Sonar, Kontakt 5, and Akai LPD8 controller - getting them all to work together

Hi. Have you checked this site / plugin? If I understand correctly, it will show you what controller sends / recieves which message. http://www.azslow.com/index.php?action=downloads He is a fellow SONARian, and made this especially for SONAR. Others may know better.
All the best.
 

obiwanshinobi30

• Set up the LPD8 as a controller surface in Sonar (per this article: https://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Knowledge-Base/2007013035/Setting-Up-a-MIDI-Device-as-a-Control-Surface-in-SONAR)
• I went into the controller surface settings and didn't see anything applicable to change for what I'm trying to do, so I left those settings as-is.

These 2 are MUTUAL EXCLUSIVE. You can either setup LDP8 as a MIDI Controller for the instrument (f.e. Kontakt) OR as a Control Surface for Sonar. But not both at the same time (that is in fact also possible, but more complicated).
 
* So, remove anything from "Control Surfaces" preferences.
* Check that Sonar recognize LPD8. For that, create a MIDI track, record arm it, start recording. Press buttons, turn knobs. Stop recording. Check Views/Event list. Do you see some notes and CC recorded? If yes, Sonar see LPD8 correctly.
* If nothing is recorded: check that LPD8 Input is checked in Sonar MIDI preferences, re-check LPD8 settings, try re-install drivers, etc. Till you can record MIDI events comming from LPD8, nothing will work. Chapter 20 in the Sonar reference guide (2000+ pages PDF) is corresponding documentation for Sonar.
 
If you can record MIDI events from LPD8, it is up to Kontakt to use incoming information. Check that the mapping is correct (you can use "Event list" to see what each controll is really sending). May be read Kontakt documentation.
 
For controlling Sonar (I repeat, if you do this, you will no longer be able to control Kontakt, at least not the same way), check Chapter 40 in the Sonar documentation.
 
In case you have success with both approaches and conclude you want more (or want understand how it works) and you are ready to invest some, you can start digging my site for explanations and solutions.
 
 
 
 
 

You can set the track input to Omni (that is default). In that case all controllers are targeting the track.
 
If you record several tracks simultaneously, that can be problematic. In such case you can try to setup "All Inputs/MIDI Ch. X" where X in the channel of LPD8 and avoid that channel in controllers feeding parallel tracks.
 
Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell Sonar that you want the input from a subset of controllers (I mean more the one but less then all). Theoretically it is possible to do with external MIDI software, where you can "combining" some devices so Sonar see them as one.