Does anyone know if Sonar supports all features of VST 3? If so I can make a VST 3 plugin that can be used to easily route the MIDI to multiple tracks. I played with my previous VST 2 plugin that passes MIDI through but was just reading about the VST 3 spec. It might make more sense to just go that route since it provides more features like multiple MIDI inputs (and outputs?) which might open up some additional MIDI routing options.
 
EDIT: So it seems VST 3 does support multiple MIDI inputs and outputs. I wonder if this can be used to create some sort of MIDI patchbay inside a single VST. That should help work around the limited Sonar MIDI routing options until CW can add this directly to Sonar. Such a plugin should be relatively straightforward to create.

I do not believe the subset of VST3 implemented by SONAR supports multiport instruments. There are a few threads about it followed by comments like this but I have not found a specific discussion of outputs

I'm in the process of trying to modify one of the VST 3 samples to see if Sonar even supports passing MIDI through.
 
All of the default sample Steinberg VST3 plugins have the "Enable MIDI Output" disabled in Sonar. This could either be due to Sonar not supporting this at all, or none of the VST3 sample plugins actually support sending MIDI events out (most likely).
 
I searched around on KVR's plugin database but was not able to find anything resembling a plugin that can simply pass MIDI events through. Something like a MIDI filter or "MIDI patchbay", but setting it to pass all events unchanged should work.

What's all this talk about SONAR not being able to drive 2 synths from 1 MIDI track? I do it often, usually to beef up a kick drum's low end, to layer a punchy bass over a smoother one, or to create complex multi-layered pads. It's quick and easy.
 
The confusion is probably that SONAR doesn't show it as 2 outputs from 1 track, but rather displays the second output as if it was a separate track. But it isn't really, not if you link the tracks. There's just one MIDI track and all the data is read from it.
 
The second "track" is a convenient artifice, and exists so that you have greater flexibility than if you could only add another output like you do with aux sends. By giving you a whole separate virtual track, you're not only able to route it to any instrument you like, but also transpose it, set its volume and pan, change its MIDI channel, offset its velocity, even mute parts of it. It's brilliant.

bitflipper
...not if you link the tracks. There's just one MIDI track and all the data is read from it...
The second "track" is a convenient artifice...

I have used that method, i.e. make a linked copy of the midi track, but I found that after a bit of editing it kept losing the link and I kept having to create it again.  I gave up on it in the end.  But that was back when I was using Sonar 6 and I haven't tried it lately.

bitflipper

Where does the 2nd output show up? I'm not sure I follow...

SilkTone
 
Where does the 2nd output show up? I'm not sure I follow...

(I just tried this)
 
I don't think there's any automatic way of setting this up.
You have to create a second midi track, set options/drag and drop options to copy entire clips as linked, then copy the clip(s) to the new track.
 
From that point on, everything you do to the midi in a clip gets reflected in the copy.
 
So the second output is off the second midi track.
 
Thanks bitflipper for the tip.
 
 

I have already wrote in one of my previous posts above about how I am aware of linked clips and why I don't think it's a viable solution. Kev999 worded it better than I could (after spending some time editing, sometimes the clips just don't link correctly anymore, weird bug. Also the behavior of adding new notes AFTER linking seems to be unstable and unreliable). Also the fact the clips are linked doesn't change the fact that if I click on notes on the PRV in the original kick, the linked copy will not play together so I am not hearing the final composite. I can only hear the final sound when the project actually PLAYS, in other words; not when I'm EDITING.
 
SilkTone: I am very interested in this plugin you're trying to take a crack at. Let me know if you need me to do any rigorous testing.

Nash, OK I'll take a stab at it. I modified the one I linked to above by removing all extraneous controls and code (so it simply passes through all MIDI events) and compiling it for 64-bit. But it seems to have some issues on 64-bit, so I'll try and see what the deal is there.
 
As mentioned above, if you want to do a proof-of-concept you can actually use the plugin linked to above in either Sonar 32-bit or 64-bit and just leave all settings at their defaults. At least that way you can see if it does what you need until I can sort out the 64-bit version.

You can try this plugin here. It called "MIDI Passthrough" and is a 64-bit VST plugin that simply passes MIDI events straight through.
 
To use:

1. Add it as a VST instrument with a MIDI and an Audio track.
2. Ensure it's "Enable MIDI Output" is selected.
3. Use it as an input to multiple other MIDI tracks.
4. On the other tracks using this as an input, make sure to set Input Echo = ON.
5. Make sure to set the MIDI passthrough track's input to something other than OMNI-All.

Any MIDI events on the MIDI Passthrough MIDI track will now appear on all other tracks that have it selected as an input.
 
While CW has fixed some of the most serious bugs related to VSTi MIDI output, there still seems to be some weird issues. For instance:

1. I noticed that sometimes when clicking on different MIDI tracks, MIDI events from unrelated MIDI tracks will still briefly appear on the wrong tracks. This will manifest as instruments playing MIDI events that are not routed to those instruments.
2. When selecting the MIDI Passthrough MIDI output as an input to another track, Sonar does not actually select that as the MIDI input, but still has OMNI-All selected as the input (even though it shows the input you selected). You have to first select "None" again and then again select the output from the passthrough VSTi. I mentioned this bug here.

 
Let me know if you run into any problems.