I setup my console view without midi tracks. I setup my control surfaces to control console view only. When I look at the console view I see lost faders where midi strips exist. I want my control surface to control audio/instrument tracks only, not midi tracks? When I setup vst instrument tracks I use a folder showing midi and instrument. I see this in X1 with a Mackie control surface. I have X2 and have not tried it there as my main Daw is running on Win XP. Am I missing something?

I wouldn't use simple instruments and try to use a CS to control them.

I would and have had all the MIDI tracks in a folder and move them at the end of any audio tracks. This way the CS will see the audio tracks first.

Go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI > Control Surfaces > check "Console View" under [WAI Display] and "Console View" under [Control Strips Visible in].

If this isn't what you're looking for, then I definitely misunderstand your question. 

Big thanks John and Jlein X, I was setting the following, expecting only tracks in Console view to be controlled. Go to Edit > Preferences > MIDI > Control Surfaces > check "Console View" under [WAI Display] and "Console View" under [Control Strips Visible in]. I guess I'll have to put midi tracks at the end of my tracks. Its to bad because I liked putting them in folders with the vsti track.

Why? All you need to do is use the Track Manager and hide all the MIDI tracks from the console (which I thought you already did from your comment "I setup my console view without midi tracks"). Ever since I started using Studio One (in which MIDI tracks don't even exist in the console view and soft synth's audio tracks don't in the track view), I hide all MIDI tracks from Console view and synth's audio tracks from Track view. I wonder why Sonar has to show those tracks that just waste screen space. They are absolutely unnecessary for me.

They may be unnecessary for you but its nice for me. As I said I put them at the end. Another reason I don't use simple instruments tracks.

I am in the process of setting up an orchestral template (first time) and I've run across this question as I begin to set up multiple outs from various softsynths, Kontakt, Play, etc.    I have many midi tracks and corresponding audio tracks (synth outputs).  
 
My question is...what is the "norm", if there is one, when it comes to which types of tracks to show in Console view and Track view?   My conclusion at this point is that it makes sense for me to only show audio (softsynth outputs) tracks in Console view and Midi tracks only in Track view.   I think this is what Icontakt is saying above in Post #5.    
 
Is there a "best" way?
Thanks
Roger
 

Sonar gives flexibility.
MIDI tracks are not unnecessary. When I create midi tracks to control external sound generators and take those output to external mixer and keep choosing for patches I can very well use those MIDI tracks on the console window. once I record the output to audio tracks then simply hide them from the CV.
 
There is no norms, basically depends on personal preference. I keep all the MIDI Tracks together. Then once I record from MIDI Hardware instruments to Audio I push them into a Folder and before that I mark them as Archive.
 
And  in the console view I keep them as long as I need them otherwise hide them - individually or altogether depending on the situation.
 
Regards
S Ghose

Thanks Snehankur!
 
I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something conceptually.   To me...it makes sense to only have the MIDI tracks (not their audio track outputs from the appropriate softsynth) visible for recording and editing in TRACK view and then to only have the audio track outputs from the softsynths visible in the CONSOLE view for mixing.
 
If anyone thinks I am overlooking something (i.e.  a reason to have audio track outputs from softsynths visible in TRACK view or have midi tracks visible in CONSOLE view) with this logic.....PLEASE let me know.
 
Thanks.
Roger
 

I don't typically display MIDI tracks in the CV, but I always display audio and synth tracks in the TV - that's where you can see their waveforms and it's also where automation/envelope editing takes place.   Not necessarily important from a control surface aspect, but for everything else....