Sonar Suggestions/Feedback
[Note to Mods: I thought there would be a sticky for suggestions but nothing comes up in the Search. If there is can you please move this to there]
OK. So I've spent the better part of a year going through the A-Z of sequencers and giving my feedback and now it's Sonar's turn.
I think its important to note that these are observations very much from a beginner. Having tried out the majority of programs out there and having gone through more manuals than I can remember I would like to think that I have a working knowledge of DAWs, no more, no less but I am definitely inexperienced (although I do think that its important for developers to be aware of how a newcomer responds to their software).
Anyways, preamble aside I'll start off with the positives and then make my way through some suggestions/queries that I noted whilst going through the documentation (at least online - although I'll get to that later).
These all relate to the demo for Sonar Platinum (Built 51 March 2017).
First things first - I love Sonar! Seriously I cannot tell you how impressed I've been with this program. One of the reasons for going through all these sequencers was to see how each program dealt with a task and whether or not one program did it in a better way. All I can say is that Sonar is the first sequencer I've gone through (I've only got Pro Tools, Logic and Studio One left - phew!) where I've been CONSTANTLY nodding my head in agreement or saying to myself "Yes that's a smart idea".
When I first started this venture I decided to compose a spreadsheet of the programs that I had tried out and their pros and cons. Sonar's pro's have been massive - disproportionately so compared to the other programs. So seriously guys - Well done!
Despite that glowing endorsement there are a few issues that I've found. Take them or leave them.
GENERAL
Option to disable editing of faders/knobs when mouse over
A window to show all Clips that are part of a Project (which is what I thought the Clip Pool was!) maybe as a tab in the Browser that would also allow you to drag Clip to another place in the Project to copy it there
How to temporarily change playback speed without using the Scrub Tool e.g. an option in Groove Clip to change tempo (or create loop and press 'J' to playback at 50% speed)
BROWSER
Why can't you drag and drop a synth from the Browser into the Synth Rack?
MODULES
The option to have floating Modules independent from Control Bar (e.g. Custom Module) or drag them to the Browser.
Why can't you have the Events Inspector Module in the Inspector!?
Have the option to have multiple Control Bars which you can then pin to the top and side for example or as a tab on the bottom, for example.
Individual, floating shortcut widgets.
Export Screensets
Program Default Screenset
ARRANGER
How to draw a new, blank event/clip/part direct into arranger
If I select a midi Clip and trim lets say a bar. Bounce to a new Clip doesn't make it a unique Clip i.e. it still shows all the original midi data in the Piano Roll i.e. for the entire track. How do I show all the midi notes just for a single Clip?
How to turn off display of velocity data in InLine/Notes Edit Filter
How to adjust width of keyboard for Inline Editor/Track Filter - Notes?
PUNCH IN-OUT MODULE
There should be icons next to Punch In/Out times to set to Now Time
LOOP START-END MODULE
There should be icons next to Loop Start/End times to set to Now Time
SELECT MODULE
You should be able to click on 'Selection' icon to clear a time-selection
PERFORMANCE MODULE
Configure which meters are shown e.g. only CPU cores
PREFERENCES
Option to disable editing of controls with mouse hover over.
CONSOLE
How to save/lock console height
Have option for colour assigned to entire strip not just header
Option to create independent separators e.g. so that you could move a 'Master' Bus next to the main audio hardware outs or split the Console into multiple sections e.g. drum tracks in their own section.
It would also be nice to be able to have icons for certain tracks but not others rather than all-encompassing.
Show whether tracks belong in a folder.
TRACK MANAGER
Should be able to assign the same inputs/outputs to multiple tracks here.
PATCH BROWSER
It would be nice if it allowed you to audition the patch.
MULTIDOCK
Why can't you dock the Virtual Controller?
How to change the order of tabs?
INSPECTOR
Why can you only show one section for the Clip Properties section e.g. why can't they run the entire length just like the Track Inspector?
It would be nice if you could choose what parameters are shown in the Clip Properties or have 'Properties', 'Groove Clip', 'AudioSnap' and 'Clip Effects' as separators so that you could individually tailor a view of what is shown.
Maybe have option to have 'Clip', 'Track' and 'ProCh' panels slightly transparent so you could see what's underneath.
TRACK VIEW
Option show Master Track/Bus
How to select all Clips on a particular track
Should be an option to have Midi Microscope for when Track Filter is set to Notes but not to have it when editing in Piano Roll i.e. independent
How to reset Takes Lane e.g. so that the Clip returns to the main track
How to disable the displaying of automation over the main Clip?
Why isn't there the option to Insert synth (alongside Insert Instrument) when you right-click
How to add an Instrument Track from an existing instrument in the Synth Rack? e.g. it would be nice if you could drag a synth from the Synth Rack onto Track List to create a new track.
