AnthonyMangos
Thanks to everyone fro their help, but this is all I want to accomplish:
 
1)  I create a new file - basic
2)  I have track 1 - audio, track 2 - midi
3)  A was able to load Addictive Drums to the audio track under FX - AD2 is set for Studio Rock - Perfect. 
4)  I wasn't able to load Addictive Drums to the midi track - do I even need to?
5)  The step sequencer view is not selectable.
 

 
Okay... let's get this sorted first. I'm kind of surprised you haven't gotten this step figured out yet. It's in the the Reference Guide tutorials. Did you go through those tutorials at the start of the manual? If not your REALLY should. It is step by step and covers the basics like these.
 
There are a bunch of ways to insert a synth (which in this case will be Addictive Drums) but this is the absolute simplest until you figure out the Browser and other stuff.
 
With your blank project open (or any project... doesn't matter) go to the top of the Sonar screen and click Insert > Soft Synth > VST2 > Addictive Drums 2
 
After you click on Addictive Drums 2 in that last drop down menu the "Insert Soft Synth" dialog window opens up. It has a bunch of checkboxes. For now we will keep this ULTRA simple and use the Simple Instrument Track option.
 
So make sure the following options are checked...
 
Simple Instrument Track (this creates a single track for your MIDI and Audio)
 
Synth Track Folder (this doesn't matter for this setup but essentially it puts all tracks related to a synth into a convenient track folder such as multi output tracks... this is handy for more complex setups)
 
Synth Property Page (This just opens the the synth property page once the synth is inserted so AD2's GUI will pop open after you click OK)
 
Synth Rack View (this will open the "Synth Rack" in the "Browser"... I just want you to see the Synth Rack because that's a better place to insert and manage sysnths once you are more confortable)
 
Now click OK.
 
Your Simple Instrument Track will be created and automatically routed to/from AD2. The AD2 GUI will open up. If there isn't a kit loaded already in AD2 load one using the Preset Picker at the top left of the AD2 GUI.
 
Now you should be able to hit on the kit pieces and get sound. You will see the track you just created registering the hits.
 
Do that and come back.
 
 

Or do what scook says... which is what I was going to start moving you toward. Eventually I would have got you up to having all the kit pieces routed to their own audio tracks (all synth outputs Stereo or Mono options does this).

A simple instrument track will work instead of the "MIDI Source" and "First Synth Audio Output" in the image I added above. The reason I selected that MIDI+Audio option is it would be more familiar to the OP.

scook
A simple instrument track will work instead of the "MIDI Source" and "First Synth Audio Output" in the image I added above. The reason I selected that MIDI+Audio option is it would be more familiar to the OP.

You are totally right. I was just going for the absolute simplest option to get him something to play around with then start moving toward the split MIDI/Audio track set up.
 
I think at this point Anthony just needs to let rip a little jam session to make him feel like this is gonna be worth it.
 
Either way though... MIDI source + First Synth Audio Output is only slightly more complex than the SIT. (two tracks vs. one).
 
If you got this I'll go fiddle with some other stuff I got cooking.
 
Cheers.

Got it!!!  Wow!!  Think I'm in cut time - but this is pretty cool.
 
I'm going to watch football.  Big Buffalo Bills fan.

Ozz mentioned the VSTi/soft synths were new to you. Scook's method is definitely how you want to go about inserting them.

Anthony I will do a video tomorrow if I get a chance. I won't do it on the drum maps as the explaination given earlier in this thread was quite good. I was wondering would you prefer to have a track for each kit piece?

Yes eventually I will. Tonight I am going to play around with a separate file and try to do that. If I'm successful, I'll create a template of that. My drum machine was made in1989. Boss Dr. Rhythm. This is definitely a few steps up. The rolls sound like rolls instead of a piston hitting the drum at the same volume.

Cool, I was going to do a video last night but my interface h as clapped itself. Direct monitoring is not working. I'll have another go tonight and hopefully I can help in some way.

Doktor Avalanche

AnthonyMangos
The long/short name was a help recommendation in cakewalk. It was based on the error message I only got with the drum map-loaded cakewalk file. Looking in the directory on my computer I did have that 'problem'. Short names were not visible.

I'm assume this is it...?

http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=2681013

I see the cakewalk quote:

'Ultimately we will try and move away from this dependency but it involves backwards compatibility issues with projects so we can't completely sever this tie.'.

That was in 2012 not sure if anything changed or not. This isn't a hack I'd like to dive into anyway.

the original post from Noel http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/2681013 is last edited on June 01, 15 1:04 AM, but obviously itg's not clear what was edited (the red text?): "If you found this thread be advised that as of SONAR X3 this information here is somewhat out of date"
hth