Its probably a daft question - but - can I take a hardware synth, on a Sonar midi track, and route it somehow so I can use software FX (eg, guitar rig delay)?

Yep. 

• route the MIDI track to a MIDI OUT port
• connect that port to MIDI IN on your synth
• connect the audio output of your synth to an input on your sound card/interface
• route that input to a new audio track
• apply effects on that track.

Thanks Luteman.

Sounds easy, but ... I don't get it yet to work.

I have Yamaha Motif, on a Midi track in Sonar, output to "Yamaha XS7-1".   The Motif is connected to the PC via USB.   
The Motif is connected via its digital output to soundcard's digital In (MOTU Ultralite).
I add an Audio track. For the Audio track I make the Input as "MOTU S/PDIF".   I add Guitar Rig delay on there.
I play the MIDI track - I hear the Motif sound, but I don't hear the delay FX - I can record the Motif as audio on the audio track, and when played back, then I can hear the delay - but so far, I cannot hear the delay as I play ...
... I missed something simple ??

Luteman


Yep. 

• route the MIDI track to a MIDI OUT port
• connect that port to MIDI IN on your synth
• connect the audio output of your synth to an input on your sound card/interface
• route that input to a new audio track
• apply effects on that track.

Press the "Input echo on" button on the synths audio track

Thanks for the tip.  It kind of worked - I do hear the delay - but also there is a loss of quality .... if I turn the delay off altogther, I get a sound not exactly like the original.  Like 2 are being played back together almost ... 

Wookiee


Press the "Input echo on" button on the synths audio track

ULTRABRA


Thanks for the tip.  It kind of worked - I do hear the delay - but also there is a loss of quality .... if I turn the delay off altogther, I get a sound not exactly like the original.  Like 2 are being played back together almost ... 

Wookiee


Press the "Input echo on" button on the synths audio track

Does your sound card support Zero Latency monitoring if so you may need to configure your soundcard mixer to either turn it off or only hear what's coming from SONAR.

Well- it is supposed to.  I found this on MOTU's web site.

I truly truly HATE this soundcard.  I have never been able to understand it at all.   And nothing MOTU says makes any sense - its like I have a different unit ... :-O

Here is what they say, anyway ... if any MOTU Ultrlite users got this to work, maybe they can help?

Direct input monitoring through MOTU Audio Interfaces and Sonar: In order to monitor inputs directly through your MOTU audio interface while recording into Sonar, you'll need to use the CueMix features from your MOTU interface.
The advantage of using CueMix is that the monitoring latency will be significantly less than Sonar's "Input Monitor" feature. While recording tracks within Sonar, using assigned inputs from your MOTU interface, CueMix can provide you a near-zero latency monitor mix. When using CueMix you will not be able to use real time host plug-in effects through Sonar's "Input Monitor" feature.
Open the FireWire CueMix Console and unmute the Master Fader. Above the master fader you will find a drop down menu, allowing you to select an output from your FireWire interface interface. With the  UltraLite,  you can set up a mix through four stereo outputs simultaneously, per interface. There are four tabs located on the bottom of the CueMix console, allowing you to switch between four input monitor mixes, which can be used simultaneously. Select a bus, an output, and unmute the inputs you wish to hear through the selected output(s). You will now be able to directly monitor from the unmuted inputs while recording into Sonar.

Wookiee

ULTRABRA


Thanks for the tip.  It kind of worked - I do hear the delay - but also there is a loss of quality .... if I turn the delay off altogther, I get a sound not exactly like the original.  Like 2 are being played back together almost ... 

Wookiee


Press the "Input echo on" button on the synths audio track

Does your sound card support Zero Latency monitoring if so you may need to configure your soundcard mixer to either turn it off or only hear what's coming from SONAR.

Thanks for your help here.

I seem to have got it working using the Input Monitoring in Sonar, but MUTING the output on the soundcard mixer.

No idea why that would work but ... now I seem to have just the monitor sound ... well, confused, but ... it does seem to work 

You can also freeze a midi track into an audio track. Then you can apply any FX you want, of course you can't edit it (with un-freeze, edit and re-freeze)

ULTRABRA


Thanks for your help here.

I seem to have got it working using the Input Monitoring in Sonar, but MUTING the output on the soundcard mixer.

No idea why that would work but ... now I seem to have just the monitor sound ... well, confused, but ... it does seem to work 

sounds like you were direct monitoring thru the motu and input echoing thru sonar..ie twice the motif :)