Hello Azlow3,
 
Here is what I see. Yes the Cakewalk ACT/Generic Surface has me 85% percent of the way there but at times it is "glitchy". (Loss of function ... ie  shift arrow does not got to next set of banks) So here is what I would like:
 
General DAW Control:(Console Control)
- 16 Chanel faders of course mapped to the channels extended to 32 by the shift button
- 4 midi faders mapped to busses and extended to eight by the Shift button
- 12 rotaries for panning extended to 24 by the shift button
- 8 on/off buttons for mute or solo extended to 16 by the Shift Button
- Left arrow = one track left, right arrow = one track right. (shift here would mean next 8 left or right)
- Transport = MMC Transport
**Can the "inc" button be used as and extender for any of the above parameters even further than the shift button
ie ... if shift plus encoder = next specific set can inc button plus encoder equals the next?
 
Plugin Control:
- 4 midi sliders assignable to plug ins (to differentiate from Console Control maybe this is where "inc" button can be utilized)
- 12 midi rotaries assignable to plug ins (same as above)
 
Viability Statement (insert here).. Thanks
 
 
 
 
 

Can you help me not "shoot in the sky" with initial MIDI assignments? Attach ZED to AZ Plug-in (you can keep it attached to whatever plug-in you use at the same time, but do not forget to remove my plug-in after the test). Open plug-ins window and look at "Last MIDI Event" (topmost part). Press some button (better each type of buttons, so transport, shift, etc) and keeping it pressed remember what was there. Release the button and see if the information is changed (and how). What I want to test by that: (1) which MIDI channel is used (2) either all buttons send separate MIDI event when released and which one (Note On or Note Off, with which value).
 
And some questions about your proposal:
1) do you want Shift/Inc works like a Shift on computer or as CapsLock (in case it send release event, otherwise it can be CapsLock only). It is also possible to have both: in case some other control is touched when Shift is pressed, it will work as Shift, if it was pressed and released alone it can work as CapsLock
2) How to distribute encoders and buttons? There are 16+4 faders (strips) but only 12 encoders and 8 "Mute"s.
3) What you mean by shifting tracks? Moving "current" track or shift the controller block? I assume by "Shift"+Arrow you want do the same with buses.
 
I think that is sufficient for the first preset version.
 
Anything can be used for additional "mods" and the number of such mods is not limited. Even slider can be used as "X position switch", where X is from 2 up to 127 (but I do not thing more than 3-4 is practical). So, for example, in lowest part we have "Console Bank 1", before the middle "Console Bank 2" and in the upper part we have 2 banks of plug-in controls. Or "Inc"+"Mute Y" switch to "Bank Y" (but that combination looks good for Solo).
 

Hi Azslow3,
 
I have been watching Brett and you as Brett has an R16.  I will get everything setup soon to now assist. . Unless Brett is looking in and we can all work on it as a unit. Until then tell me if this will help I have midi-ox on my machine will output from that assist in this... Otherwise I will get the plugin installed and follow up then.
 
1. Caps lock - Like the shift key to say first 16 sliders = 1st 16 tracks ... Shfit plus sliders = next 16 tracks etc.. etc.
2.  Yes  the layout is odd.. Not sure how to address that lack of symmetry.
3. Using the arrow key by itself to move to next track. Using the hold down shift plus arrow key to move to the next bank of 8.
Let me know.
 
 

Hello Azslow3,
All setup.. Let me know if I can be of any assistance. Thanks.
Here is the information from the plug in for the Zed R16:
 
A-Z Plugin:
Last Midi Event:
All Faders                       Ch 16\CC 1-20\Value 0-127
All Rotary Encoders         Ch 16\CC 101-112(top left to right)\Value 0-127          
Buttons                          Ch 16\N 1-8\Value 0 (off)-1 (127)(pushed) Top Left to right
Left Arrow btn                Ch 16\N 9\Value 0-1
Right Arrow btn              Ch 16\N 10\Value 0-1
 
TRANSPORT:
Move Left btn                URT 7f 6 5
Stop                             URT 7f 6 1
Play                              URT 7f 6 2
Move Right btn              URT 7f 6 4
Record                          URT 7f 6 6 
 
INC btn                        Ch 16\N 16\Value 0-1 
Shift btn                       Ch 16\N 17\Value 0-1
 

The settings proposed sound great to me.  Once we have a working preset, we can always customize it for our personal work flow later.  Press on!  I will help any way I can.
 
Thanks for your time and talents.

And here we are: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,155.0.html
Happy testing
 
On note: I assigned MIDI as reported by LunaTech, so in case Transport is working but Faders are not, please switch your ZED to use MIDI channel 16. I can make it configuration parameter if that is a problem.

Hi Azslow3/BretB,
 
Wow.. Thanks so much.. I will get on this as soon as I can...This is great.

Ok,
 
So far so good.. All of the Key mappings are working as expected. Getting used to the shift key to move between 8 busses but it is working (and is a new capability ).   I will keep at it.  Thanks Azslow3.. More to come.

I hope Cakewalk is paying attention and getting their cheque book ready for this when it matures, they will be looking for new stuff for their monthly cycles... 

LunaTech
So far so good.. All of the Key mappings are working as expected. Getting used to the shift key to move between 8 busses but it is working (and is a new capability ).   I will keep at it.  Thanks Azslow3.. More to come.

I have several ideas about your setup:

• at the moment, "Shift" alone is equal to "Shift+Arrows" for tracks and bank changes shift all controls. What you think about separating these shifts? "Shift+Arrows" for shift tracks, "Ins+Arrows" to move buses/ACT. So, there will be 16 WAI tracks and 4 WAI buses. And you will see what you control in SONAR (at the moment, you see 32 WAI tracks / 8 WAI buses but you do not know which half you are controlling). And that "free" Shift alone (switch Banks at the moment) for something else. In case you move between strips more than moving current track, "Arrows"/"Shift+Arrows" can be reversed.
• "Shift/Ins+Transport" can be used for example to move between markers and/or loop/punch points
• are you satisfied with low resolution faders? AZ Controller has more then just Catch Linear there. For volume faders other options are:
  • Catch Convex. That will increase resolution in the middle area by decreasing it around ends.
  • Instant Linear/Convex. If you switch a lot and so the same faders control different parameters, it can be annoying catching the value each time. In Instant mode, other parameter will be moved immediately. It trades resolution for convenience, but if you start to tune (move up/down), it becomes "normally" responding quite fast.
  • Step Fine. Makes 10 bit resolution endless encoder from any normal fader/encoder. Good to adjust parameter "just a little bit", but it is too "slow" for radical changes. Note, that the same effect can be produced with dedicated buttons (think of Arrows): adjust whatever parameter was controlled last with 10 bit resolution.
• and it is possible to combine responses, for example "Instate Convex" in normal mode and "Step Fine" with Shift.

Doktor Avalanche
I hope Cakewalk is paying attention and getting their cheque book ready for this when it matures, they will be looking for new stuff for their monthly cycles...

The reality is such that no one cares about control surfaces in SONAR. There are severe bugs for years in ACT mapping, preset names, etc. I do not think CW is going to fix them. As you can see from this thread, the number of interested people can be counted on fingers. And so there is no market, no profit. Check other thread about SSL, they sell something worse 3k at most for 5k but they do not want spend a day to make it good work with SONAR. Nektar has invested in SONAR support for low end controllers, but it looks like they decided to forget about it in the top sector. Novation is still on board, but assuming crappy hardware, "advanced software" is the way to keep significant part of the market for them. Roland has discontinued everything they had in that area. It is time for Behringer, but you know what they are targeting. We will visit Mars before they write some SONAR specific software.