question about sonar and sp 404

nobody · Post by **nobody** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 4:49 pm

(yes i really gotta lot of questions! lol) can u use the sp 404 in sonar???and record the sampling or whatever???

teardropcity · Post by **teardropcity** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:48 pm

the 404 does not have usb on it, but it does have rca outs, which I use to run the 404 into my usb audio interface so I can bring the sounds into Sonar and also vice versa from Sonar to the 404

nobody · Post by **nobody** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:22 pm

but can you record when push the buttons???thanx also

Jim Y · Post by **Jim Y** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:22 pm

There's no special features that makes any particular program more suitable with the 404. Considering Rolands tie-up with Cakewalk, if would have been nice if the 404 supported Sonar Grooveclip tempo matching - but it doesn't even do that. Still, I find Sonar pretty good at fitting ordinary loops into it's timeline to fit tempo.

You can send audio to and from the pc and 404 via the flash card, but it's cumbersome. As said, soundcard recording is generally fine. Current sound cards are good enough to do this without noticable quality loss and it's quicker.

You could start with the cheaper Sonar HomeStudio, they do upgrade deals if you like it but want more.

On the midi side, if you have a midi keyboard, Sonar will send thru to the midi in of the 404 to play the pads. You record the keys into a midi track and the miditrack will playback the 404 samples. You'll need a soundcard with a 5pin DIN midi out or a USB midi port to feed the 404. If the keyboard has a 5pin midi out, it can drive the 404 direct but recording will have to be of the audio - not the midi.
Sonar will also send midi clock sync out to the 404 midi in if you want to sync 404 pattern sequences.