Hi Troops. 
My faithful Tascam FW-1884 and FE-8s are getting pretty tired and buggy. I'm after a new audio interface/control surface for Sonar (X2 & X3). I really need at least 24 faders and some integration between the audio interface and the control - i.e. hardware control of master fader and track inputs. 
 
I haven't seem anything that is similar to the Tascam and so the only similar solution seems to be a MOTU interface and Mackie MCU with extenders. Is there anything else out there that works well with Sonar? 

I have been using and really like the Presonus Studio live series of digital mixers.  The one I have is NOT a control surface but they do have one. See https://www.presonus.com/products/studiolive-cs-series.
 
I think that the newer Behringer X32 digital mixers might do both functionalities as well. On the cheaper side there are the Zoom R24 type interface/controllers but I don't know how good they are.
 
The new Behringer control surfaces have been getting some good reviews as well.

emptybe
Hi Troops. 
My faithful Tascam FW-1884 and FE-8s are getting pretty tired and buggy. I'm after a new audio interface/control surface for Sonar (X2 & X3). I really need at least 24 faders and some integration between the audio interface and the control - i.e. hardware control of master fader and track inputs. 
 
I haven't seem anything that is similar to the Tascam and so the only similar solution seems to be a MOTU interface and Mackie MCU with extenders. Is there anything else out there that works well with Sonar? 

I can tell you what I use and I'm very pleased with the degree of interoperability - faders, solo, mute, select, rec, pan on 24 channels (bank switchable) plus master fader using a Mackie d8b console and either the D8Bridge v1.1 MCU emulator or the ProBox MCU emulator.  The D8Bridge emulator doesn't accommodate audio but the ProBox does.  The d8b can be found on ebay for between $800 and $1200.  The ProBox is available for about $200 from munkustrap on the d8b boards.  Here's munkustrap's forum -
 
http://www.d8bforum.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=7
 

 
Edit: Oh, and also scrub, time code/MBT, and transport controls.
Edit: And LED level meters!
Edit: And motorized faders
Edit: Also, ProBox does HUI emulation as well as MCU emulation

reginaldStjohn
I have been using and really like the Presonus Studio live series of digital mixers.  The one I have is NOT a control surface but they do have one. See https://www.presonus.com/products/studiolive-cs-series.
 
I think that the newer Behringer X32 digital mixers might do both functionalities as well. On the cheaper side there are the Zoom R24 type interface/controllers but I don't know how good they are.
 
The new Behringer control surfaces have been getting some good reviews as well.

I have a Zoom R24.  It does the basics, and has no motorized faders.  I don't bother using for control beyond the transport buttons when I'm back away from the desk to track guitar.
 
I'm in the market for something motorized.  Some day.  I really wish the Motor49/61s weren't vaporware because one of those would drop right in where my existing Samson keyboard controller sits.  The G49 also has lotsa controller features, but again, non-motorized faders.  The whole move-to-capture when switching banks is to niggly for me.

Still amazing that the FW-1884 has lasted well over a decade! Mine still is plugging along, but I am holding out until there are Thunderbolt ones!

V-Studio 700 was the best, but Roland no longer sells it. You might find one used.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLFdNhPVD03KCTxKOWpz8tfzCMbWfXASJS&v=rPxWrqQ1BCU
 
Scott

--
Scott R. Garrigus - http://www.garrigus.com
* Cakewalk SONAR Video Tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/u...gus?sub_confirmation=1
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar and Sony Sound Forge Power book series: http://garrigus.com/?PowerBooks
* Publisher of the DigiFreq music recording newsletter: http://www.digifreq.com/
* Publisher of the NewTechReview consumer tech newsletter: http://www.newtechreview.com/

Thanks for the replies. The d8b looks great and they're going very reasonably on Ebay these days but I'm wary of tie-ing into 'old' technology (again). Is it OK with X2 & X3? So I'd need a piece of additional software for it to 'talk' to Sonar? But the audio I/O is integrated with the control surface functions like my FW-1884?
 
The Behringer would be interesting if it had any other name on the front  .Something like the Presonus Studiolive 32 looks great and is not much more expensive than the Behringer. Very interesting. 
 
Any other sugestions?

emptybe
 The Behringer would be interesting if it had any other name on the front  .

Another former FW-1884 user here.  I have the Behringer X-Touch.  I had the same initial misgivings as you about the Behringer quality, based on a mixer ten years ago with lots of hiss and noisy faders, but I have changed my mind with this unit.  The build quality seems fine.

emptybe
The d8b...   Is it OK with X2 & X3?

 
Yes.
 

emptybe
So I'd need a piece of additional software for it to 'talk' to Sonar?

 
Yes, either software or hardware/firmware.  You need a translator/emulator to convert from d8b native RS232 serial messages (formerly to/from the d8b CPU) into Mackie MCU MIDI messages and back again.  The emulator conceptually sits between the d8b console and your DAW.  The D8Bridge solution does this emulation in software running inside the DAW and makes use of virtual MIDI ports.  The ProBox accomplishes the same thing in an external box that physically sits between your DAW and the d8b control surface.
 
The D8Bridge v1.1 software development effort has been abandoned by its author but the software is out these and it works.  The ProBox solution is still actively supported by its developer.
 

emptybe
But the audio I/O is integrated with the control surface functions like my FW-1884?

 
For D8Bridge, no; you'd need an external audio management system / monitor controller.  For the ProBox, all of the audio functions you would expect are executed by the ProBox and made available on the d8b control surface.
 
Unlike the Behringer, Mackie MCU Pro, and some other turnkey MIDI controller solutions, you need to be a bit of a systems integrator to get where you want to be.  It's not bad, but it just takes a little more than plugging it in and turning it on (although the ProBox is real close to that level of simplicity).
 

Hello,
 
I have been using the A&H Qu 24 as a control surface with really great results. I worked with Azslow3 and his plugin to create a surface template that is deep and highly customizable. I am really impressed with the results and no "B" word at all. IHTH