Streamlined Track pane

The redesigned Track pane makes it easy to access all MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Piano Roll view. The Track pane lets you specify which tracks are visible, which tracks show data, and which tracks can be edited, plus control basic Mute, Solo, and Arm for Recording functions.

The streamlined single-row design allows you to see more tracks, and makes it easier to Smart Swipe controls across multiple tracks (see Smart Swipe track controls).

Figure 19. Track pane.

 

Note: The Track pane replaces the obsolete Tracks menu in the Piano Roll view in earlier versions of SONAR, along with the corresponding Pick Tracks, Show Next track, and Show Previous track commands.

To expand/collapse the Track pane

To show/hide the Track pane in the Piano Roll view, do one of the following:

Click the Expand/Collapse button in the Piano Roll view.

Click the Piano Roll view View menu and select Show/Hide Track Pane.

Make sure the Piano Roll view has focus, then press H.

To resize the width of the Track pane

Drag the Track pane’s sidebar left/right. Controls will dynamically show/hide as you resize the Track pane.

Tip: You can right-click the Expand/Collapse button to cycle through different sizes.

Header controls

A. Auto Lock B. Track Filter C. Expand/collapse 

The Track pane header contains the following controls:

Auto Lock (Professional and Platinum only). When enabled, events from all selected tracks are displayed, but only the focused track can be edited. All other tracks are automatically locked. When disabled, events in all selected tracks can be edited. For details, see Auto Lock mode (Professional and Platinum only) and To show events in multiple tracks.

Filter (Professional and Platinum only). The track filter determines which tracks are listed in the Track pane, while track selection determines which tracks show data in the edit view. Add individual tracks to the filter, then click the Filter button to list only those tracks. For details, see Filter mode (Professional and Platinum only).

Right-click the Filter button to access the following menu commands:

New (Platinum only). Save the current track filter assignments as a preset. Track filter presets are saved per project.

Save (Platinum only). Save changes to the current track filter preset.

Rename (Platinum only). Rename the current track filter preset.

Delete (Platinum only). Delete the current track filter preset.

Add All Tracks. Add all tracks to the filter.

Remove All Tracks. Remove all tracks from the filter (and disable the filter, if active).

Default (Platinum only). The default filter when the track filter is disabled.

<List of filter presets> (Platinum only). List of the current project’s track filter presets.

Expand/Collapse Track pane. Show or hide the Track pane. Right-click to cycle through different sizes.

Per track controls

A. Custom track color B. Select track for editing C. Track name D. Mute E. Solo F. Arm for recording G. Output H. Add track to filter 

Each track contains the following controls:

Track color. The color of Note events in the track. Similar to the Track view, only custom colors are shown, not default colors. For details, see Customizing track/bus colors.

Select track for editing. Tracks that can be edited show a highlighted draw icon , and the focused track name is highlighted. When Auto Lock mode is enabled, tracks that are locked show a lock icon .

Track name. The track’s name. Click a track’s name to give it focus for editing.

Mute. Mute/unmute the track.

Solo. Solo/unsolo the track.

Arm for recording. Arm/disarm the track for recording.

Output. The track’s MIDI output or instrument assignment.

Add to track filter. Adds the track to the track filter. Tracks that have been added to the track filter show a white filter icon . When you enable the Filter button, only tracks that have been added to the filter will be listed in the Track pane. To remove a track from the filter, click the filter icon again. For details, see Filter mode (Professional and Platinum only).

You can also right-click a row to access Snap to Scale settings. For details, see Snap to Scale.

Figure 20. Track button states.

A. Track editing disabled B. Track editing enabled C. Track auto locked D. Focused track E. Track not added to filter F. Track added to filter 

Default mode

Figure 21. Default mode (Auto Lock is disabled).

A. Events in all selected tracks are visible, but only the focused track can be edited 

By default, the Piano Roll view only shows events in the focused track, and only the focused track can be edited. The focused track name is highlighted.

To switch track focus, do one of the following:

Click the desired track name in the Track pane.

If multiple tracks are selected and Auto Lock mode is disabled, click an existing Note event or continuous controller event in the desired track.

