Stereo vs Mono tracks in Addictive Drums

Let me know if you find an easier way.  I ended up using mono tracks with seperate tracks for L + R for the m ain and overheads.

Ir shouldn't matter how you open AD, i.e. if you open it with all stereo tracks, just use the interleave button to switch the ones you want to be mono, to mono & likewise if you opened them all as mono, just switch the ones you want to be stereo, to stereo.

Hmmm...

I selected stereo for this option and allowed AD to create its outputs... Then I edited the input manually re selecting each as a mono track. I also created a dew extra tracks to handle the splits. When looking thru the input selections I found that as soon as I switched one to mono, new selections became available finally giving me three choices for each left/right/stereo... Si that I ended with mono tracks for each drum, a single stereo track for overheads, another single stereo for room, and a third for the buss which can be used for a stero out of something... For example, I could use 4 mono outs for the 4 toms, or assign the toms to location/volume to appear in the buss thu giving me one stereo out for the 4 toms... Of course I saved it as a template and I can now quickly decide which way to route the toms for the current need...

My biggest issue with AD for this aspect is that when positioning cymbals in the stereo overheads, you must reduce the width to move its location. I'm guessing they were recorded as stereo samples and this creates some oddities when the reduced width vs. location sound... But it's workable... All in all it allows for quite a bit of latitude in drum mixing...

My only real issue with AD is the lack of drum names in the PRV (see other thread)

Keni

AD should retain settings that were saved in the template. You can always save presets within AD as well. The rest I'm not quite sure what your asking.
 
If by "balanced" you mean the kit mixed the way you want, then your asking an entirely different question with a  different technique.
 
I have worked a basic balanced meter setting for my template. I do this by manipulating the midi track though. I like "total" control over the drums so I write my drum parts out first. Once they are finished I split each drum to it's own midi track. You can use a "split notes to track" cal to do this. Caution though! Always clone the original midi drum track and archive it. It's best to have a backup in case something goes wrong.
 
I have a "drum split and name" cal, that I got from someone her on this forum, and I use that cal. It works for me as I write my drum parts in standard GM (general midi). Once all the notes are on their own track I select the tracks I want to have a certain volume and right click on one of the selected midi clips and process midi velocity. I have general ways for single tracks or groups that I use. You'll have to find your own way to do this. It takes a few times but goes faster as you keep at it.
 
That is just my way to do this.
 
You can leave all the drums on it's own track and edit the notes velocities in the PRV view as well. You would do this by clicking on a note on the keyboard on the left of the PRV. That selects all the notes, say C for the bass drum, for that track. Then click/hold on a note and move the mouse up or down and adjust the volume for the bass drum. I may not be explaining this part to well since I don't really use it.
 
I prefer all the tracks to be individual. If I need to make volume adjustments within the midi tracks (each kit piece) I still use the PRV but it can be a bit more time consuming. Briefly though.
Make notes where and how loud/soft I want each section
Split the midi clips and process each clip to where I want.
In the PRV, make the crescendo/decrescdo adjustments.
 
Crescendo/decrescendo adjustments are easier with single tracks. You can draw them much faster as a single track.
 
I hope this made sense.

I guess I wasn't clear:
- What I've lost is that the AD audio no longer seems be routed through the individual tracks in the Sonar track folder that I set up. The drumset audio mix appears  in the master, but the meters and sliders in the individual track controls don't work in Sonar. So I've lost the individual track control in the Sonar console that I'm trying to achieve.
 
- Is there any information on exactly how this routing is set up? The synth/MIDI routing in Sonar has always been mysterious to me...it's obvious in SI tracks, but in track folders, I am confused by:
MIDI (Content in track folder)-->Synth (e.g. AD)-->Individual channels (Sonar Console)-->Track Master Bus
...this is how it worked when I set up the original track that I <export> to <Track Template>
 
When I set up a new track in a new project with the track template, it works like this:
MIDI (Content in track folder)-->Synth (e.g. AD)-->Track Master Bus  (that is, I lose the local Sonar control of individual channels
 
I check and the individual channels in my track folder still are set up to get their input from Addictive Drums, but that connection doesn't seem to be operational.
 
Does anyone know where that routing gets enabled??

I figured it out...it is very logical and provides a great deal of flexibility. In the AD synth panel, each of the output channel strips has a button in the lower left of the strip labeled <OUT> . When this is lit blue, that channel is routed to any Sonar track that has chosen it as an input, and mutes the feed of that channel into the AD Synth Panel <Master> channel. It's actually very cool and useful as you can audition and solo within AD easily, but have complete volume and output control in Sonar!
 
So I have set up a track template with Kick, Snare,..., Tom 3, Tom 4, as mono channels, and Overhead, Room and Bus (the insert bus) as stereo channels. For the final 'coup de gras', I set up a separate Sonar bus and routed all these channels to Sonar, so that I can run the overall drumkit volume sub-mix up/down. Everything is available and all the mysterious changes going on are gone. Different presets come up with different settings (maybe from my previous screwing around...gonna fix that when I find time). But for now, I have a couple of good kits set up in a track template, complete with a fully labeled Step Sequencer starting pattern. 
 
I learned this by....reading the manual...DUHHHH