Dear Friends - I have used Sonar for over 10 years, I love it! Just started using soft sythns for 1st time though this week and see some odd behavour. I can not get a midi track to drive a soft synth (any soft synth). I've tried this with separate audo & midi tracks and using an instrument track but same result.
 
Here's what happens
 
- i record a midi track, set the output to my hardware synth (which plays back through a Sonar audio track) and everythinhg is fine, good audio out through Sonar master bus. I've been doing that for years!
- but now i create another audio track, insert a soft synth as an Fx
- i change the output in my original midi track to the new soft synth (now shown as an output option)
- i play the original midi track but no audio from the soft synth
- midi track meters play but softsynth track meters do not
 
This happens even though when I play the soft synth from its property page (using the mouse to hit on-screen keys) it sounds fine, and it sounds fine too when I play the PRV keyboard (again using the mouse) in the original midi track! And, if I create new midi notes in PRV using the mouse they do not paly the soft synth either.
 
- have tried all combinations of echo on/off, auto/manual on both tracks
- all midi in & outs are set to omni in all tracks
 
I must be missing something basic here - but can not see it! Any help very welcome, thank you.

Some synths required one to load a sample. What synth did you use?

Hello -
 
Have you tried making a copy of your midi track, or, cutting and pasting into a new midi track, then making sure your output is the softsynth?
May work, but don't know why!
 
It sure sounds like you have it set up right, but . . . . . . . .
 
Brian

John


Some synths required one to load a sample. What synth did you use?

But if he can play it witha mouse John? 
 
BTW - I forgot to mention that closing and reopening Sonar sometimes knocks the bugs out!
 
Brian

Hey John - thx for fast reply! I've tried Dim Pro, SI-Strings, SI-bass etc all with several patch/programs loaded. They all play fine direct from the property page but its like they are not recieving the midi data from the running midi track?
 
Mark

Brian - thx for suggestion - just tried that, new audio track, fresh insertion of soft synth as Fx, re-assing midi output to the soft synth...still no audio! I can only see one setting that should be required to route the midi outout to the soft synth and that's the output assignment in the midi track, with that set to the soft synth can not see what else it needs!

Mark  

You cannot insert a soft synth as an fx.
Insert a soft synth as a midi track to itself.

fresh insertion of soft synth as Fx

This is not the preferred routing of soft synth output, though it is still allowed to support legacy projects that used that routing. But it can be problematic in various ways.  It is preferred to insert the synth in the synth rack, and assign the Input of the audio track to the synth.

If you just go to Insert > Soft Synth in the menu, and choose to create the First Audio Output, this is how it will be set up. You then assign the output of the MIDI track to the Synth, and it should work.

+1 You don't drop softsynths into the Fx bin anymore.  Either do Insert-Softsynth or insert one into the SynthRack.

Check your MIDI track in the Event List. Maybe you have a volume control or other issue that's causing the softsynth to note be heard. 

While it is possible to insert 2 tracks... one audio and one midi and then insert the synth in the FX bin and manually make all the connections..... 

It is much easier to use the INSERT SYNTH command and all the leg work is done.  Then simply copy and paste the midi into the appropriate track and it should play. 

I know synths like Cakewalk sound center automatically load the default sample.... but others like Kontakt do not. 

You have to be sure the synth has either a patch or a sample set loaded in order to get sound.