Getting VST control panels to stay put on a second monitor

[norfolkmastering]

I usually have my VST plugin control screens sited on my right hand monitor on top of the console view, leaving the waveform view on my left hand monitor unobstructed.

I click the little  'pin plug window' buttons on the top right of the plugins but I've found the plugin control screens keep disappearing when I click anywhere else on the right hand screen.

Is there any way to stop this happening?

 

[Bass Guitar]

They are probably still there and hidden behind the view you put in focus. That’s how Windows works. You will have to float the view in the second monitor and resize it. 

My solution is I only use the second monitor for the plugins and other stuff. 
I use the D shortcut to flip between Track view and Console / PVR or Melodyne on my main screen. 

[norfolkmastering]

Thanks for the info and advice.  Yes you are correct.  The VST panels are still there but hidden behind the full screen console view.

I found that the D shortcut also works on my RH screen to flip between my console view and any VSTs I have open.  I'll try it that for a while.

[Tim Elmore]

Make sure you are running the latest version of Sonar (I am currently using 2025.08, build 004). Just a couple of updates ago, they fixed a problem where plug-in control panels didn't stay on top of the Console View.

I have my displays set up the way you described:

Left monitor: Track View (with waveforms)

Right monitor: Console View, maximized.

I often have plug-ins on top of the Console View, and now they stay on top, fully visible, no matter where I click the mouse.

There is a setting in Preferences regarding this: 

+

So verify that you are using the latest version and that the box is checked as shown above.

[norfolkmastering]

Thanks for the heads up on the new option to 'Keep Plug-in Windows on top'.  I didn't know about it and it works just great.

[Tim Elmore]

It also works if you dock the Console View in Multi-Dock and maximize Multi-Dock. I actually run it this way most of the time. My left-hand monitor always shows Track View, maximized. My right-hand monitor has Multi-Dock maximized and containing Console View and Piano Roll View. I can switch between full-size Console View and full-size PRV with a single click to the corresponding tab at the top of Multi-Dock. All the while, the plug-ins stay on top of Multi-Dock. So you can try it different ways to see what is most efficient for your workflow. I love it when software is this flexible.

[sjoens]

You can also dock plug-ins in Multidock the same way.