[Resolved] [CWBRN-33442] X3/Splat Enabled MIDI Output issue (see OP)

I have not tried your steps but it sounds like it could be related to the ago old VSTi MIDI send bugs. One thing you can try is to temporarily re-route the input selection of the receiving VST and route it back again. I have another thread where this is the work-around required for a similar issue.

Edit to the above - I think I found where the true bug lies (in both X3e and Splat) - if launching X3/Splat by sending a cwp to it (such as Start->SONAR->file.cwp), the internal routing fails (100% thus far).
 
However, if you launch SONAR first (no cwp), then open the cwp from either the "Quick Start" menu or "File" menu, the MIDI routing takes (also 100% thus far). So the "broken link" comes in launching SONAR (X3/Splat) by commanding it to open a cwp on initiation.

Thanks for the time, Scott. So far it seems that post #4 is the underlying reason (and workaround), and has been there for a long time. I am a bit upset by this as MIDI routing has fallen into the "unreliable" bucket for me due to the time vested in creating projects that suddenly "run amuck."
 
On the brighter side, I am happy that the workaround is simple. It is just ironic that a guitar player hunts down a MIDI issue that should be "common knowledge." I have seen similar threads, but never the "why" before. I may have missed it in passing, but this is something I would never have "expected."

Sounds like the project is loading before all MIDI hardware buffers are allocated.

Hi Dave, thanks for the response. The audio engine does indeed come up disabled for this situation (not the root issue), but the routing is gone (VST1->VST2). *If* that cwp is saved at that point it is gone forever (even if opened properly later).
 
I just did a quick pass on both X3 and Platinum. In both cases, Start->SONAR->[filename].cwp loads the project with audio engine disabled (I simply turned it back on). At that point VST1 cannot fire VST2, and no exposed MIDI routing will bring it back online (short of deleting/re-adding VST1). In each case, I saved the cwp with a new name, then closed/re-opened. X3 white screened as soon as I hit "Close;" in Platinum, it closed fine, but File->[filename].cwp (in SONAR) was an immediate CTD. It seems that something is staying resident inside SONAR to cause this, but not sure (exiting/re-opening SONAR itself avoids this issue as well).
 
The workaround continues to be consistent (i.e., only open the cwp from inside SONAR), so if I inadvertently open a project from the cwp file association I have been closing SONAR immediately, and restarting.
 
It is easy to create the two CWPs affected here, as this recipe is consistent, but not sure if the CWPs will be useful if one of the VSTs is not resident on the machine opening them? Apparently, SONAR is saving the bad routing so a simple comparison of cwp1 vs cwp2 would probably be useful to the bakers.
 
 

Hi Dave, the routing options all are there as before, but what seems "missing" is that VST1 is (seems to be?) no longer transmitting "MIDI output." Jostling around inputs, disabling/re-enabling "Enable MIDI Output" from the synth rack on VST1 has no effect (although that reminds me I never tried this on the project when working either). My "hunch" is that if toggling that check did what I expected, that it would "right" things, but deleting/re-adding VST1 does re-enable the through. This also made me think of other options just to test that toggle out (I honestly have never used it and Enabled MIDI Output on VSTi insertion).
 
I did have both X3 and Platinum set to always echo the active MIDI track, and just disabled them both, although I do not have time right now to check this one further. I just downloaded SilkTone's project and will check it out when I get a time window as well (I also downloaded MIDI-Ox at some point but never used it).
 
Is there a VST out there that shows active MIDI events by channel inside a host? I *think* that is why I downloaded MIDI-Ox, but not sure if it will do this. I basically need to see what is going on the SONAR's MIDI buss to pinpoint it further.
 
As far as straight-up routing in the project, the VSTs will both fire themselves when this occurs (both Geist and AD2 have MIDI and audio engines), but what seems to "go away" is the MIDI output and I do not know of a method to "monitor the MIDI flying about" (which would be incredibly helpful here).
 
Another option I will try is to set this up so anyone can test it using AD2 as VST1 to drive True Pianos or something simple.