MIDI - Playback and Recording

Figure 596. The (MIDI) Playback and Recording section.

The Playback and Recording (MIDI) section lets you specify MIDI echo settings, MIDI playback buffer size, and which MIDI events should be recorded.

The Playback and Recording section contains the following settings:

Driver Mode

 

Note: The Driver Mode setting can only be changed in Windows 10 and later, and when no projects are open.

In addition to the MME MIDI API, Sonar supports the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) MIDI API introduced in Windows 10. UWP MIDI provides a modern way to communicate with MIDI devices and can be extended to support newer MIDI protocols/interfaces.

UWP MIDI has several advantages over MME MIDI, including support for the Bluetooth LE MIDI protocol and multi-client access to MIDI ports.

Record

Use the fields in this section to choose what MIDI events you want to record. Choose any or all of these options:

Allow MIDI Recording without an Armed Track. By default, Sonar requires you to arm a track before recording.

Notes. Select this check box if you want to record Note events.

Key Aftertouch. Select this check box if you want to record Key Aftertouch events.

Controller events. Select this check box if you want to record Controller events.

Patch Changes. Select this check box if you want to record Patch Change events.

Channel Aftertouch. Select this check box if you want to record Channel Aftertouch events.

Pitch Wheel. Select this check box if you want to record Pitch Wheel events.

System Exclusive. Select this check box if you want to record Sysx data.

Number of Buffers. Choose how many MIDI buffers you want Sonar to use. The default value of 64 works well most of the time. If you experience frequent MIDI overflow from using MIDI plug-ins or lots of Sysx data, try a larger number, such as 128.

Echo System Exclusive. Choose this if you want to echo Sysx data to the MIDI ports shown in the MIDI Sysx Echo Ports list.

MIDI Sysx Echo Ports. This list lets you specify which MIDI ports to echo Sysx data on.

Playback

Prepare Using N Millisecond Buffers. This option lets you specify how far in advance Sonar prepares MIDI data during playback. The default is 200 milliseconds.

If playback stops prematurely, you may try larger values (although you should also check the buffer options in Edit > Preferences > Audio - Sync and Caching).

If you are using MIDI effects, you may want to try smaller values—for example, 50 milliseconds. Doing so means that, if you change a property for a MIDI effect, there will be less delay before you hear the new value take effect.

 

For more information, see:

MIDI track parameters

Recording music from a MIDI instrument

Always Echo Current MIDI Track. This option is on by default, and means that incoming MIDI data will always be echoed through the current track, even if the track’s Input Echo button is in the Off position.

MIDI Files

Always use Sysx Banks for MIDI Files (Instead of Sysx Data). If you check this option, Sonar puts any sysx data contained in imported MIDI files into sysx banks instead of a stream of sysxdata events (except for auto-send data, which is sent before playback). These banks show up in the Event list as bank events. If you don’t check this option, imported sysx data remains as sysx data events if it is up to 255 bytes, and is put into banks if it is 256 or more bytes.

Write Cable Meta Events to MIDI Files (Port Select). If you select this option, Sonar can change the default output that a following (upcoming) sysx bank is sent to. The output select number is also inserted into the front of each track of a format 1 MIDI file to specify the output number.

 

See also:

Preferences dialog

MIDI - Devices

MIDI - Instruments

MIDI - Control Surfaces

MIDI - Drum Map Manager (Advanced)