I'm trying to use a hardware compressor via external inputs.
As long as I'm running it with stereo outs its ok .
But If I want to use it as two mono compressors the external input module won't let me use both sides at the same time.
If I wan't to use it this way I need to repatch one of the otputs and one output is left unusable. Why??
Is this how it should be, or is it a bug?

External Insert has always commandeered both channels of a stereo pair. I've entered my own feature request for it to allow using mono channels independently and it's been mentioned frequently enough that I'm sure others have submitted Feature Requests or Problem Reports as well. 

Go into preferences and check show mono outputs.

gswitz
Go into preferences and check show mono outputs.

Show mono outputs are checked

brundlefly
External Insert has always commandeered both channels of a stereo pair. I've entered my own feature request for it to allow using mono channels independently and it's been mentioned frequently enough that I'm sure others have submitted Feature Requests or Problem Reports as well. 

Hmm. Maybe I'll need to send a feature request too. This is too silly.
Any smart workarounds exept repatching?

External inserts haven't been updated since the initial version. I guess it's one of the "implement and forget" features in Sonar.

I am reasonably sure I can achieve this objective with a buss, and at least two different Maudio and one Motu interface DSP mixers.

With the growing popularity of the 500 series I think many users wants to include more hardware effects into their setup.
The way Sonar wastes half of the outputs on the audio interface is not a good way to get more users to jump from other DAW's.
I am almost what you can call a Sonar "fanboy", but this is, as I said in another post , just too silly.

Workaround:
 
- Put the External Insert on a bus and give it a stereo send and return.
- Assign tracks to the bus, and pan them hard left and right according to which channel/processor you want them to hit.
- Use Channel Tools after the EI to pan the returns as needed or bounce the processed signals to new tracks (split mono) to free up the External Insert for the next job.
 
 
 
 

Thank's, I'll try that.
Maybe X4 will give us an updated external inserts module.

panup
External inserts haven't been updated since the initial version. I guess it's one of the "implement and forget" features in Sonar.

Not true - there was a major rework in 8.5.3. https://www.cakewalk.com/Support/kb/reader.aspx/20090222