OK, I've got a Roland TD-8 sound module that I wanted to try and connect it directly to my PC via a cable that's MIDI-to-USB.20.  I was hoping I wouldn't have to rely on a straight MIDI cable going from my THRU on my ext Keyboard to the MIDI-IN on the TD-8, because I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to use the TD-8 without some kind of MERGING device that's confusing.  I may have already answered my question when Sonar X3 told me that it couldn't recognize the MIDI-to-USB device because "it was out of range for my system".  
 
So, 1.) What exactly does that geek greek mean? 2.) Am I able to get, and control sound using JUST the MIDI-IN if I'm not using any drum pads to SEND MIDI to it.  In other words, the only MIDI that's going to it are the commands that Sonar itself is triggering, and then the sounds would come back through the analog cables into my mixer.
 
I'll try the THRU cable from my keyboard, and post back.  In the meantime, I'd appreciate any feedback.
 
Tanx,
KC

I use four or five MIDI to USB devices at the same time without problems for a total of up to a dozen available MIDI ports in Sonar. They show as in and out ports in the MIDI section of preferences as available ports and ticking them activates them. The ports are then available as MIDI track inputs and outputs.

I can route MIDI between them and yes, Sonar generated MIDI gets sent to them as well.

The "device out of range for system" is a Windows error message, not a Sonar one. Possible causes are a driver not loading properly or exceeding the built-in limit on the number of MIDI devices in some versions of Windows.

You might try this. Windows is notorious for not noticing that the MIDI device now in USB socket 2 is the one that was in socket 1 last time and 3 the time before that. So it creates fresh MIDI devices for each and these rapidly build up if MIDI gear is swapped around between USB sockets. Open Windows control panel and go into device manager.

On the view menu is an entry that lets you also see 'ghost' devices (for which Windows has a device entry but thinks aren't currently connected). If any of them are to do with MIDI right click on the ghost and delete it. Reboot and try connecting your MIDI gear again (before loading Sonar).

I concour with tlw. Check that the driver is correctly installed. I too have multiple MIDI devices installed, some via direct USB others via MIDI cables and MIDI hubs. None are daisy chained to each other so it is most definitely possible.
 
I suspect driver installation if Sonar can't "see" it.

Thanks guys, but I'm gonna stick with the K.I.S.S. theory.  I tried the "fancy" approach" and wasted 1 hr getting my PC back to normal.  I may have done it wrong, but for the most part this works.