Has anyone accomplished this? VIP works fine for the plugins but I would really like to get the transport controls to work. The only directions I can find say to use ACT and the Generic MIDI controller but every time I try and map it to the Advance in and out the advance will not save. The only hardware I can get to save the advance MIDI in and outs to is the Tascam.

So, could you map successfully but it is not persistent? In this case you should check that Advance is not sporadically disconnecting (USB/advance problem).
 
In case you can not select at all (you select, but it reverts to None), check that you do not see the plug-in name in brackets (like "(Generic Control Surface)") and can open its UI. That is known problem in plug-in installation throw Steam for example.

That actually is exactly my case. A Steam install. The name is in brackets and the selections revert to none. so I can never get to open it's UI. Is there a fix for that?

The issue you have is covered in this FAQ http://steamcommunity.com.../0/618453594745144916/

Thanks This did the trick. Now I just have to figure out how to get the transport keys to learn from the Akai. so far only loop and play want to learn.
 
Also should add that with Sonar I had to set the Akai Advance  transport to either CC or MMC/MIDI  using shift\Global  then the transport controls would learn through ACT
 
1. Close SONAR
2. On your system go to 'C:\Users\[Your Windows user name]\AppData\Roaming\Cakewalk\SONAR' (or producer/studio)
3. Delete the file called ctrlsurface.dat
4. Now open up a command window with administrator rights.
Windows 7: Type CMD in the start search. Right click on cmd.exe and select 'Run as Administrator'
Windows 8: Open up Metro, type CMD, rightclick on Command Prompt and select 'Run as Administrator' at the bottom of the screen.
5. In the prompt type "cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Cakewalk\x64\Shared Surfaces" and/or "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Cakewalk\Shared Surfaces" without quotes and press [Enter].
Note: If your STEAM directory is not on C: or in a different path you'll need to change that accordingly.
6. Your prompt should now read that you're in the above directory.
7. Next type "Regsvr32 ACTController.dll" without the quotes and press [Enter].
8. You should receive a message stating that the .dll was registered successfully.
9. Repeat this for any of the other control surface .dll files you need to utilize and are having issues with.

Please read chapter 40 in the Sonar Reference Guide.
 
For Akai configuration. To be recognized, the buttons should send some signal to Sonar. Which signal is sent is configured on Akai side. Note that ACT MIDI plug-in understand less than Generic Control Surface. In general both "prefer" CC messages. With MMC it is more tricky. "Note" events have a "side effect" when used with ACT MIDI, "Note off" is leaking into normal MIDI input.
 
If you want more or simply want to see what your Akai is sending easy way (there are other, but not so easy), install my plug-in (see my signature).

azslow3
If you want more or simply want to see what your Akai is sending easy way (there are other, but not so easy), install my plug-in (see my signature).

Or install it if you just want things to work . I put the Advance 49 transport into CC mode but couldn't get the transport to play nice with SONAR using ACT (either generic control surface, or variations on a template). I tried MMC on the Akai, and that didn't work either.
 
I'm sure there are ways to make it work, but it was too frustrating. So I downloaded Alexey's plug-in, which worked perfectly. 
 
The plug-in can go very deep and it is daunting at first. Do the tutorial! That shows the basic principles. From there, it's not hard to figure out how to translate rotary or switch controls to SONAR functions. The only thing I haven't quite figured out yet is how to delete the bogus controls that appeared when I didn't know what I was doing . However Alexey has done a very good job of documentation and I'm sure I'll figure it out. After doing the tutorial, I had the transport and looping functions controlling SONAR within minutes.
 
I haven't found out how to do the "scratchpad" type of functionality for which I use ACT, and don't know if it's possible or not. But for setting up a control surface for SONAR, Azslow3 has made a fantastic contribution to the SONAR community. I highly recommend his plug-in. 

Anderton
I'm sure there are ways to make it work, but it was too frustrating. So I downloaded Alexey's plug-in, which worked perfectly. 

Thank you for supporting!
 

 The only thing I haven't quite figured out yet is how to delete the bogus controls that appeared when I didn't know what I was doing .

To support different hardware presets (when you can change presets on the device which completely change what controls are sending) so that knobs/faders are working correctly (the plug-in should know that the knob is still the same, even when MIDI message is different) I have introduced "hardware context" concept. So to remove some control, it is required:
1) remove all actions from the "Logical control"
2) detach/delete the "Logical control"
3) delete "Hardware context" used for this logical control
4) delete the "Hardware control"
Exactly is this order.
Flexibility has its price, I think that fact is known for every Sonar user
 

I haven't found out how to do the "scratchpad" type of functionality for which I use ACT, and don't know if it's possible or not.

http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,206.0.html
This preset defines ACT "Speed Dial" + 2 freely assignable ACT encoders, with step by step explanation how to install and adopt for particular hardware. It is possible to duplicate these additional encoders+buttons in case you need more that 3 scratch parameters simultaneously.
 
Martin (MarKo on my forum) has found a way to do "Global Speed Dial", so an encoder controls whatever parameter in Sonar has the focus: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,214.0.html
Unfortunately, it is not possible to "remember" it and use later. But the work is in progress to make that possible...
 

Thanks for the info! I hope to become a power user of your plug-in over time.