The point is can Sonar provide varispeed easily and the answer is No simple as that. Can other programs do it and the answer is yes and very easily. That should be noted. As usual because Sonar cannot do something or do it easily many Sonar users think no other program can or should be able to do it as well.

Reaper does it very easily and so does Studio One and it does it all live and in real time. (with superb sound quality) As I have explained earlier. Any single audio event or group of audio events can simply be played back at any interval from 1 to 24 semitones either above or below concert pitch. Not only that but anywhere from 0 to 100 cents as well in either direction. 

Tempo stays the same of course but you only have to move the tempo parameter in Studio One and every audio file will easily speed up or slow down accordingly. What more could you want. So entire arrangements can be simply and very easily altered tuning (and tempo) wise to allow for a difficult instrument tuning wise to be recorded. (didgeridoo is great example of this) They have probably allowed for this from day one though in their planning and execution. Just adding it on to an existing program may not be as easy as many think. 

To be honest though even though I use a program that does all of this very easily I have rarely done it ever. And so to Sonar's defence I think that putting a program down because it cannot do this easily is also a bit unfair too as I am sure there are many features in X2 say that are very worthwhile from many other workflow points of view and far outweigh the varispeed option. But it does also mean if you are really wanting and needing to do this a lot because you are someone that is involved with recording a lot of things that are not normally tuned to concert then some further investigation into what DAW's do it easily and well may be warranted.

Also to those people who are talking about people and how they may conduct themselves on this forum remember my signature. You are of poor mind when you are doing that. Stick to the ideas instead, it is much more interesting and valuable.

Equine Plumage!!!

 
Draw leaf or refectory?
 
Why major on an aspect that doesn't work when you've been given many suggestions that do?  i.e. wide band pitch shifting.
 
Audacity even will do it for free.
 
Being as you like the idea of flexing a single knob try this. (again)
 
http://www.quikquak.com/Prod_Pitchwheel.html
 
btw Sonar doesn't have varispeed just now, in case you were unaware of it, most of us would like to see it at some point but for the simple limited problem you gave there are many options available already that shouldn't impact on your workflow to a greater extent than labouring on a lost cause here.
 
Take your pick, or carry on swinging it.  Your choice.
 
HTH
 

Funkybot, nobody is disputing that 'varispeed' would be cool. (and it is where it is available)
 
Sonar doesn't have it just now, there are many methods of skinning Mikes cat though which are simple enough for even him to perform.
 
Trust me I use a couple of applications where it truly is available but that isn't enough in itself to have made Sonar redundant.   You get that tools that do the job you require if you need them badly enough.
 
Mike just likes to see the menu so he can order something that isn't on it, and then complain about the restaurant rather than eat someplace where his tastes are catered for.

For now, I keep a Reaper license around for when I want to varispeed something but use Sonar for most other things. 

Yeah, me too. But it's SO much more of a pain to work in than Sonar, in my opinion!

One of the coolest things I ever did with Vari-Speed was to WAY speed up the tape and tune it to a kick drum, without pillow, etc, and play it to a song with a felt mallet. Then when we put it back at normal speed- WOW. Huge, in tune, LOW LOW drum sound. Everyone was blown away and realized I was a genius... duh! 

Vari-Speed... I would be very surprised if the majority of the people who have been critical (in this thread) of those who want it bad have ever used it! And if they record many real acoustic instruments on the clock. Nothing wrong with that, of course- just wondering...

The thing that no one seems to have mentioned is that "Vari-Speed" is different from "Vari-Pitch" and "Vari-Tempo"- in an important way. Many computer alterations of audio have to stretch or crunch the music- and that can create weird sonic artifacts that can ruin a beautiful sounding recording. Vari-Speed, at least as it's implemented in Reaper, doesn't sound warbly or weird. To me, V-Vocal- while a cool tool- often sounds really weird. Unacceptable in classical, acoustic, or hi-fi music. 

I'd guess- have no idea- that as Craig Anderton suggested- it's done with a global change to the sampling frequency, like the ADAT used to do. So it just plays the file slower of faster without recomputing it in an unnatural way. I don't know- just a guess? 

But it sounds a lot more natural to me than the pitch change software (and audiosnap) that's currently available in Sonar. Which is critical if you're trying to do classical or acoustic music. 

Well sure it's something that anyone has to adjust to... but for any willing musician, ya don't mind trying weird or challenging things to create AWESOME. It's usually not that hard to just play to a slightly faster or slower tempo. But if it's too hard, you just forget it and try something else. 

Just an aside...

In the E9 tuning on the pedal steel there are only two strings that tune to 440. The rest are cents above/below and then the instrument is played in tune with the rest of the band via ear intonation. Or in many cases, not.

And though I've not tried it with a hammered dulcimer, I've been quite successful utilizing DNA to correct one poorly tuned string on an acoustic guitar/ banjo/mandolin etc.


*On edit - Color customization would make me much happier that varispeed.