You don't want the Pro Tools way; it's not really stereo. It just considers stereo as two mono signals, which is baked deep into the PT code so I don't see that changing any time soon. While it's fine for set-and-forget applications, if you make changes to the panning, or consider a mix as a performance, it's a PITA to deal with two controls that do essentially the same thing to two mono signals.
 
The other consideration for a Sonar-specific implementation is what happens with Track View - two strips? Ugh.
 
What really needs to happen is applying two different parameters, width and position, to a single stereo signal. Consider the following.
 

 
The gray bar is the panpot range. The blue bar represents width, which you would slide within the panpot range. This concept would work for Console or Track view. The pan % would indicate the bar's center in the stereo field (I didn't take the time to change them, sorry).
 
The gestures could done a several different ways, but my preferred implementation would be click in the panpot and drag up/down to set width, then click and drag left/right to set position in the stereo field.
 
The downside is that if you wanted to automate width and not just pan, you'd need another automation parameter. But this opens up multiple creative possibilities.
 
If you didn't want to use a linear panpot but instead use a knob, then a "pie slice" representing width could be superimposed on the panpot knob, and you could move the "slice" left or right in the stereo field by moving the panpot.
 
This protocol has multiple advantages over the dual mono panpots:
 
1. Single control takes up less space.
2. Once you set the right width, you don't have to re-adjust it if you change the position.
3. You can "think" in stereo instead of dual mono.
4. More intuitive visual display. Very easy to visualize the position and width in the soundstage.
5. Much better than Pro Tools. 
 
 
 
 

Perhaps a ProChannel module would be a better place for this feature, rather than adding more controls to the basic track strip. This would allow for larger size controls, which would be less fiddly to adjust.
 

Kev999
Perhaps a ProChannel module would be a better place for this feature, rather than adding more controls to the basic track strip. This would allow for larger size controls, which would be less fiddly to adjust.

You can always put Channel Tools in the ProChannel and do what Pro Tools does. But I think we can do better. The pseudo-screen shot I did is more compact than the existing arrangement, and would translate to Track view as well.

Anderton

Kev999
Perhaps a ProChannel module would be a better place for this feature, rather than adding more controls to the basic track strip. This would allow for larger size controls, which would be less fiddly to adjust.

You can always put Channel Tools in the ProChannel and do what Pro Tools does. But I think we can do better. The pseudo-screen shot I did is more compact than the existing arrangement, and would translate to Track view as well.

Your idea seems good. My comment wasn't a response to your post, which I didn't see it until after I posted.

Grem
What do you mean Steve? Did you get the knobs from.CT on the Console stip?

Nah, I was just thinking it might be a nice idea to reuse what's already there.  But I think I like Craig's idea better for simplicity's sake - pan and width in a single widget, just a little thicker so it's easier to click on.  For more detailed control there's still Channel Tools. 
 

Almost like what Craig is saying, however check out the Massive way (first 10 seconds)
http://youtu.be/6FgKeGUZKiE?t=4m59s
 
You could see how the visual representation of the stereo image could work and it's nice and compact. Combination of both ideas I suggest if possible.
 
Ta

The Massive approach is basically the "pie slice" approach I mentioned if you wanted to use a knob. I chose a linear slider because it would work in track view; if it was adopted for console view, it would take up less space then a knob. 
 
For me, I think I would find it easier to parse the stereo position of multiple channels at a glance with the linear approach instead of the arc or pie slice. But wouldn't know for sure unless I could try the two different ways during an actual session.

> it would take up less space then a knob. 
 
Yup I didn't see that, fair point....
 
Cheers...

 
 

Anderton
You don't want the Pro Tools way; it's not really stereo. It just considers stereo as two mono signals, which is baked deep into the PT code so I don't see that changing any time soon. While it's fine for set-and-forget applications, if you make changes to the panning, or consider a mix as a performance, it's a PITA to deal with two controls that do essentially the same thing to two mono signals.
 
The other consideration for a Sonar-specific implementation is what happens with Track View - two strips? Ugh.
 
What really needs to happen is applying two different parameters, width and position, to a single stereo signal. Consider the following.
 

 
The gray bar is the panpot range. The blue bar represents width, which you would slide within the panpot range. This concept would work for Console or Track view. The pan % would indicate the bar's center in the stereo field (I didn't take the time to change them, sorry).
 
The gestures could done a several different ways, but my preferred implementation would be click in the panpot and drag up/down to set width, then click and drag left/right to set position in the stereo field.
 
The downside is that if you wanted to automate width and not just pan, you'd need another automation parameter. But this opens up multiple creative possibilities.
 
If you didn't want to use a linear panpot but instead use a knob, then a "pie slice" representing width could be superimposed on the panpot knob, and you could move the "slice" left or right in the stereo field by moving the panpot.
 
This protocol has multiple advantages over the dual mono panpots:
 
1. Single control takes up less space.
2. Once you set the right width, you don't have to re-adjust it if you change the position.
3. You can "think" in stereo instead of dual mono.
4. More intuitive visual display. Very easy to visualize the position and width in the soundstage.
5. Much better than Pro Tools. 
 
 
 
 

Oooohh! I like this!
 
Regards,
Dan
 

I use channel tools for this feature as well. But recently I noticed that channel tools has very little headroom above 0db... IE it can distort.
 
In Sonar's 64-bit mix engine you really can't distort a channel... so I can push a plugin that has output transformer emulation to taste (like all the newer Universal Audio plugins) and then turn down the channel in Sonar. If I have the Channel tools as the last FX in the chain, then it could distort in that situation (and definitely has for me). If I have it earlier in the FX chain, then it changes the sound of any stereo dependent processors (like a compressor or reverb for example). I'm now using DMG's dualism in those instances as a temporary fix because it has way more headroom, but it seems like the things Channel tools can do should just be implemented into the Daw itself...
 
If the baker's won't allow different panning modes within Sonar, then at least update Channel tools to have more headroom, similar to the mix engine itself.