Hi, a newbie here. I own a music store in the UK and we're opening a music academy and recording studio in the New Year. Its going to be purpose built and have 10 teaching rooms, a live room and a control room. All designed form the ground up, nicely sound proofed etc. 3500 sq feet in total. Exciting project. I am no technician and that seat needs to be filled as yet, so need help/guidance.

I am realistic and don't think we are going to discover/record the next U2. We are aiming at the kids from our current music school helping them go to the next level and making demos. Also kids pop parties and backing tracks etc.

I am a Mac nut and had decided to use Logic, however, a spanner has been thrown in the works...

We do good business with Roland and they have offered me a truly amazing deal if we put a VS-700 in our studio. I mean amazing deal. I am no technician, but I understand this is not a good idea to use with Logic. So my choices are:

VS-700 - with Logic and sod the bugs...
VS-700 - with Sonar
Another desk with my chose Logic

Help......

Tim

If you read posts in this forum from the past 2 years (since Sonar X1 was released), you'll find a great deal of unhappiness because a major part of the control surface functionality (channel strip control) was broken and never fixed. If you intend to be teaching and don't want to teach mixing-by-mouse, this may be a big issue.

However, cake has just annouced X2a to be released by the end of this month. Some fixes are promised, but we yet don't have any clue which problems they will address.

So really, I'd wait & see ... first if we live through Dec 21, 2012 and then if we can live with X2a ...

Yes can only recommend awaiting the new patch.... we have much hope in our hearts!

Best wishes for the new venture BTW.... brings back some memories and it is an exciting time.

Cheers.

Even allowing for your amazing deal from Roland and the clientele you will likely be working with  do not under any circumstances  get the  VS 700 system unless you are using and will stick with Sonar 8.5.3.

Whilst  it is not  " officially "  discontinued  it has clearly been " orphaned ".

The C/W bakers are doing their best to keep it functioning with X1 and X2 but it is a losing battle.

Using it with Logic is an even more pointless move.

Get  an RME UFX  plus an MCU Pro and Extender  and use the Software of your choice in MCU mode.

It will cost more now but save you a bucket in the medium / long term.

Timboe

@timboe Didn't the X2a update fix all the problems ? What's not working still with X2a that it doesn't equal the 8.5.3 OS ? Now, there were a few small issues listed in X2a, but what have you discovered that's big enough not to recommend it to a client now in X2a? Other than a few small omitted issues, the VS700 seems to have become pretty stable and solid, have you even upgraded to X2a?

Finally got to play with the update X2a today and after the first 10mins, it does look promising.

Couple of small quirks but right now, and it is still early (a qualifying 'get out of jail?'), the main gripes for me appear fixed. Right now, I'm feeling good about this.... another few hours will hopefully confirm.

I possibly agree that Roland 'may' have orphaned the 700 set but as long as Cake support it, all is fine IMO. Maintaining a level of integration is the key obviously and right now, that appears to be happening since the update...but time will tell.

Timboe is right about 8.5.3... the 700 was excellent with that release. The features of X2 though are night and day however and warrant the investigation at least and he makes some good long term points with regard to the MCU. It will no doubt be around a long time.

Cheers.

I've been working with the V700C and X1d-Expanded. While I haven't done a real "system check", which by my estimation would require hours and hours of work and structured "workflow" scenarios. The different scenarios in X2 are going to be structure and command related as much as the structure and command in X1 expanded. Every different GUI is going to need a new command structure. That means, you will have to discover and interpret each new GUI and make the proper commands to it from the user interface. Be it the V700C or the keyboard. We all rely on programmed response, buttons or keyboard combinations that perform a function. But the task of composition and mixing and editing are a variable routine of variables. Many times I have to stop and figure out, what didn't work right, me, or the machine.

Craig you're definitely right about programmed responses... this is what sets up our work flows particularly when a surface is involved and 'recent' GUI developments.

Have to say it's looking a bit more 'flowing' with the X2a release so far.
Cheers.

Thanks everyone for chipping in. Apologies if these are naive questions but is the 8.5.3 version older than X1 & X2? i.e. it had full integration but as Sonar evolves the functionality is deteriorating? And if so does anyone know if it will ship with 8.5.3. Otherwise, as some say it may be pointless. I am not precious about having the latest version, just something low cost that works. I would also like to sell Cakewalk products off the back of the installation to my customers/users. I woucl just get a Yamaha desk and rig, but I am quite loyal to Roland....

Cheers
Tim

8.5.3 is an older version X1 was 2011, X2 is 2012 Don't be loyal to any company that is not loyal to you. Even when the dollars are coming in Roland will still yank a product. Anyhow reading results so far I C some ppl are happier with the X2a release, so hopefully u can go str8 to that and be current.