I have NOCTURN. AutoMap is great!
Offcourse, first you'll get angry because of those "AUTOMAP" plugins appearing in plugin browser, but after a looong while, when you'll make custom plugin layout - you won't imagine work without AutoMap.
- it has very friendly learning skills
- it has MIDI feedback
- it's vell editable
- you can do almost everything what this prehistorical ACT can't do.

For me it's not Automap you should be angry to, but ACT. If developers think that in such DAW as X1 they can leave old and unfunctionable ACT - they're WRONG!

I'm SICK about setting up plugins like Guitar Rig as a VST synths to get controll over MIDI. IT"S SICK!

What I still do is comparing with ABLETON and its GREAT MID mapping functions. There is nothing like this in Sonar, and Autmap is the best solution.

@Bentedgz - Thanks for your input! The template you're talking about, is that the mixer template thing? Not working anymore? I suppose Pro Channel is out of the loop there? Got any specifics? This is actually important info to me and I would really appreciate some details on this if you don't mind

@Adrian4u - No secret that you hate ACT my friend I've actually had a satisfying experience with ACT so far. It's limited but sure is nice to have those knobs working. But the lack of visual feedback on my Axiom does make it somewhat old school. I want to continue using ACT for when I'm on my Keyboard just for minor adjustments like volume, some filters, presets, transport etc for which ACT has never let me down. I agree with you on the MIDI mapping in Live, it's ace! But it's just old school MIDI mapping and not dynamic which is an advantage ACT has - and that Automap has - and this is really appealing. I want my knobs to do a lot of things Thanks for your input tho, you're slowly pushing me over the edge here towards a purchace!


But still wondering, when I've wrapped my VSTs, when I open an old project, do I have to replace all my VSTs with the wrapped ones or does it do that automagically?
 
And come to think of it, how does the Novation controllers work with Pro Channel? If that's smooth sailing (after setup perhaps) then I'm sold!!

Make sure there aren't multiple plug dlls Sharing the Same vst-id in the Scan paths (sonar only accepts the First dll with that vst-id; automapped vsts habe the Same vst-id like its original plug.

In loading a dll, sonar loses the dll corresponding to the vst-id. So yes, the instantiated plugs in loading a Project are these, sonar scanned, which are the automapped ones. If you unwrap, sonar loads the unwrapped... If available in the Scan paths...

Hey TabSel!


That's great news!! So you're saying that I should put the wrapped VSTs into it's own folder and steer Sonar to scan the "wrapped" folder? Then the 100's of thousands of VSTs I have in each project will load all wrapped up in my existing projects? It's almost too good to be true Or will the wrapped ones always be the first ones scanned so I can leave wrapped and original in Sonars default VST folder?


Thanks for the info man, made my weekend and will probably empty my wallet too...!

Both is possible: own folder structure for wrapped plugs, or leave them in the folder along with the native.

Automap wrapper always and only puts the wrapped plugs in the native plugs folder, so you have to manually move/copy your thousand plugs... X1 usually scans the automap plug first, but I don't want to rely on host routines scanning/identifying multiple plugs with the same VST-ID in folder structures...

I wrote my own plugin manager app in vbscript/hta to automap/organize plugs into categorized subfolders and built a vst2x32 and vst2x64 plugin folder structure with automapped and, if needed jbridged automatically on demand (when I install new plugs)

I install plugs and never touch the installed files ever again. Instead, I run my manager, sort a info file into the proper category and rebuild my plug folder structure.

Somehow the small automap dlls are like links to the native plugs...

I own multiple daws like Cubase, reaper, fl studio, live8 soon, and every host shows plugs sorted like they are in the folder structure (besides fl studio, bummer)

Always properly sorted and organized. No doubles...

(I managed to rename wrapped plugs within Cubase, so they don't show as "... (Automap)" in the app, which is necessary for Cubase and its vst3preset system... you usually MUST NOT rename automapped dlls!)

ProjectM  - I don't like ACT, because it has serious limitations, moreover to see what you editing - you have to click at Control Surface ACT propertes all the time.
In Automap you just have to push one button.

But - I use BCR2000 in custom "ACT" Control Surface - made by AJ. I have access to all the controls in ProChannel (X1c), I have access to track, busses, main outputs... But even this CS is much better than ACT - it allows you to use 32knobs at the same time, and it has MIDI feedback, it's little bit messy.
But it's worth to have together with BCR2000.

@TabSel - Thanks again for some excelent info! Sounds like a pretty decent litte piece of software you have there too. I'll keep what you said in mind. I think I'll make the purchase. Just found a bargain on a trip to New York so I just spent my money on that, but next month I'll hop on board the Automap train

@Adrian4u - Thanks for your input. I see your point. Luckily, I've goten used to not having to open the ACT window all the time so I've never really been bothered by that. It's visual feedback on the hardware that is most desireable to me and a larger number of controllers that will work. I looked at the BCF2000 and BSR2000 at some point but never took the plunge. I realize that these are decent units for use with Sonar.
By the way,how is your Nocturn working with Pro Channel?

Never tested with Prochannel because I have it in BCR2000 with AJ plugin.
Theres another user here who is in the middle of writing custom script for BCR2000, even more tricky and much better than ACT.

I use Nocturn for tweaking plugins, especially when NO OTHER device gives me full access to all controls.

Im a long time Novation user.

I have:
remote SL61
Launchpad
Nocturn 49 Keyboard
Zero SL MKII

I love them and the work(ed) superbly.  However, I have been having an issue with automap 4.  I would recommend not installing automap 4 with Sonar x1 (use 3.7.4 instead) as I am now having difficulty getting automap to recognize change of focus on a plugin.  Novation support is looking into the problem and has recreated the issue so Im hopeful for a fix soon. 

The hardware is built fine.  Doesnt have the pro feel of an akai but Ive had the SL for years and the only hardware issue ever was when my daughter banged her hand on it really hard and now I have a G# that is dead.

As far as ease use goes it is impossibly superior to anything else I have tried.

If you want to map existing tracks you will have to load new instances of the wrapped plugin.  I have excluded all my non wrapped plugins in sonar.  that doesnt work for ablton and you have to scroll through a ton of extra plugins.
 
Automap will not control prochannel in automap mode.  you would have to switch to advance mode.

Hey Jeff!!


Thanks for that - you're qiute the Novation fan, aren't ya?

But I appreciate your input here. A small downer that I have to reload all the plugins tho, as I would have wanted this control surface to aid me in a current project that is huge!

I would imagine that Pro Channel is not Automapable. But is it not accessable from the controller in the normal "mixer" mode at all? It have to be through the advanced mode? And how do you find that in use? Is it annoying?