How do I use the audio inputs of a VST instrument plugin within Sonar?

In Sonar Platinum 2016.09 I have inserted a sampler (TX16Wx) as a simple instrument track. It is capable of recording an audio source via it's inputs into the sampler in real time.  Also tried splitting the instrument track into separate MIDI & audio tracks, but no change.
 
As a test, I have also inserted another VST Piano instrument to produce the audio that I wish to sample.  Have it routing to Master, as well as a send to an aux bus.  Hear it well on the speakers. 
 
So far I have only tried to sample the audio output from the VST Piano instrument, but I'm not getting any audio signal at the sampler.  I have set the sampler input to be the audio output from the VST Piano instrument.  Also tried to drop the sampler into the audio FX bin of the Piano track, but get no audio that way, unless I disable the FX.
 
I got this to work in another DAW (that I use for comparisons and troubleshooting) within a few minutes, but I am stuck on how to do this signal routing in Sonar.  I understand the fundamentals of routing in Sonar, the difference between audio and MIDI tracks, multitimbral synth multiple audio outputs, buses, sends, and inserts, etc.

BobF
All AUDIO inputs to a VSTi?  Which one specifically?

I didn't mean all inputs.  I just want one stereo output from any VSTi to route to the audio inputs of another VSTi, which in this case is a sampler called TW16Wx.  It can record samples directly within it's wave editor.
http://www.tx16wx.com/
 
This works in Reaper, just can't get it to work in Sonar.

Im looking in to the same thing abacab.
let me give it a test later on tonight and hopefully we can share some ideas and figure out a way to get this thing to fly.

scook
I doubt much has changed since a CWITEC staffer replied in this thread https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5899799 (in short, the record feature only works in Reaper)

Well maybe you are the right person to ask this as a Sonar specific question ... does Sonar support routing audio to VST instruments?  I just have never tried to do this before ...

The only ways I know to route audio to a plug-in are the audio FX rack and side-chain input. There are synths which may be inserted into the FX rack and process audio but from your description above and the reply in the thread I linked, TX16wx does not appear to work that way.

scook
The only ways I know to route audio to a plug-in are the audio FX rack and side-chain input. There are synths which may be inserted into the FX rack and process audio but from your description above and the reply in the thread I linked, TX16wx does not appear to work that way.

I agree.  The sampler in the FX bin creates a dead-end for the signal path, until the FX is bypassed.  But then obviously you cannot record anything.
 
It's weird, because in Reaper, I can see that the sampler's receives are exposed in the "route" dialog and you can add any other available tracks in the DAW as receives to the sampler.  So it appears to be host dependent as far as routing goes.
 
To be clear, I'm not trying to start a Sonar vs. Reaper debate.  I'm just trying to better understand how Sonar works, and any necessary workarounds that I may need to know about.  I only keep Reaper on my system as a sanity check to test and compare plugins if something seems a bit off somewhere.

John
Aux tracks are new and can directly record audio from another track. If you have Sonar Platinum for 2016 you have those. Check out Patch Points and Aux Tracks in the help file.

John, thanks for the tip!!!  Wilco.

BobF
I didn't go as far as patch point, but I did try it in an FX bin.  No dice.
 
I do have the freebie version though, and it has some dust on it.

Just gotta say, even if I have to drag n drop, it's still a pretty cool tool.  In addition to the keymapping, sound shaping with filters, envelopes, LFO's and modulation, the wave editor with looping and slicing gives it a lot of power.  For $32.36USD you can upgrade to the Pro version which has sample matrix triggering...

I wouldn't use an instrument track. Aux tracks are not instrument tracks. 

abacab

John
I wouldn't use an instrument track. Aux tracks are not instrument tracks. 

Sorry, I phrased that comment inaccurately.  I was using an aux track.  My reference was to VSTi in general.  How do you access the return to a VSTi???

I'm not sure I understand the question. Sorry. 

abacab

John

abacab

John
I wouldn't use an instrument track. Aux tracks are not instrument tracks. 

Sorry, I phrased that comment inaccurately.  I was using an aux track.  My reference was to VSTi in general.  How do you access the return to a VSTi???

I'm not sure I understand the question. Sorry. 

I guess perhaps that's because Sonar does not permit a return (audio input, does not exist?) to an instrument.  Effects only? 

That's the reason I threw it in the bin ... not that it worked.  There are VIs that accept audio.  That's how Vocoders work.