Hi,
 
I removed a flaky SBLive card (being used for MIDI out/synth) from a new DAW build and it caused a real problem with my projects.  Apparently Sonar lists the physical MIDI devices first in the track output selection list, so after removing the SBLive all the outputs are screwed up.  Sonar doesn't remember by names, only the ordinal/position in the list. In other words, all the Synth instances (LiveSynthPro, Superior Drummer, etc) in the list that followed the SBLive are now moved up a notch, yet Sonar continues to adhere to the old position in the list, thereby causing everything to be off.  
 
I could assign an RME MIDI output under MIDI Devices to take the place of the SBLive, but would rather not since MIDI data would, some instances, be piped into the RME for no reason.  Are there any other solutions to resolve this issue I'm having?  A way to put a stub in the MIDI output list?  Or some other solution???
 
Extreme thanks for any help with this....
 
    Sonic
_______________
Windows XP
RME FF400
Sonar 5PE

From Bob Bergen on the Facebook Cakewalk SONAR User Group https://www.facebook.com/...roup/?ref=group_header

"Bob BergenGroup Admin Do you mean my hack:
With Sonar closed, delete ctrlsurface.dat and ttsseq.ini, open Sonar, set your controller and control surfaces prefs (and set the midi lookahead buffer to 500ms), close Sonar, set the file attributes for ctrlsurface.dat and ttsseq.ini to read-only. No more forgotten settings for those anymore. Of course, if you want add a midi device, you'll have to remove the read-only attribute and put it back after you're done."

And that will work in the case of a MISSING MIDI device??  Or is the implication I'd have to install the SBLive again, then go through the configuration hack, and then remove the SBLive?  
 

you can always test it by making a back up of ctrlsurface.dat and ttsseq.ini.
If it doesn't do what you want, its easy enough to reverse.
What have you got to lose ? takes probably 3 minutes.

Mostly just trying to understand what it is I'm supposed to do.  I'd also hate to muck anything up on a brand new DAW rebuild that took me many days.  But if all I have to do make a copy of the original files and restore them in order to get 100% back to square one, then as you say there's no reason not to try.  That is of course assuming I understand the sequence I'm supposed to follow..... that's not quite clear to me at the moment.
 
And are we saying there is no other Sonar method, nor MIDI device stub of sorts, that could be used?

I've been trying to figure out what it is you have a problem with as it does not make any sense to me, and possibly most of the others around here so therefore no answers. 
 
We EXPECT when we change our hardware set up that older projects will need a few minutes of TLC to bring them up to date on the new system. This doesn't take much time really. So not sure what it is your mad about.  
 
I have over time changed my system, my interfaces, my controllers and my computers a dozen or more times. I'm always happily upgrading. 
Sonar is pretty smart and warns me of some of the changes and even re assigns some stuff without issue. 
The most troublesome has been any old projects from one system that the Master is set to my SPDIF instead of 1/2 resulting in playback silence and a few minutes of pondering until I remember that fact. Otherwise all works as expected. 
 
 
In preferences I make sure my 3 midi  input devices are checked and ready to use.. I really don't care where they are on the list. Why would that matter? They show clearly on the midi track input list so I just select the controller I want when I'm recording midi. a 3 second task. 
 
I do not select any midi device outputs as mostly I'm not driving any outboard midi gear and if you don't select a device Sonar will automatic insert TTS_1 and populate all 16 tracks when you open any midi file. A huge timesaver for me.
If I want to hook up some old midi hardware it takes a half a minute to select my Scarlett midi output. 
NOBODY uses on board wavetable synths unless they are tone deaf. Sonar should totally remove that as an option, it would keep new users out of trouble. 
 
Now if your talking about midi track outputs those will always stay assigned to the VST instrument they originally used unless that VST is no longer installed. You'll get warnings when you open that project and they will show  greyed out so easy to find a newer, better replacement.  Sonar will ussually re assign midi tracks to the last used VST. Supper easy to change. 
 
I open older projects almost daily as I upgrade my backing tracks using newer better VST instruments. Midi files I made on a 1985 Atari 1040ST still open and will play. But I don't expect the Bass patch I used in 1985 to be correct. A little TLC to each project and 15 minutes later using track templates I've got a whole new upgraded sound. 
 
 
 
 
 

Uh....no, seems you are definitely missing something, not sure how I can explain it more clearly.  Here's another stab - this WRT the MIDI outputs:
 
This is one example of the way the old machine might display within a project for each MIDI track:
   1 - SB Live! MIDI Synth
   2 - Toontrack DFH Superior 1
* 3 - LiveSynth Pro 1
   4 - Livesynth Prof 2
 

And this is what would display on the new machine without the SBLive:
   1 - Toontrack DFH Superior 1
   2 - LiveSynth Pro 1
* 3 - Livesynth Prof 2
   4 - (nothing/non-assigned)
 
You see how the list is now shifted AND the wrong output is selected?  This is not a simple or trivial matter in context of numerous tracks across 100+ projects (and BTW which altering them would also make the projects no longer backward compatible if I ever needed to load them up on the retired/backup machine).
 
How is this not a legitimate, serious concern?  If I'm overlooking something then clue me in please....
 
     Sonic

 
 never mind. Sorry I cant be of help more.
 

The only thing I can think of is to go back to the retired/backup machine, install your new interface and drivers, remove the SB live and all it's references, make sure the new interface is listed first, save save save then move the projects with the new preferences to the new machine.
I know that's a lot of work, but so is going through every project you have and changing every output of every one of them.
Excuse me, too, but sometimes I get crazy ideas about how these magic boxes work. 

Greg, I'm not following, won't that just move the current problem on the new machine back to the old machine?  I mean, if I remove the SBLive card from the old machine then I'll essentially have the same config as I now have on the new machine...
 
???