scook
If running 64bit Win7, upgrading to Cakewalk by BandLab would add VST3 support among other features, bug fixes and support. It is free.

it might be a bit of a shock coming from 8.5

One would expect to see some differences when upgrading once every 10 years or so. It is a similar jump in time as moving from Pro Audio 9 to SONAR 8.5.
 
The solution I posted in message #5 was for the SONAR version available in 2017 but should work in X3 or newer. Prior to that time, the solution needed the plug-in configured as a synth. This is the only difference in setting up a plug-in to receive MIDI data. Regardless of the method used to setup the plug-in to receive MIDI data, the plug-in still goes in the FX Rack of the audio/instrument track to be effected and needs a dedicated MIDI track for its MIDI data.
 
There are additional steps for MVintageRotary as illustrated in message #5 above to enable MIDI and bind the mod wheel to the appropriate parameter in the plug-in.

thanks for all the help so far..but nothing doin here. i'll tell u what i have done so far. As i said..i use cakewalk 8.5/win 7. The problem is assigning 2 fx rotary plugins . I load vb3 under insert soft synth as a normal track(insert soft synth) In the fx area i have tried mvintage rotary and also gsi mr donald. I have tried using the normal cc assign to both..01 /mod wheel and 64 for sustain pedal. Nothing happens. Then i have followed instructions here and on other forums. I open the plug in properties for mvintage and click on enable as synth(didnt disable as plug in,left it as it was), and in Mr Donald i couldnt configure it to synth at all.,as there was no option..Then i check on my soft synth menu and its not there.Nor is it in the output list in the midi track i have created. Since i couldnt configure the mr donald  plugin i gave up on that ,as i can't enable midi output to it . So its only the mvinatge left..i went to midi options in the plug in ,and assigned the mod wheel to 001(trying the  all channels option and channel 1,wasnt sure which is the case there)...then clicked on learn,which should assign the mod wheel when used...also tried the sustain pedal with 64(same channel setup i did before)...nothing happening. The only way i get the speed to work is with the mouse!! on both plugins!!...I have of course turned off the rotary effect on vb3(unassigned it)....so thats it. It seems maybe that 8.5 doesnt support the enable midi output on fx plugins. Funny..on the soft synths there is an option to enable midi output. But it should be the mvintage that i have to enable midi output..am i right??not the vb3??Also ,i have NI B2 plugin..and the rotary works fine there with the mod wheel,well its a vst  not an effect...also the vb3 on/off work ok with the mod wheel. Am i doing something wrong or is it time to try the new cakewalk. I'm so used to using 8.5...but if this is the case i'm willing to try . So if anyone knows a way around this i would appreciate it..thanks again for a great forum everyone/Ray

If MVintageRotiary is correctly configured as a synth it should no longer be in the effects list, instead it should be listed with all the other synths. This change will be apparent when using the default plug-in layouts.
 
There is nothing in the the setup that uses a "MIDI learn" function. Could you be trying to use SONAR's Remote Control to automate the feature instead of MVintageRotary's built-in MIDI mapping? The animated gif above shows two steps.
 
The first is setting "Enable MIDI Input" in the VST standard header. This is for X3 and newer. Ignore that when running older versions of SONAR. The only way to get MIDI data to any plug-in in X2 and older is configure the plug-in as a synth.
 
The second is the plug-in's built-in MIDI mapping feature. This must be done in any DAW in order for the plug-in to use MIDI data.
 
Cannot tell if you are using a dedicated MIDI track to control the MVintageRotary. It is not possible to use the same MIDI track to drive VB3 and MVintageRotary. IOW, VB3 requires an instrument track or a MIDI and audio track to play the synth and another MIDI track with its output set to MVintageRotary for the effects MIDI data.
 

