scook

The location of MFX plug-ins does not matter. That said, they should not be installed in the VST plug-in path. Like other DX plug-ins these are not scanned by the VST scanner but must be registered using regsvr32 at install time. Once the plug-ins are installed (usually just a copy process to some location), open a command windows as administrator in the location where the plug-in is installed and type regsvr32 thePluginName.dll

May want to look at Cakewalk Launchpad. The tool makes a usable copy of the currently installed version of CbB. This allows access to multiple versions of CbB. Very handy when situations like this one arise. Make a copy (hotkey K) prior to running the CbB update. Here is a thread about the tool.

There are two that I know of 1) restore from backup or 2) start using Cakewalk Launchpad to make a live backup of the current version of CbB before updating. Hotkey K makes a usable version of the currently installed version of CbB. There is a thread about this tool here.

It is similar. All of the clip properties are found in the Clip tab in the Inspector. Select the clip, open the clip tab in the inspector, make the appropriate changes, copy and repeat paste using Paste Special.

I have no problem with the url in the OP The full document including the last release is on Google - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aFOe_zJrd3x2EnaZ_Jc3iSbZPG2WANiCD4_RP83OjlA/edit

Weaning off CAL may be a good idea. CAL was deprecated almost 20 years ago. In addition to the new MFX linked above, CbB includes a Velocity MFX with an randomizing feature.

Keep in mind, plug-in delay compensation may be a factor too. If the project has FX plug-ins in it, see if clicking the FX button in the Mix module makes a difference. May also want to read up on the PDC button in the Mix module too.

The delay between pressing a key on a MIDI controller and hearing the audio from the soft synth is due to audio latency. Similar to the latency experienced when input echo is enabled on an audio track (which I believe is the "little sound button").

SONAR 8.5 tutorials are a little too old. A complete UI overhaul including setup screens happened with the X series not to mention almost 10 years of updates. A comprehensive X2 series is freely available on Youtube and there are plenty of X series tutorials on the old Cakewalk site (actually these videos are all on their Youtube site). For more check out the Tutorial section of this forum.

Other than fixing the dropped note problem moderate increases in the buffer are not noticeable. Personally, I would start at 500 and increase by 250ms increments until the problem goes away. At large settings project startup may be a little sluggish because the buffer must fill up before the project starts to make sound.

This still holds true (from http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3286635) Noel wrote

Bypass is bypass whether activated globally, at the rack or effect level. Of course, anything other than a global bypass may not reduce PDC. Try going about this the other way Enable Global Bypass, then Toggle the rack/effect bypass buttons until the latency becomes unacceptable. It may take some experimentation. Some plug-ins have variable PDC. For example, amp sims have various ways to set them up and some of the effects in the plug-in may need more time to process than others.

If you are working with instrument tracks click on the MIDI tab in the Track Inspector (T in the image below) to reveal the arp and the other MIDI controls.

Depends on the plug-in format. MIDI FX racks support MFX plug-ins only which are DX format. A few are included with CbB. There are a couple of sources for free and commercial MFX plug-ins too. All VST2/3 FX plug-ins must go into audio FX racks or the ProChannel. To communicate with VST plug-ins that support MIDI I/O, CbB requires dedicated instrument or MIDI tracks. Here is how the routing works for VST plug-ins. While the name is a little misleading, a drum map may be used to split an incoming MIDI stream and route the data to different targets. The included MIDI Event Filter MFX plug-in may be set up to filter notes, CC and other MIDI data. In short, this is possible using the tools included with CbB.

The old Cakewalk account should still have all the old products. Use Cakewalk Command Center for the products listed in it. Use the installers in your account for older products. Install CbB last.

Lenses were introduced with the SONAR Home Studio based on SONAR 2015. Cakewalk added Lenses to SHS because they dropped screensets from the product and wanted to provide a way to modify the layout. Lenses were added to the rest of the SONAR line after the release of SHS. The user directory layout has been similar for all Cakewalk DAWs for years.

ProgramData contains the master copy of the files used to create/refresh user directories.

%appdata% is a Windows variable that resolves to <Your Windows user account>\AppData\Roaming Typing it in the Windows Explorer path entry field is a lot faster than typing the actual path or navigating though the folders.

%appdata%\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core

I have neither plug-in, that said, every VST plug-in that uses MIDI I/O needs its own track(s) to handle MIDI data. Audio track FX racks handle only audio I/O to the plug-ins. MIDI FX racks are for MFX plug-ins which are DX format.

It is a button on the track header, inspector and console track strips immediately to the right of the record button. If you do not see it in the track header make sure the track control manager drop down is set to All. A small piece of the input echo button is shown to the right of the record button in this image. Better images of the button are shown in the help linked above.

My guess is Always Echo Current MIDI Track is enabled. Try disabling this feature and manually set input echo as needed.

A plug-in sending MIDI data either shows up in plug-in lists as an effect or a synth. This describes the how to set up both to send MIDI data to another plug-ins.

Might was to provide audio interface info such as make, model, driver version number. OS and DAW version info could be handy too.

Yes, the lens manager can hide Control Bar modules. Here is an image of the section in the lens manager