So, after playing 45 yrs of playing drums in most any kind of venue there is, I've heard all the smarta$$ bad jokes about us, not withstanding how many clueless guitarists I've met, and how clueless they are about so many basic fundamentals about music, I'm AMAZED at how archaic the Sonar Drum Map Mgr is, and that even after THIRTEEN versions...count 'em 13...it hasn't been updated since at least Sonar ver. 3.  REALLY GUYS?  I mean, how many drummers are on staff there, versus other musicians?  So, now that I've gotten that off my chest, here's some of my BRILLIANT suggestions.  I've already posted these once, but they were clearly ignored, and I just got off the ph with a pre-sales guy that confirmed my thoughts, that INDEED my update ideas are really good ones, and definitely need to be implemented.
 
1.) Implement some way to print out all of the settings on any given map because saving the presets does NO GOOD if you (for whatever reason) have to delete a softsynth, or God forbid, you lose your hard drive, or whatever.  The reason they need to be saved from THIS screen is if you have 4-5 different sample sources (an Ext. keybd, SampleTank, Dim Pro, Addictive Drums, etc), and you use 4-5 different channels for each source then how in the world do you remember which sample goes with each resource? AND keep in mind that drum samples are NOT named, ONLY the drum kits are named.  Personally, I use a different map for each drum grp. (Maps for Kick, Snare, Toms, Cymbals, World Perc, Orch Perc). So, you can only imagine how complicated life gets.  And for any smarta$$es that don't have any more imagination than to use 1-2 different drum kits in your music, I'd hate to hear your music. Bottom line, this can't be that hard to implement.  Also, as it stands right now, even if I wanted to do a simple screenshot of the Drum Map, your Prefs dialogue box doesn't allow any Windows stretching if I use more lines that the current window allows.  Maybe if you allowed the user to highlight all the fields and rows with the cursor then use Windows Cntl-C, and Cntrl-V to copy/paste into a text editor.  
2.) Add a PLAY button on each line so we can hear the sample we've mapped to make sure we've mapped to the correct sample. As it stands now, you have to save the map, pull out of the Prefs dialog box, go to the Piano roll view, THEN sample the map. God forbid it's not the right sample, or else you have to go through the same process ALL OVER AGAIN.  AGAIN...this can't be too hard to implement, I just think since hardly NO DRUMMERS are on the beta testing staff none of these ideas even get considered, let alone implemented.
3.) How about adding a toggle switch in the map that's linked to the FX bus.  So, if there's a sample that I want reverb (or some other FX) ON, I can simply have a reverb loaded in the AUDIO Track OUT FX, and when I toggle the FX button in the Drum Map it sends the output through that FX. 
 
Honestly, I can live without the FX doodad, but the 1st 2 are DIRE, AND WAAY PAST DUE NECESSITIES.  I bet even Craig Anderton would agree with me.  I'm sorry for the snarkiness, but I was REALLY looking forward to some changes with a whole new generation of Sonar, and I don't think that was an UNreasonable expectation.
 
KC

1) For the time being, you may include instrument and channel with some abbreviation in the instrument name. Then, take a screenshot in PRV. Not perfect, but better than loosing the information.
 
2) You can also change the drum map in the PRV. A single click will play the note, a double click will open an editor for the note where you can set all the things that you can set in Drum Map editor. You can even add new entries to the drum map in PRV provided you have an unmapped note. No need to switch between PRV and Preferences all the time.
 
3) I don't think this is technically possible. To process audio output from one plugin with different effects, you have to use separate output channels (which most drum synths should have) with own audio/synthesizer tracks.
 
However, I agree that an easier to use drum map editor outside the preferences window would be nice to have.

I can't find drum maps for the drums included with Sonar. Ya, just a bit behind on that stuff.

Bump!
 
Yes, we need a new drum map manager. Starting a new map for unlisted set is way too tedious, and there's no way to batch set the out ports....

You can switch the output port / channel for several or all entries in a drum map by selecting them and then changing the port or channel for one of the selected while pressing CTRL+SHIFT.

One change I'd really like to see is what I'd call "dynamic drum maps",
I use Superior Drummer. The Drum maps I use are large, including all the various articulations of the kit pieces, because I don't know beforehand, when I drag and drop the MIDI clips/patterns out of SD, which of articulations of the kit pieces are actually going to be required in the end.
 
So I'd like it if in the PRV, it only showed the notes/samples that are actually in use in the MIDI track, that way there will be less, or no need for scrolling up/down the PRV while editing the track.

I specifically remember starting, and participating in a spirited request to COMPLETELY revamp the Drum Map Mgr that I think the last time it was touched by development was when the Assyrians ran the Middle East.  Seriously, though.  I DID check the latest features the best I knew how to, since I haven't been able to touch my DAW (Sonar X3 Studio) in almost a year, but I didn't find anything.  I DID see a sticky re: developing a world-class Scoring module, which would be nice, but I can assure everyone that a totally revamped Drum Map Mgr would make EVERYONE'S world a LOT easier.  And REALLY Cakewalk?  You haven't TOUCHED this feature since it's inception, or Sonar 3.  That's what...10-11 versions ago? That really doesn't inspire me much to upgrade to Platinum, now does it.

merged with previous request

Here's another thread to consider possibly merging:
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Drum-Map-Manager-UI-UpdateRefurb-m3097383.aspx

scook
merged with previous request

If you are going to merge requests, please provide a link to the request that's still live. I don't know what the previous request was.