference between midi and audio. My question is if I am using a midi keyboard to play back a sequence, how can that be saved to a track in Sonar without assigning a softsynth? If I have a mid track(information) and and audio track (actual sound), can I bounce both tracks to one and be able to record both the audio and midi on one track and have the sound recorded from the keyboard and not a soft synth?

Hi Ken-

Assuming your Yamaha sequence has drums, bass, piano, etc. set to output on different MIDI channels, you can set up separate MIDI tracks in SONAR to accept input on those individual channels, and then you can record the whole MIDI sequence in one pass. (What MIDI interface are you using, BTW?)

To record the audio from the Yamaha, you'd have to record each instrument on its own pass unless the Yamaha has multiple audio outputs (and your sound card/interface has multiple inputs). That's assuming you want each instrument on its own audio track, of course. IMO, there's no point in recording the audio from the Yamaha at this stage unless you're already completely satisfied with the sequence. That would defeat the purpose of having/recording the MIDI tracks.

HTH-

-Susan

Hi Glen-

A softsynth doesn't have to be used at all, assuming there's an external sound module/instrument, and if I understand the OP correctly, he's talking about recording the MIDI and at some point the audio from his external instrument ("without having to assign soft synths from Sonar 8").

I agree that the Tutorials are woefully out of date. It's just as bad whether they assume a softsynth or a hardsynth as the audio source. The documentation on converting MIDI to Audio does break down the options, but IIRC (not able to access them right now), the Tutorials still don't.

-Susan

Ok, when I play back my Yamaha keyboard, the midi has all 16 tracks.  How do I separate this before recording?  I was also told that if I record this to one track, that I should be able to separate to single tracks afterwards.

Hi Ken-

Select the MIDI clip, then click Process > Run CAL (you'll have to expand the menu by clicking on the little arrows at the very bottom to see it). The CAL you want is "Split Channel to Tracks". Give it a track # to start with (one higher than the last used track is fine) and click OK. You'll get one track for each of the channels.

-Susan