The near future.

Gentlemen, it seems as if we're doing a lot of early worrying here.
As Windows 8 approaches there will likely be an entirely new set of problems.
We'll need new drivers and patches and who knows if and when those will get written.
 
Personally I'd like to upgrade my computer to a multi core i7 but don't want to until 8 and X2 and the V 700 are copasetic.
 
And I've been a Roland Cakewalk stalwart for decades.
WSS
 

Has anybody actually contacted Cakewalk and asked what's up with the VS700? I'm looking at all the gripes and feature requests and the fact that the software is fast out-progressing the hardware, and I just have to ask, what does it take to integrate hardware to new software? and visa versa? People want the buttons to all line up from software interface to hardware interface, they want every new plugin to conform to the hardware configuration. You'd think it was doable and they'd design with that in mind. At some point in the progression of software, hardware will have to change or we'll have to adapt our veiw. At some point, the common controls and elements aren't going to match anymore. Building hardware to match software is much more involved process. If we want advanced software, we have to realize that hardware may lose some the new functions of that advanced software. The same was true in the advancement of hardware, before there was software.

Crg, I think most of us can understand that the hardware is, as it says, "hard", so yes it won't bend and adapt indefinitely.

But the fact is that most features and bugs asked/pointed are based on the current hardware configuration.

If you're refering to the quad curve eq when saying : "People want the buttons to all line up from software interface to hardware interface, they want every new plugin to conform to the hardware configuration."  honestly you have to admit that it was hard not to notice. I, myself, do not look at the console labels when EQing anyway but that's never been the point. This was just an obvious : -lack-of-concern-

Anyway I think that if a prehistoric keyboard and an archaic mouse (both hardware) can achieve such a high level performance in X2, I don't understand why a more evolved tool  like the VS700C could not offer something at least comparable.

I know the vs700C have dedicated buttons that could eventually mismatch, but the basic DAW functions remain the same. I wouldn't type a dissertation with the VS700C but I could clearly see myself dialing-in a low shelf or drag a group of tracks and so for as long as audio will be edited the way we know. I also think that the evolved functions could be added thinking they can be achieved with lesser tools.

To answer your question though, I've already asked to support, in the forum here and everywhere I could think of why there's problems with integration, with no satisfiying answer but I believe in Cake's good intentions, I just still not understand either.

By the way, I've re-read my post before posting and I don't want to sound rude on you or whatever. I know we usually don't agree togheter and you have your point of view which I totally respect. I know you try to stay down to earth and face things like they are which absolutely make perfect sense. I'm also trying to find solutions, in my own way, for something I think we both love. So even if we don't have the same approach, don't think I'm deliberately lacking respect for your perspective, which is not my intention at all.

Till next time 

Guys all sounds good and balanced and I believe Dyo and I are absolutely on the same page with all this...I can SO relate to your epiphany description mate! [:)} ...classic!

I've moved on (finally I know I know) after seeing how far advanced X2 actually is and it is clearly past the original spec of the 700C. I stated in this forum many months ago about the ideal being the ability to configure the surface as the user saw fit as the ideal solution when X1 was released and that opinion is the same now as it was then.

The hardware has limitations and all of that and if it was a simple fix then it would have been done by now, it isn't and I suspect it won't, so time to move on and Sonar is still the best platform IMO after shopping around. That being said, I have discussed selling the 700 kit to an interested party and if successful, I will be changing over to a universal surface option again so as to not get roped in again like this. Plus the ability to expand faders again will be nice <cue Norrie )

Cheers for now.

