I would like to kill my mouse and go with a console that has motorized faders with automation to mix my music. I'm looking for something with  at least 16, preferably 24 motorized faders to mix my music. I'm old school having worked years with a tape machine and a console and a "touchy feely" guy. I just can't get used to mixing in a box. I once had a Roland VS2480 before I went to DAW. When I did, I started with Sonar4?? (many versions ago) and I used the VS2480 via midi to mix. I sold that unit years ago and was waiting for a digital mixer to what I wanted at a reasonable price, under $3000. I once bought an used Tascam DM2400 and it just never worked right and after some conversations with Sonar(before Tascam) I returned it. I now see digital mixers with motorized faders hitting the market like the Soundcraft SI Expression3, Yamaha TF 1/2/3 and Presonus StudioLive Series III.
They all talk of live recording but don't mention about using them with a DAW (Sonar) for mixing from the DAW. Anyone has some knowledge to share with an old fart would be greatly appreciated 

 

What you might be looking for is called a control surface. 
A mixer would be overkill unless it's also your audio interface in/out. 
This might be why your not seeing what your after. 

if you are looking for a cost effective digi mixer that works as DAW controller, you could go with the Behringer X32. Excellent piece for what it costs. DAW control is limited, though, mostly due to Sonar's limited support for MCU protocol.
 
If you are just after a control surface, there are not many options as they did not sell too well and hence the bigger ones (>8 faders) are disappearing from the market again ... e.g. see here: http://forum.cakewalk.com...udio-700-m3495348.aspx

I hope this isn't too much of a hijack, but...
 
I'm seriously considering picking up a Yamaha 01v96i to replace my first generation 01v.  I know it sounds weird, since even the newest version of this board is now seriously long in the tooth...but I've grown very accustomed to the work flow and would like better converters that go to 96k in addition to inserts and 16 simultaneous channels through USB.  96k seems to be the sticking point...since any other more recent boards in this form factor want to now stop at 48k.  (Behringer/Midas threatened to go there, but they have dropped the ball.)
 
Does anyone have experience using the 01v96i as a control surface for SPlat?

Off-topic. I think "Sonar needs" some solution for multichannel Digital Mixers with surface part, but hosts think that "a sampler" is more Sonar related then this question. I personally do not understand that logic...
 
Back to the topic.
Unfortunately, perfectly working combination of Digital Mixer + Sonar does not exist. Most Mixers are not thought to be used as DAW controllers, I think that post explains what I mean: https://forums.presonus.com/viewtopic.php?p=15488&sid=a32a310a309820635f109598ac2eb6a7#p15488
I have checked documentation for mixers you was mentioning and all of them can not be used as Sonar controllers. So motorized faders, knobs, buttons, etc. can be used to change parameters inside the mixer but not inside Sonar (or any other DAW).
 
Some other mixers have:
a) special "DAW control" mode, normally limited (f.e. only 8 channels, even if the mixer has more controls)
b) MIDI protocol, usually supposed to control the mixer from something else like iPad app, not in other direction.
 
Out of the box, Sonar support only Mackie Control protocol. Limiting the number of devices which can be used. No HUI (ProTools), no custom modules for (b).
Third party solutions can be used for (b), f.e. I have plug-in which can work with A&H Q seria. But these mixers do not transfer "fader touch" and send low resolution values, not the best option to control DAW (but in case your primary use for the mixer is live, with recording into Sonar, that is an option).
 
The only combination for ~$3-4k, which has 8+ good fully functional in Sonar touch sensitive faders and good stable audio input for recording, is Mackie Control (+ extenders for more then 8 channels) as a separate control surface and RME UFX as an audio interface (in fact it is more "rack digital mixer" with steering from computer). Note that such combination will not work without computer and has limited number of channels.
More or less success reports for modern Digital Mixer with limited DAW mode working in Sonar, I have seen Behringer X32 only.
And finally already mentioned A&H Q, if you are ready to scarify advanced functionality in DAW for compactness and the number of channels.
 
RME UFX in the first proposal can be replaces with modern MOTU interfaces or any Digital Mixer in "an audio interface" mode. The advantage of an audio interface is the possibility to control everything from computer (gain, routing, etc.) while the advantage of Digital Mixer is user friendly stand alone use. Also RME/MOTU can work with low latency, while Digital Mixers will have moderate till big latency for reliable operations.
 
But... I personally have never seen any digital mixer, RME interface nor Mackie control unit other the on pictures in Internet. But I know HOW any device communicate with Sonar, that is why I have replied
 

Rob[atSound-Rehab]
if you are looking for a cost effective digi mixer that works as DAW controller, you could go with the Behringer X32. Excellent piece for what it costs. DAW control is limited, though, mostly due to Sonar's limited support for MCU protocol.

I think it is other way... X32 does not emulate complete MCU + XTs, just a part of one MCU (so, 8 channels):
https://musicgroup-prod.mindtouch.us/04_BEHRINGER/X32-_Can_The_Console_Be_Used_As_A_Control_Surface_For_A_DAW%3F
MCU "protocol" is rather simple, Sonar implementation is complete according to public documentation. Also Sonar supports XT and C4 modules.

I'm saving up for a Tascam DM-4800.

One option is to go down the touch tablet+DAW control app road.

V-Control on ipad works OK with Sonar using Mackie control, but you only get to control 8 channels at a time (you can have as many Sonar tracks as you like, the app splits them into groups of 8 which you can then move between). Apple have Logic Remote which does a similar thing only dedicated to Logic Pro, I've thought for a while it might be a good idea for Cakewalk to develop a similar application dedicated to controlling Sonar.

There's also the possibility of using a full-blown touch screen monitor to host Sonar's console view.

Touch isn't quite the same as a desk with real, none virtual controls, but it's far closer to hardware console mixing than using a mouse - you can move more then one fader or pot at a time for a start, and the track limit is however many tracks the DAW/computer can cope with not how many faders a control surface has.

To get something towards the same sort of functions a touch-screen monitor (or even tablet app) can provide there's things like SSL's Nucleus2 but it costs a heck of a lot more than a tablet or a touch screen. And even if it works with Sonar would still not provide the level of control Sonar's console view on a touch-screen would have.

Anyone interested in a SSL Nucleus ? Do some research and PM if interested in one.

Leadfoot
I'm saving up for a Tascam DM-4800.

Good point.
I do not know why, but there are not so many discussions about DM and Sonar. In general I have seen several "success stories" about DM-3200. Op has mentioned his failure with DM-2400...
From the specification, DM-3200 should be able to work as MCU+XT (so, 16 channels). DB-4800 is marked as "discontinued" and I have not found (specific for this model) DAW control documentation for it.
 

Rbh
Anyone interested in a SSL Nucleus ? Do some research and PM if interested in one.

http://forum.cakewalk.com/SSL-Nucleus-with-Sonar-X1-from-the-horses-mouth-m2378785.aspx
From what I know, everything written here is still valid. On Nucleus2 page, they do not mention Sonar...
MCU + XT + 2x2 Dante interface. If someone think 2x2 Dante interface from SSL is worse $3k, the price of the device is reasonable...
 

tlw
One option is to go down the touch tablet+DAW control app road.

Tablets do not have hardware faders. If I have understood OP correctly, that was the reason for the question.
But that is a good point to TRY what surface will be able to do with Sonar, these Applets and all hardware surfaces (including X32, DM-3200, SSL Nucleus, etc.) use the same software on Sonar side. And so the functionality is EXACTLY EQUIVALENT.