Optimization for Live Looping (Matrix Mode?)
Let me start off by saying, I love Sonar. I get along with the interface so well and enjoy it more than any other music software out there.
I have been trying to use the Matrix View for Live Looping (performances such as you see with Ableton Live, Novation Launchpad, and Maschine) for years now and always give up after a few days of work. Searching online it seems other people have similar difficulties as I encounter. The Matrix View could be so perfect and Sonar would thrive as a live loop performance platform if a few small things could be tuned up. Here are my thoughts (and feel free to tell me any workarounds!)
1. Better handling of Midi.
I often find that the Matrix view will lose its since of tempo when handling midi. Likewise synths act strangely, and external hardware synths don't work correctly at all when triggered from the Matrix. Additionally it would be nice if each cell could send midi data so that it can be programmed to alter lights on a pad controller. I tried to use the Behringer LC-1 with it and found I had to make looping midi tracks sending note and velocity data just to get the lights working, and at that they would turn off when activated since the midi signal would be interrupted.
2. Update Matrix Loops in real time with changes to their associated clip.
It really is kind of painful to have to delete and re-insert a clip every time I edit it when using the Matrix view. Again this is more of a problem with Midi than Audio since Audio effects do work through the Matrix thanks to the way it uses audio tracks for output. But still some things like Melodyne and splitting/moving parts of the clip don't correspond.
3. And this is a big one - Please make an option to assign One Knob per Function in the DAW.
ACT is so useful, and yet this feature is nearly impossible to work out. Here's an example of a situation I'd like to do: I would like to assign 4 knobs on my midi controller to alter 4 different instances of BitFilter's Cutoff on 4 different tracks. I want a cutoff for my drums, a cutoff for my saw lead, one for my piano, and one for my brass. Unfortunately, to get anywhere close to this result is a mess of a process of trying to trick ACT into locking those knobs to the right function. I've tried using FX Chains and Multiple instances of the control surface to some mild success. But what I would really love is an option to do a simple "right click, midi learn" and that knob stays locked to that function forever no matter what I'm doing in the project. A big problem I run into is that if I am using repeated instances of the same plugin (like bitfilter) on different tracks, the locked knob will change its function to the selected track's filter.
4. A "wait till 1st beat" cell trigger option. So far I can lock it to the measure, or sync the clip starts to different beats, but as far as I know there is no way to trigger a cell, and have it hold off on activating the audio until the first global measure beat is reached. Sometimes I accidentally hit the pad a little too early and then my epic organ solo ending happens just before the proper beginning!
Again I think the Matrix View is such an awesome idea, but right now its usefulness is limited to being a way to audition different textures with loops. Thanks for all your hard work Cakewalk! Really enjoying the Manchester update btw.