Can anyone help me with a set up question re using sequncers from Reaktor (eg, Spiral) with Sonar.
 
I want to have a Reaktor sequencer (eg, Spiral) run a soft synth.   I've been trying to add Reaktor as an effect but I get no sound this way, I guess I'm on the wrong road?   Should I add Reaktor as a soft synth on one track, then have my soft synth on another track, and if so what is the routing I should set (jjst cannot get it to work, but logically I think this way must be right?)
 
Thanks for any suggestions.

 OK so here's what you need to do. 
 
You need to add Reaktor as a synth. But even though you're going to be routing MIDI and not audio from Reaktor, you need to point an audio track to it. It's a kind of dumb quirk but unless you do this, Reaktor won't respond to Sonar's transport controls. In other words, Spiral needs to know when you've started playback in Sonar, and it won't know this unless you have an audio track with Reaktor as the input. So on that note, here are the steps:
 
1) Insert Reaktor. In the "Insert Soft Synth Options" dialog, make sure that you have just "First Synth Audio Output" and "Enable MIDI Output" checked. This will insert Reaktor into the synth rack and point an audio track to it. Remember though, this audio track is simply a workaround and you won't actually have any audio coming out of it. 
 
2) Load Spiral into Reaktor. You need to make sure that you have "Toggle Edit Mode" enabled (it's the button directly to the left of the main preset window at the top). This will make the "properties" icon (small checkbox) appear in the left hand sidebar. Click this, and select "connect" from the options below. 
 
3) Now you need to select the MIDI channel on which Spiral will send out MIDI.  Halfway down the sidebar is a section titled "MIDI OUT." Here you can select the MIDI channel you want. For this demonstration, leave it at 1. 
 
4) Now it's time to insert the soft synth that you want Spiral to play. Insert it and make sure "MIDI Source" and "First Synth Audio Output" are selected in the options. Now you have your synth loaded, as well as an audio track to hear it through and a MIDI track through which Spiral's MIDI output will be routed. 
 
5) Set the input of the MIDI track (the IN/OUT buttons at the bottom of the inspector) to Reaktor->MIDI Ch.1 - this will route the MIDI output from Spiral into this MIDI track. 
 
And you're good to go! Hit play and check that Spiral starts playing and that the sound is coming out of your soft synth. If not, check back 

Thanks Sharke, thats a really helpful reply.
 
I think its working OK now --- just a bit tangled with the Input Echo .......... If I leave that ON for the soft synth that Spiral is playing, then other soft synths with Input Echo Auto thru, they also play back the original soft synth as well ... If the synth Spiral is playing has Input echo OFF there is no sound ... what is the correct way to do it?
 
 

It sounds like you have the other MIDI track's inputs set to "MIDI Omni." Change them to something else, like Ch. 1. 

Aha, so if I have a plugin which is sending "Midi out" messages, then any other track set to Omni will also be triggered?   

Just a note for you guys. I have found that it is vital that you do 3 - "select the MIDI channel on which Spiral will send out MIDI£ before you insert your chosen synth into Reaktor.
 
I spent quite a few minutes wondering why I couldn't record the midi output form Spiral when I selected the midi out channel after inserting a synthesizer.
 
Doh!!
 
But thanks to Sharke for the info.
 
Sharke, with your permission I will copy your post onto the NI REaktor forum.

Once you get something complicated like Reaktor Spiral working, save it as a track template, then you can just drag it into a project and it will work.
 
JR

Permission granted!