It works sometimes for me and then suddenly....it doesn't. Like many have e pressed, I don't try too hard and figure it's probably just me being too lazy/impatient to tweak it.

I also find I have to sometimes set it up again for no apparent reason. 
 
It could definitely use a re-design to be more user-friendly. It's quite convoluted to use the way it currently is.

Never could figure it out. I like the idea. I always ended up giving up and just use midi learn.

Haven't tried it with the X series but I did have limited success with previous versions of Sonar. For plugins it was pretty simple but with the console view and busses it was way too complicated. Especially since the Mackie HUI feature was working fine my control surface at the time (Roland SI24). I've gave up on it get since. To add insult to injury Cakewalk and Novation wont get their "ACT" together and get Automap working with the ProChannel. On a brighter note I am completely happy with Multitouch, my Logictech M570 wireless trackball, my Contour Shuttle Xpress, and a keyboard (shortcuts). No longer need or want ACT, Automap, or the Mackie HUI stuff for mixing. 

I find its implementation to be too flaky for actual use (this is the ACT MIDI Controller, Roland HW that has its own ACT implementation is probably a completely different story).
 
The idea itself is a good one. Propellerhead did essentially the same thing, but actually got it right.  

Unfortunately, ACT is a bit like Audiosnap, VVocal, Notation and a few other features. They get implemented but never updated and all the bugs worked out.

I use ACT to control plugins from the VS-700C and it does work, but is tedious to set up every time
 
many (especially cake plugs) come with random default assignments / ordering of how parameters are exposed to the control surface i.e. you have to change the ACT mapping whenever you want to use it, but then these assignments are not remembered between software restarts or between different projects
 
I did file a problem report on that half a year ago, but it came back saying that this is something support should be able to solve ... but actually support was totally unaware of what ACT does and would it should be doing (i.e. is it a bug or not, what was ACT designed for in the first place) ... so a number of mails back an forth and no solution to anything ...
 
 

Works for me just fine.

ACT Absolutely rocks.
 
If it has one shortcoming it is that it "assigns" hardware controls to fx widgets in the order that the fx developer provides them which may not be logical such as left to right on the GUI you are looking at.
There is not really anything Sonar can realistically do about that so they do provide you with ACT learn
so you can map ACT assignments by fx and that assignment is persisted.
 
Come to think of it, A Clear ACT learn for a particular FX would be nice. As it is now you have to hand edit some XML to do that
 
ACT still rocks though.
 
 

bitman
ACT Absolutely rocks.
 
If it has one shortcoming it is that it "assigns" hardware controls to fx widgets in the order that the fx developer provides them which may not be logical such as left to right on the GUI you are looking at.
There is not really anything Sonar can realistically do about that so they do provide you with ACT learn
so you can map ACT assignments by fx and that assignment is persisted.
 
Come to think of it, A Clear ACT learn for a particular FX would be nice. As it is now you have to hand edit some XML to do that
 
ACT still rocks though.
 
 

 
What type of midi controller are you using ? Roland? 
 So your saying every single time you go to map a knob using ACT all you do is activate ACT twist a knob, the parameter then ACT and your knob is mapped , and this happens every single time as aspected for you? You never have to go into preferences and reset up your midi devices? EVER?