Step Sequencer Help

Are there any videos that dive deep(er) into the step sequencer? Every video I've seen uses Session Drummer and nothing else. I'd like to know more on how to use it with other applications. Do I have to use it with a plug in/instrument only? Can I use it with, say the "One Shot" audio clips that come with Sonar? I could make some amazing beats if that was the case (but it doesn't seem possible). If there is a way and somebody could show me that would be great. Or, is it possible to output multiple sounds from multiple sources? Say I like a kick on a Motif patch 1, but a snare on Motif patch 22, and Congos on my Motif Rack ES patch 5, and some thundering drums from Stormdrum. Is it possible to bring all of these sounds together? Or am I dreaming? Thanks guys.

Session Drummer would work.

I am pretty sure if you do some research in making SFZ files you could map multiple samples and play them back using SFZ, Dim Pro, (or even Rapture which would add some wild processing capabilities!) Upside - you could assign more samples to a single "instrument", one downside is you would lose the multi channel output of session drummer 3

If I was going to do it I would probaly use Kontakt, but that would require you buying another program

SGodfrey, that was a good video, but I noticed he used the Session Drummer library files(.sfz files?) to load the crash. I wonder if it will work with the One Shot files (.wav files?) included with X2, too? It's not necessary but it would be cool to be able to choose whatever sound I want (no matter where it comes from--VST, MIDI instrument, Wave file, etc.) to load into the step sequencer. I guess I'll have to experiment with it more. Also the Session Drummer. Also thanks Glyn, I will keep that in mind. And stay safe Bob!

One shots will work in Session Drummer but you can only load one sample per pad. The matrix view might be a better solution for playing one shots or as others have said, spend a little more time and build up some sfz files to load in DimPro, Rapture or Session Drummer. Simple sfz files are easy to construct in a text editor and you have a lot of examples included with those three synths. Here is a little documentation about the sfz format http://www.cakewalk.com/D...e/article.aspx?aid=108

Thanks for all your help guys. Sure enough, I tried it out last night and the one shots do work. I just didn't realize you had to do it through Session Drummer (so much to learn). Hey scook and Karl, I don't know if I have the constitution to start diving in that deep lol! ;) Maybe I will though...

You can use the step sequencer to control anything that's controlled by MIDI and has an available MIDI input in Sonar, not just Session Drummer - you just route the track to the chosen synth's MIDI input and load step sequencer on that track.

Works with hardware MIDI gear as well, of course.

What it can't do is play audio directly - it outputs MIDI only, like the piano roll. You can convert step sequencer to MIDI clips and, with some limitations, vice versa. Basically it's another way of editing MIDI to the piano roll, that's set up to create the kind of regular, quantised patterns hardware (step) sequencers produce.