I'm having the same problem I've had for years now and that is that I cannot get Sonar 7 Producer to actually record the drums, nor do I understand how to program my own drum tracks. I've had the SD2 software installed for at least four or five years and can't use it at all and nobody seems to be able to explain things in normal terms - they assume that I should already know how to do it. So, I'm looking for a person who understands people as well as SD - maybe that will help.
 
Anyway, I've got everything set up so that I have all my SD mixer channels patched into Sonar and I can hear the drums and see the meters moving. Now!!!! how do I get that to record so that I can play it back and hear it at least once in my life before I die. You know, I pray to God to please let me hear SD in Sonar before I die - just once and I'll be happy.
 
The second thing I want to do is to be able to program the drums and actually use them in a song - wow - that would be fantastic!!  How do I do that?
 
Please, I need somebody who knows exactly how to do it. Do not send me to youtube or the toontrack or to some other part of this forum. Do not tell me to read this or read that. I need somebody who is patient and will hang in there and not let me down. I need a man of courage, strength, and determination - who will boldly go where no man has gone before. I need Captain James T Kurk, and I need him right now! Let me remind you that phasers ARE set to stun, in case you want to tell me something I dont need to know, or you dont want to tell me something that I DO need to know.
 
When creating a drums folder, sonar adds a midi track for the purpose, I assume, to record the drums but there is no signal coming to this track in order to record, so what is the midi track for then?
 
 

I feel your pain! I learned how to use it on my own after a lot of throwing stuff  so hopefully I can help. 
 
This applies to SD2.0
 
1. You have to load SD into your project (I am hoping you can do that) it should ask you to select your output settings. Start with these: select midi>all tracks stereo or mono (up to you)>midi output
2. Once you open SD then click "grooves" from the menu in SD (you should have Pop/Rock default in there)
each set of grooves are dependent on what expansion packs you have installed and the default is Pop/Rock. If you have more they will be listed*
3. Once you open grooves there are a few lists to choose from and once you choose each list it will open a final one on the right with (ex: closed hi hat, open hi hat groove clips etc) the list on the far right is what you drag to the midi track in clips pane view.
4. Arrange clips into some sort of order to make the drum grooves. Keep your snap to grid on to make it easier to arrange in time.
hit play on the track and you should hear the clip you dragged over. You have to drag each and every clip you want to make the entire drum track. (once you get good at this then you can use a keyboard to make your own grooves)
refer to Cakewalk set up manual to set up midi output.
 
Once your drum tracks are the way you like then you have to convert the midi track to an audio track by bouncing the track to a new track. (this will make a wav file and convert it to audio). I believe it is in edit menu at vert top ring menu drop down. Bounce to track is what you want and in that there are choices so select TRACKS for whatever number track contain the midi SD track clips. If you have the SD set to multi out it will make a separate track for each kit piece: kick, snare etc. I like it that way. (sorry not near my pc at the moment) 
 
If I can help more just ask! I'll do my best to help. I have been there like I said and now use SD and EZ Drummer all the time. I love it.
 
 

Well why do I have to use those midi grooves and then try to change them - why cant I just create my own?

Of course you can make your own ones from a scratch. You simply draw them in Piano Roll view or record the MIDI with your MIDI-keyboard or controller, if you have one.
 
I've never understood why people go Googling or to Youtube or wherever, when all the manuals and tutorials you need to learn SONAR come with it. In this case it's all on the SONAR DVD and SD's help files, I'm sure. There is deeper info and practical advice in CakeTV and elsewhere, sure, but I can't recall ever coming across a problem that the manuals of SONAR and/or the VST had not answered.
SD is not different from any soft synth: MIDI recorded on the MIDI track triggers the synth.

KnusperMusli
I'm having the same problem I've had for years now and that is that I cannot get Sonar 7 Producer to actually record the drums, nor do I understand how to program my own drum tracks. I've had the SD2 software installed for at least four or five years and can't use it at all...
...so what is the midi track for then?

I wonder if maybe you are trying to take too many steps all at once. If you are struggling to grasp some of the basic concepts, then I would suggest putting aside drum software for now and trying some other softsynth (anything but drums) until you get the hang of it. After you have got the idea of what a midi track is for and how to edit or record, then move to drums. That's my advice anyway.

Well, the main problem is fear of the unknown. All you have to do is have one thing set wrong and youll be sitting there for hours, days, or even years, because nobody can actually understand your problem - it all seems so easy to them.
 
One perfect example is that yesterday, I got things so that I was able to program grooves into SD using my old drum machine, but when I played it back in Sonar, the beat was all chopped up. It took me a whole day to figure out that the quantization was actually turned on and forcing the beat to a different time than what I wanted. Once I turned it off, Sonar played my beat back the way I wanted it. Now, I could have read the manual all day long and it wouldnt have told me that, that was the problem.
 
Anyway, Im doing a little bit better now. I was able to set up my Alesis SR16 to be able to drive the SD software, and I guess between that and the piano roll function, I can get my beats recorded.
 
So, I thank you guys, but like the terminator said; "I'll be back"!   

Patience! Have fun. You're on the runway and in the air in no time!
 
Reading the manual looking for a specific answer when you already have a problem may blow some fuses, I know.
But having read the whole manual a few times before the problems start gives you, if not the answer, but a hint of in which direction to look for the answer when a specific problem occurs.