The default mode allows you to quickly focus the Piano Roll view to only a single track and automatically hide events from all other tracks. This mode works independently or in conjunction with the Filter mode.

To enable the default mode, make sure the Auto Lock button is disabled.

 

See also:

To show events in multiple tracks

To show events in multiple tracks

If you want to show events from multiple tracks simultaneously, you must select the desired tracks in the Track pane.

Selecting tracks in the Track pane is similar to selecting tracks in the Track view:

To select a range of adjacent tracks. Do one of the following:

Click the first track you want to select, then hold down the SHIFT key and click the last track you want to select.

Click the first track you want to select, then drag down to the last track you want to select.

A. Click in this column to select tracks in the Track pane 

To select discontiguous tracks. Hold down the CTRL key and click the tracks you want to select. Holding down the CTRL key while you click also lets you toggle the selection status of a track.

To select all tracks. Double-click any track’s Select track for editing button .

To clear the current selection. Click any track’s Select track for editing button .

To give focus to a track

The global tools operate on the track that has focus. The focused track name is highlighted. There are several ways to change track focus:

If multiple tracks are selected in the Track pane, click a track’s name to switch track focus and retain the selection.

If multiple tracks are selected in the Track pane, click a track’s Draw icon to switch track focus and clear the selection.

If multiple tracks are selected in the Track pane and Auto Lock mode is disabled, click any existing Note event or continuous controller event in the track. Clicking a note will make the note’s parent track the focused track.

Click a track in the Track pane, then use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys.

Click a track in the Track view.

 

Note: Track selection in the Track view and Track pane are independent. Selecting tracks in the Track pane does not select any data, it only determines which tracks show data in the editing view.

Filter mode (Professional and Platinum only)

The Filter mode lets you manage which tracks are listed in the Track pane. This is useful when working on projects that contain many tracks. You can even create per-project filter presets that let you quickly show different combinations of tracks (Platinum only).

To enable/disable Filter mode, make sure at least one track has been added to the filter, then click the Filter button.

Filter mode works independently or in conjunction with the Auto Lock mode.

Figure 22. Filter mode.

A. Add track to filter B. The Track pane only shows tracks that have been added to the active filter 

Using Filter mode:

To add a track to the filter. Click the track’s Add track to filter button until it shows a white filter icon . To remove a track from the filter, click the filter icon again. When you enable the Filter button in the Track pane header, only tracks that have been added to the filter will be visible.

To open the Filter menu. Do one of the following:

Right-click the Filter button.

Click the Filter button and keep the mouse button pressed for a brief moment.

[Platinum only] To save the current filter assignments as a new preset. Right-click the Filter button and select New on the pop-up menu.

[Platinum only] To save changes to the current filter. Right-click the Filter button and select Save on the pop-up menu.

[Platinum only] To select a track filter preset. Right-click the Filter button and select the desired preset on the pop-up menu.

[Platinum only] To delete the selected track filter preset. Right-click the Filter button and select Delete on the pop-up menu.

[Platinum only] To rename the selected track filter preset. Right-click the Filter button and select Rename on the pop-up menu.

To add all tracks to the filter. Right-click the Filter button and select Add All Tracks on the pop-up menu.

To remove all tracks from the filter (and disable the filter, if active). Right-click the Filter button and select Remove All Tracks on the pop-up menu.

Auto Lock mode (Professional and Platinum only)

Auto Lock mode lets you concentrate on the focused track without worrying about accidentally modifying data on other tracks.

When Auto Lock mode is enabled, events from all selected tracks are displayed, but only the focused track can be edited. All other tracks are automatically locked and show ghosted events.

To enable/disable Auto Lock mode, select two or more tracks in the Track pane, then click the Auto Lock button.

Auto Lock mode works independently or in conjunction with the Filter mode.

Figure 23. Auto Lock mode enabled.

When Auto Lock is disabled, all selected tracks are visible and can be edited.

Figure 24. Auto Lock mode disabled.

 

Note: The Auto Lock button can only be enabled and disabled when multiple tracks are selected in the Track pane.

 

Tip: To give focus to the track you want to edit, click the track’s name in the Track pane.

 

See:

Piano Roll view

Working with multiple tracks in the Piano Roll view

New features