Is there a way to NOT have Sonar X3 send midi data (program changes, volume, etc

[MarkEllis]

I posted this question on reddit and a helpful individual suggested I post it here.

We use sonar X3 and recently switched to a 2 laptop setup that both feed the same Motif rack for the midi sounds. When laptop #1 is playing song A and we load up song B on laptop #2 (to get it ready to play when song #1 ends), sonar sends the program change, volume, etc. info for song #2 and screws up song #1. In other words, as song #1 is playing through the motif, when song #2 is loaded (not started/playing) it sends all the midi commands to the motif.

Would AZ controller help us in any way? I opened up the documentation but nothing immediately jumped out at me.

[azslow3]

I don't think AZ Controller or other Sonar Surface API tool can help.

Sonar API is control surfaces oriented. It can filter incoming MIDI traffic with reasonable granularity, to avoid controls assigned for surface operations "leak" as normal MIDI messages into MIDI tracks. For MIDI output (and that is your case) from what I remember the possibilities are zero. The idea behind is to use device with just one MIDI port as normal MIDI input and surface. There is no such problem with output. While "control surface + MIDI keyboard" combination is common, I can't remember a single "control surface + synth" device.
Also there is "omni input" but no "omni output".

But even in case you somehow block what "song #2" sends on load. Before you play it, you want all that information is sent. So you need:
a) convince Sonar to re-send it at your will or
b) a program which can accumulate it  ("send suspended" state) and then play ("send resumed").
The first option is simpler to deal with, you just need to "block" before loading "song #2" and "unblock + sonar resend" before playing it.

I propose you ask on Cakewalk forum: https://discuss.cakewalk.com/
Don't write "Sonar X3", write just "Sonar". If you get some ideas for "new" Sonar, with high probability they will work for X3 as well  Noel and Mark are reading the forum. They know Sonar and they are smart.

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If nothing from that is possible, you can re-work songs to avoid sending setup till you start playback. You can put all MIDI track options as explicit MIDI events (and deactivate every track control, if you ever touched it, f.e. 'Chorus', it is auto-activated and will send messages), explicitly send required SysEx / Bank changes / etc. Don't forget to unset "reset controllers on stop" in Preferences/Project/MIDI

That is also "future safe" approach. In case you ever change the DAW, copy MIDI with all related initialization will work (as long the DAW really support MIDI, not every DAW does that these days...) while related "in-daw" options may be significantly different (or not exist).