For sonar I spent a whole lot more. . Pre act I never had problems automating a parameter , midi learn worked flawless , since then it's been a crap shoot.. Komplete kontroller with ultimate which I allready owned was a great addition , for just using native map , your right it would be stupid to buy that for automation . But the light guide , smart play and now the fact everything outputs to midi is a bonus . I was looking for a new controller and the s49 was a perfect choice for me . Well worth the money ..and I never have a problem with automating any NI plugins .
When other 3rd party plugins join the Native map it will make it that much better .

In fact most used parameters are mapped on the controller and labeled for you to use , just arm automation and turn the knob . And yes in Komplete to , everything is mapped out in pages with an arrow .

ACT has needed a re-write for years but never seems to get addressed by Cakewalk.
 
Even Novation's Automap, which has enough problems of its own, works better with Sonar than ACT does, or at least did the last time I used it.
 
It would help if ACT could be left displayed as a transparent window like Automap, once you start mapping lots of different stuff into ACT it becomes impossible to remember which control on the hardware is mapped to what and if the focus isn't where you think it is touching an ACT mapped control can cause chaos. Again, a see-through window would help because you could check what ACT is currently controlling. OK, you can put ACT on a separate screen to the main display, but not everyone has more than one display available all the time.

tlw
ACT has needed a re-write for years but never seems to get addressed by Cakewalk.

With the Roland disconnect from Cakewalk - do you think that will ever happen?
Who owns "ACT" ?

ampfixer
What?, Where?, How?

So, here and now: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,206.0.html
 

djjhart@aol.com
For sonar I spent a whole lot more.

Are you sure? Please do not count DimPro, AD2, Rapture, Melodyne and ProChannel modules. That are separate products, can be used (except PC) with "2 clicks DAWs" as well. So, for SONAR itself not much money left, count the price of Artist only. And for that money the have to develop/support the program, many plug-ins, effects, sound library and.... control surface support.
 
Look at the price range of your new keyboard. "Fatar" price you can see from "no name" products with the same keys, add Nanokorg for controls and a bit for LCD display. So, most money are going into SOFTWARE, they charge you for supporting all that "2 clicks in other DAWs". But they do not want help you with Sonar and CakeWalk get nothing from that money as well. So, you have spend more money for software support of that one keyboard in other DAWs then for all versions of Sonar last several years. And you ask why CakeWalk does not provide "2 clicks" support for it. Is it fair?

Doktor Avalanche

tlw
ACT has needed a re-write for years but never seems to get addressed by Cakewalk.

With the Roland disconnect from Cakewalk - do you think that will ever happen?
Who owns "ACT" ?

If information about ACT in the Internet is correct, it was introduced before Roland was connected to Cakewalk.
 
But ACT is just several calls in VST API exposed to CW Control Surface API. AKA Automap and Advanced. It looks like NI want another several calls from VST, I have not seen which one (since SDK was not yet published when I was checking the last time). So independent how different companies call it, the real code behind is going to be the same.

Doktor Avalanche

tlw
ACT has needed a re-write for years but never seems to get addressed by Cakewalk.

With the Roland disconnect from Cakewalk - do you think that will ever happen?
Who owns "ACT" ?

An ACT-style rewrite is one thing, but really what we need more than anything is a quick and easy way to map individual controllers to 
 
a) Sonar envelopes
b) Sonar controls
 
Right now there are "sort of" easy ways to do these things, but they don't always work and they're not always convenient. For instance you can set up Remote Control for any Sonar knob or slider, including Cakewalk's own ProChannel modules (but not any of the 3rd party PC modules). Just right click, select remote control, select Controller and then click Learn. But you can't save all of your mappings as a  preset, and I believe it would be relatively easy for Cakewalk to add functionality which would allow you to create presets consisting of multiple remote control mappings. A simple dialog box which would allow you to add or delete remote control mappings to a group and recall them at any time. 
 
Similarly, it should be child's play to map anything on your control surface to an automation envelope. If a plugin exposes its parameters to Sonar for automation envelopes, then you should be able to map a controller to that envelope. For example, if I can create an automation lane for a knob on a ProChannel module and then move that knob by moving the envelope up and down with my mouse, then there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to move that envelope up and down with a rotary on my control surface. All that's needed is a mapping between the envelope and the rotary. I can't imagine that this would be too complicated, and it would make controller mapping a breeze as long as a plugin or synth exposes its parameters to sonar for automation. When I first started using Sonar I was shocked that I couldn't just assign a controller to an automation parameter as easily as this, and it's bothered me ever since. 

Well somebody must own the Act brand... either Roland or Gibson... Must be there in the divorce papers somewhere...

sharke
Right now there are "sort of" easy ways to do these things, but they don't always work and they're not always convenient. For instance you can set up Remote Control for any Sonar knob or slider, including Cakewalk's own ProChannel modules (but not any of the 3rd party PC modules). Just right click, select remote control, select Controller and then click Learn. But you can't save all of your mappings as a  preset, and I believe it would be relatively easy for Cakewalk to add functionality which would allow you to create presets consisting of multiple remote control mappings. A simple dialog box which would allow you to add or delete remote control mappings to a group and recall them at any time. 
 
Similarly, it should be child's play to map anything on your control surface to an automation envelope. If a plugin exposes its parameters to Sonar for automation envelopes, then you should be able to map a controller to that envelope. For example, if I can create an automation lane for a knob on a ProChannel module and then move that knob by moving the envelope up and down with my mouse, then there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to move that envelope up and down with a rotary on my control surface. All that's needed is a mapping between the envelope and the rotary. I can't imagine that this would be too complicated, and it would make controller mapping a breeze as long as a plugin or synth exposes its parameters to sonar for automation. When I first started using Sonar I was shocked that I couldn't just assign a controller to an automation parameter as easily as this, and it's bothered me ever since.

Let me count clicks first (really counting clicks!)
Strip parameter - 4 clicks.
FX/Rack/Send/ProChannel parameter - 4+4= 8 clicks.
+2 clicks to switch between types.
So, at most 10 clicks per parameter. You can save the result as preset as well.
 
Remote control - 4 clicks.
 
You should also touch the control, but that is in both methods.
 
So,  10-4 you need 6 clicks. And you have what you want.

ACT predates Roland's ownership of Cakewalk by quite some time. Possibly a long time. The last time windows that look like the ACT were fashionable was the spectacularly ugly Windows 3.11.

I would imagine, unless the rights are with some third party developer like a few of the plugins, that ACT is still part of the Cakewalk assets.

It's immaterial in a way. When I said "ACT needs a rewrite" maybe that "British understatement" we on this side of the Atlantic are claimed to possess obscured my meaning.

So for the avoidance of doubt, by "rewrite" I meant ACT should be quietly taken outside and put out of its misery as fast as a replacement system can be put together and the replacement of ACT ought to be a priority.

The days of hardware controllers dedicated to specific DAW software are (with the exception of Live, which is a unique case) numbered I suspect. The future would appear to be remote control by touchscreen devices and easy integration of third party MIDI hardware controllers that can interface with anything that accepts MIDI input.

It's ridiculous that third party solutions such as Novation's automap and tablet apps like V-Control are better at controlling Sonar and plugins than Cakewalk's own software, and vastly more user-friendly as well.