kday you're a very optimistic person (didn't you use to be on vsplanet?) I do believe that cakewalk staff would have liked to bring the VS system in par as before. But we must remember they have an overseer now called Roland. It may surprise some but this is the way they have moved on every platform they bring to market. They had time through X1 to bring the VS in line, unlike many i find no excuse, it's not like when they build their system and upgrade it that they have to go hunting down a vs system to see if it will work properly. The same way they map functions to a keyboard & mouse they could put to the vc700c. I would even be willing to pay for functionality if they wanted to go this route as this is how important it is to me. I also believe i have the right to rant, belly ache, b!tch n moan or whatever verb or adverb one wants to call it. The amount of $$$ I put into this system allows this and I find it totally unprofessional and inexcusable for a company to take my hard working money and move in this manner. How many times did a cakewalk rep make a post asking us to go to a certain link and vote for the vs system as the best controller, how many times did it win, how many of us did vote as we were proud to have such a system? And now THIS? Lovely. Obama is proof hope doesn't work.

Having said all this, I took the dive and started downloading X2 - there seem to be a lot of good things promised in the videos ...
But I'll probably also try to track down a copy of 8.5.3 (which I unfortunately never owned) as I don't think there is much point in sticking with (now unsupported) X1 much longer.  I spent a long time working in a different industry that used much more expensive software but even there updates never made it to a level where the old versions where (new features always broke some of the old ones, that's the way it is in software engineering) ... hence, we ended up using old and new versions ... what ever was most suitable to a get the particular job done ...

FreeFlyBertl

  
Anyway, talking about the ability to expand faders: I have 2 old Behringer units lying around that I just hooked up for a test. It took about 3 minutes to have them configured to control channel 9-16 and 17-24. Works in parallel to the VS-700C; no incompatibility problems detected while having that set-up active for a couple of hours ...

Ohhhhh yeah!! THAT is nice! The behringer you talk about use the MCU protocol? Sorry I was too hurry to answer and did not made my homeworks...  If so, a mackie extender should work also?


I would really like 16 channels and the VS700C as the main controller + 8 bus for mixing... that would be a great news!


Edit: Looks like I need the MCU Pro to connect the extenders.... I've posted to Mackie to see if it can be used in standalone, or maybe someone here can answer?

@Fly- thanks mate... my depression has left I am glad to say. Didn't realize how annoying this whole thing had gotten until I reread some of my diatribe...apolgies... it still peeves me though. The pain of the last mixing session when it dawned just what had now happened when trying to just create music still haunts me... the 700 was amazing to my workflow until that point... and then the world crumbled and 'sook mode' was engaged. Still shocked really....

Thankfully the X2 video awoke the REAL reason I stayed with Sonar for these years.... music.

I too had one of the Behri units for some time and that fader noise was certainly ugly.

@Crg- haha... you still have a sense of humur then. I cut off the beard I grew from waiting for the 'Messiah Update' last week. There is zero genuine indication that this is about to happen sadly. I would dearly love to see something that is evidence to the contrary but I sincerely do not think the Cake Crew are about to issue anything along those lines. Period.

As for a new surface, I'm curious to investigate the A&H ZED stuff but not sure it is a good mixing surface for Sonar... don't know. Would love to grab a DB8 but that is unlikely to integrate 100%. Really leaves the MCU as the main contender again I 'think' and the only thing that it lacked when I previously had one, was the lack of metering at the surface...still a feature I love about the 700C.

The MCU has dropped to around $1300AU at the present time. The 700C may get parked until a buyer comes along so Crg you still have time to rewrite the code for us.

Cheers all.

ok here is the answer from Mackie:

 Thanks for writing. In theory since the VS700C uses the Mackie Control protocol you should be able to use the Mackie Control XT as an extender. I cannot guaranty this because this something we have not tested directly. Each Mackie Control extender acts as an independent unit but the channel banking function is normally controlled by the main Mackie Control. So my only concern would be that the VS700C would not be able to control channel banking on the extenders.  

So, as freefly showed, looks like it can be done!

Once my interface is back from Chicago next purchase (test...) will be the MC XT extender.

I'll let the remaining users knows once there!

Would be kinda weird having an extender parked next to the 700C? The Mackie might feel intimidated even....

Have thought about this a few times but always thought the ergonomics would be too strange.

Cheers.