AFTER SPENDING ROUGHLY 1-1/2 MONTHS ATTEMPTING TO DEBUG WHY THE MATRIX WILL NOT PLAY BACK MY HARDWARE SYNTHS (WITH ABOUT 30-45 MINS THAT I CAN SQUEEZE IN TO DO SOME MUSIC WRITTING SINCE BEGINNING TO WRITE SONGS AGAIN AS A MEANS OF RELEASE ABOUT 3 DAYS A WEEK) I FINALLY LEARN THAT THE PROBLEM IS DO TO A GLITCH IN THE X1 SOFTWARE.  ADDITIONALLY, I LEARN THAT THE ONLY MEANS OF CORRECTING THIS IS TO NOT DOWNLOAD A UPDATE TO X1, BUT PURCHASE THE UPGRADE TO X2 THUS SPENDING ANOTHER $100.-ALL OF THIS COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT THE MAIN FEATURE THAT I LOOKED FORWARD TO UTILIZING X1 WAS THE USE OF MATRIX FEATURE IS REALLY TICKED ME OFF.....I AM SO DISAPPOINTED THAT CAKEWALK DID NOT MAKE AVAILABLE A FIX VIA AN UPDATE TO X1...I KNOW THAT A $100. MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY TO SOME, BUT FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO IS CURRENTLY MARRIED, TRYING TO GET OUT OF DEBT WHILE ASSISTING THREE CHILDREN THROUGH COLLEGE IS A BIG DEAL------WAY TO GO CAKEWALK!!!!1......JUST VENTING!.......OH AND DID I MENTION THE LUNCH BREAK THAT I TOOK CALLING TECH SUPPORT AND SKIPPED EATING ON MY 10 HR. WORK DAY AND NOT HAVE THE CAKEWALK TECH INFORM ME OF THIS ISSUE---I LEARNED IT FROM ANOTHER FORUM MEMBER......PRICELESS!

I think Cakewalk made the mistaken assumption that the primary user of this feature would be someone using either loops or soft synths and they are probably right.  No excuse for it not to work properly with hardware since limits should be clearly spelled out.  I'm sorry for what you are going through.  Truth be told, i have never tried to use X1 with a hardware synth.  I'm assuming they realized their error since it works with X2. 
 
perhaps there are work arounds?  Even though the matrix view does not work directly, you can easily trigger the loops, record them and then bring the rendered recording from your synth into the matrix.  I know it is an extra step, but it's something until you can afford to upgrade.

The Matrix wasn't broke prior to X2, it just didn't include that feature, so there wasn't really anything to "fix" in X1.
 
FWIW I'm pretty sure the Matrix view was introduced in v8.5, so it wasn't a new feature when X1 came out.  I can understand making the assumption that it might work with external synths being what it is, but I personally wouldn't have upgraded unless I was reasonably sure it was supposed to do what I wanted.  
 
I completely get the money thing though.... completely.    Maybe there's some way to trigger an external synth through a synth track, like a MIDI-loopback thing or similar?   I've never used those things myself, but it might be worth checking out until you can save up the $$.
 

I don't use the Matrix but I did try it with a hardware sound module. The Sound Canvas 8850. It worked. I imported a MIDI clip into a cell and set the track to out to the SC and I got sound. 
 
This is with X2a Producer. I never tried X1's Matrix with hardware. Nor Sonar 8.5. 

Well Done John.
 

For the record, I've never been much of a Matrix user, either.  But I can see how - with the right implementation - one could customize quite the 'supersynth' out of it.  I have to emphathize with the OP here.  You go in thinking MIDI is MIDI, and there's no indication otherwise.  Then you drive yourself crazy trying make an unimplemented feature work the way you expected it to.
 
If indeed this is yet another harvested organ from Project5, there was a similar controversy with that software.  The difference is that Rene Ceballos quickly cobbled together a fix in the MIDIOut plugin.  (Actually two quick fixes: one that passed all MIDI messages, and one that blocked some select CC's).  Guess it's too late in a corporate schedule to provide that kind of option to frustrated X1 users.
 
