Controlling Sonar with the Akai MPK49 and Kore2 (patches)

The following is the configuration I've settled for controlling tracks and fx with my MPK49 and Kore2 controllers.  It's the result of trying several paradigms and learning to work around the rather buggy behavior of Sonar's remote controlling system... 

The scheme uses the Cakewalk Generic Surface (CGS) plugins over the "ACT Midi Controller"'s as they are more reliable.  Note, you can still control plugins with "Active Controller Technology (ACT)" (which is different) and you can still have follow context if you wish...  The terminology Cakewalk uses adds to the confusion.  It's a good idea to read this first: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=1713897&high=act%2cCGS.

Here's what you'll get:

• On Akai preset "Sonar Trk", it will link your Akai to 24 tracks simultaneously (via the Akai's "Control Bank" button) with volume/pan/mute control.  Note, you can change which set of 24 via the Sonar WAI display in the Track or Console View.
• It will also link the Akai to ACT (learn) functionality for plugins via the Akai preset "Sonar ACT".  You only get 16 total on the CGS so I've assigned Sliders 1-8, Knobs 1-4 and Buttons 1-4 (on Akai "Control Bank" A).  Note as this uses seperate midi CC/channel values, there's no need for the follow context functionality.  You just need to switch the Akai preset to get ACT.
• For Kore 2 it will allow you to control a single track with knobs linked to Vol/Pan/Mute/Solo and 3 send channel Vol/Pan's.  The Kore 2 dial is used to change the track to be controlled...
• The Kore 2 also has 2 more presets for the ACT side which link up knobs and buttons (16 total in CGS, I forget which ones!)
• The Kore 2 MMC buttons are also linked up (play/record, etc)
• The Akai also has a preset "Sonar Rmo" which is another non-overlapping set of midi controller values allowing you to use the sonar right-click "Remote Control" assignments for one-off controls.

Here's a link to download the ZIP of the files you'll want.  It contains 3 items:

1. An MPK Preset set (overwrites them all so backup first)
2. A Kore2 Preset set (same for this I think)
3. The presets for Sonar's CGS.  To install these, copy the files inside of the "Shared Presets - {404....." file to the equivalent one in your Cakewalk "Shared Presets" folder in your application data directory (c:\Users\HKS\AppData\Roaming\Cakewalk\Shared Presets\{404C9315-693D-4715-A326-143A992FA784}\. On my Win7 computer, XP will be ...\Docs & Settings\Application Data\Cakewalk\...).  This might take a bit of sleuthing. Be sure to turn on "Show hidden files/folders" if your windows explorer view options. I'm not sure if the {404... will be the same everywhere.  Look inside and match them up to the CGS presets in Sonar ("Akai MPK49, Control Freak, Edirol PCR"...).

Load the Akai and Kore2 device presets up.  Make sure your Akai's common channel (global settings) is Port A.  Now boot up Sonar and do the following:

1. Go to preferences and add 3 Controller Surfaces (2 if you don't have Kore or 1 if you don't have an Akai).  Make all three "Cakewalk Generic Surface"'s and set the ports as follows: 1. Akai MPK49 Port A, 2. Akai MPK49 Port B, 3. Kore 2.  Set WAI for 2 and 3 and ACT for 2 and 3.
2. Now click the button to load up the midi control surface.  You should see a "Cakewalk Generic Surface" window.  For the first device (Akai port A) choose the preset _HKS Akai MMC_.  This will assign the Play/Stop/Record/FF/RW buttons.
3. For the second device, choose preset "_HKS Akai 24 Trax & ACT_"
4. For the 3rd device "_HKS Kore Trax & ACT_

Now load up the Track View.  If you are in X1 I recommend that screenset that has the minified track volumes in the console docked on top of the Track View.  Dial up the track with your Kore2 dial...cool!

Troubleshooting:

• Make sure you Akai common channel is port A.  Make sure you've linked up the Control Surfaces exactly as described.  Try doing them 1 at a time rather than all three in one go...
• Plead with Cakewalk to rethink and re-do the whole ACT and midi control paradigm - from scratch!  Cakewalk, if you are listening, I'd pay good $$/££ for this!

Other info:

• The Akai presets use midi channels 1-16 for each CC number used.  This means that very few CC values are actually used compared to the number of knobs assigned.  All the CC's are generic ones, ie not assigned to anything like pan or filter freq in General Midi.  This means it's less likely you'll unknowingly change your plugin's parameters (like volume on CC 7) if (when) Sonar fails to catch the control and bleeds it through.  It also means it's a good starting point to do your own control paradigm...
• Except for the MMC stuff, the Akai knob/slide/etc settings are on Port B.  So if in spite of the above, your remote controlling keeps influencing your synth in unexpected ways, just set the synth input to be Akai Port A rather than Omni and the remote controlling should kept well clear from the midi input data.
• One of the major downsides to all this is that it doesn't automate Bus control as the CGS doesn't support it.  The reason why I haven't used ACT Midi Controller is that more than 1 do not play together well.  You can assign bus controls manually using the right-click "Remote Control" paradigm (in the Akai "Sonar Rmo" preset, preferably).   However, one improvement to the above might be to link Akai Port B to 1 (and only 1!) "ACT Midi Controller", assign it to Akai "Control Bank" B or C (which are unassigned presently) and set it up so that it's fixed to control the Bus (disable ACT and follow context, Control Group = bus).  You'll get 8 simultaneous bus channels with volume and pan (but mute/solo only on the "selected" track - whatever that means!).

Good luck, Godspeed, and may Cakewalk fix this mess soon and make this post entirely obsolete...

Harikaram