Sounds like you're going to have to spend some quality time with the Motif's user manual. But ultimately you want to have your monitoring system and the Motif's audio output connected to your sound card (or routed to an audio track from a USB audio input if that's how it works), and be routing all audio through SONAR.
 
Although the XF8 apparently has an audio sampling capability, I'm not seeing that has a built-in USB audio interface which would need to be true based on what you're describing. 

The fact that you hear sonar through your yamaha is normal. The MOXF (it is NOT a motif XF, that is a different machine) has a USB Audio card incorporated in the machine. Which means that the MOXF can act as a sound card.
When you hear the software synth, it must be instantiated. You say in one of your posts, "I can select the Microsoft GS Wavetable or the Cakewalk TTS". These are software synths, which you should NOT use to use the on-board sounds of the MOXF. One of the things I read in the MOXF manual (I don't own an MOXF, but a MOTIF XF), is that you need to enable the USB MIDI (Press Utility - F6 MIDI - SF4 OTHER - set parameter MIDI IN/OUT to USB)
Also, In the dutch quick guide manual (which I believe would be more or less the same in English) on P 54, it explains some other settings that need to be done on the MOXF.
I also think that MOXF Port 2 is actually the port that is used when using the MOXF as a remote control (Mackie control) for Sonar. According to the manual Port 1 is the one that is used for MIDI playback.  (I believe a page or 2 later) I would try enabling that...
 
On the MOTIF XF, there are also a couple of ports, and the same applies there.
 
One thing that I found that works quite well is the VST Editor for the Motif. THere is one for the MOXF as well, and the advantage is that when you select a patch, it keeps it with your sonar project. The downside is that the VST did not work well in Sonar X3, as the VST3 specs were - to put it mildly - not documented by Steinberg. It only worked well in Cubase... But don't say that to Yamaha, as they responded quite harsh when I suggested that at one time. I haven't tried the VST Editor in Platinum yet though.
 
FYI... The reason I think you have an MOXF and not a Motif XF, is because in your screenshot, it says MOXF. My USB drivers says Motif XF.

I don't have a Motif but I'm pretty sure it doesn't do audio over USB at all, you need the Firewire board for that. Google seems to agree. Can you show us a screenshot of your audio devices?

Is it possible that you're hearing the Motif GM set?

Hang on, never mind my post, c5 nailed it I think. A MOXF is different from a Motif indeed. It does do stereo audio over USB. But I think c5 found the relevant bit in the manual!

Ye C5 is is right on target. It is an MOXF8 I am not sure how Motif got in the heading. My bad. I think spell check auto corrected and I didn't catch it. I also had recently sold a Motif XF8. Very sorry for the confusion all. Getting back to C5's response. I think the Mackie control on on the MOXf8 port 2 is a major clue since that is in the Yamaha manual section under Sonar DAW control. Of course there are 2 manuals for the MOXF8 I haven't checked the second manual. I didn't see anything on port 1 but will recheck. Thank you again all. I think this will be resolved very soon. 

c5_convertible you solved it. I don't have everything fully working yet but I feel I am going in the right direction thanks to your reply. I de-selected MOXFX8-2 in the Midi device table and selected MOXF8-1 and I now have midi data triggering the Yamaha performance voices. Halla-freaking-lujah. Wow this has been quite a long road to getting to this point. I have been working with midi for twenty plus years and maybe my age or patience has gotten the better of me this time. I thank everybody for helping me solve this problem which has consumed me for two days. I still have a little energy to be creative after all.  Incidentally my quick start manual is different. I had to go to the reference manual page 148 where the midi utility section is. Thanks again everyone this is an awesome forum. Solved. 

 
 

 

Hello! I looked at your screenshot. You should choose chekbox "MIDI port 1 Yamaha MOXF6/MOXF8 -1"
 
Port 1 - for music performance data (Note-ons, Controllers, Tempo) 
Port 2 - Control Surface commands (Remote Control) 
Port 3 - for one external device connected to the 5-pin jacks of the MOXF. 
Port 4 - Reserved for the “Yamaha MOXF6/MOXF8 Editor Standalone/VST” 
Port 5 - Reserved for the “Yamaha REMOTE EDITOR” for creating custom interfaces for VSTi on your computer.

Thanks Anthony that is a big help. I also de-selected the Yamaha audio playback drivers in the Sonar audio preference section. Still playing with the settings. Thank you again. 
 

Glad i could help! However, There's no need to disable the audio playback, if your speakers are connected to the MOXF. You can use it as a soundcard that way. And, you can mix both the midi from the audio engine of the MOXF and the audio you recorded in sonar (together with soft synths). This wy, you can play your full performance through the same speakers without needing a seperate mixing board.

@sanderxpander: yes, you are right, the motif indeed doesn't send audio through usb. You need the firewire card for it. Works well, but it isn't perfect. It would be nice if windows could do aggregate devices, because now i have to switch between my motif and my saffire. Cubase asks if you want to switch if it detects the motif, but sonar needs manual help.

C5 thank you. I was able to do exactly what you described and now I have a working rig. It actually works really well now that you have provided me with the proper configuration. And the sound coming from the keyboard direct to the speakers is awesome. I think understanding the utility menus on the Yamaha is what threw me. I haven't worked with a keyboard that could act as the sound card before. I didn't know it had this capability until posting on this forum.
You have been extremely helpful thanks again. Have a great day.
 
 
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