[Solved] TruePianos: Strange volume dip on playback until I left-click its fader knob

[EDIT: Since posting this...
--I found that 4 other VSTis do NOT display this bug, so it seemed to have been TruePianos-specific
--After restarting Sonar, I found that TruePianos now behaves (the settings suggested by Craig below were in fact the existing defaults
.. so hopfeully all in the past now ;-)  ]
 
Hi there, I am using Sonar X3 for the very first time. I have prepared (watched the 50 Groove8 videos among other things) and am reasonably DAW savvy, so am not completely helpess, but .... sorry, right off the bat I'm seeing some strange behavior which I hope I can make stop

My project is very simple, a midi track with no automation, playing through an instrument track -- TruePianos -- also with no automation or any FX. I set them up just by dragging the midi clip and the VSTi to their respective tracks. The midi track seems to have routed itself automatically to the VSTi, and the VSTi to the master bus. Fine. Didn't mess with any global or project preferences, options, etc -- this is X3 (Studio) right out of the box, after a plug-in scan.
 
Problem is, when I press play the volume is very low.  In the console I see the midi track fader is at 59, and the TruePiano fader is at unity.
 
I figured out thatm once the clip is playing,  if I merely single left-click the black fader knob in the midi track channel -- without moving it from 59, just clicking it  -- suddenly the volume sounds right.
 
If I pause or stop, then resume play, the volume starts very low again. This happens regardless of where I start play from.It will only sound right after clicking the fader knob.
 
I also notice that the midi track's meter doesn't show any real difference whether the audio I hear is quiet or normal. It seems to think it's getting the right volume all the time.
 
But every time I want to hear it at the proper volume, I need to kick the thing in the pants -- i.e. single click the fader knob. Weird.
 
I have double-checked that there are no volume automation envelopes doing anything to either track (how could there be, I hadn't added any, but to be sure...), and also that the midi event list editor shows only note data (except for a sustain pedal message at the very start).

Maybe I could make the midi clip available to see if anyone could replicate this, if you're not too full of turkey ;-)
 
Please tell me there is a simple fix for this... Having to click a fader knob every time I play back could get old real fast :-/

Craig, firstly, thanks very much for your reply ...  I've been reading your stuff for years, nice to meet you! Secondly, the problem seems to have vanished (see my edited OP) ... hopefully it was just one of those things!

I have had issues with some plugins in the past - Battery 3 and others, where for some reason the defaults for the plugins tie the plugin's Master Output level to CC 7, and this affects the plugin volume without my having gone into the plugin UI to manually alter its master volume.
 
So, for the above, for me, I always look for options for plugins when I load them - particularly the ones from Native Instruments, and if I find that sort of option set I set that option off.
 
I don't know if this sort of thing applies to your situation, you can test it out by looking for plugin master volume changes that you don't make - after moving channel strip faders up and down.
 
Bob Bone
 
 
The effect of that the Battery 3 master volume will jump back to some other value, without me touching it, just from me adjusting I believe the fader