Some great info gents.
 
Looks like you'd be paying an awful lot of dosh for someone to set up the complete package for you with that Raven when you could do it yourself.
 
 

jkleban
For example, I use a HELIOS eq on every track in my projects and in order to adjust settings on the EQ, requires me to open the VST, move the knobs, and then close the VST.... wouldn't it be wonderful if I could just turn the knobs for the EQ right on the channel strip of the console to make adjustments?

 
You can do this today with the prochannel fx chain module in X2A. Just insert the HELIOS eq in an FXChain and you get 6 assignable knobs on the pro channel strip in the console.

Noel's on the loose.....
 
We all know what that means.
 
Noel's on the loose.....

I know I suggested this before, but If you've seen Quantum of Solace (007), and were laughing at how over-zealous they were about showing off the touch-screen abilities of the giant table screen at MI-6 headquarters, you should be able to quickly see the potential to have a virtual console that large. But what if you only have a 30" cinema screen, or a 42" TV screen? You could simply put three fingers on the screen and swipe it around, left and right, up and down, or diagonally to see the rest of your console. Need to see your entire ProChannel including all your 3rd-part plug-ins? two-finger tap the PC and the screen blows up to show all those plug-ins. Tap a Home button, and voila, back to the console. What if you wanted the large view, but couldn't afford the 100 inch LED screen? Why not use 4 or 6 smaller ones in an array, 2-3 up top, and 2-3 on bottom, and see much more of your console.
 
Did anyone feel that might be a WOW factor at NAMM? If you're going "touch", let's get serious!
 
But alas, if Cakewalk didn't read that before, then perhaps X4.

bapu
Noel's on the loose.....
 
We all know what that means.
 
Noel's on the loose.....

hehe... that's funny

bapu
Noel's on the loose.....
 
We all know what that means.
 
Noel's on the loose.....

I wish. I have the greatest respect for Noel, but all this suggests to me is that he's curious about what folks are saying about Touch Tech, which in turn suggests the next version of SONAR may have some changes (advances, whatever) in that area. But that's kind of an obvious conclusion given that Touch Tech is 1.0 in X2; and being the current Big Thing, of course it will see some attention in the next release.
 
FWIW, Touch doesn't interest me in the slightest.

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]

jkleban
For example, I use a HELIOS eq on every track in my projects and in order to adjust settings on the EQ, requires me to open the VST, move the knobs, and then close the VST.... wouldn't it be wonderful if I could just turn the knobs for the EQ right on the channel strip of the console to make adjustments?

 
You can do this today with the prochannel fx chain module in X2A. Just insert the HELIOS eq in an FXChain and you get 6 assignable knobs on the pro channel strip in the console.

That's assuming he has ProChannel. For me, I'm still in too much of a habit of wanting to see the VSTs and adjust them directly. I found that's still easier for me.

You need a touch screen that folds flat - umm, just like a console.  They are just now starting to come out (i've been keeping my eye open) at reasonable prices.  $400 for this Acer T232HL bmidz 23-Inch or a 27 incher for over $500.  Both 10 point touch and will almost lay flat (most console slope anyway).  Dell's 23-inch model w/ the tres cool base has dropped from $650 to 550 in a couple of months.
 
I'm hoping this winter to have a 23-inch touch screen laying like a console under my 23 inch monitor. Hopefully SONAR X3 will let me adjust the touch screen for size so I can manipulate things with my pudgy little fingers and keep the whole project on the main screen.  For about $300, not including SONAR upgrade.
 
Granted, the Raven looks (and from what I've heard) to be industrial grade yada yada yada and I'd love to have one, but for a tenth of the price I'll just upgrade when my TS drops dead from exhaustion and get a bigger model here at home.
 
@

AT
You need a touch screen that folds flat - umm, just like a console.  They are just now starting to come out (i've been keeping my eye open) at reasonable prices.  $400 for this Acer T232HL bmidz 23-Inch or a 27 incher for over $500.  Both 10 point touch and will almost lay flat (most console slope anyway).  Dell's 23-inch model w/ the tres cool base has dropped from $650 to 550 in a couple of months.
 
I'm hoping this winter to have a 23-inch touch screen laying like a console under my 23 inch monitor. Hopefully SONAR X3 will let me adjust the touch screen for size so I can manipulate things with my pudgy little fingers and keep the whole project on the main screen.  For about $300, not including SONAR upgrade.
 
Granted, the Raven looks (and from what I've heard) to be industrial grade yada yada yada and I'd love to have one, but for a tenth of the price I'll just upgrade when my TS drops dead from exhaustion and get a bigger model here at home.
 
@

  That's my exact setup. I have the 23" Acer mounted like a mixing board under my 23" non-touch screen. I'm extremely happy with it and i feel that it's only going to get better. 
  My 23" touchscreen was $500.00 when I bought it. It's good for those who waited that prices are coming down. 
  I've mentioned in other posts that using the touchscreen for console view is only a part of what it does. Using it to scroll ,zoom ,set loop points etc.. in track view is where it really shines. 
  I don't think you can do that with the Raven. 

I just think that if you have six 24" screens like:
 
[   ][   ][   ]
[   ][   ][   ]
 
Assuming your machine can enable this many touch-screen monitors, you could see a very large console at the resolution that Sonar Skylight displays today. However, with touch, you could swipe the console around if it is larger than the six monitors you see here. Touch needs Skylight graphics to be larger, however. 
Even if you didn't have or use touch, just having a Sonar console spread across multiple monitors like this would be pretty awesome! After all, many studios have room for a 72-channel Neve or less, a 32-channel SSL. Imagine replacing that space with several touch-screens?