I'll ask Noel how easy or difficult it would be to do "dumb" variable speed, like the way tape does it.

Anderton
 
Depends on how you define "reasonable."  I don't know much about coding, but I suspect that to add a "simple, straightforward vari-speed function" to Sonar would require ripping the audio engine apart and putting it back together again using a completely different approach. It probably wouldn't be as difficult if all you wanted to do was change pitch and accept that the duration will get longer or shorter (as with tape), but still, I question how many people would consider this such an important feature that they'd be willing to give up all the other cool things that could be done with an equal amount of development work - especially because there are workarounds that so far, have addressed almost all of the vari-speed needs people have brought up.
 
Some of the workarounds, like pitch-up/pitch down voices, aren't even particularly time-consuming - basically, the time required to create a premix. I'd rather spend a few extra minutes on a workaround during the rare times when I need vari-speed than hang up Sonar's development team for several months...maybe Noel could chime in on how easy or difficult this would be. If they could do standard tape vari-speed in a few days, sure, go for it! Otherwise, it's not high on my personal list of priorities.

Right, its how much benefit a feature might have to the largest subset of users that determines its priority on our todo list. Varispeed is useful no doubt and I can see all the use cases mentioned. 
Essentially varispeed requires some look ahead and resampling of the playback data stream before it goes out to the audio device. We have tools to do all that today but the devil is in the details with stuff like this, handling virtual instruments, hardware MIDI etc. In a complex DAW even the simplest of operations has tons of integration repercussions to do it right. Regarding how time consuming it would be to do, I haven't given it a huge amount of thought TBH. Definitely a lot more than a few days but much less than a rewrite <g>
 
I'm curious what happens to input monitoring in the DAW's that implement this like Logic. Is that also subject to the varispeed changes or is that unaffected?

While there are workarounds for anything you want to do (I've yet to resort to using another program for time and pitch stretching), if Reaper can implement varispeed, well, nuff said.  
Sonar was the first full DAW to have integrated REX loops, why didn't varispeed closely follow?  
 
I love Sonar, but this is the one area where we are behind.  Elastic audio in PT is also a better implementation than AS and whatnot.

I posted something this afternoon but apparently it this not show up...
I also would like a stop/start tape effect. I now have to export and do in in Reaper.
It would be nice to have this build-in in sonar. Really!!!
 
 

djoni
I posted something this afternoon but apparently it this not show up...

see http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3020108
I would imagine there are a few free plug-ins (and maybe a few paid ones too) which perform the tapestop effect

BlixYZ
if Reaper can implement varispeed, well, nuff said.  
Sonar was the first full DAW to have integrated REX loops, why didn't varispeed closely follow? 

REX loops and Acidized files are a totally different technology compared to varispeed. They both depend on slicing a wave into sections, but from there, even REX and Acidized files differ considerably in what they do next.
 
All programs are built with unique features in mind that other programs may or may not be able to implement easily, especially if choosing one or the other involves a tradeoff.

Wow I go away for a couple of days and when I return there is full blown discussion on this.  I'm starting to see the problems in implementing now Noel, thanks for chiming in.  I'm a Sonar supporter through and through just upgraded to X3, and I've been here now since Sonar 2.  Wow time has flown. 
 
For me the work around's that Craig has mentioned take the concept of "tape" speed away from it's original idea.  I want just one button to speed up or slow down a project.  I actually need it for my work.
 
To answer Lynns and a few others question in regards to how good is it in Reaper, the answer is it's flawless.  I can't detect any digital artefacts (noise) in the processed file.
 
So the issue seems to be as Noel has mentioned that once you start adding VST's into a project, this is where I gets harder to implement.  If this is the case can't we have a situation where we would have to freeze all the synths so it then just becomes an audio only project.  Maybe a freeze all button that is linked to a speed dial.
 
After browsing through over3 pages of comments, there seems to be a groundswell of opinion that this feature is now high on the priority list of most Sonar users, Noel!  And I think this is because Sonar is used by composers/producers who are of a certain ilk, so rock, pop composers.  Yes I know Hip Hop, Dance and the like also use Sonar, but it seems to be used a lot more by real musicians. ;)
 
Ok I have another feature request but I will leave it till this one dies down, hint its now a feature in the new BitWig program.
 
Ben

BenMMusTech
After browsing through over3 pages of comments, there seems to be a groundswell of opinion that this feature is now high on the priority list of most Sonar users, Noel!  And I think this is because Sonar is used by composers/producers who are of a certain ilk, so rock, pop composers.  Yes I know Hip Hop, Dance and the like also use Sonar, but it seems to be used a lot more by real musicians. ;)
 

 
erm I wouldn't draw that conclusion based on this thread alone :) Obviously users who are interested in this feature would respond to a thread about it...

Even though this thread has shown a big interest in vari-speed by many on the forum. By no means is that definitive of all Sonar users.  Right now there are 33 members on the forums here and 701 guests. As I recall the total number of members is in the range of many tens of thousands. The old forum software use to give that statistic. i can't find that number now, but its large.
 
So to say that a feature is wanted by "most Sonar users" is without basis.  
 
I have no problem with the notion and will support the forum in asking for it but I wont use hyperbole to advance my case.

Based on what Craig and Noel said, I'm surmising that Sonar's audio engine is too complicated to implement this feature without a huge overhaul compared to Reaper.  I liken Sonar to Internet Explorer as Reaper would be to Chrome, meaning that Reaper is less encumbered with features while Sonar is much more heavily laden with routines.  I'm not sure if it would be worth it to rewrite the Sonar audio engine just for this lone feature.  Maybe it's cheaper just to purchase Reaper and use it (as some are doing now) along with Sonar, or use another program such as Sound Forge which also has sort of a vari-speed function.  Just a few thoughts...