If you work out deals with third parties where you essentially rebadge their software...
1. Get source code and permission to update it for OS changes and changes to plugin standards.
2. Source code reverts to you if developer is imprisoned for heinous crimes.
 
There were a few cool plugins Cakewalk subcontracted/rebadged that can't be developed further (Golden Channel, Pristine Space).  Let's try to avoid that fate.
 
Other than that I am all about
a.  Stuff that helps me get things done faster.
b.  Stability never hurts.
 
I wouldn't mind if you upgraded Pentagon either.

Hello, thank you very much Meng for bringing SONAR back.

1)I would like to have a new drum sampler to work with, or rework studio drummer. I simply want to throw samples in it, not doing sfz files.
2)would like to have buses and folder tracks in the same space in mixer. Don't want to move to section "buses".
3)moving items and events like S1 maybe?

Thanks Meng!
 
1) Universal undo - every action should be undoable, including plug in knob tweaks, faders  and automation. There could be a preferences dialog for setting which things the user wants to keep in history. 
2) improved piano roll AND staff view  - I defer to the other great comments here on this one
3) bugfix: stop undo clearing selections, especially in piano roll
4) ARA2 integration and flawless melodyne support
5) More improvements to comping tools

Chord Track has been mentioned a few times. I've started a separate thread t discuss in mre detail. I figured it may get lost in here.
 
It also talks abut integrating the tempo map int it, and being a bit more than just chords.
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3742510

UAD VST scanning is broken. Many UAD plugins hang the SONAR VST scanner, which has to be closed in task manager, and offending plugin moved or renamed. All Chandler plugins, most new amplifier plugins, etc. Cakewalk and UAudio customer service both pointed at the other guy.

Drumcore 4 - multiple outputs broken. Individual tracks, when All Stereo Outputs is chosen on load, are not exposed to the plugin and only a stereo master output can be used.

Quadcurve EQ and Adaptive Limiter - VST3, AAX, etc., available for other hosts. Great plugins.

EUCON support - If you won't make a full-fledged tablet/phone controller for SONAR, make its EUCON support complete. AVID's Pro Tools | Control is free and works great on SONAR in a limited way, but the meters don't display and other features aren't supported.

stonehedge
Hi Meng. Thank you for the offer to contribute ideas. I would like to see track folders within folders like in Logic audio.

Yes - nested folders would be a great addition to the way I work

that way you can split, copy, cut, and paste entire sections of a song and rearrange in any order.

You can already do this with Ripple Editing

Also the ability to select all occurrences of a specific midi note number in a track and globally replace them with any  another  note value in the PRV.

Again you can easily do this already using find & replace
 

I only have a few that consistently cause me grief.
 
1. Audio engine dropouts
2. Crashes when pulling audio into tracks
3. Melodyne instability
4. Saving/closing crashes on large projects
5. Crashes when configuring a send to a side chain, which happens 100pcnt of the time.
6. And in this last month, possibly due to upping my workload, crashes whilst tracking, seemingly if I do too many takes while looping? 5 would be the max. If I don't stop and save, I lose the recordings as SONAR crashes. This one has hurt me. I'm hoping I'm alone on this one and can fix it.
 
cheers
 
Dave.
 

It would be nice if Cakewalk could output to MP4, burn Karaoke disks/videos and also a revamped easier to edit lyrics view. I think more people would make their own karaoke content if Cakewalk could output to mp4 and other karaoke codecs. Karaoke content is a lost art because of so many under developed and proprietary karaoke editors. I know it seems to cheapen Cakewalk the whole idea of it but I really think it would be cool to just export video/slides, w/music and text and burn to CD. (some DJs still have CD karaoke) or a multitude of formats that they can upload to their machines. People could take their original Cakewalks songs and more easily use them live. Cakewalk could have a "karaoke view". (just a thought) Putting text to music with pictures is a really great way to get artists with few live skills out doing live stuff. 4K karaoke would be really great!!! :)

Thanks for doing this.

I've had some bizarre crashes in larger projects that have been open for a while (an hour or more). When this happens, the auto-saves are somehow lost and recovery is often impossible (no backup is made). There have been a few egregious instances where I've lost an hour or so of work, which is bizarre and infuriating. However, other than that, I haven't had any issues and am very happy with Sonar as it is.

To be entirely frank, my biggest "request" is simply that you guys don't try to reinvent the wheel or change the DAW itself too much. We love Sonar, and have stuck around, for a reason...it's incredibly user-friendly while still maintaining the capabilities of a powerful, professional DAW. I'm all for progress, but there's a reason I prefer Sonar. Don't bamboozle us into paying for an entirely different product, especially when many of us had already accepted the end of Sonar and now realize there are some decent alternatives out there (and were already preparing to migrate). The biggest way to keep Sonar users around is to largely keep Sonar the way it is. Just my two cents.

1.  Update and unify the UI.  
     The Skylight interface needs to go on a diet. And PLEASE get rid of those outdated Windows fonts!
 
2.  Simplify the Console View.
     Narrow/scalable channels/buses etc.
 
3.  Scrollable ProChannel module list.
     Please.  It is a bloody nightmare if like me you have all the available PC modules and can't scroll them.  C'mon!
 
4.  Loop Construction overhaul.
     This needs love ASAP.  Please update and add the functionality to reverse slices/clips, add automation curves etc.
     Think Ableton's clip editor...
 
5.  Rewrite & implement a new Control Surface/ACT/MIDI learn system.
     As far as DAW's go, Sonar is the absolute worst in this regard.
     Use Ableton as a model on how to better integrate this functionality.
 
more to follow...