• SONAR
  • Help required with x3
2014/07/23 00:11:51
kidsinglish productions
Hi, I upgraded from sonar 8.5 to x3 several months ago but haven't managed to get it working and figure out how to use it.
Here are my most urgent issues (in order of priority) - I wonder if anyone could help me solve them.
1. In 8.5 cakewalk TTS and roland groove synths were my main workhorses for midi recording (I do children's music - so perfect set of sounds). However when I insert in x3 these synths don't have any soundbanks/instruments - just a horrid generic synth sound. How can I solve this problem?
2. How do I insert a new midi tempo part way through a piece of music - I don't mean a new tempo for the entire piece, just from bar x. There was a little box you could click on in 8.5 but there's nothing there in x3
3. There is no save button in x3 (in all previous versions of sonar there was one very obviously there). So how to I get one and save a project?
4. There is no undo button in x3 (some remarks as in 4).
5. Anyone out there used 8.5 or earlier versions of sonar? Very simple layout. Each track running horizontally from left to right across the screen. Tracks stacked vertically one on top of one another from top to bottom of the screen. At the far left of every track a small box you could right click on to insert plug-ins. Also, near bottom of the screen, a similar set up for the Master and bus tracks. How do I get that in x3? I don't use a console or understand/need lots of little boxes with meters everywhere (if I want to fiddle with a plug-in I double click on it and adjust settings that way).
Here's how I operate: I insert softsynths/midi tracks one by one, building up my instrumental. Then insert audio tracks one by one to do my vocal recording. Insert a few buses for reverb etc. Mix the whole thing down. Can anyone tell me how to do that/set this up in x3? Been using sonar as my main recording tool for over a decade (and am a professional musician - so earn a living from this). I've been through the intro videos that came with x3 - not much help. And there doesn't seem to be any manual (as there was with sonar 3) that explains the basics (where the save button is, etc.).
There are lots of other things I want explained but the above would get me started. It's 3+ months since I bought x3 and still can't use it. Frustrating.
 
2014/07/23 00:29:36
Teds_Studio
I'm not in the studio but I will answer as much as I can from memory.
 
kidsinglish productions
Hi, I upgraded from sonar 8.5 to x3 several months ago but haven't managed to get it working and figure out how to use it.
Here are my most urgent issues (in order of priority) - I wonder if anyone could help me solve them.
1. In 8.5 cakewalk TTS and roland groove synths were my main workhorses for midi recording (I do children's music - so perfect set of sounds). However when I insert in x3 these synths don't have any soundbanks/instruments - just a horrid generic synth sound. How can I solve this problem?
 
Not sure on this one...I've never used roland groove synth but have used TTS and it has always worked fine.  I just click on the default "piano" sound and it brings up a dropdown of sound banks.
 
2. How do I insert a new midi tempo part way through a piece of music - I don't mean a new tempo for the entire piece, just from bar x. There was a little box you could click on in 8.5 but there's nothing there in x3
 
Go to "View" and then Tempo map
 
3. There is no save button in x3 (in all previous versions of sonar there was one very obviously there). So how to I get one and save a project?
 
Most all of Windows hot keys work in Sonar X3.  CTRL+S is save...CTRL+Z is undo...CTRL+C is copy...CTRL+V is paste...etc.  Not many people seems to need a save button...just get in the habit of using the hot keys.
 
4. There is no undo button in x3 (some remarks as in 4).
 
See above.
 
5. Anyone out there used 8.5 or earlier versions of sonar? Very simple layout. Each track running horizontally from left to right across the screen. Tracks stacked vertically one on top of one another from top to bottom of the screen. At the far left of every track a small box you could right click on to insert plug-ins. Also, near bottom of the screen, a similar set up for the Master and bus tracks. How do I get that in x3? I don't use a console or understand/need lots of little boxes with meters everywhere (if I want to fiddle with a plug-in I double click on it and adjust settings that way).
Here's how I operate: I insert softsynths/midi tracks one by one, building up my instrumental. Then insert audio tracks one by one to do my vocal recording. Insert a few buses for reverb etc. Mix the whole thing down. Can anyone tell me how to do that/set this up in x3? Been using sonar as my main recording tool for over a decade (and am a professional musician - so earn a living from this). I've been through the intro videos that came with x3 - not much help. And there doesn't seem to be any manual (as there was with sonar 3) that explains the basics (where the save button is, etc.).
There are lots of other things I want explained but the above would get me started. It's 3+ months since I bought x3 and still can't use it. Frustrating.
 
It is frustrating at first...but once you get the hang of you will really love it.  Using the "Inspector" window is really helpful for seeing all the parameters that was to the left of the track pane in Pro Audio 9.
 





2014/07/23 00:37:01
scook
5. Check the Track Control drop down
 
In the illustration below from http://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR%20X3&language=3&help=Views.02.html below the area in the red box in the Track view, the drop down labelled "Mix" controls what is visible in the track and bus strips. Set it to "All".
 

2014/07/23 00:47:56
kidsinglish productions
No help, I'm afraid. Soundbanks for Cakewalk TTS (and roland groove synth) don't work.
 
Is there a save button or undo button? You mean in the days of the computer mouse and touch screen I HAVE TO input some combination of key strokes on a qwerty keyboard. Surely that's a move back 15 years or so. When I'm playing the keyboard (or singing into the mic) I don't have time to stop what I'm doing to type instructions into a qwerty keyboard. At most I have one hand free to hit the mouse (on a save, record, undo) button.
 
