I was attempting to record midi/audio of a vst using the onscreen keyboard (say B4II) & while I did hear audio...it didn't record any midi data...now If I use midi guitar & use a vst thru it, it works - somehow this doesn't seem right to me (I'd have thought one could record via keyboard on GUI )
Sorry for newbie type questions but, I've been away from it for so long...memory fails me
I'm using a scarlett 2i4 (usb & no other midi device)- dunno what else to say, obviously assignment error on my part or softsynth config

I found this last night...still no joy -must need more coffee
https://www.cakewalk.com/...Synths.19.html#1103890

You can definitely record the virtual controller as MIDI.
To do this give the synth MIDI track focus while the VC is open and make sure the track is armed.
Then press record and your performance from the VC should get recorded as MIDI.

thanks 4 reply Noel - what do you mean by focus... expanded in track view

Until the most recent release of SONAR, there was no way to record the audio generated by the plug-in when playing the UI keyboard. It was solely  for audition purposes. Ipswitch introduced direct synth recording which does permit recording the audio. If the plug-in generates MIDI by "playing" the UI it would have to be recorded on an instrument or MIDI track after the plug-in. The instrument or MIDI track created when adding the synth to the project cannot capture the MIDI data because it is used as the plug-ins input.
 
Noel is referring to the virtual keyboard introduced with the new SONAR. In previous version you need a third party virtual keyboard and MIDI cable. I describe the setup here http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/2991556

By focus I was referring to "input echo focus". When you click on a MIDI track any MIDI played from the VC is routed through that track by default since it gets "auto input echo". You can also explicitly click input echo to turn it on.
 
However when recording, as long as the record source is set to the virtual controller on the MIDI track you wish to record its not even necessary to give it the input focus since MIDI from the VC will get recorded on that track.

I don't believe digger is using the current version of SONAR are you?

scook
Until the most recent release of SONAR, there was no way to record the audio generated by the plug-in when playing the UI keyboard. It was solely  for audition purposes. Ipswitch introduced direct synth recording which does permit recording the audio. If the plug-in generates MIDI by "playing" the UI it would have to be recorded on an instrument or MIDI track after the plug-in. The instrument or MIDI track created when adding the synth to the project cannot capture the MIDI data because it is used as the plug-ins input.
 
Noel is referring to the virtual keyboard introduced with the new SONAR. In previous version you need a third party virtual keyboard and MIDI cable. I describe the setup here http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/2991556

My error. I see he was referring to the onscreen keyboard in B4II. I thought he was referring to SONAR's VC.
The only way to capture MIDI from a plugin's built in keyboard UI is if the plugin has built in support for VST MIDI output.
If so you can arm a track and record that MIDI output. Make sure enable MIDI output is checked in the VST settings in the synth rack if you want to do that - this will expose a new MIDI input port in SONAR that you can then record.

..https://goo.gl/photos/NBvTGqVN6N2ZvxTw9.         lol - yeah - cant even share a pic - as mentioned Im using sonar 8...was trying to show u how it looked on screen...Im showing meter input ...no data,damn - I know this should be so easy

It's no big deal but msg #9 is the first mention of the SONAR version.
 
If the meter activity is on the audio side, that is to be expected. I explained in msg #5, prior to the newest version of SONAR (released yesterday), it could only be used for audition  purposes.
 
I am not sure if the plug-in generates MIDI from the keyboard and cannot recall SONAR 8 well enough to remember the process to enable MIDI output. If you can configure the plug-in to send MIDI data, record it to another MIDI track otherwise use the virtual keyboard setup I pointed to at the bottom of msg #5.