lawp
this is why i used the term "abandoned" with respect to support - how would you otherwise describe it?

"Made open source" - more accurate I think. No?

this whole thread just makes me sad as I question my choice of m-audio, sonar and the whole decision to start trying to record my music.  it's been nothing but a hassle, what should be easy is hard, what should work, doesn't.  both communities lead me to think I might as well never even bothered posting. 
 
meh...
 

 
 

Michelle911
this whole thread just makes me sad...

Aw! I'm sorry! I'm psyched you're here. I love your icon/image. I think it's cool when new people break into digital recording/Sonar in general.
 
Don't abandon hope! I'm sorry you're bummed, and I'm sorry the forum members aren't helping you right away in the way you need most. Give us time... I've learned an awful lot here.
 
When I picked up Sonar, like you I had a life and a long history with music already. I didn't want Sonar to get in the way of the creative process either.
 
It worked for me to learn little by little. I'd make a goal and try to do one thing. Then I'd put it aside and play. It still happens to me that I plug in and 3 hours evaporate as I just make crazy sounds. haha.
 
Anyway, welcome to the party!! I've got to say, I'm happy you've come through the door.
 
BTW, I have a video in my signature about using a midi controller with Act in Sonar.
 
** Maybe start by describing exactly what you want to control from your keyboard
** and let us give you specific instructions on how to do that. 
** When I started successfully creating music using the computer, all the trouble and expense seemed worth it.
** I get fantastic value now.
** I practice more efficiently.
** I record more of everything.
** I think my mixes are getting better (little by little)
** My phone rings more.
 
There are a bunch of free videos on how to use Sonar that you can hunt out on the web (many posted by Cakewalk).
There is also a lot of content from Groove3 and Craig Anderton and others (books, videos etc).
 
The forum is always open, but it can take a little while to learn who the people are and what they are like. For example, if you mixing a folk tune, don't get too down if the heavy metal crowd don't take to it and vice versa.

Yeah, please don't get discouraged, Michelle.  After all, you have just stepped into a new arena of music production, and digital at that.  We all know and understand how daunting that is.  I checked out this thread because I never heard of hypercontrol.  Nonetheless, like Craig's initial experience with ACT, once you understand how it functions, what it needs to "know," it does eventually come together...maybe not perfectly, but that's not unusual.  For instance, when I was trying to figure out ACT I selected the wrong MIDI output thinking it was an obvious choice, but that just made ACT act unreliably.  After using the correct port I was amazed at how much better it worked consistently.  Given some time, you will only come to appreciate all the possibilities.  Like recording your own music/performance at your whim.  Don't let the prospect of losing expected functionality side track you from making things happen.
 
So, it might take some time, and please do take your time, to absorb all the info out there regarding the digital recording realm.  Once you do, you will be giving others help in no time.  Nonetheless, there are many options available to us.  As it is, if the shoe don't fit, you must... I mean you can always make room in your closet for another pair.
 
Now you may be discouraged from some of the responses here.  Just give it a chance.  The people here are excellent resources and are only intent on helping and setting you on a successful path.  Spend some time around here and you will realize just how cool the CW forums are.
 
We hope to hear more from you.  Good luck!
 
Kind regards,
 
Living Room Rocker

Michelle911
I'm new to digital recording but not to music.

 
Welcome.
 
There is a pretty huge setup and learning process you have to go through before things settle down and you can get on with making music.  Digital recording is much more of a computer thing than a music thing and you'll spend a lot of time figuring things out.  I'm pretty new to the subject myself, and every time I sit down to make some music, hours will go by while I figure out what I did wrong, or didn't know about, this latest time around.
 

  ...  I'm mainly concerned with Hypercontrol as it's built into my new keyboard.

I suggest you describe exactly what it is you want to do, music-wise, and set aside the whole subject of Hypercontrol.  It doesn't matter what software you use if in the end you're able to do what you want.
 
There are a whole bunch of experts here that collectively know everything there is to know about Sonar and digital music production.  I'm sure each of your work flow difficulties can be addressed, one by one.  The goal is for you to get your system set up so you can forget about it and make music.  This should be possible.

In no way my intention was to make someone sad...
 
But on question "any chance violin strings from X-Audio are supported by your guitar?" the only answer I have "when X-Audio produce guitar strings..."
 
While so obvious with strings, it is not so with Control Surfaces. I have tried to explain why in case of HyperControl with SONAR it is near the same.

+1 to the above... and food for thought here... being new to digital recording alone has many things to learn and enjoy. Please do not get hung up on "one thing" as being all there is. Learning/doing things musically is the first step, and things like even ACT are "niceties" as many create beautiful music without control surfaces at all.
 
As an aside... especially being new, I highly recommend a free online course by Berklee College of Music offered on Coursera. It is not specific to any DAW, but focuses on a lot of standard practices within a DAW in general. It is not currently running or scheduled, but the link can be found here: https://www.coursera.org/course/musicproduction
 
The tutorials that come with SONAR are a great first resource (9 chapters in the reference guide for your version), and there are many tutorials, help files, and this forum as you go.
 
Being new, I would recommend first getting familiar with your chosen DAW and its capabilities. Learn the GUI and functionality for basic things first, and when you get to a "hey I want to do this" scenario, expand upon what you already know. This forum is the best resource for such things.
 
TBH, I am concerned that it seems this one hurdle is distracting you from learning to work with a DAW (i.e. making music). Please consider focusing on making music first and foremost.