Anyone else out there able to help me?
2014/07/23 00:48:23
ShellstaX
To expand on @Teds re TTS-1 ... presets should be selectable by clicking on the instrument name on the bottom right of each channel. The default piano would be expected.
 
See at 50 seconds in at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQzpHPvWSnk
2014/07/23 00:54:15
scook
If you must have buttons for save and undo install Duckbar http://www.sonarmods.com/forum/index.php. Register to download. Although it sound more like mapping the functions to MIDI shortcuts may be a better idea.
2014/07/23 01:12:22
ShellstaX
Regarding GrooveSynth presets ... you should be able to simply click on the LCD display (center top) to choose the presets.
 
Perhaps there's an issue with your DXi presets install/location/pointer otherwise(?).
2014/07/23 03:03:23
Kalle Rantaaho
kidsinglish productions
No help, I'm afraid. Soundbanks for Cakewalk TTS (and roland groove synth) don't work.
 
Is there a save button or undo button? You mean in the days of the computer mouse and touch screen I HAVE TO input some combination of key strokes on a qwerty keyboard. Surely that's a move back 15 years or so. When I'm playing the keyboard (or singing into the mic) I don't have time to stop what I'm doing to type instructions into a qwerty keyboard. At most I have one hand free to hit the mouse (on a save, record, undo) button.
 
Anyone else out there able to help me?




I think that there's so much stuff on the screen, that those buttons are a waste of space. Once you get used to using hot keys you'll surely notice it's actually much faster than aiming at the buttons with a mouse.
I'm using 8.5 still and I never use those buttons, always keys. Actually, I didn't know the buttons are absent in X-series.
When you're playing a keyboard I can't believe there's any difference whether you reach for the mouse and start aiming or for the qwerty. You don't need to "write instructions", it's one click, one finger on Ctrl and the other on S,C,Z or V ... At least for me it's 2-3 times faster than using the mouse. And the good thing is, those combinations work in most all programs in Windows.
Also, you may have a VST UI open which covers the buttons, and you have to move it first etc.
2014/07/23 03:23:18
kidsinglish productions
okay, I'll give hot keys a go if you think it's faster.
Major issue for me is the fact that Cakewalk TTS and Roland Groove synth (the soundbanks) definitely do not work. This is after 3 months fiddling around - and the reason I still use sonar 8.5. I wonder if cakewalk tech support ever view these forums - I can't seem to get them to reply to requests for help.
2014/07/23 06:46:10
robert_e_bone
1.  The Cakewalk folks - senior folks - are very frequent participants in this forum, and even more frequent readers of posted threads.  They have been seen at all sorts of times that most sane folks are sleeping.  They are well-respected for their willingness to invest of themselves as extremely helpful members of the Sonar 'community'.
 
2.  In addition to the are free included tutorials that you seem to have already worked through, there are bazillions of free videos posted by Cakewalk and all sorts of other people, on top of the product documentation and these forums.  There are also well-written version-specific books on Sonar, as well as videos for purchase, on all aspects of using Sonar.
 
3.  CTRL+S = Save.  CTRL+C = Copy.  CTRL+V = Paste.  CTRL+Z = Undo.  These are standardized Windows key combinations for accomplishing those functions, and are much faster than using your mouse to do the same.  There are also standard File and Edit menu tabs at the top of the screen, and other Sonar-specific menu buttons, as well.  Available shortcuts are also shown in those menu drop-downs, so if you were to have clicked on File over the past 3 months, you would have seen not only the Save function, but also its shortcut.
 
Screen real estate was completely redesigned in the 'X' Series of Sonar, and some buttons are either completely removed, or are moved to other pane-specific menu buttons.  The above key combinations have existed in Windows, and most applications that run in Windows, for over 25 years now.  Sonar 8.5.3 had ZILLIONS of shortcut keys to perform functions, and learning all of those was a bit like attending Hogwarts, but Sonar has followed standard Windows all the way through for normal shortcuts, and the black arts of the other 8.5.3 shortcuts were greatly simplified with the X Series.
 
4.  As far as tempo change goes, you can also click on Project>Insert Tempo Change, to insert one at any point in your project that you wish, and you can have as many of these as you desire.  All of the tempo changes present in a given project are shown in the Tempo Map, where you can both view them and change/insert/remove them as desired.
 
5.  Nobody else is reporting sound bank issues with TTS-1, so your issues are almost certainly a result of the steps you are following, or some other problems local to your computer.  It would GREATLY help us to help you, if you were to list your computer specs in your forum profile's 'Signature' section, (you can use mine as a model at the bottom of this post. or someone else's if you would rather), and if you also posted a reply with the detailed steps you follow to insert an instance of TTS-1, the associated tracks, etc., we may be able to help you figure out what is going on.
 
6.  The 'Normal' project template for X3 has the Browser Pane visible, on the far-right side of the screen, and if you click on the 'Synth' button at the top of the Browser Pane, you will see the Synth Rack.  You can add/remove/tweak synths directly from the Synth Rack, and this is covered completely through the product documentation, the videos, the books, and these forums.
 
7.  An example of the sort of things covered in the documentation is the new 'Comping' feature.  Here is a link to Sonar documentation that covers it:
 
http://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR%20X3&language=3&help=Arranging.41.html
 
I would suggest you read through and learn how to use that, as it will reduce the need for fumbling for your keyboard or mouse to control the transport controls, and is a VERY useful and powerful set of functionality.
 
I, and likely others in this forum, will look forward to your posted reply with more information about your system and about the detailed steps when inserting soft-synths, such as TTS-1, so that we can help you get past your current problems in getting presets and general sound to 'work'.
 
Bob Bone
 
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