using instrument plug in question

jjvibes
hello all, and first happy holidays to all. And, thanks all for your patiences as this area of DAW is QUITE new for me.
Before I get started I know I already asked this, but still need help.
And here my goal(s)
-To link Garritan sound Multi Aria player as ONE instance, therefore I can use all 16 tracks.
What I can do:
load Garritan and the software's do connect, but for each track Aria loads separately. therefore channel one is the default. i.e. 3 tracks=Aria popping up a total of three times.
what I have done:
-tried switching midi channels to correspond for each track
-gone to garritan web site to read up on this
-reading manual as of recent
-will try youtube and FORUM!!
I am confused with:
-midi vs instrument track and how route correctly..not sure if I should worry about busing...
 
Hope to be less ignorant in 2017!
 
thank you all for ANY help!!

Bristol_Jonesey
Go back to basics with an empty project.
 
Either from the Browser, locate and drag into Track view the TTS-1 synth, or go Insert > Soft Synth and again select TTS-1
 
You should be presented with a dialog box where you check certain items.
Check Midi Source and All Synth Audio Outputs: Mono
 
This will create 9 tracks for you - 8 audio and 1 midi.
 
All 16 of the TTS-1 default to the Piano sound at the bottom apart from Channel 10 which defaults to Drums
you can select and audition different patches by clicking the note icon at the bottom of the screen

abacab

Bristol_Jonesey
Go back to basics with an empty project.
 
Either from the Browser, locate and drag into Track view the TTS-1 synth, or go Insert > Soft Synth and again select TTS-1
 
You should be presented with a dialog box where you check certain items.
Check Midi Source and All Synth Audio Outputs: Mono
 
This will create 9 tracks for you - 8 audio and 1 midi.
 
All 16 of the TTS-1 default to the Piano sound at the bottom apart from Channel 10 which defaults to Drums
you can select and audition different patches by clicking the note icon at the bottom of the screen

I think OP wants to use a multi-timbral 16 MIDI channel setup for a virtual instrument plugin, rather than a multi-audio output, to get started with Garritan Aria.

abacab

jjvibes
ok, thanks when I select output I don't have TTS-1 option.
I have from the drop down: master, preview, metronome. if I click on audio outputs I am only given my audio interface.
I will get this!

If you see audio outputs, you are looking at the wrong type of track.  The audio tracks have the wave icon, the MIDI tracks have a round icon that looks like a plug (5-pin MIDI DIN connector). The audio tracks have the drop down: master, preview, metronome, etc.
 
The instrument plugin itself will have an audio output default to the Master bus, but don't worry about that yet.  It should take care of itself ...
 
So ...
 
1. Insert a MIDI track. 
Insert > MIDI Track.  MIDI tracks don't have audio outputs.  When you insert a standalone MIDI track (not an audio track, or instrument track) you won't see any instruments in the output selector until you add one.
 
2. Insert the Cakewalk TTS-1 GM synth (or any instrument) as an instrument track. It will create it's own audio output automatically.
Insert > Soft Synth > [your choice]
Once you do this, you can select it as a MIDI output option from the MIDI track you added in step #1.
 
Any instruments that have been inserted into your project will show up as outputs for your MIDI track.  You need this track to route your controller, or your MIDI pattern clips, to trigger the chosen sound in your instrument.
 
3. Set up as many of the MIDI tracks as you have active instrument slots in your plugin (TTS-1). 
 
Each MIDI track can route to only one instrument and only one MIDI channel, 1-16 on that instrument.  That is why you will probably need to use more than one MIDI track to work with your Garritan plugin.  Each slot in that will require its own MIDI track.  So practice with the TTS-1 until you get the hang of it, because we all have it and can answer your questions about it.
 
You will need each MIDI track to fire a separate instrument in the plugin (TTS-1), based on the assigned MIDI channel for that MIDI track.  You can put a MIDI pattern in each MIDI track, or select a MIDI track and send MIDI data (note on, note off, etc.) from your keyboard controller via that track's MIDI channel.  The MIDI tracks are what send MIDI data to the instrument to play it.

jjvibes
so steps 1 -2 should look like this:
 
1 midi 
2 midi and inst
3 midi and inst
4 midi symbol then saying bass (inst. i picked)
 
would do a screen shot but drop box doesn't want to play nice..
btw, when I was at step 2 the dialogue box opened and the midi source was checked and mono left channel was checked..

Cactus Music
OK I think it went sideways when though meaning well Jonesey Gave a different example. 
the trouble is ---- there is more than one way to achieve most tasks in Sonar ( or any DAW) 
 
abacab's post #2 was the way I would have done it too. I don't use simple instrument tracks which is a combonation audio and midi track, I find that restricting if I want to change the VST I'm using. Much simpler to use a pure midi track and then you can easily change it's output to different synths while looking for the right sounds. 
 
so in less detail of what abacab has clearly described already. 
 
Insert tts-1 choose the single output option.  Other options can be yours to use later once you get the hang of it. 
 
You insert as many midi tracks as you will need.  A fast way is use the "insert multiple tracks"  
And now it's a matter of changing the dialog in all those little boxes in the track pane or inspector. 
Input= Midi port or USB from controller. 
Output= TTS_1 (or any soft synth) 
Midi channel = each track will be assigned a different channel.  ( 1: Cakewalk TTS_1 )  ( 2: Cakewalk TTS_1 ) 
Bank selection= choose bank 0 to start, later you can explore sounds in other banks
Patch or Program = select the sound for that channel for each track. 
 
Now you just set the track in record mode for the instrument you wish to use and go at it. 
 
If you want to see what TTS-1 can do download a midi file and "open it" TTS-1 will automatically load with all 16 tracks and all the instruments and play the way the composer wanted it to sound. 
 
https://freemidi.org/download-4224-silver-bells-christmas
 
Terribly played like most of them but I was in a hurry :) 
 
 

jjvibes
ok. this is awesome, i thank you both for your efforts! Not bad for my first "real day with SONAR"
 
question: If i do load instruments on separate instances shall i worry about computer pwr? or if I try to mix it down as a wav file..will i have problems?
 
so much to learn!

scook

abacab
If the .mid file is not opening in Sonar with TTS-1, check the source application of your test score .mid file. It may  export things differently.  Sonar should understand the SMF (Standard MIDI File) specification.  That standard was created a long time ago to enable file exchange between systems.  Ensure that you are choosing SMF Type 1, if the option is available, but Type 0 should also work.

For SONAR to automatically map a MIDI file to TTS-1 when opened, there must not be a MIDI output selected in Preferences > MIDI > Devices. If SONAR has a MIDI output device selected in preferences, TTS-1 will not be added when opening a MIDI file.