Cakewalk please review this:
 
This is X2 issue, not sure of previous versions.
Maybe I am missing some bigger "concept" here, but this is what is bugging me.
 
There is a checkbox in midi prefereces "Always echo current midi track"
 
Whether it is checked, or unchecked, it forces me to have to then properly set the "midi input state" (either "auto", "on", "thru", "off") to get the most commonly desired setting, e.g. I always simply want to hear tracks (NOT turned "off"), and tracks only sound if playing the controller assigned to it (NOT set to "auto").
I would prefer a default behavior that prevents me from having to change the midi input state every time I insert a track.
 
Here is what I find the default does, and what I always have to change it to:
 
When "Always echo current midi track" box is checked:
Newly inserted tracks get defaulted to "Auto", and I have to always change it "On"
Trust me, if you use multiple controllers, you will see why. As you click between tracks, you will end up not hearing a midi track, and then you'll find out the problem is all tracks have to be "on", NOT "auto".
 
When "Always echo current midi track" box is unchecked
Newly inserted tracks get defaulted to "Off" (unbelievable! you can't hear what you are playing), I have to always change it "On".
Obviously you cannot hear the track when midi input state is set to "Off", so why would that be the default setting of a newly inserted midi track?
 
But maybe there is other reasons why it is the way it is.
 
 
 
 

I'm not sure I'm following the problem. The "Always echo current track" behaves as expected here. i..e. if the track is in focus it echos MIDI data without having to click on the input echo button. If turned off it doesn't, that's the behaviour I expect.

Regardless if you use more than one controller or want more than one channel to respond, select the channels and use quick grouping (hold Ctrl key) while clicking on one to turn them all on.

Holding the shift key down while clicking record on a track automatically turns input echo on as well if that helps.

If they all turned on automatically and a user  didn't want that behaviour then they'd have to turn them all off so either way there's some button clicking to be done.

One reason for having a MIDI track turned off is that "none" as input is actually omni so a newly inserted track with a clip dragged into it, would playback the clip and respond to incoming data which wouldn't necessarily be wanted.

What's convenient for one is a pain for another I guess. I'm still not sure I'm understanding your issue correctly but input echo behaves as I expect it to here.
 
Remember you can always set up templates to suit the way you want to work as well.

I am trying to use Sonar as a live host and maybe that is why I have different expectations of what should happen. For some reason the way it works is always causing me to figure out "why no sound?". Or why everything is playing from one controller.
Even after my explanation above I now have no sound on synth and cannot figure out why. I am a good trouble shooter- and it is wearing me out.
Of course I will have to discribe the problem again in better detail when I get more figured out.

I think  there are probably better options for live hosting. I can see why you'd want the behaviour but for myself it would be a nightmare as I'd have to go round turning them off. Perhaps an option for this is the subject of a feature request?

Regarding routing, I have a video here on MIDI routing that may help.

FastBikerBoy

<snip> 

One reason for having a MIDI track turned off is that "none" as input is actually omni <snip>

IIRC this is true if "always midi echo selected track" is turned on. If "always echo" is turned off, then "none" is none. Or it was, I haven't checked in X2 yet.

Yep you could well be correct there. I know there is a way of having None=none but can't for the life of me remember. I'll try that when I get back. I'm fed up with a synth sound everytime I press a button on my ZED controller panel.   Thanks