TOOLS MODULE
Scrub Tool Icon
Zoom Tool Icon
STEP-RECORD
Should have option to advance by Snap Setting e.g. by transient.
AUTOMATION
Double-click/Right-click option to select all nodes in automation lane.
I am not getting an option to 'Add nodes at Transient Markers'
Automatable controls like in Synth Rack but for Sonar as a whole e.g. a virtual control surface where you can assign knobs to parameters
(How to set Global Automation Write Mode?)
AUDIOSNAP
How to clear/reset the Pool
Quantise selected actual Clips to Pool/Transients
Why aren't transients or markers or Pool options when Quantizing?
Why doesn't right-clicking on a Clip with Track Filter set to Audio Transients select the Clip?
PIANO ROLL
Why if you choose a drum map and select to show drum pane does it hide midi note data in piano roll. If you then select not to show drum pane it still doesn't show midi note data!? i.e. why doesn't it revert to midi note data being displayed if there is no drum map or no drum pane being shown?
Why when using the Line Tool to draw in a velocity curve, for example, doesn't it draw/show the actual line?
Where's the Show Audio Tracks option in View menu?
Where is the Show/Hide MIDI Events menu?
Ability to change the zoom level of the keyboard independent of the notes
LOOP CONSTRUCTION TOOL
When would you use Loop Construction?
(Groove/Loop Construction Editor seems pointless - you can't slice)
MIDI
Snap to Scale should have option of muting non-scale notes.
It would also be nice if there were a scale finder e.g. automatically detect from a Clip which key/scale it belongs to.
INSTRUMENTS
How to make a soft synth the default instrument in sonar?
How would you use a soft synth in the FX Rack e.g. scenarios?
SYNTH RACK
It would be nice if you could customise instruments in Synth Rack e.g. have a background image for each instrument (I love that feature in the FX Chain container by the way!).
BOUNCE TO TRACK
Change 'Destination' to 'First Destination Track' to make it clear that new tracks will start from here rather than all contained in there.
STAFF VIEW
Option to hide Print, Edit...bar and Zoom, Lyrics... bar to save space. (I'd really like to be able to display vertically drums, guitars and bass but having these bars for each means that I run out of space)
Right-click on a chord to choose from Inversions.
I'm also unsure as to why you can't drag notes across strings on the fretboard (particularly if they are the same note names).
Shortcut key to switch between move, pen and erase (e.g. 'CTRL' and 'SHIFT').
The ability to constrain notes vertically/horizontally e.g. to a string/fret so that you don't accidentally create or move notes where you don't want them.
The ability to import tab and optiont to convert to midi.
A Chord Filter so that you choose the inversion and it will be applied to all those selected or all those chords with the same notes.
It would be nice if you could select a tab chord and then type in order the frets that you want.
The ability to dock Lyrics View at the side (It would be nice if you could export as a video file and play in video player with each word appearing based on recorded tempo, etc).
BUGS?
Single-clicking in Peak Marker Box wipes value (as opposed to double-clicking)
WASAPI Shared doesn't allow me to select multiple soundcards but WASAPI Exclusive does!
These points have been noted over several months going through the documentation from start to finish so there may well be points that have been addressed later on that I have forgotten to delete. If there are answers already to these suggestions I would be grateful if you could point them out.
I'll finish this off on some negatives and actually some sticking points for me preventing me from buying the software.
Firstly, get rid of the bloody pop-up telling me that I'm running in Demo Mode. I know I'm running in Demo Mode because I'm running a demo! And if I try to save or export it will tell me its disabled in the demo. I cannot understand why developers seem intent on going out of their way to infuriate a potential customer (It's like audio plug-in demos where they introduce a hiss - in a plug-in where you're using your ears to decide if its worth it. Boggles the mind).
Secondly (and a major issue that I have had) is the lack of a proper, up-to-date pdf manual for that version/revision of Sonar (at least I haven't been able to find any pdf manual for the demo). Putting aside the constant cpu usage, having to use the online help has doubled maybe tripled the amount of time it has taken to go through documentation. I want the choice of both an offline pdf manual and online. You want to have it that the online version gets updated first - fine or that the online version is consolidated and the pdf has addendums - fine.
Thirdly, lastly and most importantly is your pricing model. 12 months of updates including BUG FIXES. Are you serious? So if after 12 months a bug, even one which you reported, finally gets fixed you're out of luck. Bug fixes should be free and for the lifetime of that product (or at least for the lifetime of that OS version).
On the subject of updates I also think that you should have a continual long-running option to purchase separately Free Lifetime Updates (with a tiered discount for existing customers).
I cannot believe that there are people out there who are willing to buy Sonar and then a year later pay half of what they paid to get a further 12 months of updates but so be it. You should at least give someone the choice especially as
there's even less incentive for someone like me to purchase an edition now when 6 months ago I could have received free lifetime updates within the same purchase price.
Anyway these are just my thoughts.
:0)