Dyonight
I need to setup a Mackie and an extender in order to have all 16 to work with the current mcu implementation. I guess I will need two instance of your plugin to have all channels recognized?

Yes, at least at the moment.  That is why I have asked about some other ("native") mode, in which the whole device is represented as one communication destination.
 

Depending on which template I use (Logic, cubase, protools, live, Studio One... well every existing daw but NOT Sonar...) I have access to different software commands, which trigger different functions.

In AZC you see near complete set of all possible commands which can be triggered. Each DAW has it's own set. Note that the set in SONAR is not Control Surface dependent. I mean SSL can not do more then other Surfaces, while the set can be smaller than in other DAWs (SONAR API for surfaces is almost unchanged since last 10 years, so most new features are not controllable).
 

And what is the "scientific" name of a "native mode"? I will ask SSL since they are very helpful with these kind of questions.

I have "scanned" the documentation, to understand what this device is. It does not look like they have some other mode or have plans to implement it. But that is not a limitation since they have no functions which can not be exposed throw Mackie protocols.
 

Do you know which approach would be best?

I still have not decided what I do with MCU preset within AZC... The last idea is just to implement everything the original plug-in has, may be untested.
 
But the first movement I recommend you is to understand what exactly you miss when using normal plug-in. For example SSL has less buttons then MCU, but they can be arbitrary assigned to any MCU buttons. It can be that the initial assignment is not optimal: check the help file for Mackie Control (XT) Plug-in.
 
You can spot some problems with "labels". The documentation mention the original MC layout, which is different from MCU layout (most probably imitated by SSL). Also the plug-in use special "SONAR" layout. The images in documentation are too small to be readable, but I have already constructed high resolution schema for all 3 (MC, MCU pro, SONAR). I can send the files to you (not sure I am allowed to make them public).
 
Plug-in mapping is configurable in text files (and it is not ACT). So in case you just miss some V-Pot mapping in "Plug-in" mode, you can fix that on per VST basis.
 
There is MC plug-in modification (not from me). While not targeting SSL, from what I could see in screen shots, it can help fixing quite some compatibility problems in case you observe them.
 
Finally, once you really know what you what and you are sure that is not achievable with CW usual methods, it can be time to dive into AZC configuration (may be my preset is ready by then).

Dyonight
For now I don't have  lot of time to program all this, but I want to get back some of the functionnalities I had with the VS700.
 
I would like to configure the button over the jogwheel as a main modifier to allow zooming with the Jog and accessing secondary functions on labeled keys, as well as complimentary ones like undo/redo, activate/set loop/punch.

I think you should  be able to reconfigure nucleus so it sends the codes you want and MCU plug-in expect
 

Also, is it possible to dedicate (permanently tie) prochannel function to some knobs? Like the eq which is always avalaible and the selected compressor for exemple?

Not with MCU plug-in. The code for EQ/Compressor is outdated there (till you have EQ as the first PC module in the chain).
 

I am very interested in your high resolution schema, that could help at least match the names in the Nucleus editor with what sonar see....

I will send you the image in PM in a minute. It show SONAR labels for MCU controls and MIDI (Note) IDs SONAR is expecting from that controls. For example, "Undo" is Note 82. Note, it is not the same labelling as on original devices ( MC has "Undo" label on 75, MCU Pro on 81 ). Also note that I do not have any of these devices... there can be some errors.

I'm interested - just noticing this thread for the first time. I have an NI Kore (first gen) here which I've used to some extent with ACT before, it's not perfect but it can be made to do useful things with a little effort. No sliders but hi-res touch-sensitive endless rotaries and a bunch of buttons. And a jog wheel, which I could never get to work perfectly with ACT. Maybe this will raise the bar! I'll have a go at it in the next few days...

Thank you! I have been following the development for some months and aside from being quite generous in providing your solution for free, your site provides the most lucid and in-depth information I have seen on the subject.  I am an obsessive collector of defunct controllers and you have made it much more likely I will get to use them in my dream studio.  Now if we can crack the elusive HUI code...
 
