Problem with Kontakt routing - solo one channel, all channels solo

Sonar cannot know what midi input channel is mapped to what audio output channel inside of Kontakt. If you solo one midi channel that goes into Kontakt, Sonar solos all audio channels that come from that Kontakt instance.
 
However, if only one midi track is soloed, you should nonetheless only have that instrument playing, because the other instruments in Kontakt don't receive midi input. As an alternative, you can solo the audio track for that instrument (which automatically solos all midi tracks that go into the same Kontakt instance).

Well, for what it's worth, that isn't how it work,s for me. If I solo the midi track, that channel is soloed. It sounds like you have all of your instruments going into Kontakt on the same midi channel. Don't do that.
 
Dan

obiwanshinobi30
Makes sense, ralf. What was hanging me up, however, was when I applied an EQ to one of the instrument audio tracks, it would affect all of the other tracks. It was causing lots of problems.
 
I ended up having to bounce all of the tracks to their own audio tracks, then applied EQ, etc... and finished. Here is the track, for whatever it's worth: https://soundcloud.com/joshsager/kings-coronation

Another assumption:  You have each Kontakt instrument going to it's own Audio track in Sonar?
Where are you applying the EQ?  If it's in the FX bin of an audio track that's specific for one instrument, it should have no impact on any other audio tracks...

I've never experienced your issue.  Perhaps it is Kontakt getting overloaded?  I've never used more than 3 different libraries in one instance.  
Does this happen if you put each instrument into it's own Kontakt session (or <5 per session)?

Did you by any chance start with Kontakt inserted as a Simple Instrument, and then clone the track? SONAR really shouldn't allow cloning Instrument tracks because they are by definition a combination of one MIDI track and one audio track with a soft synth linking them.  The GUI allows it, but cloning an Instrument track does not clone the synth instance as it should, and it creates hidden linkages between track controls that can produce unexpected results like this.
 
 

brundlefly
Did you by any chance start with Kontakt inserted as a Simple Instrument, and then clone the track? SONAR really shouldn't allow cloning Instrument tracks because they are by definition a combination of one MIDI track and one audio track with a soft synth linking them.  The GUI allows it, but cloning an Instrument track does not clone the synth instance as it should, and it creates hidden linkages between track controls that can produce unexpected results like this.

 
Actually, yes, I do believe I did this after watching a youTube tutorial. That has to be it! Genius. I know to never do that again.

How are you creating the Kontakt instance? If you aren't already, try simply adding Kontakt to the Synth Rack and pointing a midi track to it. When the dialog to add Kontakt to the synth rack comes up, you should be able to create an audio track for each output available in Kontakt. I believe there are 3 versions of the Kontakt VST: 1 Stereo Track, 8 Tracks, 16 Tracks. I always use the 1 Stereo Track version and bounce each instrument to audio prior to mixing.
 
You can then add instruments to Kontakt and add additional midi tracks to drive them. Soloing the midi track solos only the related instrument.
 
This is how I do it and have never encountered what you describe.
 
Regards,
Dan

obiwanshinobi30

1. I use the Synth rack and add an instance of Kontakt.
2. I choose which version - usually the 8 track.
3. I route the outputs in Kontakt
4. I add an instrument in Kontakt
5. I add one audio and one midi track and do the assignments to relate them to the instrument
6. I repeat for another instrument
7. Mayhem ensues as described above

 
 

Bizarre. I'd suggest sending a simple project like you just created to Cakewalk support for analysis.
 
Dan
 

It's normal that soloing any MIDI track will solo all audio output tracks, and soloing any Audio output track will solo all MIDI inputs. This is necessary because SONAR has no way of 'knowing' how MIDI and audio are routed inside the synth. So it needs to solo all MIDI sources to ensure a soloed audio output doesn't go silent (or lose parts) and vice versa.
 
What would be a problem is if soloing an audio or MIDI track for one instrument soloed both audio and MIDI tracks for some other instrument, but I don't see that happening in any of the examples given.
 
So long as you aren't hearing another instrument soloed, this is working as intended.

I'm at my DAW today, and want to try to emulate this.  When you Solo and instrument, where are you clicking Solo?
The Sonar MIDI track?
The Sonar Audio track?
The instrument inside Kontakt?
The big 'S' button in the Sonar Transport Module?

I tried (and failed) to replicate your issue.  Here's what I did, tell me if I'm doing something differently.  I had to use different instruments in Kontakt, but that shouldn't matter.
 
In the Browser View, I added one instance of Kontakt.
In Kontakt, I added 4 instruments:  Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone, Vintage Organ.
In the Kontakt Output section, I set the "batch Function to "clear output selection and create one individual channel for each loaded instrument."  This sends each instrument out on a separate audio channel.
I created 4 MIDI tracks, outputs to Kontakt:
Trumpet on MIDI Channel 1, Trombone on MIDI Channel 2, Saxophone on MIDI Channel 3, Organ on MIDI Channel 4.
I created 4 Audio tracks:  Audio 1 input is "Kt. Trumpet stereo", Audio 2 input is "Kt. Bass Trombone stereo", Audio 3 input is "kt. Trumpet", Audio 4 is "Kt Vintage Organ."
 
