This is a little difficult to explain but here goes:
 
When I first plug in my midi keyboard & set the correct inputs & outputs with input echo turned on, it seems that even though the midi from keyboard is playing (I can see the green vu meter) on the correct track/channel, the synth (Cakewalk TTS-1) is not receiving it, hence no sound. The only way I can get it to sound is to record a few notes, play it back & from then on everything works as it should. That is I can hear the keyboard anytime.
 
I'm fairly sure I should be able to hear the output from the keyboard as soon as I plug it in. (assuming of course I have all inputs & outputs set correctly, which I know I do because it plays fine after the recording)
 
I hope I'm being clear.
 

Make sure when you add the TTS-1 to the Synth Rack that you select the MIDI track AND and First Synth Audio Output. MIDI tracks require an audio track to play through.
 
Another option would be to select the Simple Instrument track and then you only need one track.

Can you please take another stab at explaining the steps to recreate your issues here?
 
At first read (and 2nd), it appears you are connecting your midi controller after you have your project open in Sonar.  Is that correct?
 
Also, please detail exactly what midi and audio track routing assignments you are using when you encounter this issue.
 
I have never experienced your reported issue, by the way, but will certainly try to replicate your results, once you lay them out in more detail.
 
Thanks - trying to help :)
 
Bob Bone
 

I read the initial post again - are you playing sequenced data from your external midi keyboard, and trying to trigger TTS-1 to respond to that external midi data?
 
And again - you mention 'right after I plug it in' - are you plugging this external keyboard into your computer before you launch Sonar, or after?
 
Bob Bone
 
 

If you are using an external keyboard to send midi to Sonar, I cannot replicate that, as I only use midi controllers now, rather than external midi keyboards.  Further, I cannot recall how long ago it would be since I have done that - perhaps 20+ years.
 
I dimly recall having to set Sonar to drive the playback of the external midi data to accomplish what I think I understand you trying to do - cannot recall the correct term for it at the moment.  I believe it is setting Sonar to be the Master, but this is quite fuzzy.
 
Hopefully someone else can jump in on this :)
 
Bob Bone
 
 

If you're connecting the keyboard by USB, it should preferably be connected and powered up before you boot your PC. Otherwise, the driver could be in a state where SONAR sees the port, but can't open it to receive data. Another possibility is that the audio engine is not being automatically enabled by having a synth in the project, and starting playback enables it.
 
Also, be sure to insert soft synths in the synth rack, and not via FX bins. Although SONAR supports the FX input method, it can lead to issues like this and is not the preferred method.

Thanks for all the responses I'll try to make it a little clearer.
Here is a step by step:

• midi keyboard controller (Roland PC-200 MKII) plugged into usb port & turned on
• Open sonarX3
• start blank project Or open existing project (both behave the same)
• insert midi track
• insert soft-synth via the insert menu (Cakewalk TTS-1 - Simple Instrument Track is ticked by default)
• check to make sure input echo is on
• check to make sure output of synth is my soundcard.
• play notes on keyboard
• the vumeter shows on the midi track indicating the keyboard is sending data & that the midi track is receiving data however there is no sound AND there is NO vumeter action in synth track.
• turn on record enable on the midi track in Sonar
• Click the record button on transport
• Play notes on keyboard.
• hear sound & synth vumeter indicates activity
• Click Stop recording
• From here on the keyboard works fine.

Scude

• insert midi track
• insert soft-synth via the insert menu (Cakewalk TTS-1 - Simple Instrument Track is ticked by default)

 
If you're inserting the synth as a simple instrument track, you don't want or need to insert a separate MIDI track first, and you would need to be recording on the simple instrument track. If you have Always Echo Current MIDI Track enabled in preferences, the act of arming the simple instrument track to record would move focus to that track, and enable echoing the MIDI input to the synth. But it shouldn't be necessary at that point to actually run the transport.
 
In any case, I think there's some confusion about which track is echoing to the synth. To make sure it's not an audio engine problem, try clicking one of that audition buttons at the bottom of a channel strip in TTS-1.

brundlefly
In any case, I think there's some confusion about which track is echoing to the synth. To make sure it's not an audio engine problem, try clicking one of that audition buttons at the bottom of a channel strip in TTS-1.

I'm not positive but I think you might be right about audio engine problem. I went into my audio driver settings & changed from 16 bit to 24 bit & checked the 64 bit double precision engine box. After that the problem seems to have disappeared.
 
Does that sound logical?
 

Things should work normally regardless of those settings, but it's possible there's some issue with your interface in 16-bit mode. Or it may be that simply re-saving audio preferences reset something.