Its always ghastly to see amazing youtube tutorials on integration of Hardware you own and not see your DAW supported (why is Sonar never supported)
 
I am getting this time and time again with NI HW controllers, my DAW (SPLAT) and then at the end point my Hardware synths.
 
Have Sonar any plans to work with NI on this? I recently sold my Maschine Studio as Reaktor blocks wouldnt work in Sonar (had terrible support from NI on this unfortunately but thats another story) but would as a standalone....Something I may regret...(although I bought some nice analogue gear for my troubles) but my Kontrol S61 I am not willing to part ways with. 
 
The problem is this, Sonar and NI gear and Mackie protocols and all this "comms" stuff really doesnt play well. I do not have time to install and play with the very fine chap who scripts all this stuff (AZ?). Are Sonar now geared towards a more traditional landscape of guitar based one stop solution home recording rather than embracing the advanced controller integration setup (as I said earlier, integration between controller, VST's, DAW and hardware)?
 
What is the road map for Cake on this?

issues.
 
1. Transport control doesnt work with Kontrol and SPLAT out the box... why? (Can with Ableton and Logic)
2. Kontrol browser no matter what config is does not work as a plug in within Sonar. (Can with Ableton and Logic)
3. I cannot use Reaktor with DC coupled capability within Sonar but can as standalone (Can with Ableton and Logic and standalone Reaktor)
4. Key split functionality wont work from Kontrol to NI Utimate via Sonar. (Can with Ableton and Logic)
5. Maschine Studio cannot control Reaktor 6 as a VST within Sonar (Can with Ableton and Logic)
 
Cake, whats going on?

Basically, my opinion (and it is just that) is I have a workflow and product and lets face it, an OS of Audio just as important as an OS itself that was been bought by Roland (good for me but didnt wok out) and then sold to Tascam and Gibson (really not good for me as a synth guy - Guitars as well but.....)
 
There are too many advanced features that are being provided by other companies and products that are making me question to leave. I DONT WANT TO I HAVE USED CAKEWALK FOR 18 YEARS!
 

I guess you have to think along the lines of how many manufacturers are there out there, what markets are they aiming at and what does their user base most likely use as a DAW.
For example f I was making DJ related hardware I would look to integrating with the most likely software DJ's use.
Considering how often different or upgraded models come out it is hard to keep track of changes hence why the Mackie protocol had stood the test of time I guess and why DAW companies cannot guarantee to be compatible out of the box with every brand of controller.
I for example have a Novation Launchkey 61 sitting right in front of me and another couple of keyboard controllers. The launchkey ties in out of the box with my Ableton software but also works great with SONAR using AZ controller.
Having said that, do I actually use the controls on the launchkey which are available to me? Short answer is rarely.
I don't use the faders for mixing although I could, I don't use the rotaries for controlling parameters although I could. I actually do use the transport controls when recording or playing back what I just played and I have set up some pads to do perform tasks like undo record and start again. I do very rarely use the pads for finger drumming.
 
I must admit if I was playing and controlling live I could make more use of the parameter controls but there again would most likely have already pre mixed everything and tweaked some non active knobs to look like I was actually doing something rather than performing to a backing track

Hatstand
I guess you have to think along the lines of how many manufacturers are there out there, what markets are they aiming at and what does their user base most likely use as a DAW.
For example f I was making DJ related hardware I would look to integrating with the most likely software DJ's use.
Considering how often different or upgraded models come out it is hard to keep track of changes hence why the Mackie protocol had stood the test of time I guess and why DAW companies cannot guarantee to be compatible out of the box with every brand of controller.
I for example have a Novation Launchkey 61 sitting right in front of me and another couple of keyboard controllers. The launchkey ties in out of the box with my Ableton software but also works great with SONAR using AZ controller.
Having said that, do I actually use the controls on the launchkey which are available to me? Short answer is rarely.
I don't use the faders for mixing although I could, I don't use the rotaries for controlling parameters although I could. I actually do use the transport controls when recording or playing back what I just played and I have set up some pads to do perform tasks like undo record and start again. I do very rarely use the pads for finger drumming.
 
I must admit if I was playing and controlling live I could make more use of the parameter controls but there again would most likely have already pre mixed everything and tweaked some non active knobs to look like I was actually doing something rather than performing to a backing track

For me its simple. I am a brander and I sit within that boundary. I have always used NI products, they are innovative. I have always used Cakewalk, not only a time tested and now I am old and stubborn a preferred workflow (and the steady changes have not been a shock to the system) and hardware, whether it be guitars, or multi recording a band or in my home studio setup CV/Gate systems.....
 
But, still Sonar just doesnt seem to support or work nicely with anything that isnt self contained by itself or partnered. It seems an isolated product (for which I depend on)

A simple solution. Sonar hire AZ to integrate this stuff into SPLAT.

The AZ stuff works very well with the NI Kontrol stuff, I can personally attest to that. With AZ you can customize the transport buttons to do whatever you want. As for Komplete Kontrol as a plugin, it seems to work fine here, except that the controller doesn't know when you switch tracks, so you have to tell it using the "Instance" button. If that were addressed by Cakewalk, it would be awesome. On the other hand, I rarely use more than 1 to 3 of the mapped parameters, and it is just as easy to not use Komplete Kontrol and use midi learn instead to map the parameters I need.
 
Regards,
Dan