Help: Monitoring midi using external synth

[HeplMeh]

Hi guys,

So I'm having a few issues trying to set up my JD-Xi with Sonar and have a few questions.

What I'm trying to do is, use my JD-Xi to record midi into Sonar (Working)
Then I'm trying to send that Midi data back to the JD-Xi via Midi and using the JD-Xi sounds, to then play back into Sonar through the (Headphones out) on the JD-Xi into a Scarlett Solo Mic/Line Amp then into Sonar via a audio track so I can monitor it while recording the Midi.

I am able to get the Midi to play the JD-Xi sounds and am I able to play the keyboard and hear the audio coming into Sonar via the Scarlett, but the Sound is lagging over a full second before playing out the Audio Track.

Any suggestions how to sync the audio sound up with the Midi playback?

[opjose]

You are trying to get Sonar to output audio and input audio while controlling a mdii device.

Your best bet is not to feed the sound back into Sonar.

Plug your headphones directly into the JDXI.

You can then take advantage of Midi "Through" to get the JDXI to ONLY react to the Midi output coming from Sonar.

Hitting a key only cause Sonar to receive midi messages, which it sends back to the JDXI. The JDXI does not play sounds directly via a keyboard press.

This is like utilzing an external synth via Sonar from a keyboard.

Note: I don't own a JDXI but I used to do this all the time with older Roland devices.

[opjose]

More info here: http://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR&language=3&help=Beginners.03.html#562909

This is particularly applicable:

"MIDI instruments have inputs and outputs labeled MIDI IN and MIDI OUT. You connect a MIDI cable from one of your MIDI interface’s MIDI OUTs to a MIDI IN on an instrument. You also connect a MIDI cable from the MIDI OUT on one of your MIDI instruments to the MIDI IN on your MIDI interface. The instrument that you connect to the MIDI IN of your interface is called a controller, and typically has a piano-style keyboard for sending note on/off messages, pitch and modulation wheels, and perhaps some sliders on it for sending other MIDI messages to the interface.

You can also get MIDI converter modules that turn guitars, drums, and other instruments into controllers. You can use a controller to record yourself playing in real time. When you play your controller, the MIDI messages go to the interface, then into your computer, and then back to the interface and to a specific MIDI instrument that’s connected to the interface.

You choose what instrument the messages come back to by using the software.

This process of a computer sending back out the MIDI messages that it just received is called echoing. By using echoing, you can play one MIDI instrument, but cause other MIDI instruments to play.

Your controller usually has a setting on it called Local On/Off. When your controller is connected to your interface, you need to set the Local On/Off setting to Local Off. That’s because if your software is set to send MIDI messages back to your controller, when you play a note on your controller, it is sent to the computer, and then back to the controller again through its MIDI IN, causing it to play two notes every time you play one note on it.

When your controller is set to Local Off, it won’t play a note on the controller when you press a key, but only when the Note On message comes back from the computer, which happens instantaneously. Remember to set it back to Local On if you’re going to use the controller separate from the computer."

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So in this scenario your Synth/Keyboard becomes both the midi "controller" and the midi controlled sound generator.

You think of your device as two separate items.. one the controller that generates midi messages, and another that receives the midi messages to generate the sound.

Sonar is more akin to a cable connecting the two.