SOLVED: Anyone managed to successfully hook up a Kawai MP6 as Multitimbral in SONAR X1b ?

I'm asking coz I thought I knew a lot about MIDI, but this one's got me baffled. 
 
The Kawai MP6 is a standalone keyboard with MIDI (also USB, but I'm not using that as the PC is in another room and I don't use hubs !).  It says in the manual that it can be used as a multitimbral sound generator using all 16 channels - I have it set up that way, i.e. receive in Multi and all channels are "on".  The keyboard is connected to dedicated MIDI ports (both IN and OUT) on a MOTU Express 128, and audio outs into my interface.  Local's off (as I use the keyboard as a master kybd).
 
In SONAR, I set up Input as "All inputs" (I've tried all variations here), and Output to the Kawai.  Track 1 is routed to Channel 1, Track 2 to Channel 2 and so on ... each with a different sound patch.  I can monitor and record okay on Track 1, but moving through the tracks I cannot hear anything on any other (Kawai) tracks, although the MIDI meters are working and I could record (blindly, so to speak).  On playback, I only get Track 1, and no sound from any other of those recorded tracks.
 
I've never experienced this before.  I have a lot of outboard sound modules, all work perfectly well.
Any clues anyone (Billy's gone, so I'm stuck :-) ?  Thanks in advance ...  
  
Edit: Subject changed to include the word "MIDI" ...

I was hoping it would be you to respond Brundle, thanks very much for your deep insight. 

I will try what you suggest (as I'm out of ideas) and get back.  Just for the record, the MOTU Express 128 cannot route anything internally - it's basically fixed (if you connect it up correctly :-)

My suspicion is that the multi setup is not receiving on the other channels - I'll also search out if there's any support forums for the Kawai.  BTW, this is a beautiful instrument, with a lovely touch to the keyboard, but it is new and therefore also prone to the usual introductory hiccups.

Thanks again.
 
Edit: Forgot to mention that I have tried the "Always Echo Current ...", both enabled and disabled (whereby I needed to switch the monitoring on each track manually).

Okay, here's more ...

brundlefly ...
>> To confirm this, I would take SONAR out of the loop by connecting a MIDI cable directly from Out to In on the keyboard, and seeing if you can get other channels to respond when you change the output channel of the keyboard. If you can, we'll go back to looking at SONAR.

I tried this, but I obviously have not fully understood what you meant - maybe you could clarify a little more. There is no "output channel" of the keyboard as such, only a "System Channel" on which [sic] "This parameter sets the System MIDI Channel on which System Exclusive messages are transmitted/received. Values can be from 1 to 16." [/sic]
AFAIK, standard MIDI data is not System Exclusive data, so this parameter should not present a problem.

>> And since you can hear channel 1, we know the audio track hosting the output of the Kawai is receiving and echoing audio successfully, and that should not be affected by moving to a different MIDI channel.

Unfortunately, it is affected by moving to any other track not assigned to Channel 1, even though the outputs are set up exactly the same as Track 1 (!) - only the MIDI Channel is different.  And all I do hear is Track 1's recorded MIDI on playback, even though the other tracks have MIDI data also, and the "output" MIDI meters are showing activity.

>> 1. The "multi" setup is not receiving on other channels.

On playback, the "multi" is receiving on other channels (as the event filter shows recorded MIDI data on various channels).

>> 2. The "multi" does not have sounds on other channels or their volumes are 0.

Yes, there are differing patches set up in the multi, and the volumes of each are at 101 (and I tried 'em at 127).

>> 3. The outputs of other channels are routed to a different set of audio outputs (if it has aux outs).

Good one, I hadn't thought of this.  BUT, there are only two audio outputs, L + R, and no Aux's.
So, all in all ...
a) the MIDI data is reaching the Kawai on correct channels (as seen in SONAR), and ...
b) those channels have parts (sound-patches, whatever), are on, and the volumes are okay ...
c) BUT the audio is not reaching the mixer/interface (no activity on the meter bridge) ...
... points somehow to a possible issue with the Kawai or "user-idiocy".  I'll research some more and get back.  Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Thanks Brundlefly.  In the meantime I've also contacted Kawai Technical Support in USA (good people).  But their main development engineer is out until 18th April.  As there's no rush on my side (I can still use the instrument albeit not in the way I thought I would), I'll wait for Kawai to get back to me.  I'll update my post then.

You're too kind Brundlefly !  People like you are the "salt of the earth" on this forum !  I had wanted to post the link to the manual so that you could take a look, but didn't want to impose on your time.  So thank you very much for taking the initiative and trying to help !  I've been testing a lot and so have only got back now ...
I wish it was that simple and easy !
Let me please explain about the "transmit" on Page 20.  I had already tried this, and it does indeed "transmit" on the chosen channel - for example, setting up a single SONAR track to receive "All Inputs" and transmitting from the Kawai on various channels (by selecting Zones, assigning them to "External" and various channels) has the effect that recorded MIDI data DOES have the proper channel information, as seen in the Event List. (Note: I had no sound during the recording, whether thru' the speakers, nor the headphones ... just recorded something blindly.  Note also that Monitoring was FORCED ON in every SONAR track).
However, if I set up multiple tracks in SONAR to receive MIDI data on discrete, and in my case for the test, consecutive channels (i.e. not using "All Inputs"), and assigning those same channels in the Kawai using the instructions on Page 20, the result is that ALL selected channels' data is recorded into each track which is setup to record.  I suppose this is in a way "correct" as I only have one keyboard, but I was expecting some separation based on channel, i.e. Track 1 would have same struck notes, but these would be only channel 1, Track 2 same but with channel 2, and so on.
 
My problem is with not being able to play back separate tracks with their respective and differing channels, and hearing the assigned sound patches - whether from the speakers, nor the headphones.  There seems to be a problem with the RECEIVE part of the Kawai, not the SEND (or Transmit) side. I can only hear anything recorded on playback if I force the playback channel to "1", i.e. the information contained in the MIDI event is overwritten by the track header info w.r.t. channel.
I also see MIDI activity everwhere where it should be, i.e. in SONAR (as "output"), and on the MOTU (where both IN and OUT light up during recording, and OUT lights up when playing back).  The break in the chain is (IMHO) between Kawai receiving the MIDI input data and sending audio out to its L+R AND headphone outputs.
This is the worst "Multitimbral Setup" I've ever encountered and I am wondering whether it is at all possible.  This keyboard was supposed to replace my trusty Korg SP200, which works well MIDI-wise, but the Kawai has both a better touch, and better & more sounds.  There are also certain other "anomalies" like you can place all Zones in Ext (external), but if you press Zone 1 to activate it, it changes to BOTH (i.e. Ext and Internal).  However, this does not change anything above.  Also, I still haven't figured out how you could select 16 channels if there are only 4 Zones playable at a time.  I shouldn't have to go through this rigmarole - just choosing MULTI should enable all 16 channels "for the use of".
BTW, I also reversed the MIDI cables just in case it could have been a cable problem - it wasn't.  I'm outa ideas and will now wait for Kawai to come back.  Thanks again for your help Brundle.

brundlefly
 
I'm curious, though... maybe I missed it, but did you ever actually try the direct Out-to-In MIDI connection on the Kawai in conjunction with changing the transmit channel?

I haven't tried it again since your message about Page 20 - I'll try it now and get back.  What specifically am I supposed to see when cycling through the Output/Transmit channels in this configuration ?  Is it just whether a sound "comes out" of the Kawai through the audio jacks, or something more ?  (Sorry for being so dense here :-)

I hope Kawai support gets you squared away quickly.

I hope so too ... cheers.

Err....have you checked effects engine routings?