Joystick support

Sonar allows you to use a joystick to control surround panning. A force-feedback joystick such as the Microsoft® SideWinder® Force Feedback 2 joystick can add a tactile element to mixing sessions, and add button control to some Sonar transport and/or menu commands with the extra buttons on the joystick module.

The joystick will grab the current pan position/sphere anytime you pull the trigger button (the "firing" button under your index finger). When recording automation, you write new automation every time you pull the trigger button.

Various joystick buttons can be used to:

Control Sonar’s transport

Switch focus to adjacent tracks/sends

Solo/unsolo current channel

Open/close the large surround panner window

To connect the joystick to Sonar

1.	Go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Control Surfaces.

2.	Click the Add button , and choose Joystick Panner in the Controller/Surface field of the Controller/Surface Settings dialog; click OK.

3.	Click OK to close the Preferences dialog box.

4.	In the Control Bar’s ACT module, select Joystick Panner in the drop-down menu, then click the Controller/Surface Properties button .

5.	In the Joystick Panner dialog box, select button 1 in the Buttons field, and then select Engage Pan Mode in the Button Actions field.

6.	Now select Button 2, and select Engage Pan Nav Mode in the Button Actions field.

7.	Select any other buttons your joystick has (one at a time), and connect them to any transport or menu commands you want in the Button Actions field; close the Joystick Panner dialog box.

Now when you hold down button 1 (the “trigger button”), the joystick controls the surround panner on the current track or send. When the pan/sphere is in the desired position, let button 1 up to hold the position. When you hold down button 2, move the joystick vertically to change the current track, and horizontally to change to a different send control. The Control Bar’s ACT module displays the names of the current track and send. Use any other buttons you configured to control other Sonar functions.

You can save your button assignments as a preset by typing a name for the current group of settings in the Presets window in the Joystick Panner dialog box, and then clicking the floppy disk icon that’s next to the Presets field. Whenever you want to load a preset, just select it in the Presets window.