Audio - Sonar Automation with Battery 3

I posted this response over at the Sonar forum, but figured documenting it here would be a worthwhile addition.

So how do you get your MIDI controller to talk to Battery through Sonar (and visa-versa) and be able to save the automation envelopes?

Open up the Battery 3 window by double clicking the icon on the synth track. Have the cell and tab you wish to have automations on 'open' in the lower window before doing this: Goto View>Automation Page... Click the MIDI CC tab, and drag the 'parameter name' section of the table (it says "assign") to whatever control you want to automate. It will put a red strikethru on whatever cannot be automated just to let you know who's boss. Click the "soft" button (it will light up like a... well... an enabled button) then clickie on "learn" and give that knob on your controller the good ol jimmy. Declick the "soft" button. Repeat to add more. I don't know why, but if you don't click the 'soft' button when doing the learns it will add ALL automations to the last learnt button...

Anyway, in Sonar, if you open on up the Synth rack and select the Show/Hide Assigned Controls Icon, you can right click on the control (will be a little round thing) and select remote control. Then just hit learn and give the knob the ol jimmy again... To write the automation, select the write icon in the synth rack and hit play/record in transport. Then your envelopes will surely move and record in Sonar. I even made a nice screenshot... See:

Unfortunately, your journey is not yet complete... If you want Battery to track the changes made by any automation in Sonar:

Go back to Battery and Automation, goto the HOST tab, assign the control the same way (to whatever control you want the envelope to get kinky on) and manually change the ID to whatever it is under the MIDI CC tab with the same control (it may be the same but check anyway). Then just make sure your synth rack in Sonar has "read" icon enabled - should be green with envy. You should now have a 2-way mating ritual underway between Sonar and Battery.

- Phil