hey Bruce -
 
The lighting software is set up so that each song is a separate cue stack (basically a series of sub-cues). Each cue stack is assigned a unique MIDI note (D2 for example), and once that cue stack has been called, the next note up (D#2 in this case) is the GO command to step through the sub-cues. In addition, Sonar sends controller info that gets translated into DMX to directly control the pan/tilt/color of a given fixture.
 
With direct cue activation, I don't need to send timecode to lighting, but video land does get timecode. Sonar is the master - it sends timecode to Vegas, but we haven't noticed any sync problems that seem to be an issue in your case. Once in a while, Vegas misses the start command, and I'll have to stop & restart playback in Sonar to wake up Vegas. I have a "cigarette burn" about 1 second into the beginning of the video track so I know if there's a problem before any sound/lighting/video happens. But as long as Vegas plays nice at the start, it stays locked throughout a 2+ hour show.

One thing that may help you with sync issues is making sure the sound cards on both machines are slaved to the same clock. Alongside the MIDI feed from Sonar with timecode, I also send wordclock from the master clock to the machine hosting Vegas even though there's no audio coming from that computer. That way, 1ms on one machine equals 1ms on the other, and even if somehow the timecode drifts, the machines should freewheel identically (or close enough to stay in sync till the timecode stabilizes).
 
Hope that helps!

Tenfoot quote:
There really isn't any another sync enabled DAW software that allows you to load a setlist on the fly (loading whilst a project is playing) utilising entire native projects containing both midi and audio. A really undersold feature I believe.
 
Tenfoot:
How do you load a setlist on the fly?  I loaded a playlist and then while it was playing, it wouldn't let me load another playlist.  I could only choose + and load another single song and that would be awkward while playing along.  
 
Also, do you ever experience the problem where when a playlist is done playing and you want to exit, Sonar thinks you changed something in the songs and asks if you want to save them?  As a result, they don't unload from memory when they're done playing.  I've searched the forum for a fix for this and haven't found any.  I believe the songs that have automation cause this.  I think the Bakers should add an option to avoid this.
 

kicksville
hey Bruce -
 
The lighting software is set up so that each song is a separate cue stack (basically a series of sub-cues). Each cue stack is assigned a unique MIDI note (D2 for example), and once that cue stack has been called, the next note up (D#2 in this case) is the GO command to step through the sub-cues. In addition, Sonar sends controller info that gets translated into DMX to directly control the pan/tilt/color of a given fixture.
 
With direct cue activation, I don't need to send timecode to lighting, but video land does get timecode. Sonar is the master - it sends timecode to Vegas, but we haven't noticed any sync problems that seem to be an issue in your case. Once in a while, Vegas misses the start command, and I'll have to stop & restart playback in Sonar to wake up Vegas. I have a "cigarette burn" about 1 second into the beginning of the video track so I know if there's a problem before any sound/lighting/video happens. But as long as Vegas plays nice at the start, it stays locked throughout a 2+ hour show.

One thing that may help you with sync issues is making sure the sound cards on both machines are slaved to the same clock. Alongside the MIDI feed from Sonar with timecode, I also send wordclock from the master clock to the machine hosting Vegas even though there's no audio coming from that computer. That way, 1ms on one machine equals 1ms on the other, and even if somehow the timecode drifts, the machines should freewheel identically (or close enough to stay in sync till the timecode stabilizes).
 
Hope that helps!

Thanks Conrad - I will certainly give the additional wordclock sync a try.
 
Are you are using some kind of mid to DMX converter to control the Pan/tilt via midi CC that is additional to your DMX controller? I ask because I too use midi notes to trigger DMX scenes and cues but up to this point have had to rely on the DMX controllers oscillators for pan and scan speeds, which is really fidly. I would love to be able to use midi CC to control these.
 
Thanks again for the info Conrad. You are a genleman and a scholar!

craigr68
Tenfoot quote:
There really isn't any another sync enabled DAW software that allows you to load a setlist on the fly (loading whilst a project is playing) utilising entire native projects containing both midi and audio. A really undersold feature I believe.
 
Tenfoot:
How do you load a setlist on the fly?  I loaded a playlist and then while it was playing, it wouldn't let me load another playlist.  I could only choose + and load another single song and that would be awkward while playing along.  
 
Also, do you ever experience the problem where when a playlist is done playing and you want to exit, Sonar thinks you changed something in the songs and asks if you want to save them?  As a result, they don't unload from memory when they're done playing.  I've searched the forum for a fix for this and haven't found any.  I believe the songs that have automation cause this.  I think the Bakers should add an option to avoid this.
 

 
Hey Craig. You are right about loading whole playlists. I should have been clearer.  I meant that you are able to load projects on the fly into the paylist and cue them whilst another project is playing.
 
With regards Sonar playlist registering changes to projects where there are none, I have had that issue once, and it was caused by a particular VST plugin after a Sonar update. I can't recall now exactly which plugin it was, but I reported it to Cakewalk and it was fixed in a later update. Is there a common factor in all of the projects it happens to? FWIW I use automation in project's, but they do not cause the dreaded asterix of change to occur when using the playlist. On the other hand, perhaps it is a particular type of automation that I am not using that is causing the issue.
 
 

hey Bruce -
 
The MIDI controller to DMX translation is handled by the lighting software, Light Factory. Lighting isn't my department so I can't tell you exactly how the programming side of it works, but I know that's a feature of the program. The LD tells me which controller number to use to make the pretty light spin, I send the controller, and the light spins.

Hey Conrad. Haha - sounds like the perfect arrangement:) I will check out Light Factory.

Craig:
Also, do you ever experience the problem where when a playlist is done playing and you want to exit, Sonar thinks you changed something in the songs and asks if you want to save them?  As a result, they don't unload from memory when they're done playing.  I've searched the forum for a fix for this and haven't found any.  I believe the songs that have automation cause this.  I think the Bakers should add an option to avoid this.
 
I see you posted this yesterday so you are forgiven ;) 
 
I've not yet looked into lighting but it's on my wish list as I used a Yorkville system back in the 90's that was midi controlled,, it was just a colour change pretty basic. 

I had no clue what you were talking about until I read the announcement just now.  Wow, I'm in shock!

Cactus Music
Craig:
Also, do you ever experience the problem where when a playlist is done playing and you want to exit, Sonar thinks you changed something in the songs and asks if you want to save them?  As a result, they don't unload from memory when they're done playing.  I've searched the forum for a fix for this and haven't found any.  I believe the songs that have automation cause this.  I think the Bakers should add an option to avoid this.
 
I see you posted this yesterday so you are forgiven ;) 
 
I've not yet looked into lighting but it's on my wish list as I used a Yorkville system back in the 90's that was midi controlled,, it was just a colour change pretty basic. 

 
I imagine we are all a bit shocked!

Check this out Johnny. You can run it as a VST plugin, but I find it better to run standalone and trigger with midi notes via loopde virtual midi.
 
https://www.enttec.com/products/controls/lighting-controller/dmxis/