Touch Screen: So close yet so far??

I don't know if you can tell, but in this image I put the non touch screen above the touch screen in orientation (like dragging the screen around by right clicking the desktop and choosing screen resolution then dragging the 2 monitor above the 1.
 
Next, I moved the control bar to the bottom of track view and stretched it into the touch monitor at the bottom.
 
Next I fit the Console View beneath the control bar. The screen split is just above the Control Bar.
 

I think I remember that it works pretty cool with Win 7. You may not be able to use it with a friend where two people can move faders etc at the same time.
 
On Windows 7, can't you do pinching and stuff? Basically working like it's a phone and you're only allowed one hand? I can't remember it's been a while. But I know you can move the sliders and certainly control the transport (one of the things the user wants).

Why can't you float the control bar and move it where you want it?

You can float the control bar and move it where you want it.
 

gswitz
You can float the control bar and move it where you want it.
 

Thanks, this seems to do the trick, and I'm happy to see that SONAAR remembers the orientation on close.
This looks almost too good to be true.  I've got a beautiful touch monitor containing the transport, the inspector, and the console, all I need to do is upgrade the OS to take advantage of touch.
 
The only shortcoming is that there does not appear an easy way to navigate through the project with the transport, no jog wheel and the slider is a bit ham fisted.  Would be great if there were << >> ^^ VV markers somewhere in the transport to navigate through the project.   I know they have implemented swipe and pinch gestures for resizing, but I think the strongest use case is to have the take lanes on a vertical monitor above the touch screen.  The limitation to touch real estate is that anything beyond about 9" from the keyboard is a pita to reach. 

scook

200bpm

scook

200bpm
AMD PhenomIIx4 @3.7 watercooled, Win7-64...

If this is the machine with the touch screen, don't expect much from SONAR. Win8 is required for touch support.

Really??  I can run pretty big projects with Win7, with tons of plugs, VSTis and low latency.  Is the overhead of Win8 that much greater?
 
I was about to pull the trigger on the OS upgrade, but if this machine cant run Win8 then I might as well send the monitor back.

My comment was directed at the OS not the hardware.

Is the OS less efficient that Win7, such that I will notice reduced performance?  Or are you just voicing dislike for the design/features?
 
Edit: Oh, I got it. . .Yeah, I understand what you meant.  This will have Win8 in a couple days.

No, Win8 isn't less any less efficient, Skook was talking about the touch aspect of Win8.  It is built for touch.  I'm running touch on Win7 here at home and it is OK.  No pinch, etc, and no multi-point touch for faders, but as another "controller" aspect it is nice.  Try the matrix.
 
@

SSD for C: drive.
 
@

gswitz
200bpm... look at your total daw picture. I'm a great example of a guy who doesn't have everything. I have to pick and choose. I have only 1 monitor most of the time (except when my wife is out and I steal her tv). 
 
If buying recording gear were like buying monopoly houses, you'd want to buy close to the source (instruments, microphones) That's like you prime property like NY or Marvin Gardens. Next, comes preamps and interfaces, computer is a good way down the chain. 
 
In the past couple of years, I've stayed my desire for a solid state drive to buy microphones and a nice interface. As a matter of fact, it was Jim with Studio Cat who talked me down $1000 on my computer purchase. That adds up to a nice piece of gear!
 
Just because they sell it doesn't mean you have to buy it. ;-)
 
Using Windows 7, you can do a bunch of cool stuff with touch. I wouldn't rush Windows 8. Windows 9 is right around the corner and jumping straight to 9 might make more sense for you.

I agree with all of this or I would have upgraded my DAW years ago.  This is a hobby and the reason to do any of this is for fun; I like the idea of touch.  I skipped the whole control surface craze over the past 10-15 years and feel that touch monitors (finally) have the potential to surpass even tightly integrated hardware.  Even if touch does not become part of my workflow, I have gained a nice, stylish monitor.   
 
