nanokey and nh2

If you can not hear youself playing, please check if MIDI Through is active ("Playback" menu).

For the sounds used in a song, you do not necessarily need to setup devices in advance. As with any sequencer, you can assign a MIDI port and channel to every instrument in your song directly:

1. Select instrument type MIDI.
2. Select the port your instrument is connected to.
3. Enter a name for the synth connected to that port (device name).
4. Select the channel your sound is on.
5. Enter program (if neded), sound name and category.

Done. You may also need to adjust the playing ranges to match the pitch range you want the sound to play in.

Note that using this direct addressing however, your song will depend on the synth alyways sitting on that port with the sounds on their respective channels. Therefore you should save the synth's preset together with the song.

For the global instruments, you should create one device that can deliver the sounds listed on the "Global Instruments" tab in Audio & MIDI Settings: Piano, Pad, Bass, Guitar and Drums (also used as Metronome). This device must be always connected, so you can preview phrases and hear a metronome, for example.

If you have a GM capable synth, do the following:

1. Device >> New
2. Fill in a name for it and a mode, etc (not critical)
3. Bank >> Initialize General MIDI.
4. Disable channel 10 only.
5. Device >> Save

Now you can connect the device to the port where its corresponding synth is connected. Go to the "Global Instruments" tab and press "Reset to Defaults", selecting the new device.

Do File >> Save once to ensure your rack is saved (not necessary, but feels more safe). That is all you need to do to create a rack. You can add more devices, if you have them.