PS I do feel bad that the response you have received is somewhat underwhelming and I am no better than anyone in not providing the requests for feedback or features.  Errr...aah...if you put up a Paypal button I would gladly donate $$ :p

DoctorCalabria
Thank you! I have been following the development for some months and aside from being quite generous in providing your solution for free
...
if you put up a Paypal button I would gladly donate $$ :p

The situation is the following. While the project is just a hobby, the codebase is big. The real price of that plug-in (development time divided by my usual salary, plus innovations value, financial support, taxes) is outside of any imaginable limit. I guess the reason why we do not see many SONAR aware controllers is the price/interest ratio.
 
So I decide to provide it for free, pay the web site costs myself and do not put donation button. In principal I am ready to accept targeted donations, for some particular device. But only after I get request about that device and understand the development is hard/not possible without it.
 
HUI is not "magical". It is just several commands, quite close to the LC/MCU set. From what I know, TouchDAW support the set (I have never tried it), so I have some kind of test environment.
 
As you have noticed already, the feedback I get is close to zero. In such conditions, I can not justify the time I need for some new features I personally will never use.

Just wanted to chime in to say that I have use the azslow control surface and although it took me a while to figure it out I was able to make my Korg NanoKontrol2 work as I have always wanted it to work. I can control both tracks and busses in the Console view.
 
Thank you very much.

Will give it a go

I have an Allen and Heath ZED-R16 that I have never got to fully work as a controller.  I have my hopes that this might solve that.  Maybe I should lower my expectations so that I am pleased with the results.  I look forward to giving it a try.
 
These boards even come with a basic version of Sonar but the combination was never completed between the hardware and software I don't think.

I have just written simple preset generator so it is now possible start using my plug-in with simple devices without spending a week: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,154.0.html
 

BretB
Maybe I should lower my expectations so that I am pleased with the results.  I look forward to giving it a try.

In case you describe your expectations, I can try to answer either you should lower them or not

 
I certainly care, but I just can't play with this before the summer.
 
I'm hoping azslow3 won't give up before then.
 
It's good to see others getting involved as that will help to keep it alive.  I still have to get a decent keyboard/controller (I currently have a 2 octave cheap one) and will be even more interested when that happens.
 

Alexey -
First of all - many thanks for all your hard work on behalf of the SONAR community.
I have a very basic question after downloading and trying this for the first time. My needs are very basic as I don't really have an elaborate control surface setup. ACT has been working ok for my needs with some minor issues.
I installed the 64 bit version of your latest dll into the shared surfaces folder (Program Files/Cakewalk/Shared Surfaces).
After restarting SONAR, "AZ Controller" is available from the pulldown list of ACT controllers. When I attempt to select it, it appears in brackets, and the In Port and Out Port I select do not persist as a selection option (this happens for any available MIDI port). At first I thought there was a conflict with an existing ACT controller on the same port I was attempting to use, so I deleted it, and another ACT controller on a different port, and retried, but the same thing happens. Any ideas? If I am doing anything fundamentally wrong (quite possible) please advise and I'll retry.
(Am I wrong in assuming I should be using the 64 bit version of the dll (SONAR Platinum 64 bit, Windows 8.1 64 bit)?
Thanks!
 

This is looking promising but I am still not there with the control from my A&H ZEDR-16.  I can open the azslow plugin and see it is receiving MIDI signals from my console.  I am trying to get channel 1 on my fader setup so that I might copy the other 15 from its settings.  I have followed the instructions you have given but still get no movement in Sonar.  I know this is probably a stupid question but do I also need to go through the "learn" function by right clicking each fader in a Sonar project?

I got my fader 1 to control Sonar Track 1 level!  Some how I also got fader 2 to control Sonar Track 2 level!  When I proceeded to attemp fader 3, it adjusts Sonar Track 1 and not 3.  I am still a little confused by the sequence of the tabs and options to take to get all 16 faders programmed.  I have not yet tried the transport controls or the 12 rotary controls and 4 extra MIDI slide controls I have on my console.  The bright side is that I have seen some progress!

Hello Brett/Azlow3,
 
Not sure if this helps but there is midi information in this document on page 47:http://www.allen-heath.com/media/AP7236_iss_2.pdf which speaks to midi implementation on the ZED. Watching this one with keen interest. IHTH ...

I had hopes years ago that when they started working with and including Sonar LE that we might get a working preset for this unit.  While I love a challenge it has taken over an hour to get 2 faders to work.  I would gladly work with you anyway I can to make a complete preset for this unit possible.  There are many users of this console out there and many are Cake users, I believe even Craig A is one of us.