I REALLY should be able to figure this out, and I'm SURE there's a simple explanation, but I'm not seeing it. It might be because it's been 2-3 years since I've even used Sonar 8.5.3, and my Alesis Fusion 8HD wrkstation doing any MIDI. Sorry, I just got out of the zombie asylum. PLEASE, I'm NOT necessarily blaming Sonar, just checking with the community for anything I may have missed. So, to let you know what I'm seeing, cuz I ain't hearin' nutin' honey. When I press any keys on the Fusion 8HD I see the meters on whatever MIDI channel that I am on respond. I put each track on it's own MIDI ch. so I never make the mistake of recording material intended for 1 MIDI ch., and it gets recorded on another, nor does it play on another. I can also record material on any MIDI ch. when I'm in Record mode onto any MIDI track. Finally, when I press PLAY for any MIDI track that has MIDI material on it, the meters also respond in Sonar, I just don't hear any sound coming into, or out of my keybd. I've checked all of my analogue connections so when I have the keybd set on Local control it makes sounds into, and out of my Alesis I/O 26 mixer. I also show the MIDI light on the mixer so that connection is good. The only issue it seems is I can't get the sounds to play out of the keyboard. I'm also going to post this thread on the Alesis site, but PLEASE, if anyone has any ideas PLEASE tell me. Tanx, KC

SO if you insert a soft synth and out put a track to that you would hear something right? 
And when you hit keys that soft synth would aslo play. 
So the only place something could be wrong is your midi output is not being received by the keyboard.
Check you MIDI settings and see what the output is set to

Insinuating that I have a bad cable. God forbid the actual MIDI jack is bad.

Are you using USB for MIDI or the MIDI jacks. I would use the USB. If you're not using USB, what is your MIDI interface? 

When you press a key on the keyboard, does the left LED on the little keyboard at the bottom right of your Windows screen light up. If not, the computer is not receiving any MIDI data. 

Check Options-MIDI Devices. What is listed there? 

I'm sure this is something simple that you've forgotten in your 2 year absence.

Thanks Daveny5, However, the only function my USB offers on my Fusion is for file transfer. My Alesis I/O 26 is my MIDI interface. I've been looking for that MIDI indicator that Sonar used to have because ver. 8.5.3 doesn't appear to have that invaluable feature. I right clicked on the Sonar system tray to see if I could activate it, but I don't see it. I downloaded MIDIOX and it showed some activity, but I don't really know how to use it. My Alesis Fusion 8HD is listed under MIDI Instruments, and the Alesis I/O 26 is listed as my Device. KC

I think I've determined that the problem is a bad MIDI cable. I switched both cables for the In/Out ports, and saw that 1 of them doesn't take transmissions from the keybd to the mixer. I've got spares. Thanks for the help. BTW, if anyone knows how to use MIDIOX to it's full extent, I'd love to get some tips. Tanx, KC

Remember that MIDI IN goes to MIDI OUT and vice versa. 

The MIDI indicator is in the Windows System tray not in Sonar. In Windows 7 to see the tray you have to click on the upward arrow next to the time.