I'm just starting to do meditation music using Sonar X3. One of the unique characteristics of meditation drones is that they have these long, sustained notes that sometimes can last for 30-45 minutes. To be more specific, imagine a Moog synthesizer with a sustained bass note that rings out for the entire length of the track. On top of this drone other overdubs are added to fill out the music and enhance its calming mood.
 
The problem comes in where — I am working on a bit of the tune that is about fifteen minutes from the start of the track — I add in an overdub ... I then want to go back and listen, to it to see if it worked, but I can't hear the long droning bass note anymore if I start the track playing back from where the overdub was made. You can't playback a sustained MIDI note through the audio engine unless you go all the way back to where the drawing of that MIDI note begins in the timeline and playback from there. Since MIDI is actually input monitored and all happening in real time, the playback engine won't capture notes that are in the middle of their sustained length for playback.
 
Does that make sense? This is really hard to explain.
 
One obvious workaround is to bounce the track to audio ... then you can play it back from any point in the track and still hear it in all its glory. But this is really awkward to do as your are composing the track ... usually at this point in the composition process I still don't know how long the song will go, and just doing everything by feel. Leaving the bass track as MIDI is very helpful since it's so easy to edit that way.
 
Does anybody know a way to force the audio engine to playback a MIDI note if you should start playback of that note from anywhere other than the absolute beginning of it in the timeline?

This is a feature that was added to the new Sonar versions. Not sure if it is still available, but Home Studio was free for the asking and it will do as you wish. 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Free-copy-of-Home-Studio-m3718860.aspx
 
you copy paste this: 
 
3327-46FD-8F9A-BBC7
 
Here     http://www.cakewalk.com/Redeem?kl=16&promo=CM250

Not in X3. The feature was added in 2017.01.

So, I pretty much have to bounce to audio? I kind of figured that. It's a weird issue.

Why don't you get the free Home Studio? The midi editing was hugely improved, so if your mostly working in midi Home Studio would be a big improvement over X3. It's free! Or was last report. 
All you need is your x3e VST collection and nothing would be missing for you. 

I will consider that. I also use Sonar for many other things though. I think if I switch to anything, it's gonna just be THE BIG SWITCH!
 
I still haven't decided where I'm going yet when Sonar gives up the ghost. I plan on going down with the ship for now. Or, maybe I'll bail when the water level gets to me chin.

Its called "MIDI Note Chase". But even if you start half way through the 15 minute note it will not fade properly in duration.
The note is struck again once playback begins so its not an honest decaying note.
The only way to get an accurate description is to bounce your track OR....
 
A better solution is to "Freeze the track". This will temp render it. Avoiding messy extra bounces littering your project area.

Yeah ... freeze dry the thing. That is a feature I haven't used too much. But now that you mention it ... at my sampling rate (88.2 kHz) those are very large audio files that I would have only used for, maybe 10 minutes, and then I don't need it anymore because by then the song has already changed and been reconfigured.

If "to see if it worked" is your only reason for listening to it at that time, just open the PRV or Staff and use the Scrub tool.

Interesting