Since I started all this, let me also state this. 
 
What we have today is incredible, Sonar is incredible as are all the other packages that do this. I can do what I need to do with it and much more.
 
It can be said that a 24 track tape deck is easier to use, but not really. If you want to use sonar like it was a 24 track deck, no problem and it's really easy. No aligning anything, no FX, no grid, no soft synths, no midi, no issue. Just record to tracks and play them back. I've done recordings like this, actually a lot of them, and it's painless, stable, extremely high quality, and you don't have to clean the tape heads.
 
But the lure of more drives us, time marches on and technology continues to improve. I'm confident it will improve and Cakewalk will continue to get my support and $'s for doing it. And this forum, along with threads like this, will continue to help direct the efforts.
 
gabo

Trying to explain Sonar Platinum to new users!  

I've never been able to automate track mute, so I have to draw a volume envelope.  That's a pretty basic function.

konradh
I've never been able to automate track mute, so I have to draw a volume envelope.  That's a pretty basic function.

Yes, exactly. All functions should be automatable reliably, consistently and easily. Especially simple/basic things like Mute, Solo, Module on/of, etc...
 
It might require some kind of hook in to Aero (or whatever MS is using now) so these actions can ALL be in some kind of shell that obeys commands.
 
Total revamp of automation would be wicked awesome.
 
Essentially if I can click it/adjust it to cause an audible action it should be automatable (reliably/consistently).
 
The handling/writing/editing of envelopes after that would be another thing that could be made way easier.
 
Cheers.

Beepster
 
Total revamp of automation would be wicked awesome.

I agree!

gbowling

slumbermachine

1. A wish - a special freeze audio button that just creates a new audio track and copies the audio to it, leaving the original un-frozen. Just could speed up a workflow for me, and yes I know I could just record the audio to a new track, but I want a way to quickly just lock in a sound mid workflow.

 Your wish is granted, it's called "bounce to tracks"  Just select the track you want to "special freeze to a new track" and pull down the track menu and select bounce to tracks. It creates a new track with all the FX, automation, whatever you select in the dialog. The original track is left un-frozen or as is.
 
gabo

Lol   see recent post, fast bounce, slow bounce for some cautions.  http://forum.cakewalk.com...t-bounce-m3328112.aspx

williamcopper
Lol   see recent post for some meaningless trolly drivel.  http://forum.cakewalk.com...t-bounce-m3328112.aspx

Fixxord

Things that are hard for me are more "administrative" tasks that suck me in and let me lose momentum. So, config stuff and saving stuff and other things that should happen more seamlessly.
 
ACT: well controller setup business in general but since Cake's built in method is the obvious choice I'll single it out. Lets face it, it was a great idea that didn't quite cut it when it first came out and it hasn't improved at all. It's just too clumsy, and takes too much side-task brain space that it takes your mind out of the zone in a big way.
 
Preset mgmt. I wish there was an easy way to scroll through presets using some kind of universal key combo, perhaps through the synth rack. Some synths you can just use the arrow keys, some arrow keys + enter key, others require a mouse. I'd like a one hand solution involving keys and not a mouse so I can play with one hand and change presets with the other.
 
Advanced Audiosnap: making tempo maps out of pre-existing material can still be a total pain and requires jumping through a few windows to get there, a few too many. I'd like to keep my eyes on the waveform where I can spot measure boundaries and toggle through the transients.
 
More options for project functions. New tracks destination options (top, bottom, at selection), options for separate destinations for MIDI and audio components of synth tracks. Options to have synth tracks insert with volume levels other than 0dB would be great (because lets face it, all these new synth presets are pretty darned loud, too loud for a mix). 
 
A "record start on note-on" option would save me a lot of time sliding clips over after I've recorded them because I would put the Now Time at 0:00 and just start playing. (I know, you can use a count-in as well).
 

I'm a bit late to this, but the three things that are the toughest for me:
 
1. Multi-track drum editing. It's been said before, but AudioSnap needs some work.
2. Fades when trimming clips. It'd be way easier if Sonar had an option to auto-fade when slip-editing/splitting. Just set the option once and only manually adjust when required.
3. Selecting outputs for tracks/sends/whatever. Why? Because output types aren't nested into folders and so I do this when, e.g., adding a send:
 
 

 
Just my .02.
Dean
 

Yeah, this menus are really crazy, I can't understand why it is not improved yet. There must be the options in preferences how to display these menus: plain, nested, or somehow else.