cannot record cakewalk sound center

midi does not display a waveform. midi is data. 
if you freeze or bounce the synth midi it will
then draw a wave since it becomes audio.

Time to do the basic tutorials or read the manual about soft synths..

I assume it's MIDI you are sending to SONAR from your keyboard, if you see level meters moving during record. How have you connected your keyboard to computer?
If you are recording on a MIDI track, do you see data recorded there when you go to Piano Roll ? You don't actually tell us anything about your routing and such, so we have no idea how you are trying to record.

Guitarhacker


I will check that tut, although i reviewed the one concerning recording with sound center ...
I am using the onboard keyboard. There is nothing hooked up to the computer...just using the software.
So, using the software keyboard resident with sound center .... i armed the channel ...it is red ... I hit record .... the channel turns reddish .... it is advancing ...I can hear the tunes I am playing on the keyboard ..but nothing is recorded ....

I can try to redo the drivers for the sound..its onboard motherboard..I do not have a dedicated sound card ... so that may be the limiting factor.
 
Go here>>>>  http://www.cakewalk.com/CakeTV/Music-Creator.aspx

This is links to some videos for MC6 but the principles are the same. Watch the one on MC5 Instruments.... it might help you understand it a bit. 

Midi gets recorded in the same way you described... get the routing correct... so you can hear the music when you press the key.... then arm the track and press the record start button. 

The midi data will record into the midi track.  When you stop and click PLAYBACK... you should hear the same notes replayed ..... you will not see any wave forms.

Omni simply means the software is "listening" on all the midi channels as opposed to a specific mid channel.  It can also send on OMNI as well. No problem there. 

I'm wondering too if the sound card you are using may be causing some problems..... not set up right or not using the correct driver.... but you said you could hear the music from the synth playing through the computer and through the cakewalk sound center..... 

Oh.... you can record in a sense in that manner BUT you do not arm the track and play the notes like you would with a keyboard attached. 

You must use either STAFF VIEW or PIANO ROLL VIEW (PRV) and you simply "write" the notes in by clicking on the staff or PRV with your mouse. You can drag notes around and build chords and do all sorts of things.  You do not need to arm the track to use this method. It is slower to work this way but it's a very workable solution if you don't have a keyboard/controller. 

I have heard one fellow here who built an entire symphonic production around this method.... it was about 5 minutes long and quite amazing. violins, cellos, double bass, horns, percussion, the entire orchestra....really a nice piece of work... kinda wish I knew where to find it to let you hear what CAN be done using the "point and click" method of composing. 



ADD: set the tracks up so you can hear the synth sound when you click the keyboard..... now highlight the synth midi track and select VEIW.... choose PRV or STAFF. Clicking on either should insert a note AND you should hear it play.  Proceed to build the part you intend.  PRV and STAFF are slightly different and everyone has a preferred one to use. I like Staff better because I was taught to read music on a staff. 


You can edit by dragging notes right and left, up and down, change note values, add and delete.... so have fun.  

It is easier to enter notes with a keyboard.....

daaves


ok .. i will give that a try ..but it sounds very limiting to what i had intended. dont really want to buy a midi keyboard, interface, etc.
doubt i can return the software....but i think i will try

You can't return the software. I can't understand why you find it limiting to be able to draw exact note lengths and build chords in PRV or Staff view?? How did you think you could play chords with your mouse??  I don't think you can record the virtual keyboard in any VST, but I'm not sure. You can, most likely, find ways to record the audio produced through a virtual keyboard and MS Wavetable synth using recorder VSTs, but then you're not recording MIDI, but audio, and you should be able to play in real time with your mouse, which is impossible. 


It seems you expected something that can't be done, something that only existed in your imagination. Instead I recommend doing things the way all computer musicians do. That way you can get things done fluently and properly.

i had a software ... Mixman...which may be totally different concept, but you could play the software keyboard and record all sounds..synth, etc .... that is what I want to do...but that was some strange stuff to deal with.

It seems strange to me that I can play the keyboard in MC6 ...hear all the great stuff..but unable to record it. makes absolutely no sense to me.

I'm not interested in notes per se...mainly synth sounds that I want to use as background for video I produce. I need the sounds to be recorded.
any idea of software that can do this?

Just get a midi keyboard and be done with it.... it is so easy to use.   And they are available in stores really cheap. Or shop craigs list or Ebay for lower prices.