Been having this problem for YEARS.
 
MIDI controller stops working with Sonar until a reboot.
 
I can control standalone VST's no problem.
 
Things I checked:
 
MIDI DEVICES:  Midi Device Input is ENABLED and checked
MIDI TRACK INPUT:  set to Omni or set to MIDI CONTROLLER Omni
 
Just wont work. Sonar doesn't even see the MIDI messages coming in (system tray doesnt show red light) until a reboot.
 
Very annoying.

Not sure if I can help or not, it might just be one of those annoying quirks. but..
What kind of device and how is it connected ?

chuckebaby
Not sure if I can help or not, it might just be one of those annoying quirks. but..
What kind of device and how is it connected ?

Hi Chuckebaby,
 
Ive had this with all different devices and machines.. right now its an MPK225 connected straight to USB port.
 
Thanks!

You could try deleting Aud.ini (make a back up) just for the sake of seeing if it helps.
I have found in the past when Aud.ini stores other devices im not using anymore, it can sometimes create conflicts.
 
TBH, im reaching here Adam .
 
Let me take a bit and consult with my ChuckeGroup. Wish I had a better answer for you.

hehe, well i will give it a try :)
 
thank you. i will report back.  sucks you should have to do anything.  this is a long standing issue.

Just a thought, you could check to see if your USB selective suspend setting is not enabled. I had similar issues with USB hard disks disconnecting until I disabled it, never had a problem since. Not saying this is the issue, but worth a check. I`m on windows 7 so you`ll have to check for your settings in your own windows version :-)  

Rasure
Just a thought, you could check to see if your USB selective suspend setting is not enabled. I had similar issues with USB hard disks disconnecting until I disabled it, never had a problem since. Not saying this is the issue, but worth a check. I`m on windows 7 so you`ll have to check for your settings in your own windows version :-)  

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the input.  Mine is ENABLED.  So I guess that's not it either :(  Thanks though.

probably just poor coding as usual with Cakewalk.
 
Check this out:  so I unplug the device and plug it back in:
 

 
 
 
So Sonar CAN see the device being plugged in....
 
I also have THIS checked:
 

 
AND this:
 

 
and no MIDI comes through HAHAHAH. No lights, no MIDI Activity in the green status bar of the track.  ZILCH.  After reboot and no changes... no problem.

Again, if I close Sonar and open a standalone VST no problem.
 
More shoddy leftover programming from the 90s still left over (see drum maps)

AdamGrossmanLG
probably just poor coding as usual with Cakewalk.

 
Actually it's almost certain that it isn't, given that no one else is chiming in to say they've experienced this problem.
 
You do not give the Windows version, which is not helpful. However, you show a lot of MIDI devices. You have probably plugged and unplugged numerous MIDI devices over the years, and possibly into different ports. Windows registers each one as a unique device, and until later versions of Windows 10, had a MIDI port limit. Bumping into that limit will produce the symptoms you describe. You can look at Device Manager and think you only have a few MIDI devices plugged in, so you need to see what Windows sees, not what you see or what SONAR sees.
 
Follow the steps given here exactly and see if it solves your problem. Note that you cannot simply go into device manager and choose View > Show Hidden Devices. You HAVE to run the Batch file and you HAVE to run it as administrator.
 

I have a little Alesis Q25 that does that ( always assumed it was a shortcoming with Alesis..cause, well, it's made by Alesis...)
No USB ports sleeping, reasonably new build so no long history of devices. 
 
One note of caution: I've run into issues with long USB cables of dubious quality. Do some swapping to make sure cables and ports are behaving. That can be a factor in "there but not there" issues.