Inserting a ReWire instrument

After you install your ReWire applications and reboot your computer, the names of the ReWire applications appear in SONAR’s Insert menu under ReWire Devices, and also in the Synth Rack’s Insert button pop-up menu.

Note: ReWire supports both 32-bit and 64-bit programs, but it is not possible to mix the two environments. A 32-bit program and a 64-bit program cannot communicate via ReWire. Make sure you load the correct version of your ReWire device, depending on whether you are using the 32-bit or 64-bit version of SONAR.

To insert a ReWire instrument

1.	Open a SONAR project. Do not launch your ReWire application.

2.	In the Synth Rack, click the Insert button, and click ReWire Devices to display the submenu of installed ReWire devices.

OR

Use the Insert > ReWire Devices command to display the submenu of installed ReWire devices.

3.	Click the name of the ReWire device you want to insert.

The Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box appears.

4.	Choose options from the Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box according to the following:

If you want to create a MIDI track that uses the ReWire Instrument as an output, check the Create These Tracks: MIDI Source check box.

If you want to create a single synth track that acts as an output for Output 1 of the ReWire Instrument, check the Create These Tracks: First Synth Audio Output check box.

If you want to create separate synth tracks for each of the ReWire Instrument’s outputs, check the Create These Tracks: All Synth Audio Outputs check box.

If you want to use existing MIDI and audio tracks to play the ReWire Instrument, uncheck all of the Create These Tracks options. SONAR adds the ReWire Instrument to the audio track Input and MIDI track Output menus. You need to set an existing audio track’s Input field to the ReWire Instrument, and set an existing MIDI track’s Output field to the ReWire Instrument. The existing audio track will then become a synth track.

If you want to open the ReWire Instrument’s interface from this dialog box, check the Open These Windows: Synth Property Page check box (always check this option: ReWire Instruments do not sound unless their property pages are open).

If you opened this dialog box from the Insert menu and want to open the Synth Rack, select the Open These Windows: Synth Rack View check box.

If you want to open this dialog box every time you use the Insert > ReWire Instrument command, or click the Insert button in the Synth Rack and choose a ReWire instrument from the pop-up menu, check the Ask This Every Time option. If you always insert ReWire Instruments in the same way, you can uncheck this option so you don’t have to deal with the dialog box each time. To open the dialog box when the option is unchecked, click the Insert Soft Synth Options button in the Synth Rack.

5.	Click OK to close the dialog box.

SONAR adds your ReWire devices to the audio and synth track Input menus and the MIDI track Output and Channel menus, creates any tracks you requested, adds the ReWire instrument to the Synth Rack, and opens the ReWire application’s interface.

6.	In the MIDI track whose output is the ReWire synth track, click the drop-down arrow in the Channel field to display the names of the available ReWire devices in your ReWire instrument.

7.	Click the name of the device you want to use.

8.	Make sure that the synth track you want to hear the ReWire instrument through has the appropriate ReWire channel listed in its Input field.

Now you can record MIDI data in the MIDI track and hear it through the synth track. If you want to use different synth tracks for each ReWire device, see the following procedure.

Note: Always close your ReWire applications before closing a SONAR project.

To use separate synth tracks for each ReWire device

1.	Open SONAR, insert a ReWire instrument, and choose the All Synth Audio Outputs option in the Create These Tracks field of the Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box. Make sure you choose to open the Synth window, and click OK.

SONAR inserts the ReWire instrument and creates multiple synth tracks.

2.	In your ReWire application, assign the devices you want to use to the outputs or channels you want to use. For example, in Propellerheads Reason, you use the back panel of the mixer to drag cables from a device to the output channel you want to use for that instrument.

3.	In SONAR, set the Output field of a MIDI track to the name of your ReWire application, and set the Channel field to the name of the ReWire device you want to play with this track.

4.	Record some MIDI data in the track and play it. Find the synth track whose Input field lists the output channel you patched your device into—the playback meter lights up as you play the MIDI track that plays your device.

Now you can use separate effects for each of your ReWire devices.

Note: Always close your ReWire applications before closing a SONAR project.

See also:

Mixing down ReWire instruments

Automating ReWire instruments

ReWire troubleshooting guide