X1 - midi plays hardware but not soft synths

Dear Friends - I have used Sonar for over 10 years, I love it! Just started using soft sythns for 1st time though this week and see some odd behavour. I can not get a midi track to drive a soft synth (any soft synth). I've tried this with separate audo & midi tracks and using an instrument track but same result.
 
Here's what happens
 
- i record a midi track, set the output to my hardware synth (which plays back through a Sonar audio track) and everythinhg is fine, good audio out through Sonar master bus. I've been doing that for years!
- but now i create another audio track, insert a soft synth as an Fx
- i change the output in my original midi track to the new soft synth (now shown as an output option)
- i play the original midi track but no audio from the soft synth
- midi track meters play but softsynth track meters do not
 
This happens even though when I play the soft synth from its property page (using the mouse to hit on-screen keys) it sounds fine, and it sounds fine too when I play the PRV keyboard (again using the mouse) in the original midi track! And, if I create new midi notes in PRV using the mouse they do not paly the soft synth either.
 
- have tried all combinations of echo on/off, auto/manual on both tracks
- all midi in & outs are set to omni in all tracks
 
I must be missing something basic here - but can not see it! Any help very welcome, thank you.

Hello -
 
Have you tried making a copy of your midi track, or, cutting and pasting into a new midi track, then making sure your output is the softsynth?
May work, but don't know why!
 
It sure sounds like you have it set up right, but . . . . . . . .
 
Brian

Hey John - thx for fast reply! I've tried Dim Pro, SI-Strings, SI-bass etc all with several patch/programs loaded. They all play fine direct from the property page but its like they are not recieving the midi data from the running midi track?
 
Mark

You cannot insert a soft synth as an fx.
Insert a soft synth as a midi track to itself.

+1 You don't drop softsynths into the Fx bin anymore.  Either do Insert-Softsynth or insert one into the SynthRack.

Check your MIDI track in the Event List. Maybe you have a volume control or other issue that's causing the softsynth to note be heard. 

Brundlefly - thx for helping - ok, just all audio tracks to start over. Inserted soft synth from rack, used '1st audio output' option. A new track was created and synth was opened. I assigned the audio input to the soft synth and it played fine from property page (like usual!) using the mouse. I re-assigned the midi track output to the same (and only) soft synth and nothing, no audio! Any sense in that?

Mark

Daveny5 - same midi track drives my hardware synth fine when I assign it to that so basic midi data should be good, no? Exact same track & data assinged to my soft synth gives nothing!

MIDI notes out of range of the patch? Or some controller in the track silencing the synth (by MIDI volume, closing down a filter, making the attack extremely long, etc.)?
Then there can be issues like Garritan Aria Player, which needs non-zero CC1 to set volume, and SONAR's Zero Controllers will reset the volume to 0 every time you stop/start playback.

EDIT:


What synth(s) have you been trying to work with?
I'd recommend you start with a no-brainer bundled synth like TTS-1 that will pretty much respond to anything on any channel with no setup, and give you sound.

Great suggestions! but, just checked note range for the synth and all is ok there. I also just tried drawing a new note in PRV using the smart tool, the note sounds (good audio) as I draw it but then I hit play to run the midi track and nothing, no sound!
 
Mark