Recording specific ports and channels

Most MIDI instruments are capable of sending information on several different channels at once. By default, SONAR merges all incoming MIDI data and records it on whatever MIDI tracks are armed. However, SONAR also allows you to control which MIDI input ports and channels each track will record. Here are some examples of when this feature might be useful:

There are several performers, each playing a different MIDI instrument. By setting each instrument to transmit MIDI on a different channel and/or port, you can record each player’s performance into a separate track, even though they are all playing at the same time.

You are using a MIDI guitar controller and want to record the notes played on each string on a separate track.

Your electronic keyboard has a built-in auto accompaniment feature that plays a drum part and an accompaniment while you play lead. You want to record each of these three parts into a different track in a SONAR project.

You have a MIDI sequence stored on your synthesizer’s built-in sequencer, and you want to record each channel onto a different track.

You can use external MIDI synchronization to automate the process of loading multichannel sequences from other MIDI devices. For more information, see Synchronizing your gear.

You select MIDI inputs for a track by using the Input control in the Track view, Track Inspector or Console view.

SONAR allows you to filter MIDI input so that you can record only certain kinds of MIDI data (see Input filtering), and also allows you to automatically turn off the Local On setting of your master keyboard.

To assign input ports and channels to MIDI tracks

1.	Click a track’s Input control to display the Input drop-down menu. Choose track inputs from these choices:

None. This option actually sets the Input field to Omni. With this setting the track will record any MIDI input coming in on any enabled port (MIDI interface input driver) on any channel.

All Inputs > (MIDI Omni or MIDI ch 1-16). With this setting the track will record any MIDI input coming in on any enabled port (MIDI interface input driver) on any channel, unless you choose a particular MIDI channel instead of MIDI Omni. Then the track will only record input that’s on the MIDI channel you chose.

(name of MIDI input driver) > (MIDI Omni or MIDI ch 1-16). Choosing this option causes the track to record any MIDI channel coming from the named MIDI interface input driver, unless you choose a particular MIDI channel instead of MIDI Omni. Then the track will only record input that’s on the MIDI channel you chose, from the named input driver.

Preset. If you’ve created any preset collections of input ports and channels, you can select one here.

Manage Presets. If you want to create or edit any preset collections of input ports and channels, you can select this option (see following procedure).

2.

Click OK.

SONAR shows new track inputs in the Input fields in the Track pane.

To create or edit a preset input configuration

1.	In the Input field of a track that you want to select inputs for, click the drop-down arrow and choose Manage Presets from the drop-down menu (this menu is also available from the MIDI Inputs button in the Track Inputs dialog).

The MIDI Input Presets dialog box appears.

2.	In the Input Port column, find the input port that you want to use for this track (if you only use a single-port MIDI interface, you’ll only see one choice).

3.	To the right of the input port, select the MIDI channels that you want this track to respond to on this MIDI port. Clicking the OMNI button in this row of MIDI channels clears or fills all the check boxes in this row.

4.	Select channels for any other MIDI port that’s listed, if you want to use channels on that port also.

5.	If you want to save this configuration, type a name for it in the window at the top of the dialog box, and click the disk icon to save it.

Now, when you choose inputs for other tracks, you can choose the preset you saved by clicking the Presets option in the track’s Input drop-down menu. If you want to edit a preset, select it in the top window of the MIDI Input Presets dialog box, edit it, and click the disk icon. If you want to delete a preset, select it in the same dialog box and click the X button to delete it.