hi scook.thanks for your answer...hope u have patience. I'm not an expert on all this. The mvintage was configured as a synth,and yes its not showing up in the synth list. I configured amplitube 4 here tonight as a synth,and that disappeared from the fx menu to the synth menu,so i understand how it should work. The mvintage isnt   showing up in the synth meny at all. Now,,when u say a dedicated track..i don't understand totally. I open vb3  under  insert soft synth, and it opens up as a track!! Not a midi track. In this track i go into the fx box and open up mvintage . Ok!! :-)  At this stage the mvintage is already configured as a synth. Then i create a new midi track...in that track i look at the output..which is normally my keyboard/midi controller. There i go in to the menu..and only vb3 is there(plus the keyboard). No mvintage.I have already tried this with amplitube and that shows up no problem  in the output menu . Also i could assign a rotator there to my mod wheel. So i havnt opened vbs in a midi track,,just created a midi track,to see if mvintage has appeared in the output list.In the other track i created with vb3 and mvintgae as an fx..i configured the mod wheel to the on/off switch..did all that should be done there...If i'm doing something wrong as regards the dedicated Midi track let me know. I can send you screenshots if wanted. Its not only this plugin..but with a few other..only i want to use this rotary for guitar...thanks again/Ray  ps/ is there something else i should do to 'dedicate' the midi track. What actually should be in the dedicated midi track..is it just to create a midi track and then set the option to the mvintage as i have done!!??

So the synth is using an instrument track and there is a MIDI track setup to control the effect. That is OK. Instrument tracks were not very good in 8.5 but I doubt that is the problem.
 
If MVintageRotary is not in the default synth list and is not showing up in the output drop down of a MIDI track, the plug-in will not receive MIDI data. Post pics if you want but with the exception of the Melda MIDI Mapping the setup is just like Amplitube or any other FX plug-in that can accept MIDI data. I know SONAR 8.5 was well out of support when MVintageRotary came on the market but would expect it to work like any other MIDI capable VST. I can tell you the post I made in 2017 solved the problem for the OP who was running a version of SONAR that support the solution.
 
In fact, I just tested the solution from message #5 above with Cakewalk by BandLab and it still works. I also tested X2, the last version that required plug-ins to be configured as synths and the oldest version of SONAR I have installed. After configuring the plug-in as a synth using the Plug-in Properties from the VST drop in the plug-in standard header, I did have to delete and re-add the plug-in for it to pick up the property change in the project. Changing the plug-in to a synth did immediately move the plug-in to the synth list as expected.
 
I see from the image above I was using the 10.07 release of Melda's plug-ins. I just tested with the 12.05 release.
 
 

hi scook!!thanks for youre answer. I just tyhought of something..it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that i have installed both vst and vst3 plugins?? i installed vst dll files to both C:/ program files/vst plugins and also program files(x86)/vst plugins..and also vst3 dll files  to c:/program files/common files and c:/program files(x86)/common files. All these paths are in my plugin scan when i scan vst plugins in caklewalk 8.5. Could this effect the outcome?? I have both 64 bit and 32 bit plugins plus vst 3 installed.???The version i have is 12.00 and i got with the melda complete bundle 11.Will also mention that i have tried guitar rig 5 as a synth and that won't show up in my synth list either. Only fx plugin i have configured to synth is amplitube 4. !!!If u want i can show screenshots of what i have done..only if it helps!!

Installing VST3 does not matter, 8.5 will not see those plug-ins even if an X3 or newer scanner is installed and the VST3 scan path is added. If running 64bit 8.5 use 64 plug-ins whenever possible. of course, if you are running 64bit Windows, CbB is an option especially since it appears that you have updated everything but the DAW. It might be time after 10 years. I recall having to setup Guitar Rig as a synth years ago  on an other machine. Don't recall if it was v4 or 5 though. It Just tested changing Guitar Rig 5 to a synth and it too moves to the synth list as expected.

hi scook..yeah,,i think i'll upgrade.Looks like the 8.5 won't let my configured to synth plugins in to the synth list. Sonar platinum should be ok,shouldn't it??Have been thinking of trying it for a while(i have it here )..i was going to try this instead of the free bandlab that is available,,but platinum is the one before the latest version isnt it?? 

Razor59
hi scook..yeah,,i think i'll upgrade.Looks like the 8.5 won't let my configured to synth plugins in to the synth list. Sonar platinum should be ok,shouldn't it??Have been thinking of trying it for a while(i have it here )..i was going to try this instead of the free bandlab that is available,,but platinum is the one before the latest version isnt it?? 

Hi. SONAR is no longer available, as it was killed by Gibson. Cakewalk by bandlab is the new SONAR Platinum (without some of the 3rd party stuff).
All the best.