I have a multitrack midi file I downloaded from the internet. I'm using it as practice and I'm manually assigning various soft synths to each track. The bass track keeps setting the patch in my softsynth (AlphaCM) to the first preset (which is of course, horrible, beside the point). I tried inserting the "Cakewalk Midi Event Filter" midi effect but I haven't been able to prevent the patch change. I can switch patches while it's playing, but if I stop and start it again, then it resets the patch. It doesn't seem to matter where in the clip I'm at. At the moment, I am looking over a section in the middle of the clip, but evertime the play head returns to the begining of the loop, it resets the patch. Switching off "Automation Read" on the track seems to fix the issue, but I'd like to know what cause it in the first place. AR is on by default.

Actually, turning of Automation Read only prevents the patch change when the play-head returns to the beginning of the loop in looped playback, but if I stop playback and start it again, then the patch changes :(

I went to Preferences > Project > MIDI, and unchecked "Patch/Controller Searchback Before Play Starts" This didn't stop the patch from changing - however it did reset to different patch after stopping and [re]starting playback.

I was hoping to debug it by viewing the "Event List" for the track, but I selected Everything except for "MIDI Notes" and nothing showed up (0 Events Shown).

Why not use the Cakewalk Sound Center bass samples? 

They sound so much better.  Once you have the sound you want, simply click on FREEZE SYNTH and it will convert the synth to audio..... no way it will change to a different sound then. And with Freeze, you can always unfreeze it and it reverts back to the synth so it is editable. 

What I see so often is new folks coming in and using the longest and hardest, most complicated way to accomplish something. I have always been a huge fan of getting things done in the most effective way possible. 

I have a large number of synths that I rarely use, simply because there are easier ways to do things. 

But on the other side of this fence, knowing how to do things in multiple ways and digging deep into the workings of the synths and other minutia about the DAW is admirable..... just not for me.  

For me, it's..... Get it done and mix the song. 

Everything that you said is true. It is much more productive to simply ditch the instrument and move on. However the whole purpose of me attempting to make a production out of this midi file is so that I can learn the tool. These sorts of bugs are an opportunity to understand the tool and the issues surrounding digital music production in general.

However if this was actually a project where I had the clear goal of getting the mix finished, then there is no way I would be trying to debug it.

I think I have well reached the point of deminishing returns in terms of knowledge for effort. However, I might get lucky and someone here may know the answer! :)

It did occur to me to switch out the instrument before and I have done that now. It has fixed the problem. I used a freshly downloaded instrument just for the purposes of familiarising myself with it. It's a free one which seems to be pretty awesome!

http://www.synthtopia.com...more-synth-than-synth/

It's amazing what you can achieve with this cheap DAW and the great free instruments/effects you can get from the net.

trying to figure something out to learn is is a good thing.... keep going on it then. 

The price of MC6 throws a bunch of folks..... equating price to quality.....and MC6 just blows them away when they realize what MC can really do. I used MC4 for the better part of 3+ years before I cross graded to X1 essentials.... and I did that solely on a whim not because I needed to. 

It is a truly capable beast. Dunno why you'd need Pro Tools. I'm serious. With the right plugins...

Speaking of which, there are some great ones. I just found Mr Ray 73. Wow. What a sound. Loaded up a Ray Charles Midi. Just spent a few hours mixing "Georgia on my mind". Came in 12 tracks. I took your advice and used Cakewalk Sound Center a lot. It does alright.

I couldn't figure out how to hide individual tracks. I agree though, not something you want to get into the habit of doing.

Here is Mr Ray...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N01o0ObdJnQ

http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?id=274

Hit the "M" key - this will bring up the track manager where you can show or hide tracks by selecting their checkboxes.

Since Mr Ray is free....why not?  But... there are some Rhodes in TTS and I think probably in Sound center too.... I'd need to double check....

The thing about many of the VST's, is once you start adding other tracks, the need to have a really good sounding VST becomes less and less. Unless it is a featured instrument, just about any Rhodes sample or patch will sound good in a band setting. 

Of course, that's just my opinion....