Act works fine for me with no problems at all. I use it with my VS-100 and my PCR midi controller. I do find that if I start Sonar without the midi keyboard plugged in then the settings change and I need to reset it, but if I plug in my midi controller and then turn on Sonar I have no problems. It works just like it did from the last time I closed down Sonar.
 
I can use the stop and record buttons on the vs-100 with no problems using act. but if I forget to plug in the vs-100 before I start sonar i need to reset the function in preferences. it really is no big deal and only takes a few seconds.
 
I think Act rocks and it is a very handy part of Sonar. It is one of the things I love about the software.

FreeFlyBertl

bitman
Do you guys learn (re-map) the act assignments because you don't like the default order that Sonar gives you for a given vst?   And are you saying that that is not written and saved?
 

hi bitman
 
Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to say.
 
For example: Default ACT order of Channel Tools does not fit the 4x4 knob layout of the VS-700C. Hence I need to re-map to be able to use it intuitively - but I need to remap over and over again ...
 
BTW, I do run Sonar in admin mode (doesn't make a difference).
 
 
 
 

 4 x4 !?  That's horrible! No wonder you're cranky man!
 
Wait till 'yall get a face full of my plug and it;s BCR2000 32 knob ACT and way-finder scribble strip so ya don't get lost. Also I only light the encoders that are "in play" for even easier navigation.
 
Still in beta but comin' down the mountain real soon...
 
 

FreeFlyBertl
I use ACT to control plugins from the VS-700C and it does work, but is tedious to set up every time
 
many (especially cake plugs) come with random default assignments / ordering of how parameters are exposed to the control surface i.e. you have to change the ACT mapping whenever you want to use it, but then these assignments are not remembered between software restarts or between different projects
 
I did file a problem report on that half a year ago, but it came back saying that this is something support should be able to solve ... but actually support was totally unaware of what ACT does and would it should be doing (i.e. is it a bug or not, what was ACT designed for in the first place) ... so a number of mails back an forth and no solution to anything ...
 
 

When I read things like this I'm so glad I didn't splash out the £2000 asking price for VS-700c.
I though it had it's own protocols and seemlessy intergtrates with Sonar, I had no idea it ran of ACT. Plus I keep reading how VS-700c seems to have been dropped by Cake since X series.
 
I feel for you.
 
Dean 

 

i've read about your bcr work. pretty amazing. i hope you let us all know once it's done.
 
you didn't comment on the "And are you saying that that is not written and saved" ... anything you know that would help me and others???

 
The saving of act learn data is contained within the sonar code and not exposed as a task delegated in any way to the control surface code. I was just trying to understand the issues at hand here by my question as ACT for me is a wonderful technology, but I don't remap parameters. Early on in development I had remapped a small vst under x1e and then when I wanted to undo that learn mapping, I had to wipe the xml data. Whether x2 has trouble saving act learn data is going to be an issue that cakewalk will need to address. It seems that x1 could do it. Cake really needs to have an edit table where the user can at the very least wipe an effect's learned mapping away in my opinion.  

Agree with much said here - not used ACT that much yet, and not had problems of losing configurations, but do find it a bit hit and miss setting up mappings. Some suggestions for work in ACT:
 
1. Allow sliders to be configured (for a specific instrument) in "drawbar mode" (i.e. up = off, down = max)
2. Provide a ACT Controller layout designer, so that it can be used on other devices (U-Control UC33)
3. Make the setting up of the mappings easier and more reliable, including clear feedback during setting and also for any controls which might not be mappable
4. Provide more (and more sensible) presets for common VST instruments, or provide a way for users to share these - ability to import/export individual instruments
5. Provide some way to look at (and ideally setup) the mappings maybe in a tabular form as well as the GUI