Is this correct workflow?

that's way too much difficulty!

try this:
1. download MIDI file
2. import MIDI file into sonar   
3. add a new synth: dimpro; in the dialog box UNCHECK SIMPLE INSTRUMENT, CHECK ALL STEREO OUTPUTS, SYNTH TRACK FOLDER (OPTIONAL, but I think it helps organization), SYNTH PROPERTY PAGE
4. set output of MIDI track 1 to DIMPRO
5. add a new synth: dimpro with same options
6. set output of MIDI track 2 to DIMPRO 1
7. REPEAT AS NECESSARY.

why are you saving as a template?  this is a project.  a template is something you want to open as a normal type of file for future projects.  you shouldn't want MIDI data in a template.  save it as a CWP.

Your workflow is fine; as suggested, you could just insert all the Dim Pro Instances at once, having SONAR create only the First Audio Output for each, and then re-assign the output of each MIDI track to one of the audio outputs, and then combine the MIDI and Audio track pairs into Simple Instruments, but it probably wouldn't ultimately be any more efficient.

The lost audio may be due to a change in output assignments, or maybe a MIDI buffering problem. Check your "Prepare Using" buffer under Preferences > MIDI > Playback and Recording. Try 500ms, and increase in increments of 100 up to a 1000 until the problem goes away.

Also make sure the Dim Pro instances are all pointing to a Master bus, and that Master bus points to the Main Outs on your audio interface.

You don't have to worry about channels when you have a separate synth dedicated to each MIDI track. They're effectively separate MIDI Out ports, each with its own own set of 16 channels. The MIDI tracks will have different channel information embedded in the events themselves, but since Dim Pro is not multi-timbral, it will respond to whatever it receives.

If the problem persists, try inserting a single instance of TTS-1, and assigning all the tracks to it.


The lost audio with Dim Pro could also be due to some controller events in the MIDI tracks that are restting some parameter in Dim Pro that makes it silent. I recall one case in which the MIDI track included Control Change messages that made the Attack of the patch so long that it was effectively silent. Check each track in the Event View, and look up the CC numbers to know what they're doing (e.g. CC1 = Modulation, CC7 = Volume, CC10 = Pan, CC11 = Expression, which works within the range set by CC7). There may also be RPN/NRPN messages that set bend range and things like that.