Insert a new midi track, point it's output at any VST,  and choose your Echo midi port as the input to that track , use OMNI. Make sure input echo is lit on the midi track your going to record to. 
 

bokchoyboy
Got the Micron to play and record audio/midi, but no love for the Roland yet.  Should I load a soft synth to see if the Micron will play a vst instrument?  Something simple like SI-Strings? Any partcular track setting for the soft synth that I need to engage?  Thx!

I always bow to brundlefly's impeccable Midi knowledge, so perhaps I am barking up the wrong side of the forest here, but following his walkthrough, I cannot see how the Roland is receiving midi data.
I was always led to believe that output arriving from a midi through port is only a duplicate of what is received at the Midi in - and in this case, there is no Midi In.
 
Like I said, I might be totally wrong but it's easy to test just by swapping a few connections around.
 

Cactus Music
Insert a new midi track, point it's output at any VST,  and choose your Echo midi port as the input to that track , use OMNI. Make sure input echo is lit on the midi track your going to record to. 
 

Is that any different than inserting a simple instrument soft synth?   The simple instrument worked for me, except that the Micron always played its patches/sounds layered over the soft synth... local control is off... tried switching channels, ins, outs, muting, etc. with no success...hmmm?
 

Bristol_Jonesey

bokchoyboy
Got the Micron to play and record audio/midi, but no love for the Roland yet.  Should I load a soft synth to see if the Micron will play a vst instrument?  Something simple like SI-Strings? Any partcular track setting for the soft synth that I need to engage?  Thx!

I always bow to brundlefly's impeccable Midi knowledge, so perhaps I am barking up the wrong side of the forest here, but following his walkthrough, I cannot see how the Roland is receiving midi data.
I was always led to believe that output arriving from a midi through port is only a duplicate of what is received at the Midi in - and in this case, there is no Midi In.
 
Like I said, I might be totally wrong but it's easy to test just by swapping a few connections around.
 

Swapped a few connections to no avail... maybe Midi thru is just not an option for me?
 
Thanks all for your assistance..
Freq

The idea is that everything is routed to the Alesis and THRU to the Roland. Each module receives everything but responds only to events with matching channels. So the Roland's 9 parts could use channels 2-9 and 10 for drums, and the Alesis could use 11-15 for its four parts. Each track's output CH. assignment determines which module and part responds to that track.
 
This is the old-school method of daisy-chaining multiple synths on a single MIDI Out.
 
EDIT: To simplify the routing for troubleshooting, I would recommend temporarily going around the Alesis and direct to the Roland to makes sure it's not a channel assignment issue or something else.

brundlefly
The idea is that everything is routed to the Alesis and THRU to the Roland. Each module receives everything but responds only to events with matching channels. So the Roland's 9 parts could us channel 2-9 and 10 for drums, and the Alesis could use 11-15 for its four parts. Each track's output CH. assignment determines which module and part responds to that track.

So we are probably talking operator error here... I will continue to check/adjust all the ins, outs, and channels.  Maybe someone who knows a little about the JV-880 will come along and share a thought or two about its system prefs and how to assign channels etc.   Thx!

JV-880 manual is available here:
 
     http://cdn.roland.com/ass..media/pdf/JV-880_OM.pdf

thx fly...

Yes you can use a simple instrument track, each there own, I don't like them because I often will change my mind about which VST I will use.
 If my midi data is in it's own track I can insert VST's and by just swapping the midi track output try different VST's and sounds. You can also assign multiple midi tracks to one vst,, like upper and lower parts, or drums kit pieces. 
 
  If you use a simple instrument track it's way more complicated when you wish to swap to a different VST. 

Bristol_Jonesey

bokchoyboy
Got the Micron to play and record audio/midi, but no love for the Roland yet.  Should I load a soft synth to see if the Micron will play a vst instrument?  Something simple like SI-Strings? Any partcular track setting for the soft synth that I need to engage?  Thx!

I always bow to brundlefly's impeccable Midi knowledge, so perhaps I am barking up the wrong side of the forest here, but following his walkthrough, I cannot see how the Roland is receiving midi data.
I was always led to believe that output arriving from a midi through port is only a duplicate of what is received at the Midi in - and in this case, there is no Midi In.
 
Like I said, I might be totally wrong but it's easy to test just by swapping a few connections around.
 

I believe the idea is that MIDI data goes from the keyboard into Sonar, then back out to the keyboard, which then makes noise*, and then on to the module, which makes noise too*. The keyboard doesn't make noise initially because it has "local off".
 
* depending on which channels are playing and which are configured to make noise.

Update:
After listening to the patches from the Micron, I remember why I stored it away in the closet after all.  The sounds just are not what I'm looking for.  The patches from the JV-880, although dated, are more what I consider usable.  So, I've decided to ditch the Micron and just use the JV-880.  I have an older Roland pc-200mkii keyboard controller that works very well, but unfortunately, it has only one Midi Out port.  I've tried the different midi in/out connections with the interface/keyboard controller, and can't seem get it up and running.  It works when I go direct midi out of the controller to the JV-880 midi in (and fed to the audio inputs of my interface).  But I would really like the keyboard to control both the JV-880 and the soft synths in Sonar.  Sorry to be so dense with the whole midi concept.  Looked at purchasing a bidrectional usb-to-midi cable($29.99), but I wanted to wait and see if there were other options first.
 
Thanks,
Freq