Its more like:
how SONAR handles plug ins (including it's own) and VSTis.
Those plugins and VSTis often work real well in certain combinations and they also work well in other DAWs.
It is
how SONAR handles the stuff and the wild number of combinations that makes it all seem so spontaneous and random.
The only practical solution is figure out what you think is doing it and stop doing it.
I'm so used to it all working well that if I introduce something new and it's makes something flaky I notice it right away and I make the problem go away... like when the ProChannel was switching on and off by itself.
I sent that head ache to the penalty box. Game over.
:-)
all the best,
mike