ORIGINAL: Susan G

It's a *huge* PITN!

Susan, you're so polite. Most of us would have used a slightly different acronym.

However, I agree. I think the problem is that SONAR references MIDI ports by the port number Windows gives them - nthat is the natural way to do it in the Windows API. When you boot Windows, it numbers the ports as it finds them so if you remove one or connect it to a different USB port (or something else changes the boot sequence) the port's have new numbers and SONAR doesn't check that the port has the same name.

To clarify, The only way to open a port is to say to Windows, "Open port number x". Once you have port x open you can then say to Windows, ""Tell me the name of port x", but every time you want to send to or receive from that port you have to reference it by its number. To avoid the lost port problem they need to store the port name in the project then, when SONAR loads, open every port, ask for it's name and create a mapping table and use it to assign the required port number to each track. It can be done, I've done it myself with applications I've built, but for some reason it's never been enough of a priority for them to fix it so far.

However, if they do take notice of our request for more stability rather than more features this may be one of the things they fix. Here's hoping

My problem is that I added a new USB card to my system, and windows decided to reinstall the USB devices. Now they show up under both their old and new names, but Sonar reassigns them at random every umpteenth boot. Maddening, and it could mean I need to reinstall first Sonar, and then the entire OS with a bit of luck - and I *can't* at this point in time, since I'm waiting for a defective install disk to be replaced for a program that I *need* for work, on that machine. Cute.

tried the "search" route first, but could not find the answer.

Is there a way to "lock" the MIDI port assignments in Sonar 7?

I Agree it's a PITA, also do you guys find that the Friendly names Revert back to the Driver names at Random?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Susan G

It's a *huge* PITN!



Susan, you're so polite.

If the N were for Nuts it wouldn't be so polite, but that would seem an unlikely choice of expletive for Susan, however I agree with the sentiment nonetheless. It is tedious in the extreme to open an old project (old meaning one that pre-dates the last significant reshuffle of MIDI kit) to find that tracks are assigned to completely different instrument definitions and then to have to figure out what the track really relates to. I've often hoped that something positive might arise out of the serendipity but it hasn't yet.

The other aspect to this relates to ACT. If I start Sonar without my USB keyboard connected, Sonar reassigns the ACT MIDI Controller to another MIDI device, but does not reassign it in a later session when the USB keyboard is available.

Another irritant is that Sonar does not recognise USB MIDI devices that are started after Sonar. Project 5 however does so, so this is clearly not a technology related limitation.

The problem as I see it is two fold or even more and not alltogether in Sonar or Cakewalks control.

1. Sonar has no way of knowing how we plug up our hardware. Consequently, and not wishing to appear confrontationall, I am not sure how this stops the product from being used in a professional environment after all it is not psychic. Unless I missed that in the feature list.
2. Windows can play silly b's with USB related hardware.

Personally I have never had Sonar or its predessors loose Midi port assignment unless the OS has screwed up first. i.e. it did not find either my midisport 8x8 or my MOTU Midi express XT. Or I decided to change what ports my hardware uses. Usually once I have corrected the OS error or my own stupidity Sonar continues as last set in the Master.ins and INSTRMAP.INI. WHich one could argue are lookup tables.

With regards to loosing softsynth assignments then that probably is a Sonar problem, but as this has not happened to me I am unable to coment with any real authority.

Usually once I have corrected the OS error

Don't you think I tried removing each and every single USB audio device manually, before posting? Several times, even? As I said, I did look where it got this info from, but to no avail.

Sonar has no way of knowing how we plug up our hardware

Clearly not, but Sonar should be able to recognise that a specific MIDI port has become available again and assume (until told otherwise) that the same physical devices are connected to it and are assigned to the same channels as before. This is just an extension of how MIDI devices have been handled since Cakewalk for Windows, and is the underlying assumption that allows us to use instrument mapping painlessly. After all, this is why the option "remember changes for next session" or whatever it is called appears in the Instruments dialogue. It is quite perverse for Sonar to assume that because a MIDI port no longer appears, you have plugged all of the hardware into "the next port along".

It also seems perfectly reasonable to me that a USB MIDI port or device should be expected to be "hot plugged" - that is one of the stated advantages of USB, isn't it? - so Sonar should be able to cope with that.

but Sonar should be able to recognise that a specific MIDI port has become available again

Sorry not trying to be difficult, but I am not sure how Sonar can tell if a midi port has become free. Unless you are refering to active sensing which not all midi hardware devices support.

Don't you think I tried removing each and every single USB audio device manually, before posting? Several times, even? As I said, I did look where it got this info from, but to no avail.

Yes I do belive that is what you tried to do. Again trying to full understand and not questioning your approach. Just a thought did you remove all registry entries as well. We all are aware of how badly XP/MS handles USB.

I am honstly trying to understand do other DAW products know what midi hardware is plugged in to which port on startup??? assuming that the PC/Mac (Am I allowd to use that word here) is the last thing turned on in the chain.

Just a thought did you remove all registry entries as well. We all are aware of how badly XP/MS handles USB.

I couldn't find any registry keys that corresponded. It's some enumeration scheme, and for all we know the devices have names like [ALKJDOIERUSW88W45074LJDFDWERE] and are counted.

Unless you are referring to active sensing which not all midi hardware devices support.

No, I am not - far too tricky that! I am simply talking about the situation where, say, a USB MIDI port has been disconnected and later is reconnected, making it available again. Sonar can see whether the port is available or not and should assume that the corresponding hardware is available or not. The present behaviour forces the ACT MIDI Controller on to the next available port (of course, regardless of what is actually physically connected to that port) and as long as that port remains available (i.e. known to the OS) the ACT MIDI Controller remains there. Even if the "correct" MIDI port is made available again. This has almost made me give up attempting to use ACT.

Like too many things out of the CW stables recently, it is not ready for the big time.

But, anyway, I am now diverting attention away from OP's original issue, when all I intended was to show solidarity