I would like to be able to setup my VU meters from Klanghelm to have certain default settings for the ballistics and color each time I add a new instance of them to Sonar. I'm told Reaper has this, but I've never heard of it in Sonar. I have to either change settings manually, or save a preset or pro channel insert.

Sort of. Plugin settings are recalled when they're part of a project or track template. So no, you can't have a plugin use a default when you add it in the regular way, but you can keep preferred settings in your templates. I realise this doesn't cover all use cases, but it might help.

Thanks John - I do that now and do a lot of moving/Ctrl+Moving. It would be so much easier to just load a plug with a set of defaults.

Yeah, I agree. I wonder - can it be made to work if you wrap the plugin in an FX chain?

smallstonefan
I would like to be able to setup my VU meters from Klanghelm to have certain default settings for the ballistics and color each time I add a new instance of them to Sonar. I'm told Reaper has this, but I've never heard of it in Sonar. I have to either change settings manually, or save a preset or pro channel insert.

Yes you can. We have had this for quite some time but not many people know about it. Use the default presets option which is part of a plugin menu layout. To use it:
 
1. First insert the plugin of your choice and set it up as you want it 
2. Save your default settings as a preset from the effects window. Call it "Default Settings" for clarity.
3. Go to the plugin browser
4. Select a custom plugin menu layout if you have one or one of the Cakewalk supplied ones
5. Open the plugin manager tool via the "Manage Layouts..." menu item from the plugin browser
6. In the layout plugins tree on the right find the plugin from step 1
7. Right click on the plugin name and choose "Properties..."
8. In the properties dialog choose "Default Settings" from the Default preset combo.
9. Click OK and resave the plugin menu layout you selected in 4.
 
Now the next time you insert this plugin from the layout it will automatically load with the preset of your choice.
This can be done independently in any plugin layout so you can have the same plugin load with different settings depending on the plugin layout. Its a pretty powerful feature.
 
Also see this blog post.

holy moly this is something everyone should know! I can't wait to get home and try it - THANKS Noel! :)

AHA!

Wow that's a good hidden "easter egg" ... Like the scrub tool that one.
Thanks that's really helpful...

It's not the most intuitive thing to set up. Maybe it would be better if you could set it up directly from the plugin browser once a layout was selected, by right clicking the plugging entry...

The most obvious implementation, I reckon, would be the ability to set it in the plugin container.