Step Sequencer (Update: Not working!) is there a way to see multiple tracks in one window?

I don't think this can be done in a similar way exactly. FruityLoops does it too, it's pretty amazing for those kinds of beats. Perhaps the closest you could come is make a kit in something like battery and send each sample to a separate output. You'd still drive it from one midi track but you'd have direct audio/plugin control over all the individual kit pieces.

I don't know if Session Drummer also does multiple outputs (hopefully it does), if so that'd obviously be a good choice as a "free with Sonar" option.

Wow! The Step Sequencer is not working at all! It appears to be underdeveloped and untested useless gimmick! 
 
1. If I am on MIDI Track 1, Kick drum, I enter 4 quote notes for the dance beat,
Then I am going on Track 2, I have to go to "View/ Step Sequencer". The new page opens in place of Track 1. Why cant it open in the new window? There is a way to have multiple windows for multiple views. If I want to open Piano Roll, it opens second window and I can go back and force, but if I want 2 Step Sequencer Windows for 2 different MIDI Tracks, it can not do it.
 
2. If I was on Track 1 and entered 4 notes, and then I go on Track 2 and use View/Step Sequencer, it opens Step Sequencer for Track 2- clean, no note. Ok. But let's say I want to go to Track 1. I cant! If I select Track 1, Vies/Step Sequencer, it opens new window again and the notes I entered for Track one are not there. they play, I can see them on the Track view, but Step Sequencer does not have anything. Not the steps selection, not the note length, not the notes- nothing. It just new page! How do we suppose to use it? It would not even go back to window that has MIDI data!!!!!
 
Wow! So if I am using Step Sequencer, under no circumstances should I go to another MIDI Track and open Step Sequencer for that track because there is no way to come back to first track! This just ridiculous! Piano Roll for that track shows notes, but Step Sequencer can not open the same view it had a minute ago!
 
What I would like to happen: Minimum requirement:
1. be able to come back to the track I am working on!!! What in the world! How else can it be used?
2. Be able to open more than one instance of Step Sequencer in different windows, just as if it was another view window.
3. Be able to open different MIDI tracks in ONE window to see it aligned on top of each other.
 
Thank you. 

vladasyn
Hey there
I was watching videos on Sequence Hip Hop Beat Creator http://www.bigfishaudio.c...e-Hip-Hop-Beat-Creator and thought it looks almost identical with Sonar, minus the ability to load multiple instruments.

It is not at all identical. What you may not realize about Beat Creator is that it's a Kontakt 5 library, not part of a DAW. It is designed to use its specific set of samples to accomplish a specific task. You won't find a piano roll view, MIDI FX, a transform tool, etc. This does not mean it is "inferior." It simply means that the designers wanted to do something that generally, DAWs don't do. 
 
So, the reality is that SONAR will do everything Beat Creator can do. All you need to do is get the free Kontakt player, insert that in SONAR, then load the Beat Creator library in Kontakt.
 
As to step sequencing in SONAR, you can't dock multiple step sequencer clips in the dock. However if you double-click on a clip, the docked view will remain the same but the data in the dock will change. [Edit: actually I was wrong, see scook's post below]
 
The idea that you can't go back and forth between Step Sequencer clips is not true. If you double-click an SS clip in Track 1, it shows up in the dock. If you then double-click an SS clip in Track 2, it shows up in the dock instead of the SS clip in track 1.
 
The way I use the Step Sequencer (which in believe is its intended use) is to compose parts. After a part is done, I convert it into a MIDI clip by bouncing the clip to itself. When I want to edit the results of creating a bunch of step sequenced parts, I look at them in the piano roll view. If I need to return to edit the MIDI clip as a Step Sequence, which is rarely the case, then I right-click on the clip and select "Convert MIDI Clip(s) to Step Sequencer."
 
Also note you can Ctrl + drag & drop step sequences to other tracks. You'll probably want to right-click and select "Unlink Step Sequencer Clips" if you do.
 
SONAR's MIDI implementation is designed around the Piano Roll View. The Step Sequencer provides another method of creating MIDI data.

It seems that simply selecting a track, then clicking on Views > Step Sequencer will open a step sequencer for any track, or reopen an existing Step Sequencer for that track if work in progress exists.
 
Alternatively, double-clicking on the clip in the track will reopen an existing step sequencer view for that clip.
 
This makes more sense than a multi-out drum example, if you are trying to use more than one independent soft synth in their own instrument tracks.

scook

Anderton
As to step sequencing in SONAR, you can't dock multiple step sequencer clips in the dock. However if you double-click on a clip, the docked view will remain the same but the data in the dock will change.

Sure you can. It works like the PRV, right-click on the tab and Lock Contents then click on another clip or ALT+4 to open another instance of the step sequencer.

I stand corrected. Thanks as always, scook!