Roland Fantom X8 and Sonar X3

I cant see what not, use ACT.
I don't have the X8 but ive used other control surfaces as remote controller.

You can use it theoretically but it does not work. In fact Fantom is a pain. It randomly starts playing sequences from the sequencer when you press Play in Sonar, it is too complicated to be a midi comptroller. It does not transmit MIDI data to any outputs in Single mode- you have to set it up to even play notes in to your sequencer and save it on USB drive. It does not work with any USB drives- you need certain USB drives from the list found on Roland Clan forum. My USN port broke off. Fantom USB driver is not compatible and will not be compatible with Windows 8 computers. My main controller is Yamaha Motif. If you have money for Fantom 8, please, do yourself a favor, get Yamaha Motif FX 8. This board is amazing. It is also a great controller. I have no issues with Motif XS 8. Keyboard is great- keys- awesome. Midi works. No timing issues. And- no it does not control play/stop in sonar, but my qwerty keyboard does.

Well, pretty clear you don't like the Fantom G..lol, however there is a lot of misinformation in your post that needs correcting.
 
1. When you press play in Sonar, if you have setup the fantom correctly then there are simply no issues. There is the possibility to control the Fantom SPP from Sonar but its clear you have not set that up. You can also control Sonar and the marker from the Fantom, but using Sonar as a slave on a regular basis is not practical.
 
2. While like every traditional synth, every single knob, control and internal parameter is accessible over midi, it is not a CC based midi controller and was not designed or advertised as such...its a synth. The fact that it isn't a CC based midi controller shouldn't be a surprise.
 
3. It absolutely DOES does transmit midi to outputs in single mode. In fact the Fantom has push button access on the pads to transmit to any, some or all of the 16 midi channels. In Live mode, with the ability to setup keyboard zones for all external channels, as a keyboard controller the Fantom is outstanding.
 
4. It may not work with every single USB drive on the planet, but this is not uncommon for any device. I have purchased several sandisk and HP (without reference to the Rolandclan) and had zero issues in 5 years.
 
5. Breaking off a USB port is more a reflection of your care of equipment. The Fantom is built like a tank.
 
6. The non-existent driver for windows 8 is here http://www.roland.com/support/article/?q=downloads&p=FANTOM-G8
 
I am delighted that you enjoy Motif, and agree that ongoing support is likely to be better for the Motif, but its also much much harder to use with a very complicated UI, much menu diving and a tiny screen. If you value immediacy, particularly in the control of external gear, the Fantom is superior imo.
 
Whether any synth is a viable midi controller for complete control over VST is still a question for me. Even dedicated midi controllers like Novation still leave lots to be desired and have a high frustration level.
 

vladasyn
You can use it theoretically but it does not work. In fact Fantom is a pain. It randomly starts playing sequences from the sequencer when you press Play in Sonar, it is too complicated to be a midi comptroller. It does not transmit MIDI data to any outputs in Single mode- you have to set it up to even play notes in to your sequencer and save it on USB drive. It does not work with any USB drives- you need certain USB drives from the list found on Roland Clan forum. My USN port broke off. Fantom USB driver is not compatible and will not be compatible with Windows 8 computers. My main controller is Yamaha Motif. If you have money for Fantom 8, please, do yourself a favor, get Yamaha Motif FX 8. This board is amazing. It is also a great controller. I have no issues with Motif XS 8. Keyboard is great- keys- awesome. Midi works. No timing issues. And- no it does not control play/stop in sonar, but my qwerty keyboard does.

Well, to be clear, i personally want to get a fantom g8 more than any other, but for me a the moment is too expensive, maybe i will wait a save for it, i will see, also the amount of control i want is minimun, besides the keys and the pitch and mod shifter, only the transport buttons, not really the whole synth, not that i would complain.
 
I will buy a vs-700 console mixer for my control room DAW controller, so a extra control elsewhere it would be only to press the record button remotely and not going back to my control room, at the moment it wont be like that, cuz i need to build the control room first lol. but im not a guy who can spend thousands every year only in gear, so, im planning for the future
 
going back to the synth.

 
i found that on youtube quite i while, that why i wonder if it possible to doit that way with sonar.
Thanks
Joel

Controlling Sonars transport is easy with a wireless keyboard. I put mine on a music stand 12' away. I also now use a USB foot controller so I can keep my hands on my guitar. 
 
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews/911117-pcsensor-footswicth.html
 
This is all you need for playing 
 
http://www.gearslutz.com/...17212-roland-49-a.html
 

 I am thinking of a simple midi foot controller as the left foot isn't doing anything :).. then whether its keyboard or guitar its the same...
 
Check out the X keys foot controller, it's NOT midi which makes it work without issue. 
It's really just a foot controlled mouse/Keyboard you can program to send any keystroke or even mouse action to. 
I tried the cheaper one for a month and one swicth is already broken, but my X key is 10 years old and I have put 1000's of foot stomps on it. It dependable like any well made stomp box. 
 
http://xkeys.com/XkeysFootPedals/index.php
 
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews/923689-p-i-engineering-x-keys.html