I can’t hear MIDI playback

Symptom: When you attempt to play back a project (.cwp) or a MIDI file (.mid), the playback meters move and the timeline scrolls, but there is no sound from the speakers or headphones.

Solution: In order to hear MIDI playback, you need to route the MIDI tracks to a software synth (Insert > Soft Synths), a hardware synthesizer, or the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth.

Software synth (DXi, VSTi) setup

If your sound card or audio interface supports WDM or ASIO drivers, you should use a DXi or VSTi virtual instrument as your synth, rather than the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth, which will not be available in these driver modes.

1.	Go to Insert > Soft Synth > DirectX > Cakewalk TTS-1 (or any other available soft synth).

The Insert Soft Synth Options dialog box appears.

2.	Select the following options:

Simple Instrument track

MIDI Source

First Synth Audio Output

Synth Property Page

Synth Rack View

Recall Assignable Controls

Ask This Every Time

3.

Click OK.

Cakewalk TTS-1 is added to your project. When a synth has focus, press F1 for online Help about the synth.

4.	Open the Track Inspector (View > Inspector, or press I), click the Output control in the IN / OUT section at the bottom, and select Cakewalk TTS-1. Repeat this step for all MIDI tracks.

Tip: You can quickly assign all tracks to the same output by using a Quick Group (see Quick Groups). To do so, press CTRL+A to select all tracks, then hold down the CTRL key while you assign any track to a specific output. All tracks of the same type (MIDI or audio) will be assigned to the same output.

For more information about using soft synths, see Tutorial 4 - Playing and recording software instruments and Software instruments.

Internal sound card playback

If your computer has an internal sound card, you can configure SONAR to play MIDI through the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth that is integrated into Windows.

1.	Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio - Playback and Recording

2.	Change Driver Mode to WASAPI Exclusive and click Apply

3.	Restart SONAR and let the Wave Profiler Test your hardware.

4.	Go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices.

5.	Under Outputs, select Microsoft GS Wavetable S/W synth, the click OK.

External MIDI synth setup

1.

Make sure your MIDI synth or module is connected to your computer (usually via USB or via MIDI cables to an external audio device). Connect the MIDI Out port on your interface to the MIDI in port on your external MIDI synth, and connect the MIDI In port on your interface to the MIDI Out port on your external MIDI synth. If you have a USB capable synth, make sure the USB cable is plugged into its own USB port rather than a USB hub.

2.	Go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices and select your MIDI interface in the MIDI In and MIDI Out lists, then click Move selected devices to top.

3.

Make sure you have speakers or headphones connected to your external MIDI synth because now it will play back the MIDI performance rather than your computer’s audio interface. It's best to connect the audio output of your keyboard/synth to the Line in jack (or input channel) on your audio interface. This will allow you to record the MIDI as audio later.

4.	Your external MIDI synth must be in its multi-timbral mode, and Local Control must be disabled. Local Control is a keyboard specific setting and is often found in the settings or options menu within your keyboard or synth.

If you are using a synth module or hardware synth (not a MIDI controller), you may want to use an instrument definition in order to see banks and patches by name in SONAR.

Do the following to import instrument definitions into SONAR:

1.	Go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Instruments.

2.	Click Define to display the Define Instruments and Names dialog box.

3.	Click Import to display the Import Instrument Definitions dialog box.

4.	Choose the .ins file that contains instrument definitions for your manufacturer, and click Open. SONAR displays a list of all the instrument definitions in the file.

5.	Choose one or more instruments from the list, and click OK.

6.	Click Close to close the Define Instruments and Names dialog box.

The instrument definitions you imported should now appear in the Uses Instrument list in the Assign Instruments dialog box.

Note: You may need to route channel 10 specifically to a Drum Instrument definition file. If none is available, route all channels to the single definition.

7.	Set the Channel, Bank and Patch of each MIDI track you are routing to the synth. Every MIDI track with a different sound or patch has to be on a different channel.

 

For more information about playing MIDI data in SONAR, please see Tutorial 4 - Playing and recording software instruments.

 

More Frequently asked questions.