Here's the sad reality about general-purpose control surfaces: they don't sell. As a result, companies that made them realized updating hardware drivers every time software sneezed was a losing proposition, and software companies didn't see much merit in creating drivers for hardware that didn't sell. (Check out Sweetwater's offering on control surfaces: it's mostly surfaces dedicated to specific programs, Mackie-compatible types, or old units that are still being made...or maybe whose initial production run has yet to sell out
.)
At seminars about mixing, I used to ask how many people used control surfaces and how many mixed with a mouse. Usually one or two hands went up for control surfaces, so I eventually ended up cutting related parts from the seminars because no one cared.
However, all is not lost. ACT was a good idea that has fallen into disrepair. Regardless, I've come up with ways to use ACT as a controller "scratchpad" that works very well, quite efficiently, and at least for my needs is better than the intended concept of replacing something like a mixer. I wrote about
one of these techniques for the Cakewalk blog.
The Mackie protocol, while imperfect, nonetheless enjoys wide compatibility and many controllers will work with SONAR when emulating the Mackie protocol. Also the PreSonus FaderPort is one of the surviving hardware controllers that works with SONAR, and Softube's control surface looks very promising for several reasons.
Azslow3 has come up with an insanely great replacement for ACT (well, at least I see it that way). It's not easy to learn but then again, neither was ACT. I've used his plug-in to get things working that never worked before.
And finally, the future - for better or worse - is likely going to be touch. Hardware controllers are expensive in terms of design, tooling, repair, and support. And as many companies found out, they're a losing proposition. Devices like iPads and touch screen computers are consumer electronics devices, and the music industry has traditionally ridden on the coattails of consumer electronics. If Cakewalk has decided to transition from hardware to touch, then they're probably betting on the right horse.
When it comes to using touch with DAWs, the situation is not mature yet, either on the controller or software side...but it's getting there. It's a question of reaching critical mass; once/if touch screens become the norm, the software will be optimized for it in ways we may not be able to imagine now, but will hopefully do what we want.