Using Sonar as live host 
 
I cannot find a midi command that "changes the midi channel of a midi controller device".
 
Could it be true that there is no midi command that "changes the midi channel of a midi controller device"?

What are you trying to do?

I play VST instruments live using Sonar as the host.
 
Each song is a Sonar project
Each track is a different VST (with my preferred FX in the FX bin)
Each track is assigned a different midi channel input
 
Therefore to change sounds (including FX chain), I simply change the midi channel on my keyboard controllers.
 
I want to use a midi footswitch to change the midi channel on the keyboard so I do not take my hands off of the keyboards.
 
That requires having a way via midi to "change the midi channel of a midi controller device".
 
As far as I know, midi does not include this capability. (Astonishing!)

It's not too surprising to me that no such message is defined. A controller is by definition supposed to be "in control", and not subject to having its control settings altered by another MIDI source, notwithstanding the Local OFF message and possibly a few other exceptions that don't occur to me right at the moment. That said, I imagine some manufacturers might have implemented remote output channel changing as a System Exclusive message. You should check your controller's implementation chart.
 
 

Well, for midi tracks in Sonar, just under the FX bin, is a parameter to set the midi channel that that track's midi data will transmit on.  It is called MIDI Output Channel.
 
I use this parameter to control which loaded instrument is playing, when I use a multi-timbral synth like Kontakt.  If a loaded multi-rack has 4 instruments loaded, each will respond to a different midi channel - (1-4 by default), so I set the midi output channel appropriately for each instrument's corresponding midi track.
 
Using the above approach, all of the midi INPUTS for the midi tracks are set to Omni.  The end result is that I don't have to care what channel my midi controller is set to, as Omni will take care of receiving the data, and that track will transmit on the midi output channel to the correct loaded instrument in Kontakt.
 
If you want to change the midi channel of your midi controller, you should find a Function command somewhere within the midi controller's parameters, and you can set that to whatever you would like.
 
I hope that gave you some assistance.
 
Bob Bone
 

So if I understand you correctly, you want to be able to send a message from an outboard controller (foot switch) to your keyboard controller so that your keyboard will broadcast all input on a different channel than it is currently using. That is apparently what you are doing now by somehow (you do not say how) changing the channel of your keyboard controller. That would depend on how the keyboard is set up, and as Brundefly says might be possible using MIDI if there is a sysex code for that built into the keyboard.
 
You might be able to get a similar result by sending mute messages to all but the desired single track that you want to hear using Sonar's remote control features.
see pp 956ff. in the SONAR_X3_Reference_Guide.pdf

Take a look at the Behringer FCB1010 MIDI Foot Controller. I think what you need to do is set up some presets that tell the footpedal to send a program change on a specific channel so that the softsynth responding to that channel will change to the program in the preset. There may be other ways to do that also. 

slartabartfast
So if I understand you correctly, you want to be able to send a message from an outboard controller (foot switch) to your keyboard controller so that your keyboard will broadcast all input on a different channel than it is currently using. That is apparently what you are doing now by somehow (you do not say how) changing the channel of your keyboard controller. That would depend on how the keyboard is set up, and as Brundefly says might be possible using MIDI if there is a sysex code for that built into the keyboard.
 
You might be able to get a similar result by sending mute messages to all but the desired single track that you want to hear using Sonar's remote control features.
see pp 956ff. in the SONAR_X3_Reference_Guide.pdf

I currently press the "+" or "-" buttons on the Oxygen 61 to change the channel. The problem  is that I have to take my hand off the keyboard to do that.
My ultimate goal is to change channels by a footswitch.
 
Instead of directly changing the "channel", I was hopeful that I could at least change the "Preset" on the Oxygen 61 (via midi), which would solve my problem because the "midi Channel" can be saved with the "Preset". But so far, the Oxygen has not responded to my Program Change messages. I also tried cc 145 (as M-Audio support suggested), but that also does nothing to the Oxygen.
 
I specifically asked M-Audio tech support about SysEx, or any way to change the channel remotely. They just said, as I mentioned above, "try cc 145". But I think they were guessing. I could not get that to work.

I am a keyboard player, and I purposefully bought a Behringer FCB 1010 MIDI foot pedal controller, so I could make preset changes to my 2 midi controllers and another one that the guitar player uses for some songs, (while I play guitar).
 
It worked well, plus I used it for guitar presets for some songs that I played guitar on.  (controlling Guitar Rig presets and keyboard presets.
 
I did NOT use Sonar for the above - as this was all done for live performance, and I used a program called Forte, from Brainspawn.
 
Nonetheless, the above would have worked with Sonar, it's just that Forte is more geared for layering sounds and switching presets really efficiently, and Sonar is more geared to recording.
 
I HAVE used it with Sonar, just found Forte more to my liking for live work.
 
Bob Bone
 

robert_e_bone
I am a keyboard player, and I purposefully bought a Behringer FCB 1010 MIDI foot pedal controller, so I could make preset changes to my 2 midi controllers and another one that the guitar player uses for some songs, (while I play guitar).
 
It worked well, plus I used it for guitar presets for some songs that I played guitar on.  (controlling Guitar Rig presets and keyboard presets.
 
I did NOT use Sonar for the above - as this was all done for live performance, and I used a program called Forte, from Brainspawn.
 
Nonetheless, the above would have worked with Sonar, it's just that Forte is more geared for layering sounds and switching presets really efficiently, and Sonar is more geared to recording.
 
I HAVE used it with Sonar, just found Forte more to my liking for live work.
Bob Bone

I have Behringer FCB1010 and want to use it, but I use tracks with effect chains in Sonar and that is why I use Midi Channel to change sounds (as opposed to program change). When I change the midi channel on one of my keyboards, it then plays a different track in Sonar (completely different VST and different FX bin).
 
Program change won't work, unless, like you, I change everything over to Brainspawn Forte . Thanks for letting me know your positive experience with Brainspawn Forte.That may be the wise choice in the future. I am heavily invested in whole setup in Sonar right now.