Hi all,
 
I've been working almost exclusively in Ableton Live the last year or so but will be doing my next project on Sonar. The updates to Sonar (Auxes and patch points being HUGE as well as improved Mackie MCU integration) have filled in some holes for me, and I've run into some limitations in Ableton that are really starting to bother me.
 
1. When I map a midi button on my Novation to an item in Sonar, the button lit/unlit state always stays unlit. In Ableton, the lit state would match the control I mapped to so you could visibly see an on/off state. Is there a way to fix this?
 
2. Is there a way to get a Wet/Dry control for an FX Chain? I often use groupings of effects in Ableton and automating the on/off of the group can cause glitches - especially if you have a number of UAD controls in the group. In Ableton I can create a wet/try scenario for the group and just keep the group at 100% dry for bypass, and then 100% wet for engaged. I can't figure out how to recreate this in Sonar.
 
If you are wondering why I'm frustrated with Ableton Live, here are a few reasons.
 
1. No ability to reliably organize VSTs. This has become a HUGE headache!
2. I've got an issue with a large project where I can no longer add certain VSTs to the project and Ableton support hasn't sorted it out.
3. Even if you freeze tracks that have UAD on them, Ableton enables them all on project load so you still can get a DSP load problem with disabled plugins; that's not how freeze should work.
4. No comping features.
5. Love the fx chains in Ableton, but not how they are presented. You have to select a track to see the fx and if you click an open VST interface, it changes the focus to the track it's on which makes for lots of selecting/deselecting tracks.
6. Melodyne can't be used in real-time in a track like it can in Sonar.
7. Just ordered Console 1 and Ableton is missing critical features to support this that are in Sonar.
8. This is HUGE: Ableton resets the Undo stack with a Save, so you have to be extremely careful or you lose a lot of work. :(
 
PS: I will try and use the Matrix, but I will miss Session view in Ableton Live.
 
thanks to any who can help!

(1) I don't know, sorry.
(2) An FX Chain does not have a parallel path. However, if an effect in the FX Chain has a wet/dry control, it can be mapped to an FX Chain knob. If you use more than one effect in an FX Chain, and each has a wet/dry control, then you can control all of those with a single mapped knob. However a knob can map to a maximum of four destinations, so if you have four effects with wet/dry controls you're good to go but any more would be problematic.
 
But also note that are other ways to do wet/dry controls. For example to "bypass" a compressor, I just set the threshold to zero. 
 
FWIW - I've been told Ableton Live is not compatible with MPE but haven't verified independently.

Thanks Craig!
 
I do need a wet/dry that works on the group; not all controls in the group have a wet/dry. Would be nice to see this added as it would allow you to add a wet/dry to any plugin that doesn't support it (like many of UAD).
 
What is MPE?

Not built into SONAR but I think Blue Cat's PatchWork can do what you want with the FX Chain.
https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Product_PatchWork/
 
If it can't there are a few other VST patch bay like plugins that might also be able to help.
 
One advantage of the separate plugin is that your FX chains can be used in multiple DAWs.  The disadvantage is configuring the list of plugins.

Thanks Matt - that looks like a reasonable solution!

smallstonefan
What is MPE?

MIDI Polyphonic Expression. It hasn't be ratified yet by the MIDI Manufacturers Association, but it's very close. It allows much more nuanced expression from electronic music instruments, and is incorporated in the ROLI Seaboard, Linnstrument, and others. 
 
Here's a link with more information. I think SONAR should be compatible even though it's not listed.

Thanks Craig - I don't think that's something I'll take advantage of but it's good to know...
 
With our without that though, Ableton is really a rock-star with MIDI; that's not one of the reasons I'm leaving it.

For (1). From everything I know, Sonar does not send feedback to controller for MIDI Learned (Remote Control) parameters. The feedback is only available for devices with dedicated Sonar Control Surface plug-ins (Mackie MCU, Presonus Faderport) or when it goes other routes (Console 1, NI keyboard).
I also wish the feedback for Matrix view assignments (or inclusion of Matrix into Control Surface API, then I could organize the feedback myself...)

Thanks!
 
I was thinking this was the case. It is an area that Ableton excels at, but I can work around it...

Don't forget you can always rewire Live into SONAR.