The world existed just fine before Hypercontrol. Your controller works, it can trigger note, it can map to controls, and SONAR records and plays back. What's essential to making music is creativity and imagination. No gear can provide that, although sometimes it can get in the way.
 
A DAW like SONAR has all the elements a half million dollar studio had several decades ago, including quite a backline of instruments. No one expected to walk into Record Plant all by themselves and come out with a record. It took years to learn the gear, the processors, how to mix, and so on. Most people used engineers who specialized in this knowledge. 
 
There are many easier ways to get started in recording music. Something like Reason Essentials may be better suited to you. You don't give any indication of your gear, musical tastes, or background, but even the basic version of SONAR is quite sophisticated.
 
I have been working with DAWs since the 80s, and had the experience of working in major studios around the world so I was already familiar with the tools and terminology. Yet I still continue to learn. Rather than finding that discouraging, I find it exhilarating. I love coming up with new techniques. I don't feel limited at all by SONAR, quite the opposite.
 
No one walks into Guitar Center, buys a guitar, and comes back a week later saying "I can't play like Jimi Hendrix, this guitar sucks." But for some reason, people think that recording with a computer is going to be simple. It isn't, and it doesn't help that Microsoft and Apple keep throwing additional layers of complication on top of things. 
 
As to the community, they (we) are simply being honest with you. No one here knows when/if SONAR will support Hypercontrol; we use the software, we don't design it. But there have been plenty of reasons given re the pros and cons involved in that kind of support. It's not trivial, especially for companies with limited resources. Hence, Hypercontrol has limited support and it seems unlikely SONAR will buck that trend. But if Hypercontrol takes off, then SONAR very well might support it the way it supports EUCON, Mackie, and ACT. 
 
Bottom line is if you're sad, then write a song about it! You have the tools to do so. There are millions of well-loved musical works that were made without Hypercontrol. 
 
P.S. - Can you link to the thread you started on the M-Audio boards? I'd be curious to see what they had to say about it.
 
 

Also, there's lots of good information in this thread. When 200 bpm complained about it, I asked him to point out anything that was not factually correct, and he did not. So while you maybe didn't get the "yes, SONAR will support hypercontrol in x months" answer you hoped for, you know a lot more about controllers, protocols, and the processes that foster or encourage adoption before you started this thread...and knowledge is power.

thanks everyone, for kind replies to my little emotional outburst lol just frustrated that most of my time in the last two months has been spent with my guitar in my lap and my hand on the mouse trying to make sense of, mainly, just the ACT controller... and getting my new and old gear working. When I read what Hypercontrol was I thought that's perfect!  I can buy a new keyboard and it will map itself and I can -finally- just play.  I never thought for a second that Sonar wouldn't want any part of it. So I never researched that until my new Axiom was on my desk.  *my bad*
 
Anyhow, I have four midi controllers:
 
ART X-15 Ultrafoot (footpedal w/ 2 expression pedals)
Source Audio Hothand Ring (super cool!)
Axiom 25
Axiom Air 49
 
(and I have an M-Audio M-Track Quad as my interface, tho that doesn't really matter here)
 
I can't for the life of me figure out my Hothand or my X-15  They both work beautifully in GuitarRig standalone, but since getting sonar I've basically lost use of those as controllers.  When I get fed up I just quit Sonar and load GR standalone and can get back to being creative... and then I find myself wanting to record.  nasty cycle this.
 
My Axiom Air 49 I've managed to somewhat get working with a generic surface, I was thrilled to get my transport working!  but... I've got 3 banks in each of my sliders, slider buttons and rotaries.  I can't figure out how to get more than one bank working well with anything.  I'd like to be able to select tracks and Echo with the slider buttons, not just Arming the Record, but I can't figure it out.  I want to get my Axiom's tempo in sync with sonar, also a fail. 
 
I wanted to use both Axioms at the same time, but everything goes wacky when they're both plugged in.  They just don't seem to even be recognized. I can fiddle with USB connections and ports, but I either get my Air or my 25 in my midi device list.  Never both of them at once.
 
When I try and program my footpedal I have learned to hit Act Learn in Guitar Rigs VST, and hit the things I want to control.  The problem is ACT doesn't seem to be picking up what I want, and is learning things I DON'T want.  And if I make a mistake and program (learn) the wrong thing, then I can't delete it, I have to delete the whole control surface and start again from scratch (so frustrating! I've been doing this a little bit each nite for a few weeks straight)  oh, and once I map an expression pedal to something successfully I find that it's almost always backwards...  i.e. toe is 100% and heel is 0%  and I need it the other way around... I can't find a way to reverse that.
 
My Hothand ring... I don't even know where to start with this in ACT.  By its nature, if it's on, it's constantly sending out midi commands even if resting still on my desk. so as soon as I try and Learn something the parameter I'm trying to control picks up whatever it sees first - which is consistently what I don't want LOL  In Guitar Rig you can either Learn a command or assign one manually, and assigning manually is pretty much the only way to get the Hothand mapped.  I can see no way at all to do this in Sonar.
 
(sigh) I feel like I just wrote a short story here...  if anyone is still with me, and could possibly follow all that, well... I'm very grateful for your time. And believe me, I have HOURS and hours of web and forum searches invested before ever registering here.
 
:)
 
Anderton, here is a link to on M-audio's forum.
 
thanks again everyone.