midi input assignments disappearing,,,,

I am setting up a new system.  I haven't upgraded since Sonar 7, so I'm having new feature overload.  lol,,,
 
I haven't been around the forum for a while, but want to say hi to all my old friends.  :)
 
I have three keyboard controllers in my set up, a Roland Digital Piano, and old DX-7,,, (don't laugh,,, it still works well as a controller) and an Edirol PCR-800.   I'm running the Roland and the Yamaha through a Midisport 2x2 interface.  I set up a track folder with an instance of Sampletank and three midi tracks assigned to it.  I set it up so that the Roland is input to channel 1 of Sampletank, the DX-7 to channel 2 and the Edirol to channel 3.  I can then set up combinations in Sampletank and create big layouts and can change configurations by changing the combination in Sampletank.  It works beautifully while I'm setting it up, and then I save the file as a project.  (I would ultimately like to save this as a templet, we can get to that later)  I've had a problem when I open the file, that the midi input settings are changed when I open the file again.  If my Midisport or PCR aren't connected when I open the file, they actually disappear from my midi device list, and I have to go to the preferences/midi devices window and recheck them to get them in my input list.   I have to assign the midi input assignments each time I open the file. 
 
Is this normal???  is there some setting I'm missing that would keep this from happening???  I never had this problem in Sonar 7. 
 
 

If a device is not connected and you open a project that uses that device, Sonar will prompt you to reassign the affected midi inputs.
Simply get into a working practice of turning on all controllers before launching Sonar.

Ahoy there harmony ol' pal! I wondered for a long time what had happened to you! So glad to see you back again!  Hope you have been well. 
 
SONAR 7 was quite a while ago indeed, feature-wise, so I can imagine the overload you're feeling.  I'm currently at X2 and wishing I'd just waited at X1 for when X3 came out... but as they say, hindsight is 20-20.  (Really, I should have stuck to my trusty old "odd-numbered SONARs only" rule.) That said, I did buy X2 on sale, and so I'll probably get up to speed on X3 before too long (Christmas is a busy time in the losguy's studio).
 
Hey, no need to feel ashamed about your DX-7... I still have mine (since 1984)... the keyboard action is great - no average MIDI controller made today can match it.  I'm actually planning to add the E-bard mod to it, to make it so that it puts out full MIDI key velocity (127 and not limited to 100) - I have an original E-board from 1987 that I never got around to putting in!
 
Still using Sampletank here, too. It's still my go-to workstation for getting a project going. I'm still pining away for Sampletank 3.  I don't even care about a new library there - just x64 support and a screen with bigger fonts!!
 
Anyway, welcome back!

Cool - did the Fastlane somehow do a better job at maintaining its "presence" inside SONAR projects/preferences/devices?  I'm curious because when I hook up my DX-7 to my FastTrack C600 it will occupy my only available MIDI IN jack... and I know I will have other MIDI stuff being hooked up at some point.  And wouldn't you know it, my "backup" interface is a MIDIsport 2x2.

That's weird... I used to have a MIDIsport 4x4 and it was fairly solid as I recall, both in Windows and in SONAR. Anyway this is really good to know HG; I'll keep this in mind in case my 2x2 starts acting up.

hey mike, yeah, I was fine until I went to 64 bit, too.  It sounds like we hit a similar problem. 
 
When I went to 64 bit I had no idea how much that would matter.  I'm finally starting to catch on, but after being away for a few years it's been a little challenging, to say the least.  I'm glad for the forums I go to.  I really do learn a lot from reading what others are doing. 
 
It makes sort of wonder though, whether the drivers for the midiman stuff needs to be "bridged" somehow to work with 64 bit, but I'm not computer savy enough to do anything about it.  I did use the drivers for a 64 bit windows 7 system though and they don't work on my system.  The issue seemed to stem from Windows too, not Sonar,,,, because I would get this when using a stand alone synth,,,  Somehow Mark of the Unicorn and Tapco found the secret sauce that M Audio didn't for their interfaces. 
 
 oh well, I'm happy with the Fastlane anyway.