The surprising benefit of the touch monitor is that the stand makes it easy to have two vertical monitors in front of me; I never liked two side-by-side monitors, and three monitors was both overkill and impacted placement of the studio monitors.
 
But I do agree that a SSD and Win8 license is half the way to a new i7 upgrade, certainly worth thinking about, especially if I have to reinstall the OS.  

Those of you who have touch working on Win7, how did you do it?
Mine is really buggy.  When you select a fader, it actually selects the whole console and scrolls left right, there is no way to move the fader.  You can drag up down all you want, but it will not move the fader up down.
 
This is the general trend with everything.  Very difficult to get any knobs to do anything.  They can be selected, but movement rarely does the intended thing, if anything.  The only thing that works reliably is selecting channels by touching the track in the console.  And the discrete on/off buttons, arm solo mute work.  Thats about it.  
 
The other problem is that selecting things has as much of a chance of moving the window as actually moving the control.
 
Is there a SONAR setting to make this work?  I have the win8 upgrade sitting here unopened and there were enough people who are still using 7 to make me believe there is a problem that I may have to deal with even if upgrading to 8.  Help please.
 
I'm not going to do a system rebuild with 8 if this is what people are dealing with.  Looking for tools, not toys.

I don't have that issue, but I'm on Windows 8. is your screen properly calibrated?

Well, that was a disappointment.  Returned the monitor, returned Win8 (uninstalled).
 
I have a Tascam DP-24 that is a joy to use and I was trying to recreate that experience on the computer because I'm tired of working with the limitations of the portastudio.  What I realized is that having dedicated hardware controls over the transport (stop play rec rew), punch in/out, loop, track arm/select/mute, faders, jog,  and EQ is what is needed for a creative experience.  Using a mouse with a daw is like trying to eat ice-cream with a straw.
 
Even on its best day, touch SONAR is still missing half of those things.   While I liked the monitor, it introduced compromise to my desk.  The music keyboard is now back front and center where it needs to be and everything feels less cluttered, more creative.
 
If SONAR is to become an effective touch experience, they will need to design a touch version of the UI.  Everything needs to have big "playskool" buttons, with big color contrast to show what is selected.  They also need to finish the touch control of the transport, but instead of finishing the take lanes, the transport control will need to have big dedicated buttons for everything, much like a hardware control surface.  Many of these controls will be DUPLICATES of things you can do with the mouse.  Also, the faders need to have MUCH longer throw.  It will probably need to take the bottom third of the screen. 
 
Looking at hardware controllers, anything from a Korg NanoKontrol to a MCU will probably work better.

Vas
The touch perhaps can enlarge the working buttons and sliders. Use a shortcut to toggle this feature. To be able to control transparency of the active window would be helpful.
 
I see myself on a 40 inch multi-touch monitor where everything will be a bit larger. It will be 30 degrees off flat and One or two non-touch monitors vertical. The touch monitor at the bottom will have a multi-touch midi keyboard or a note generating app similar to the many midi controllers now available for the ipad.
 
Will wait for Windows 10.
 
My current setup is identical to the above except I have a tiny iPad instead of the 40" screen.

This is a good plan, but IMO if a touch monitor is too big in a horizontal, 30* placement, it will push the vertical monitors behind it too far away.  Only the bottom half of a touch monitor is in easy reach, I think it should be designed for 22/24" monotors with everything really big.

I have a Mackie Control the original. I have had it since it first came out. I also think touch is a great idea. 
 
I do believe that an actual control surface is a great way to control Sonar. However I see touch as potentially more versatile. What this thread has shown is though touch is going to be a useful feature it can't displace a real CS. 
 
If you don't have a real CS touch may be an alternative that over time will get better. However I do think with both we have perhaps the best of both worlds. The only trouble I see is where do we put all this gear?
 
Again this thread has address this too. At least as a consideration. In my view this is an outstanding thread with very interesting points being made by informed users.  

Just got Touch DAW working.  Its pretty cool.  Its a touch version of Mackie Control.