I have recently purchased the Roland A-300 Pro Midi Keyboard Controller, and have had some success in setting it up in Sonar X1. However there are several things I would like to do but havent had any success with it. What I am trying to do, is set up the pads, as buttons and use them to arm record and disarm record for individual track. I can only arm record tracks and not disarm them. I have set up the surface controller as follows: Device A-Pro, Input A-Pro 1 output A-Pro ACT button on the A-300 is on. Track IP is A-Pro1omni for all Soft Synth Tracks. I have 3 soft synth tracks and find that when I focus on one track, the other tracks play as well. So what I am asking is this how do I set up the pads so that I can arm/disarm record selected track, and how do I get the only the selected track to play without the other tracks playing. I am using a Powered USB Hub with this device.

Firstly in preferences under control surface the set up should be:

Control Surface = A-PRO
Midi In = A-PRO 2
Out = A-PRO

A-PRO 2 is the control midi in from A-PRO, if this is not selected then the A-PRO will not work correctly.

Once you have set that up (and don't forget to apply) make sure in Sonar you have A-PRO selected as control surface. Open the interface and you can change pads from notes to buttons and set the function. When opening the control surface make sure it is enabled.

Hope this helps.

(PS - make sure that you have midi devices selected - deselected as appropriate in preferences- midi- devices).

Thankyou for your advise, I can set up the A-300Pro to activate the ACT automatically. I can control the pan, sliders and the pads are already set up for mute, solo, record arm. I have watched the video that is on Cakewalk, regarding the A-300pro, but when I bring Session Drummer 3 into focus, and try setting the pads A1-A8 as drum pads, I get no response. So could someone advise me how I can program the pads A1-A8 to use as a drum pad. Can the pads A1-A8 be programmed that way. I have solved the issue of all my soft synth playing at the same time when I only select one, and that is the set individual midi input. For Example Dimension Pro Input midi channel 1, Session Drummer to midi input 2, and then change the midi channels on the A300Pro to the required midi channel when recording. I guess I was hoping there would be an indepth tutorial using the A-300Pro with Sonar X1/X2, showing how to use the A-300Pro with certain plugins such as Session Drummer 3, and others Soft Synths.

If you're still struggling...

1. Set up the Preferences > MIDI > Control Surfaces page as Phil67P instructed. (This is a must)
2. Choose "None" from the track input pull-down menu.
3. Go to Preferences > MIDI > Playback and Recording, and check "Allow MID Recording without an Armed Track" (You'll no longer have to arm the track to start recording. Instead, just press R)
4. Go to Utilities > A-PRO (This opens the Sonar Control Surface Plugin)
5. Select "Tracks/FX/Synths/Utility 2" from the Presets pull-down menu.
6. Load whatever VSTi and play the keyboard (You'll hear the sound)
7. Click the "PADS ARE NOTES" radio button and strike the A1-A8 pads (You'll hear the sound)

You don't need to change the midi channels on A-300PRO at all.

Actually, 2 was incorrect. It's "A-PRO 1" as the OP said.