Sonar X3 Pre-Purchase questions (can it do this...?)

Teal
Hello,
I am looking at sequencers currently available for PC.  I started with CWPA6 and upgraded through first version of Sonar 10+ years ago.  Switched to Samplitude and am looking to possibly come back. The ARA and melodyne integration is forward thinking - at this point workflow enhancements are my primary concern, included plugs and sonic purity were more important 10 years ago than they are now, imo.  Also, the Cakewalk upgrade and pricing strategy is generous.
 
I ask these questions because there is no demo.
 
1) Does X3 have anything like a "tempo track" or ability to change the tempo over time to match acoustic performances that were not recorded against a metronome? 
 Yes. You can extract the tempo of a track and have Sonar follow it through changes. Some VSTs get glitchy with tempo changes however so heads up.
 
2) Does X3 have any form of beat recognition that automates detection of bars?  (Analyze audio and insert/suggest bar markers)
Not bar markers. Beat markers it can find and extract if you want, but I usually just tap through the tune using a midi device and extract the tempo from that. Much more reliable. 
 
3) Does X3 support 3 monitor setups?  Does the whole interface expand to fill 3 screens or can windows be floated to the external screens?
Both. You can stretch it across three screens or maximize floating windows in different screens. The track View doesn't float. It is always within the boundary of the Sonar Application window. The Multi Dock and VSTs and piano roll can be floated where you like and maximized there. You can't have a screenset with the console view on monitor 1 and the track view on monitor 2 AND a screenset that is the inverse since the Track View cannot be moved like that. The track View can only be stretched across lots of monitors. You can have the trackview on any monitor you like or all monitors, but whatever the case, that is the case in every screenset.
 
4) Is production in X3 fluid, can all operations be done while looping on a section of audio?  For instance I may be looping over a section of a song and need to arm tracks, loop record, use the take manager, add VSTis/fx, drag transport, etc all in real time.
 There is a setting to allow ARM changes during playback/record. I don't have it checked personally. I just don't need it. Yes you can add FX while playing back or recording but dropouts are risked. I definitely change guitar VST amp sim settings while playing, but I don't normally drop the Amp Sim on the track while recording.
 
5) Does X3 integrate well with NI Maschine?
Can't say. I don't have it. A lot of Sonar users Love it tho. 
 
6) Can the mixer be floated out and maximized on its own screen, while the take lanes appear on the central screen?
Yes. 
 
7) Does version of melodyne included with X3 process audio to midi in real time?  Can the midi be used to trigger synths in real time?
No. Midi extraction is a separate step. 
http://helpcenter.celemony.com/editor2/en/
http://helpcenter.celemony.com/editor2/en/singletrack_tutorial_extractingaguitarlick.html?q=realtime%20midi
Even if you could do it in real-time, I don't think you'd want to. I believe in the higher versions of Melodyne there are some tricks where you can use Melodyne with a Midi instrument like a Vocoder. I haven't done this.
 
8) Does X3 have anything like Cubase's Chord Track or "Band in a Box" functionality that helps to flesh out songs with simple accompanyment?
No. 
 
9) Is X3 lightweight or a cpu hog?
Depends what you do. I can use up a lot of CPU when I get busy, but I don't blame X3. For me X3 is gentler on the CPU than previous versions of Sonar.
http://forum.cakewalk.com/interesting-Sonar-vs-Reaper-test-m2943488.aspx
 
10) Midi transpose functionality?  Can midi phrases be transposed to other modes?  (15 years ago, CWPA was a midi leader, just wondering what kinds of midi tools are availble.)
Midi stuff is pretty impressive. Definitely can be transposed. You can do almost anything. Plus there is CAL so you can write your own scripts. I think CAL stands for Cake Application Language or something. Not sure. But you can automate midi anything with CAL.
 
11) Is there an integrated file browser that allows preview and DnD of midi files into the take lanes?
Yes. It's amazingly useful and well designed. 
 
12) Does Sonar have anything like Samplitudes "revolver tracks" or Cubase's "TrackVersions"?
I don't know what they are. 
 
