Basic midi recording question- please help!

[koolkeys]

I am still fairly new to midi recording and I am having problems recording midi in Sonar 2.0XL. It is not a problem with the software, but with my setup I think. When I play a note into my keyboard, it records in the software, but it has a delay of about a second before you hear anything. So when I go to record a second track, it is always that much behind the first one. I tried turning off local control on my keyboard, but then I couldn't hear anything as I recorded, even though I did hear it when I played it back. And I tried turning off the echo settings in Sonar. Nothing works. Sorry if this is a bit confusing! Please help!

[Lord Wan]

That's what i call LATENCY !!

Let me guess, you have only a SB Live card for audio ?
If you are using DXi synth, then you will always get huge latency from external control.
You may have better results using soundfonts out of the SB Live.
Anyway, to get "near zero" latency you will spend a lot money ( computer + audio card ).
If you plan mainly to play midi stuff, think about getting a real midi expander. http://www.audioforums.com/forums/wink.gif

[koolkeys]

Yes, I do have a Live! card. I wasn't using DXI that I know of. Is there any way to adjust the latency or something I can change to temporarily "fix" that problem. I have not always had the problem, just sometimes.
And where can I get a midi expander? And for how much? Thanks for your help.

koolkeys

[Lord Wan]

I don't know how all the quircks and tips of latency but i have found that on my setup, i get huge latency ( 1 sec ) when i use a drum map as output ( instead of using the "SB Live! Synth A" or "B" directly ).

For an expander, i have a Roland JV-1010 that covers almost all basic needs, the drums are not so good so. I still use the SB Live for drums by editing my own Soundfonts ( it's like a sampler then ).
The JV costs about 500$, you may find one used for 350$.

The Pro : it can play 16 different instruments by itself and has a latency of ZERO.

[TCONNELLY]

You may want to adjust the MIDI playback buffers. Go to Options> Global> MIDI. I think Sonar uses a default playback buffer of 500ms. That's 1/2 a second right there. The only drawback is that if you set it to low it may cause some crazy playback or stop entirely. But hey, you can always set it back. Post any progress you have.
Good luck.
Tim

[cctarlton]

There is something *much simpler* than can be done for all this "latency" in midi recording.

I have NO IDEA WHY people are even using their sound cards or DXi's for simple midi recording. (Of course to produce audio, one or the other IS necessary, but....not for the MIDI RECORDING process.)

Connect your keyboards in & out (however -- I use a USB midi man interface & select it for the "out" in cakewalk) and use YOUR KEYBOARD to listen to the prior tracks & play & record.....its that simple.

That way, everything plays exactly in time.

Then, if you want to mixdown to audio, do so. AFTER all the midi recording & editing is done.