Starting SONAR

There are many different ways to start SONAR. Here are a few:

Double-click the SONAR icon on your desktop.

Click the Start button, and choose Programs > Cakewalk > SONAR X3 (Producer or Studio) > SONAR X3 (Producer or Studio).

Click the Start button, point to Documents, and choose a SONAR project from the menu.

Double-click the SONAR program or any SONAR document from the Windows Explorer or the Find menu.

When starting SONAR, you will see the Quick Start dialog box.

Figure 5. The Quick Start dialog

The Quick Start dialog box has several options.

 

Table 1.  

Option	How to use it
Open a Project	Choose a project from the Open File dialog box to open it
Open a Recent Project	Select a project from the list, and click this button to open it
Create a New Project	Click here to create a new project.
Online Videos and more	Click this link to view our tutorial videos online. An active Internet connection is needed in order to access this content.
Getting Started	Click here to view the Getting started topic in the Help file. This topic has links to a glossary of terms, as well as some basic procedures.

If you don’t want to see the Quick Start dialog box in the future, uncheck the box at the bottom of the dialog box, and click Close. You can see the Quick Start dialog box later by choosing Help > Quick Start.

RIFF/MID will not launch SONAR when double-clicked

 

Note: Double-clicking RIFF MIDI files and Standard MIDI files will fail to launch SONAR even if these file types are associated with SONAR.

Migrating preferences

If you have a previous version of Cakewalk installed, SONAR will detect it and give you the option of migrating certain preferences from a single earlier version.

When you choose to migrate preferences, SONAR migrates the following settings from an earlier Cakewalk version.

Table 2.  

Setting	Description
Global Options	Global settings in the Preferences dialog box. Open by selecting Edit > Preferences.
Key Bindings	Your customized key bindings for controlling SONAR using your MIDI keyboard or computer keyboard.
Instrument Definitions	Files used to control specific MIDI instruments.
Audio data directory (WaveData folder) and Picture Cache directory locations	SONAR uses the Data directory and Picture Cache directories from the previous Cakewalk version for storing project wave files and their waveform image files.

Running Wave Profiler

The first time you start SONAR, it automatically attempts to detect and configure any ASIO audio devices on your computer. If no ASIO devices are found, it next attempts to detect any MME audio devices, then automatically runs the Wave Profiler utility to determine the proper MIDI and Audio settings for your audio device.

When the Wave Profiler determines the kind of card you have, always accept the default settings. You can run the Wave Profiler again if you install a new audio device or driver by choosing Edit > Preferences > Audio - Driver Settings in SONAR and clicking the Wave Profiler button (or ASIO Panel button if you are using an ASIO audio device).

For more information about Wave Profiler, WDM, and MME, see The Wave Profiler.

When Wave Profiler determines the kind of card you have, always accept the default settings.

Note: You can run the Wave Profiler again at a later time (for example, if you install a new sound card or driver) by choosing the Edit > Preferences > Audio - Driver Settings command and clicking Wave Profiler.

Setting up the MIDI In and MIDI Out devices

When you start SONAR for the first time, it checks your computer to find all the MIDI input and output devices you have installed (such as sound cards and MIDI interfaces). However, sometimes you need to tell SONAR exactly which devices you want it to use. If you’re not getting sound from your sound card or MIDI keyboard, or if you just want to change the MIDI outputs and devices that you are using, follow the steps in this section.

Choose Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices to open a dialog box in which you select the MIDI In and MIDI Out devices that SONAR will use. Each item in the list is a MIDI Input or MIDI Output from drivers installed using the Windows Control Panel. Select Edit > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box, then click MIDI - Devices. This dialog box lets you choose instruments on MIDI inputs and outputs.

Figure 6. The MIDI - Devices section

1.	Look at the top window. Notice that it shows devices on MIDI Inputs; make sure that all devices in this window are checked. If a device isn’t checked, click on it once to select it for MIDI Input.

2.	Look at the window on the bottom. Notice that it shows devices on MIDI Outputs. SONAR numbers its MIDI Outputs by the order of the devices in this window. The device on top is on Output 1, the one below it is on Output 2, and so on.

3.	Check one device at a time in the Outputs window and click Move Checked Devices to Top to change its order. Then check all the devices that appear in the window to select them for output.

Tip: Be sure to select MIDI output devices in Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices. If you don’t do this, you won’t hear any of your MIDI instruments when you play songs in SONAR. You do not need to enable any MIDI output devices if you are strictly using software instruments.

See MIDI - Devices.

Using MIDI devices after making driver changes

If you later add or remove drivers using the Drivers icon of the Windows Control Panel, SONAR reacts in the following way:

If you remove a Control Panel driver, SONAR will not use the device it belongs to the next time you run the program. Any other devices you had selected using the Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices command will remain selected.

If you add a driver through the Control Panel, SONAR does not automatically use it. You must use the Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices command to enable the new driver in SONAR’s list.

Note: After you add or remove a driver with the Drivers icon in the Windows Control Panel, you must restart Windows for the change to take effect.

Defining your MIDI instrument or sound card

Once you have selected your MIDI Input and Output devices, SONAR, by default, plays back MIDI sequences using a General MIDI instrument definition. If you are using a synthesizer or sound card that does not adhere to the General MIDI standard, you may want to define that instrument. For more information, see Instrument definitions.