pbognar
jsg
Anderton
pbognar
Excellent. So now that there appears to be general consensus on what is in and out of scope for fixes / functionality enhancements, how do we effectively communicate this to Cakewalk?
We have been told that the official method is through the Feature Request forum. To get the most traction, a very specific feature request would need to be created which would be satisfactory for the bulk of us.
I forget the exact post, but someone did just that (maybe even in this thread!) - listed a specific handful of "fix these, and you'll have something workable." IIRC it was a doable, well-thought out collection.
I nominate Craig. If they don't listen to him, they won't listen to anyone. 
Actually the way it works is I provide data as to my opinion, but what they do with the data is up to them. I've made plenty of suggestions that were greeted with, shall we say, "polite indifference" 
Here's a list that seems to reflect the majority of users on the forum:
1. Ensure that the snap-function works correctly. When selecting a 16th note, the snap should move by that amount (with an override option of course). Same with all note values. Now, a smaller note value will cancel out Sonar's ability to snap to larger note values.
2. Tied and dotted triplets, 32nd note triplets and 64th notes should display correctly.
3. When screensets are used and switched back and forth, the order of the instruments in the staff view track pane becomes confused.
4. When trying to open a note's properties when that note is on the first space or below the the staff, it doesn't always work easily.
Some users may want the note icons back, I personally use hot keys for that, but would not complain if CW put them back into the staff view.
I cannot think of anything else that is required to make the staff view into a solid MIDI editor. I realize some people are going say "link dynamic marks to midi velocity", or "give us the ability to put staccato dots, ties, slurs and other performance markings in the staff view", but this is unnecessary since that information is already in the event list, the properties of the note and the PRV. A musician who is really knowledgeable about creating a finished score will not use any DAW to create it whether it be Sonar, PT, Cubase, Logic or DP, so CW should not worry about that; it is quite easy to export the SMF to Finale or Sibelius and create a professional score with all the necessary articulations, part extraction capability, layout flexibility, print options, etc.
I hope all users know this: The more you expect the staff view to be a notation program the less likely CW will take the incremental steps to upgrade the staff view. There is a lot of disinformation on the web. Yesterday I read an article where the writer called Sibelius a "DAW", he obviously is not aware that Sibelius is not a music or audio production tool.
Thank you Craig for being an advocate for staff view improvements. Much appreciate that you take the time to interact on the forum.
Jerry
www.jerrygerber.com
Jerry, thanks for taking the lead in compiling a succinct list.
These limitations with triplets are a problem for me:
- Triplets must occur in full sets of three.
- All three steps in a triplet must be notes (no rests) of the same basic duration.
- There can be no ties in or out of, or within the triplet.
The second one is the worst - not being able to have embedded or leading rests in a group of triplets.
These are most definitely not a insurmountable problem because you CAN input these figures (nested triplets) and MIDI will play them back precisely as written (expressively is up to the composer/arranger/producer). I always have a calculator and a reference list of note values and tic values. when working. For example, if a quarter note is 480, a triplet eighth is 160, the 2nd, and nested triplet would be 160/3 or 53 Rounded down. Programming in the event list these values at the correct measure, beat and tick will give you a triplet within a triplet. Same with rests in triplets. Just remove the note. Sonar will playback the rhythm correctly. Export to Sibelius and Sibelius interprets the midi data--not the graphics in the staff view! It is notated exactly the way it is supposed to be. Yes it is a limitation, but only in display, not in real-time execution on playback or export to a dedicated notation program. So there is no reason for a composer not to write all kinds of tied notes, dotted notes, changing meters, asymmetrical meters, polyrhythms, phrase beaming, tempo modulation or tempo change-- Sonar handles those quite well. Of course if you really don't want to write this way, don't do it, or it will sound contrived and forced.
I hope this helps.
Listen to rhythmic flow of this piece, sequenced and produced in Sonar:
www.jerrygerber.com/ (track #9, Windy Hop)
or this one: same webpage, track #7, Rhapsody.
JG