I would not trust Sonar live. I love it and all but there is just no way and especially X2 with its unpredictable nature. If it bugs out on me in the studio that is easily remedied. On stage... that would be brutal. I don't think I'd trust any DAW live though except maybe something very basic running through a Mac. Hardware looping gear would probably be a better solution.

Thanks Dorism and Beepster - good points to ponder indeed. From the views already expressed here, I am thinking it is a bad idea to use X2...I have even had Cantabile freeze up on occasions...Maybe I should take the time and try and learn Live. A steep learning curve after having spent all my DAW time using Steinberg (way WAY back) and the Cake/Sonar for about 15 years.
 
All my live work was done using workstation type keyboards with no PC's on stage. But I am now using a controller with VSTi's so I need to re-jig the whole live thing. I am on a "sabbatical" at the moment, so I still have a few months to get it sorted, but sort it I MUST!!
 
I appreciate the good feedback guys, cheers
 
 
 

If you are playing back whole projects that might be problematic but I have a large bundlke file with my already mixed backing tracks - mostly audio and few FX.  I keep alk tracks archive and only archive the ones that I'm currently using.  Works fine on my old laptop  but having wave files loaded by the play list would be much better but it's broken.

Yeah I have the projects as CWBs too. Backing tracks (I am a solo) set up using VSTi's and I play live keys again using VSTi's - all setup as a CWB. I was hoping to then load the cwb's into the playlist tool and go from there.
 
I was having a play around with playlist last night (I am in Oz) and it seemed to stop when it should, and start when it should with the "wait for keypress" set???
 
Can you advise how you had it setup that it was not working at your end? I am not querying your experience at all just trying to find out how it is glitching for you...maybe I have not tested it long enough??
 
But in any case going on the advice from others X2 is perhaps a bit too flaky for sustained and reliable use at a gig - 4 hours non stop basically.
 
Dennis

Yanno, if you've been using Sonar for that long perhaps you could use one of the older versions instead of the X series (I'm assuming you still have access to those older versions). I've never used it but I've seen lots of folks praise 8.5 as quite stable and it might reduce possible resource issues. If you needed any effects that are X series only you could just render them directly onto the wave files... which would probably be a good idea anyway to take extra variables out of the equation. Just a thought.

hmmm...yes I do have them..plus some Home Studio versions as well 8.5 did always seem rather solid to me. I have not installed to the laptop yet so maybe 8.5 might be the ticket
 
Thanks

Cool. I'd be interested to hear how well it works out for you. Cheers.

If it works out okay, I might even head back to 8.5 on the "big box" as well!! I do have fond memories of 8.5 sigh!!!

i've used x1 on several occassions.  my setup consists of about 6 synth tracks that i switch between via changing my keyboard controller's output channel.  i'll have a couple of audio tracks my collaborator writes.  live fx as well.  also, matrix cells for triggering special fx.  i open all the song cwps first and test midi in and out with them backstage, then all i have to do is carry my laptop and controllers onstage and plug in my audio interface.  i've been re-creating the sets in x2 and not many a glitch that could not be figured out.  most sets are about 45 min.  the only problem i had was when i was practicing with a guitarist one time and my system bugged on me, so i rebooted.  he broke a string and changing it took longer than it took me to get running again. 
 
the most recent incarnation i'm using sonar live in is a three computer setup, all networked.  sonar and pure data runs on one, with several vsts including reaktor to process and send osc controls.  the other is a mac with pure data set up  and a couple of audio and midi tracks in garage band.  the third is an old win 7 machine with reason and pure data on it.  
each computer uses pure data to read and analyze webcam data (the machines are in separate rooms tracking different people/objects) and send it to the other machines via rtpmidi, where those pure data (or reaktor) programs send interpreted info to one or both of the other machines.  (note- this is for an art installation a friend and i are working on - not a concert).  we had it running at a party recently for about 3 hours without a hitch in any of the systems.  sonar was recording midi the whole time, and all the pure data components were writing osc parameters to script files.  
 
i've never done any of this without at least a five hour test run in one sitting beforehand, though.  if you know what your show is going to be like - do a dry run.  i got some feedback in the forum that basically said "DON'T DO IT!!! ACK!!!" but i decided to try it for myself - it was the only way i would know.  
 
 

I use the playlist for project management in my studio and playing backing tracks on my gig.  A long standing problem is that auto-load it defaults to "on".  In the studio if I forget to turn it of it loads the first file (with 10-40 gigs of sample data) and then tries to load the next one (with 10-40 gigs of sample data) which brings my system down.  On stage if forget a song starts that I'm not ready for.   So... I had some nice macros that loaded the playlist and turned of the auto-load...until X2 came out and the hot key for auto-load no longer works so neither did my macro.  Also I and others have experienced it auto loading the next song even when auto load is turned off.  And finally after X2 I can no longer scroll beyond the visible window.