Wow, this is frustrating the [link=mailto:cr@p]cr@p[/link] out of me. I have a midi part I recorded and I'm not trying to use various softsynths to play it. However, I found that when I add a softsynth to my project (SonikSynth, TruePianos, Dimension Pro). they usually won't play, or they will play a for a few seconds and then die. Once they die, I cannot get another sound out of them. Sometimes removing them from the project helps, sometimes a restart of Sonar helps. I can't even click the graphics of the keyboards to get any sound - I get NOTHING from them. I have 16GB of RAM on Windows 7 64 bit. Everything else works fine except for the VST synths. I should have posted last week as I'm running out of time to get these on a CD and the only thing I have left is to get a decent piano sound for this single midi track. :(
 
Any ideas?

Does the audio engine status change when they shut down?
Has this ever happened before?
Is there a #7 volume controller in the track that's turning the volume down (check the MIDI event list)?

Thanks for the quick reply.
 
1. The audio engine does not change state and everything else plays fine
2. I've never had this happen before
3. I'm not sure how to check the midi event list - any pointers?

smallstonefan...I'm not sure how to check the midi event list - any pointers?...

It's one of the Views - Find it in the View menu and it will open in your dock.  The currently selected track will have every single bit of data in it displayed vertically.  There's a menu if you want to look at a different track - Take a look at the Event List controls - You can filter out various things to zero in on what you're looking for, for instance, filtering out AfterTouch so you can focus on notes or continuous controllers.   Once you take a look, how that view works is fairly easy to figure out.
 
Randy

Look at edit/preferences/project/midi -  uncheck "zero controllers when play stops".
 
Make sure your mod wheel for your synth is not set at zero.

Try going to  Edit > Preferences > MIDI > Playback and Recording and upping the midi playback buffer to 500 or so, it doesn't effect latency but fixed the same problem for me.

thanks for the suggestions guys - I'll report back after I get to my DAW and try this...

Couple of things I'd try in this situation. Firstly try playing the midi track to external synth or wavetable synth on your soundcard/pc to prove the midi data isnt at fault.
 
Also try running sonar as administrator (there are previous postings where vst synths wouldnt load unless amin mode was used)
 
You mentioned a 64bit OS .... are you running sonar in 64Bit.... A lot of people round here are not impressed with the 64Bit implementation as it causes issues 

AGBFunkyBassman
You mentioned a 64bit OS .... are you running sonar in 64Bit.... A lot of people round here are not impressed with the 64Bit implementation as it causes issues

 
Just an FYI - the 64-bit engine issues were a bug when X3 was first introduced. It was addressed shortly thereafter, and I've certainly have had no problems because of it.