I tried soloing each instrument by clicking the 'S' on the MIDI track.  Each solo'd properly.
I tried soloing each instrument by clicking the 'S' on the Audio track.  Each solo'd properly.
I tried soloing each instrument by clicking the 'S' on the instrument inside the Kontakt GUI.  Each solo'd properly.
 
I also inserted an EQ into the FX bin of one of the audio tracks, with a severe High Pass filter setting.  It only affected that one audio track, and when I dragged it over to the adjascent audio track, it only affected the 2nd audio track.
 
In case you were using more than one instance of Kontact, I added a 2nd through the Browser View and created a couple more instruments in exactly the same manner.  It made no difference.

Slugbaby
I tried (and failed) to replicate your issue.  Here's what I did, tell me if I'm doing something differently.  I had to use different instruments in Kontakt, but that shouldn't matter.
 
In the Browser View, I added one instance of Kontakt.
In Kontakt, I added 4 instruments:  Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone, Vintage Organ.
In the Kontakt Output section, I set the "batch Function to "clear output selection and create one individual channel for each loaded instrument."  This sends each instrument out on a separate audio channel.
I created 4 MIDI tracks, outputs to Kontakt:
Trumpet on MIDI Channel 1, Trombone on MIDI Channel 2, Saxophone on MIDI Channel 3, Organ on MIDI Channel 4.
I created 4 Audio tracks:  Audio 1 input is "Kt. Trumpet stereo", Audio 2 input is "Kt. Bass Trombone stereo", Audio 3 input is "kt. Trumpet", Audio 4 is "Kt Vintage Organ."
 
I tried soloing each instrument by clicking the 'S' on the MIDI track.  Each solo'd properly.
I tried soloing each instrument by clicking the 'S' on the Audio track.  Each solo'd properly.
I tried soloing each instrument by clicking the 'S' on the instrument inside the Kontakt GUI.  Each solo'd properly.
 
I also inserted an EQ into the FX bin of one of the audio tracks, with a severe High Pass filter setting.  It only affected that one audio track, and when I dragged it over to the adjascent audio track, it only affected the 2nd audio track.
 
In case you were using more than one instance of Kontact, I added a 2nd through the Browser View and created a couple more instruments in exactly the same manner.  It made no difference.

I sometimes work this way, but other times I don't really know what instruments I'm going to need up front, so I add them as needed, which negates the "clear output selection and create..." step.
 
I wish I had video capability so I could record what I'm doing.

obiwanshinobi30
 
I sometimes work this way, but other times I don't really know what instruments I'm going to need up front, so I add them as needed, which negates the "clear output selection and create..." step.
 

I get the funny feeling that it might be related to the Kontakt Out/ Sonar In routing.
When I add new instruments in Kontakt, I'll "clear output and create..." again.  It's a pain, but it ensure that everything is routed to the correct Sonar Audio Track.  And it ensures that each instrument is going to it's own Sonar Audio Track (you ARE doing that, right - not sending them all to the same one?).  Also, that each Audio Track is pulling from the correct Kontakt channel?

Yes.  I haven't found a better way to get the instruments out to their own tracks.
I'll "clear output and create.." and then double-check to make sure the Audio inputs are still referencing the correct Kontakt outputs.  I don't think there's a way to have Sonar "know" what's going on inside Kontakt.
Not exactly streamlined, but it works.

obiwanshinobi30

ralf...

 
To clarify, when you say "all audio tracks connected to that instrument as output are soloed as well" are you implying all instruments that are within a single Kontakt instance? 
 
I guess what I'm getting at is, assuming my routes and connections are set correctly in Kontakt and Sonar, if I solo the cello midi or audio tracks, I'm expecting ONLY cello-related tracks to also be soloed. When I solo the midi channel of my cello instrument, my expectation is that ONLY the three cello channels (midi, control - which is another midi channel - and audio) should solo; none of the violin channels should also solo as a result of me soloing the midi cello channel. That's my expectation... I'm not expecting the audio violin channel to also solo when I solo the midi cello channel.
 
Is my expectation incorrect? Am I being dense and just not understanding that it's doing what it should be doing? In other words, the expected behavior when I solo the midi cello is that the audio violin SHOULD also be soloed in addition to the other cello tracks? If that's the case, then I'm truly lost as to why, even though many have been helpful in trying to explain it to me.
 
I appreciate everyone's help on this, and I apologize if I'm missing something very obvious and making this more difficult for everyone.

Right, all I said applies to one instance of Kontakt (or to each instance separately, if you have more than one).
 
For Sonar, Kontakt is just one instrument with up to 16 midi inputs and up to 4/8/32 audio outputs. Sonar doesn't know anything how many instruments are inside of Kontakt, nor which midi input is connected to which audio output(s). Sonar doesn't know that your cello midi track is connected to your cello audio track inside Kontakt when you solo a track, be it midi or audio. All Sonar can do is solo the audio tracks that might be connected to a midi track sending its data to a Kontakt instance, and this are all audio tracks for that Kontakt instance. For soloing audio, it's the same just reverse. So yes, your expectation is wrong, and the reported behavior is correct.
 
If your routing inside Kontakt is correct, this should not cause any audio to be played except for the midi channel(s) you have soloed, because no other instrument receives midi data. (You may also want to check the AUX routing inside Kontakt, but it should be off by default for all instruments and hence cause no problems.)
 
So, live with this way of soloing, or don't use multiple instruments inside Kontakt.