Apparently some of us didn't get the memo that hardware is reportedly dead.

NO ONE TOLD YOU NOT TO EAT MY FRIEND.
X1 HAD 4 UPDATES, BUT BECAUSE YOUR FEATURE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ONE OF THOSE MANY UPDATES, IT SEEMS A LITTLE OFF THE DEEP END TO THROW A FIT.
THERES BIGGER ISSUES THAN THIS WITH OTHER FEATURES THAT OTHERS HAVE THAT I CAN AGREE WITH.
THIS SEEMS PETTY.
 
SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS.

Chuck,  although I think the OP's caps were over the top,  he has a legit gripe.  I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination to expect that a function that bills itself as supporting midi would support both hardware and software midi devices.  One would figure that something as basic as midi sequencing would be updated .  His complaint is hardly petty considering every contemporary program that has this kind of functionality works with hardware.

dubdisciple
Chuck,  although I think the OP's caps were over the top,  he has a legit gripe.  I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination to expect that a function that bills itself as supporting midi would support both hardware and software midi devices.  One would figure that something as basic as midi sequencing would be updated .  His complaint is hardly petty considering every contemporary program that has this kind of functionality works with hardware.

I don't think asking for midi sequencing to being updated is petty at all.
I think expecting sonar to give you a 5th update is.
there were things in x2 that weren't in x1 that I so terribly wish they were.
some were very basic as well.
I wanted mark bass software in x1, I didn't get that.
but you probably think that's a little too much? well then where do we draw this line?
I think it would have been easy to put mark bass in sonar.
and it does say there is software for stringed instruments, but I have to use guitar rig 4.
believe that? I have to use a guitar sim for my bass guitar?
how petty does that sound? I think a lot.
but you didn't see me writing a thread about not eating for 10 hours and blaming that on sonar.
you cant please everyone, and weather you or he; expect that a function that bills itself as supporting midi would support both hardware and software midi devices. well which ones ?
ive used my synth to trigger loops in the matrix. have you ?
 
if that feature was so important to you wouldn't you check first before making your purchase?
I nor you can expect cakewalk to have all our favorite features. even the ones we think (yes we, us as users) think are important.
that is petty.
 
I think we have dissected and analyzed things a little to much when it comes to what should and should not be basic features.
that's why we grade, that's why a new release comes out. not because its the same daw with a new name.
 
it wasn't just the caps that was over the top, it was 75% of his op.
we cant all get our favorite hardware devices compatible by personal updates from cakewalk.
so again im saying for him to complain about his hardware device not working with the matrix, well that is too bad.
but what about my devises ? I have some that id like compatible with sonar too.
I mean hey, sonar supports midi and hardware right? lets make sure it works with every midi/hardware device out there right.
it aint gonna happen,
I know you were the second responder here and were sharing your disappointment too, my post wasn't aimed towards you at all.
it was basically a WTF to the op. cant please everyone.
and by the way, what is this devise is so conveniently did not list ?
 
disappointment venting threads are one thing, starvation, my wife and kids, need to pay for college ...well those are another. 
 
sorry if you don't agree.
last night I had time to burn, today im here to help people with questions.

chuck, i know you ten to be helpful and hardly the type to just jump on a guy.  personally, this feature is not one I personally care about.  I don't use matrix much and when i do experiment, I don't bother triggering hardware.  I was just surprised it did not work with X1.  I kind of ignored his whole "feed my kids" blah blah because, although I empathize (I'm broke myself), I chose in this instance to ignore the caps and cry me a river attitude.  I do understand how these kinds of threads make you ant to slap the person who posts it because you are right...Sonar cannot guarantee compatibility with everything and threads about past versions of software tend to be pointless since the odds Cakewalk release another X1 patch are zero.