Hi. I would love to see a playback-only version of the software. Strip out all recording features and everything that goes along with it. Just a multi-track player with MIDI and video capabilities, for those of us running shows via Sonar. Give it the ability to save level settings and maybe MIDI changes, but no audio recording capability. So we can record, edit, and bounce down our live show in the studio, then play it back on a less powerful laptop, not worrying about stability or processing power.
And it has to be able to create playlists, and can be configured to play continuously or stop after each song. So you can select on a song-by-song basis which ones will start automatically and which ones wait for the "play" command.
And it needs to keep the loop feature. So you can have musical vamps until the singer has decided to shut up, then you can turn the loop off and proceed seamlessly with the show.
Oh, and be able to trigger it remotely via MIDI controller (play, pause, prev, next etc.).

It would be the only PC-based multitrack audio/video/MIDI playback software out there that I am aware of. And if it was free...?

Amazing.

every feature request is welcome and I certainly do not want to "downgrade" anyone's ideas, but I don't think I would ever use a play-back only version of the software for our live shows because ...

1. the existing Sonar version has a very small "footprint" if the projects are set up correctly (i.e. bounced FX, frozen synths, bounced tracks to mix stems, etc.)
2. using a different version would require new testing (I want to use what I rely on in the studio where I know what I can to which extent)
3. we have the ability build into our projects to record the live played instruments back into Sonar (i.e. having all audio tracks set up and quick grouped so we can virtually do that by pushing one button on the digi mixer and and one in Sonar) ... no way I would want to miss that because it's really great when working on new material, when rehearsing/optimizing shows and also when doing sound-checks ...

 

moving air
And it has to be able to create playlists, and can be configured to play continuously or stop after each song. So you can select on a song-by-song basis which ones will start automatically and which ones wait for the "play" command.
And it needs to keep the loop feature. So you can have musical vamps until the singer has decided to shut up, then you can turn the loop off and proceed seamlessly with the show.
Oh, and be able to trigger it remotely via MIDI controller (play, pause, prev, next etc.).

I do agree with this, though, but there are feature request lists for the playlist floating around in this forum ...
 
The "loop feature" would be the matrix working in conjunction with the projects in the playlist. I don't know if people are using it. I want to try but so far it has not been very high on my priority list ...

Although I respect your opinions on this, I disagree for a few reasons:

1. The existing Sonar does not have a small footprint. It is a large program that is prepared to do a million things other than playback at any given time. I want something portable. Say a computer goes down during a show. Can you take the jump drive backup of your show and put it on any other computer quickly?
2. There wouldn't be any reason for testing. It could be the same layout as the Sonar you're already familiar with. Just with playback only.
3. This one I do understand, however here's my situation: I am FOH for a tribute band. They want to control the playback on stage, so having this standalone program would be ideal. They want to skip a song? Fine. Some other whatever? Have at it. So they'd be pumping audio via USB into the X32 monitor rack on stage.
That feeds my X32 at FOH, where I can record those tracks PLUS the live performance into Sonar off my desk. So being able to record, for them, is irrelevant. Everyone wins and I don't need to have another full copy of Sonar for them to somehow screw up onstage. So playback only is a total win-win here. And I've worked with several touring bands in the same situation. They only need playback up at the stage. FOH can record there if they want it.

As for the matrix, it might be the answer, but for non-electronic, loop-based music, I don't know if it fits the bill. I can just have the loop on and let it go until they want to be done, have a trigger pad that turns the loop off, and they continue. Simple. If I see that the matrix works for linear tracks, then maybe.

While I like the idea it seems to me that the unanswerable question (by the user base) is whether the resources freed up in streamlining sonar to create a new version would be worth the effort - especially for a program you emphasize would be FREE. While it would almost certainly be lighter in footprint, would the performance gains really be that much different than standard Sonar? I tend to agree with FreeFlyBertl that sonar really needs playlist improvements and that the standard version (maybe with some adept project setup by the user) are needed to get you (and all users) what you want/need.
I don't like to rain on someone else's feature request - and would certainly welcome this change IF it brought us closer to the goal of having improved live performance capability. (But what about performance artists who would need to record and loop/perform as they build a song live?) But I fail to understand exactly why Cake would do all this for a FREE application. Altruism aside, they're a business. Question is, would you pay money (above your investment in sonar) for this?

As far as I am aware, doesn't Sonar Platinum go into demo mode (no saving) if your membership expires? Isn't that essentially what you are asking for?
 
Correct me if I misunderstand, but wouldn't you still want all of the other things like the mixer, VST support, and so forth? If not, then why not use something simpler?
 
Regards,
Dan
 

Brando, because you would have to own Sonar in order to use the player. It's like having Microsoft Office Viewer or Adobe Reader. Whatever is used on it has to be created by the original program.

And Dan, I have no idea what happens to Platinum when it expires. But it if becomes a playback-only system, then that could be the answer. Get platinum with no subscription and let 'er buck.

I'm not saying this is for everyone (like the aforementioned performance artists who record/loop/etc during a show), this is for people who preprogram their shows and only need a lightweight, portable Sonar jukebox.