I'm trying to use a sustain pedal with my A-500 PRO keyboard, but for some reason it doesn't "count" as sustain according to Sonar. It works perfectly in standalone synths. I thought for some reason it wasn't getting through the keyboard, but then I was able to remote control the pedal to other random controls, using CC64, proving that when the pedal is pressed a CC64 message is outputted. So... doesn't CC64 act as sustain in Sonar? Why won't it detect it, in live play, recording, etc.? Anyone know how to solve this problem?

Thanks for the help,

Luke

The question is what synth/patch are you trying to sustain? And can you record the CC64 messages? Other than synths that don't handle CC123 properly (which I'm pretty sure the A500 doesn't send), the only thing that might prevent it from working would be that the synth doesn't respond to it or SONAR is set not to record any controllers in Options > Global > MIDI, but I don't think that would affect live playing.

Luke, if you're using Garritan Libraries, like GPO, CC64 doesn't trigger Sustain but a special Legato function. Details are in that Library's PDF manual - In case that's what you're working with. RB

To correct my last post: I unchecked Controllers in the "Record" section of MIDI options, and verified that this prevents real-time echoing of controllers (including CC64) to a synth as well as recording them. So that could account for the problem.

Checked before, double checked now. That controllers thing is definitely checked off. And it's not legato; I'm trying dimension pro, Lounge Lizard, Z3ta+2, everything. They all used to work, and all three work in standalone mode as expected.  It's possible that it's changed because I switched from USB input to MIDI interface (roland quad capture) but I'm pretty sure the problem occurred after that. To answer your question, brundlefly, they are neither in live playing or recording. Quite a pickle...

You did set the value to 127 for on and 0 for off, right? 

"...That controllers thing is definitely checked off..." LHousehold, Brundlefly was confirming that when un-checking that option, it prevents CC64 (or any controller) being recorded. You want the opposite.--So, it needs to be checked, which is the default, since most of the time we kind of want our MIDI performance to be recorded. RB

Something very strange going on. It doesn't make sense that the pedal works to remote control a function in SONAR by CC64, but CC64 is not recorded. The only things I can think of that could account for that that are:

1. Controllers unchecked in MIDI Record options - already verified checked.
2. An input channel restriction on the MIDI track - but that would also prevent recording of notes on that channel.

Even if there were a problem with the values being sent for On and Off, SONAR would still record the event. And if there were a problem with the pedal or the A-500, remote control would not work.

Some piece of the puzzle is missing. I'm out of ideas what that might be, other than some configuration corruption in SONAR or a specific project.

Have you tried a new project, started from the Normal template?

@daveny5, I don't know how to do that. My keyboard just takes in the sustain signal, and transmits it to the computer where I believe ACT handles it. Is there a way to change the values being outputted? If it's not quite getting to 127, that would actually explain everything, ie Sonar detects it but doesn't consider it a sustain. Is it possible that the standalone synths will consider a sustain at less than 127? So how do I see/change the output value?

@rbowser, when I say checked off, I mean, well... on. Sorry for the confusion, figure of speech.

I'll try out brundlefly's suggestion when I get a chance.

Actually, with CC4, all values below 64 register as Off, and all values above register as On. For most synths CC64 is simply an On/Off thing like that. Some instruments, like the Garritan Authorized Steinway, will read different values of CC64 in order to engage the damper and Sustenato pedals, but that's untypical. RB