Setting the FaderPort up in SONAR involves three main steps: installation, registering the .dll file with the command prompt and adjusting settings in SONAR's Preferences.

I. Installation

1. Download the FaderPort installer from the PreSonus website: http://www.presonus.com/products/FaderPort/downloads. Run the installer and follow its prompts. At the end of the installation you will be prompted to install a firmware update. If your FaderPort's firmware is up-to-date, close the firmware update.
    
2. Open the directory where the FaderPort.dll is installed. By default this directory is C:\Program Files (x86)\PreSonus\FaderPort\FaderPort Dll\Sonar and contains subdirectories for the 32- and 64-bit architectures of this file.
    
3. Move the FaderPort.dll into SONAR's Shared Surfaces directory, which is where SONAR expects to find control surface plug-ins. More specifically:
   • For 64-bit SONAR on 64-bit Windows, move the 64-bit FaderPort.dll to the C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Surfaces directory.
      
   • For 32-bit SONAR on 64-bit Windows, move the 32-bit FaderPort.dll to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Cakewalk\Shared Surfaces directory.
      
   • For 32-bit SONAR on 32-bit Windows, move the 32-bit FaderPort.dll to the C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Surfaces directory.

II. Manually Register Files with the Command Prompt

1. Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.
   • On Windows 8, do this by holding down the Windows and “X” keys on your computer's keyboard and choosing Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
   • On Windows 7 and Windows Vista, do this by opening the Start menu > All Programs > Accessories. Then, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator.”
     Note: if you are asked if the program can make changes to the computer, select [Yes] or [Continue].
      
2. Type “cd ” (include the space character) followed by your Shared Surfaces directory. This directory is the same one from step 3 above.
    
   Hint: to avoid typos, right-click in the Address Bar of one directory from the previous step and select “Copy address as text.” To Paste, click on the “C:\_” icon in the top-left corner of the Command Prompt to open a menu, then click Edit > Paste.
    
3. Press the [Enter] key to change directories. If an error message appears, verify the correct spelling of the directory and that there is a space after “cd”.
    
4. Type “regsvr32 FaderPort.dll” and press [Enter]. This will register the FaderPort.dll with the Windows OS. If a “DllRegisterServer in FaderPort.dll succeeded” message appears, move to the next step. If a message saying that the module failed to load or cannot be found, check the spelling, be sure that a space is between “regsvr32” and “FaderPort.dll” and make certain the command prompt is working in the correct Shared Surfaces directory.

III. Set SONAR's Preferences

1. Set up your control surface:
   1. Open the Edit menu > Preferences > MIDI – Control Surfaces.
       
   2. In the right-hand side of the Preferences window, click the yellow star button (which is the “Add new Controller/Surface” function).
       
   3. In the Controller/Surface drop-down menu, select the Presonus FaderPort.
       
   4. Set the Input Port and Output Port menus to the FaderPort.
      If your FaderPort is not available in these menus, click the [MIDI Devices] button and make sure that the box next to your hardware is checked.
       
   5. Click the [Apply] button.
       
2. Enable additional MIDI events:
   1. Still in the Preferences, go to the MIDI > Playback and Recording section.
       
   2. Click the boxes next to “Key Aftertouch” and “Channel Aftertouch” to add a checkmark.
       
   3. Click the [Apply] button, then the [Close] button to return to SONAR's main view.
       
   4. Open the Utilities menu > Presonus FaderPort to open its plug-in window.
       
   5. The fader and transport controls of the FaderPort hardware will now be controlling SONAR.