How To Keep Track MIDI Output Assignments Correct After Removing Device?

From Bob Bergen on the Facebook Cakewalk SONAR User Group https://www.facebook.com/...roup/?ref=group_header

"Bob BergenGroup Admin Do you mean my hack:
With Sonar closed, delete ctrlsurface.dat and ttsseq.ini, open Sonar, set your controller and control surfaces prefs (and set the midi lookahead buffer to 500ms), close Sonar, set the file attributes for ctrlsurface.dat and ttsseq.ini to read-only. No more forgotten settings for those anymore. Of course, if you want add a midi device, you'll have to remove the read-only attribute and put it back after you're done."

you can always test it by making a back up of ctrlsurface.dat and ttsseq.ini.
If it doesn't do what you want, its easy enough to reverse.
What have you got to lose ? takes probably 3 minutes.

I've been trying to figure out what it is you have a problem with as it does not make any sense to me, and possibly most of the others around here so therefore no answers. 
 
We EXPECT when we change our hardware set up that older projects will need a few minutes of TLC to bring them up to date on the new system. This doesn't take much time really. So not sure what it is your mad about.  
 
I have over time changed my system, my interfaces, my controllers and my computers a dozen or more times. I'm always happily upgrading. 
Sonar is pretty smart and warns me of some of the changes and even re assigns some stuff without issue. 
The most troublesome has been any old projects from one system that the Master is set to my SPDIF instead of 1/2 resulting in playback silence and a few minutes of pondering until I remember that fact. Otherwise all works as expected. 
 
 
In preferences I make sure my 3 midi  input devices are checked and ready to use.. I really don't care where they are on the list. Why would that matter? They show clearly on the midi track input list so I just select the controller I want when I'm recording midi. a 3 second task. 
 
I do not select any midi device outputs as mostly I'm not driving any outboard midi gear and if you don't select a device Sonar will automatic insert TTS_1 and populate all 16 tracks when you open any midi file. A huge timesaver for me.
If I want to hook up some old midi hardware it takes a half a minute to select my Scarlett midi output. 
NOBODY uses on board wavetable synths unless they are tone deaf. Sonar should totally remove that as an option, it would keep new users out of trouble. 
 
Now if your talking about midi track outputs those will always stay assigned to the VST instrument they originally used unless that VST is no longer installed. You'll get warnings when you open that project and they will show  greyed out so easy to find a newer, better replacement.  Sonar will ussually re assign midi tracks to the last used VST. Supper easy to change. 
 
I open older projects almost daily as I upgrade my backing tracks using newer better VST instruments. Midi files I made on a 1985 Atari 1040ST still open and will play. But I don't expect the Bass patch I used in 1985 to be correct. A little TLC to each project and 15 minutes later using track templates I've got a whole new upgraded sound. 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 never mind. Sorry I cant be of help more.
 

Greg, I'm not following, won't that just move the current problem on the new machine back to the old machine?  I mean, if I remove the SBLive card from the old machine then I'll essentially have the same config as I now have on the new machine...
 
???

I dont see the problem. I have MANY keyboards all working as controllers. All have their names on the list. Nothing gets massed up. I have them on some time, another time, I do not. Sonar asks me, "Yamaha Motif was removed, do you want to reassign MIDI Inputs?" I say NO and everything stays in place. 

I switched to new computer this year as well. Every time I open old project that had something I dont currently use, it asks me, "MOTU MIDI Output and Input are missing, would you like to Reassign?" I say no and it just silencing the missing tracks. Also there is a setting for Friendly Names, I dont know if it applies to MIDI or only Audio, but all my inputs are marked. I have at least 10 controllers, and i will assure you that I dont use them all at the same time, but they show up in the options if the driver is installed. If the driver is not installed but the project had that assignment, it simply asks me if I want to reassign. I dont like to let it reassign, so I say NO and reassign myself. How hard can it be to reassign Inputs when you need them? Most likely you only will need to reassign few inputs per project. Also I commit my tracks to Audio, I almost never keep anything in MIDI. Yes, I may want to change it later but I make my decision when I work on that part. So I have 80% audio. The only time I have real issue with not knowing what is what is when i set my Metronome to MIDI on certain MNIDI out, let's say Out 6, and I have to remember that it is 6th module in my hardware synths rack, and it gets massed up and some time it is 4, some time it is 5. So I started using Audio click. 

As I said, I don't think any of us understand what your problem is. We totally get that you have changed your system and we all totally get that this will result in what you are describing but we don't get what your "problem" is with that. 
 
question- are you using VST soft synths at all? or are you trying to use MS wavetable or external hardware?? I have a feeling your troubled because you were using the sound fonts on the Sound Blaster and now they are gone//right? 
 
As I said, Sonar will open old projects on a new system no problem other than the plug ins may no longer be available so it warns us as it loads and then they show but are greyed out. You either find the old plug ins and install them or you replace them with something more up to date. 
 
Inputs as I said, so what if they show in a different order.. why does that matter, I can't think when this would cause a problem. 
You just choose the controller your going to use to record with. 

azslow3

Cactus Music
As I said, I don't think any of us understand what your problem is. We totally get that you have changed your system and we all totally get that this will result in what you are describing but we don't get what your "problem" is with that.

Well, some people understand what the problem is...

Im with Johnny, I have no idea what the problem is.
 
The problem he is trying to solve here is with Sonar 5 in Windows XP.(perfect example why we need a sonar legacy forum)
 

azslowThere is a BUG in Sonar. I am not sure when exactly it was introduced, probably in the version when they have made MIDI ports "more persistent".

 
If there was a midi bug introduced here, we are talking about a 10 year old midi bug. 
Im not even sure there were .ini files in Sonar 5. that's why I dropped out of this thread.
However it may seem what Johnny is saying is of no use.. it might actually help.
Because the issue can be described in better detail. Thus more of us may understand a little better.
 
Though I believe if anyone can help Sonic solve this issue it would probably be you because of your knowledge of midi.
 
 
 

Everybody relax. lol  I really appreciate the help, truly. If there isn't a solution, then there isn't a solution.  I'm just trying to understand what the options are.  I can't see how anyone can say they don't see the problem though.  To say it's not a problem in their opinion is fine, but to say they can't see the problem I'm referring to is very perplexing.  I spelled it out about as clearly as can be (in particular see post #7).  Sonar seems to track the ordinal/position of the MIDI output selection in the track output listing instead of the actual proper output selection when it comes to the configuration changing.  Sonar really should be tracking by name or some other internal ID, anything that allows it to retain the proper mapping.  I don't care how old the software is, it should have the basic intelligence to at least be able to maintain the previously selected output (provided it still exists) on a new system or configuration.  
 
It sounds like Sonar is hopeless in this sense and the only way to potentially resolve this is to make sure some kind of placeholder remains in the initial location where the SBLive used to be.  Whether it be putting the SBLive back in the machine or use a virtual software stub (MIDIYoke, etc).  

If anybody has any other ideas please share....
 
Sonic 

chuckebaby
The problem he is trying to solve here is with Sonar 5 in Windows XP.(perfect example why we need a sonar legacy forum)

I have not noticed that, my bad...
That means the problem exists at least since Sonar 5 (no wonder,  I bet MIDI core engine is still the same)
 

Cactus Music
I really wonder if the input and output assignments would behave the way your asking in any DAW? 

The only other DAW I have started to use recently is Tracktion Waveform. Its solution for MIDI inputs is brilliant compare to Sonar. I have barely used MIDI outputs there, but I had no problem when I did.
 
In short, you can create "Virtual MIDI input" devices and use them in projects. So they stay in tact independent from physical devices available.