13) Does X3 have any form of view management or snapshots for instant recall?  Samplitude and cubase have the ability to hide tracks and save/recall views that are relevant to a particular submix, etc.
Yes. This is called Screen-Sets and you get 10 Screensets that can be recalled using the numbers on your keyboard. There is some overhead, so when working at ultra-low latency, I don't change tools using screensets. I use them more when mixing than tracking. You can totally bring up anything you want, but changing EVERYTHING at once might cause a dropout at low latency. 
 
 
14) Does X3 support object or clip based editing? (Separate EQ, plugins, automation, etc by clip.)
Yes. 
 
15) Can the mixer view be condensed to fit more channels on the screen? (Width of fader)  
There is a narrow fader strip, but I don't use it often. There are basically only Wide and Narrow settings. You can't adjust the width on a continuum to your preference in the Console view. In the Track view you can. 
 
16) Does X3 have any kind of groove template, where it can apply the groove of a midi clip to other clips? (This gives the ability to humanize new rhythmic material to match an existing midi performance.)
Yes.
 
17) Does the score editor display the entire performance, or is it displayed on a clip-by-clip basis?  Can the whole score be edited with whatever fits on screen?
Uh. You can display multiple midi clips at once, but it can be hard to read. The Staff View is the most common cause for complaint in the forum. For example, when you extract Midi to the Staff view, it's a little goofy and hard to read. It doesn't neatly simplify a complex performance to distill it to its essence as can be done in some advanced tools. 
 
18) While midi loop recording, is there an "additive" mode that writes to the take on subsequent passes? (Like maschine, FL, samp, etc.)
Yes. You can also record with quantize on... so you can loop 4 measures creating a drum track, slowly building it up, where it is also quantized from the start. Then, after hitting stop, you can undo the quantize without undoing the recording. 
 
19) Does X3 show inline midi notes in the track lanes? Are they editable in the lanes?
Yes it shows them in the lanes. It's too hard for me to smoothly edit them in the lanes. I always flip to piano roll view, but I think the idea is that you can do basic editing inline. 
 
20) Thanks!
 
 

puffer
...download the demo and take a good look at the aforementioned "Tempo View". This is the same tempo view that's been around since SONAR 2. For me, it's a little long in the tooth and a PIT-ever lovin'-A to edit. It's a pen tool rather than a node/spline automation system. As also mention, there is a history of VSTs not playing nicely with the "tempo view". It's a real weakness of Sonar--in the opinion of a small number of users I guess.

Anderton

puffer
...download the demo and take a good look at the aforementioned "Tempo View". This is the same tempo view that's been around since SONAR 2. For me, it's a little long in the tooth and a PIT-ever lovin'-A to edit. It's a pen tool rather than a node/spline automation system. As also mention, there is a history of VSTs not playing nicely with the "tempo view". It's a real weakness of Sonar--in the opinion of a small number of users I guess.

I find it easier to click where I want the tempo change, and go Project > Insert Tempo. You can specify tempo down to hundredths of a BPM, as well as the precise spot where the tempo should change. You can also specify if you want to change previous tempos or not.
 
If you then want to create an ultra-smooth tempo change, you can bounce over to tempo view and use the pencil.

Teal

Anderton

puffer
...download the demo and take a good look at the aforementioned "Tempo View". This is the same tempo view that's been around since SONAR 2. For me, it's a little long in the tooth and a PIT-ever lovin'-A to edit. It's a pen tool rather than a node/spline automation system. As also mention, there is a history of VSTs not playing nicely with the "tempo view". It's a real weakness of Sonar--in the opinion of a small number of users I guess.

I find it easier to click where I want the tempo change, and go Project > Insert Tempo. You can specify tempo down to hundredths of a BPM, as well as the precise spot where the tempo should change. You can also specify if you want to change previous tempos or not.
 
If you then want to create an ultra-smooth tempo change, you can bounce over to tempo view and use the pencil.

Do you have to put in each tempo change manually?  Samplitude has a remix agent that can analyze audio composition and insert markers for each bar/beat.  It automatically calculates the tempo changes so all you have to do is run the agent, listen and nudge some of he markers for accuracy and you are done.  

puffer
I'm not saying you can't do this with the current method (in as much as something with a 10-year old GUI is able to be current), I'm just saying it's fiddly and annoying. It always has been; more so now that the nodes & splines of automation lanes are so sophisticated. But apparently this is my own little axe to grind with SONAR.