Recording Using a MIDI Track or Instrument Track in Cakewalk Sonar

August 24, 2026 08:33

Recording Using a MIDI Track or Instrument Track

Recording MIDI captures musical performance data—such as note pitches, durations, and velocities—from a controller to trigger software synthesizers or external MIDI hardware. Simple Instrument tracks and MIDI tracks allow you to record, route, and monitor this performance data within your project.

In this article

Setting Up MIDI Inputs and Tracks
MIDI and Instrument Track Controls
Recording Procedure

Setting Up MIDI Inputs and Tracks

Before recording, hardware MIDI input devices must be enabled in Preferences and assigned to a MIDI or Instrument track.

Track Creation and Hardware Setup

MIDI Devices Preferences: Go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices to select active hardware MIDI Inputs and Outputs.
Add Track Menu: Click the Add Track button (+) and select Instrument or MIDI to create a new track.
Instrument: Selects the software synthesizer assigned to an Instrument track.
Open Virtual Controller: Opens an on-screen piano or computer keyboard controller if a hardware controller is unavailable.

Simple Instrument Tracks

Drag and Drop Conversion: Drag a software synth from the Plug-in Browser onto a MIDI track to convert it into a Simple Instrument track.

MIDI and Instrument Track Controls

MIDI and Instrument tracks provide dedicated controls to route incoming MIDI signals and configure playback settings.

Input and Destination Controls

Input: Selects the incoming MIDI port and channel used for recording.
Output: Assigns the track to a hardware MIDI output port or software synthesizer.
Ch: Specifies the outgoing MIDI channel (1–16) used to transmit MIDI data.
Bank: Selects the patch bank for the target synthesizer or sound module.
Patch: Specifies the instrument sound used for playback.

Recording State Controls

Arm: Enables the track for MIDI recording.
Input Echo: Routes incoming MIDI data directly to the track output for real-time monitoring.

Recording Procedure

Follow these steps to record MIDI performance data onto a MIDI or Instrument track.

Performing a Recording

Click the Input control on a MIDI or Instrument track and select your MIDI input source.
Click the track Arm button (R) to enable recording.
Click the Input Echo button to enable real-time MIDI monitoring.
Press R or click the Record button in the Transport module to start recording.
Play notes on your MIDI controller or virtual controller.
Press Spacebar or click the Stop button in the Transport module to finish recording.

Recording Using a MIDI Track or Instrument Track in Cakewalk Sonar