So I have had Sonar x2 for about a month now and have read the manual and watched the videos, and have a problem.  When I try to record a midi track in a new project, I can see the meters moving but I dont hear any sound at all.  When I arm and record, I can see that the track shows that something is being recorded, but then on playback there is now sound.  Any suggestions?  I can play the demo songs inculded with x2 and hear them just fine.  I need assistance please. 
 
Ken

What are you using as a synth for the Midi to drive?

Midi by itself is just data - there is no audio associated with it.

I have just started experimenting with MIDI and Sonar using a USB connected Edirol PCR500, although I've used Sonar for several years strictly for "analog" recording. 

The MIDI track has to be configured so the "output" is to the "master" and then I can hear what I'm inputting or recording  through my Roland Octa-Capture Headphone/Studio Monitors.  I've been experimenting with MIDI using the Dimension Pro Synth.

I am using the A-Pro800 as my midi.

fireberd


I have just started experimenting with MIDI and Sonar using a USB connected Edirol PCR500, although I've used Sonar for several years strictly for "analog" recording. 

The MIDI track has to be configured so the "output" is to the "master" and then I can hear what I'm inputting or recording  through my Roland Octa-Capture Headphone/Studio Monitors.  I've been experimenting with MIDI using the Dimension Pro Synth.

There's a little confusion here between a MIDI track and a simple instrument track with a soft synth loaded e.g. Dim Pro
 
A simple instrument track bundles together a MIDI track and a soft synth, the input to the track is a MIDI in, but the output from the track is an AUDIO out which goes to a bus.
 
When you set the output to master you are setting the output of Dim Pro's audio output to the master bus, not the midi track itself.
 
MIDI as Jonesey says does not contain audio, MIDI is just a list of events e.g. note on,note off, pitch bend wheel data etc.
 
So, for OP, you need the MIDI track you record to go to an instrument which then generates sound to a bus which you will then be able to hear from your speakers.
 
Press B to open the browser then click + and select a softsynth e.g. Dimension, when the dialogue box pops up make sure 'Simple instrument track' is selected and click OK.
 
Double click on the synth icon to the left of the word Dimension in the track name to bring up Dimension, you can then select a patch to play...the audio out of Dimension should by default go to your master bus and you should hear the sound when you play.

kenkorey


I am using the A-Pro800 as my midi.

This isn't a synth, it's a controller keyboard. It has no onboard sounds.

You need to do the tutorials and watch some videos on setting things up in Sonar.

Best way forward - Choose Insert > Soft Synth from the menu.

Pick a synth, maybe Dimension Pro will do for now.

From the synth property page, select Midi Track  + First Audio Output.

When the Dimension Pro GUI opens up, select a patch from the menu.

I am using the APro and I am using dimension Pro.  It seems to be recording something, and levels are moving when I play the keyboard, but I do not hear any sound during record, or playback.

turn on input echo

OK - for a soft synth, there you need:

1.  Inserted soft synth, with some sort of loaded preset (some have a default sound, others you have to load one to hear anything)
2.  EITHER a simple instrument track (combined audio and midi into one track) OR 1 audio track and 1 midi track.
3.  IF you used a simple instrument track, then you need to set the input to the soft synth's audio output channels (primary stereo), and the output of the track needs to be set to go to the soft synth itself.  These settings will send any midi events for that track to the soft synth for processing, and the audio outputs from the soft synth will then get routed back to the audio input to the simple instrument track.
4.  IF you instead set up a separate audio and midi track for the soft synth, then you need to set the midi track Output to route to the soft synth, and you need to set the Input for the audio track to pick up the audio output from the soft synth (primary stereo), ALSO making sure that the Output for the audio track is set to route to some buss (default is Master).
5.  Make sure that levels are not turned all the way down.

For monitoring, the short answer is to simply click on the track number on the far left of the track, which will bring the track into focus, and if you left the defaults alone, Sonar will automatically set the Input Echo button to On for you, and will turn it back off when you bring a different track into focus (so - no need to touch).  To clarify, for a simple instrument track, there will be just the one track, so click on that track's number on the left.  For a paired audio/midi track, you want to bring the MIDI track into focus to be able to hear the soft synth audio (Not the audio track - it's just how it works).

Give the above a try and post back your results.  If you want the long explanation, indicate that in your post-back, and I will oblige.

Hope the above makes sense AND works :)

Bob Bone

Did you load a sound into Dim Pro? The default is no program so you won't hear anything until you load one of the sound files.