abacab
Your ideas and dreams are great, except for one thing.
 

Yep, I have always had these ideas and dreams about Cakewalk. It's my life's dream that someday I will throw away my Mackie MCU for a newly introduced Sonar Controller.
 
I dream, I dream. 

3 companies has proved it make no sense to make CW dedicated devices: Peavey, Roland and Nektar
 
I have spend a lot of time to find the reason: close to no one really want it. In fact anyone can integrate any Control Surface with Sonar, as deep as supported by Sonar. And I speak not about AZ Controller (which make that task significantly simpler), I speak about CW SDK which exists much longer. Several people was brave and have used the opportunity. Several more use the result. To make such project commercially successful, you need more (probably much more) then 1k customers.
So I do not think anyone want to commit commercial suicide just because someone has a dream about "high end" (I do not think such definition even exist in audio production world... it comes from selling digital cables for over $100...).
 
Note that SSL with its Nucleus, the device with $5k price tag, have decided to not spend the money (for dedicated Sonar integration). For sure they could sell 100+ more devices with it (with at least $1k interest per unit).

Keith Albright [Cakewalk]

Audioicon
I appreciate all the input. First, this post has nothing to do with Pro-tools. I mention Pro-tools because they have dedicated hardware for their Software, Motu (Digital Performer).

Gibson owns Cakewalk, they also own Tascam, so why will it be far fetched to make a dedicated Interface or Hardware for Sonar?

Dedicated Hardware means better integration and less problems for users.

 
There was this:
http://forum.cakewalk.com...US2x2-In-m3550197.aspx

Sure but more on the upper side. Like even mid-range interns of connectivity.

There are various combinations of why you are unlikely to get a dedicated sonar hardware:

1. Sonar is not a hardware company. Many forget that it was Digidesign's hardware that pushed their product protools into prominence and not the other way around. Presonus, a hardware company has taken the plunge into software and even they have made the choice to make hardware usable by most.

2. More and more hardware works fairly well with multiple systems, making the market limiting dedication to one product less advantageous. The nektar keyboard controller works damn near as good as a proprietary device for multiple daws.

3. Sonar is more of an all arounder DAW than a specialized product. A product like Ableton gains far more functionality with a dedicated controller than Sonar or most major DAWs. The most common functions to a DAW are available on any decent control surface. With the nektar controller ( a relatively inexpensive option) I can create new tracks, arm, record, select tracks, control vst instrument settings, control effect parameters and so much more with minimal setup. Ableton, being more of a performance platform than traditional DAW requires it to have needs not really covered by generic controllers.

4. Sonar simply doesn't have the demand for such a product. For many sonar users having such a product may not do much more for them than current setup. When Roland owned company, some purchased controllers that were designed to work well with sonar and results and response were underwhelming. Not dismissing product. It was actually decent, but not so good that it was viewed as must have to enhance sonar experience in way that was significant.

5. The idea that Tascam division of Gibson could somehow create such a product seems farfetched, considering the struggles it has had in recent years. Big roll of the dice for a struggling company to do for a product that may not have the demand necessary to warrant such a risk. Besides, when companies like Gibson acquire companies like sonar and tascam, the level of integration rarely becomes complete enough for fortunes to merge so tightly.

Ok I am the Optimist - they told the Wright Brothers they could never fly; thought the world was flat; never thought we would have electricity;  etc....    Never, say never...

you will never have flying magical monkeys emerge from your butt singing the sound of music.  So, yes, you can say never at times with reasonable certainty. Yes, it is possible someone may develop "high end" hardware specifically for Sonar, but unless something changes where Sonar develops such a unique function set that requires proprietary functionality not available on existing hardware or sonar dominates the professional market in he way pro tools has over the last three decades, it is probably not a wise business move. 

dubdisciple
you will never have flying magical monkeys emerge from your butt singing the sound of music.  So, yes, you can say never at times with reasonable certainty.

Oh snap!!

You know, that may become a hit.

The problem is:
Yesterday Cakewalk was "by" Roland.
Today Cakewalk is by Gibson and the Roland VS-700 gets no windows 10 drivers.
Tomorrow Cakewalk leaves Gibson and is by xxxx.
And then the Gibson and Tascam controller will get no drivers for upcoming windows updates.
So I think the best what Cakewalk can do is to make their software compatible with the common protocolls to other hardware. Or integrate them like the Console 1.
 

THambrecht
The problem is:
Yesterday Cakewalk was "by" Roland.
Today Cakewalk is by Gibson and the Roland VS-700 gets no windows 10 drivers.
Tomorrow Cakewalk leaves Gibson and is by xxxx.
And then the Gibson and Tascam controller will get no drivers for upcoming windows updates.
So I think the best what Cakewalk can do is to make their software compatible with the common protocolls to other hardware. Or integrate them like the Console 1.

That in it self is extremely disturbing. 
Something tells me, there will be others but I'll try to keep the focus on my original post.

Audioicon

dubdisciple
you will never have flying magical monkeys emerge from your butt singing the sound of music.  So, yes, you can say never at times with reasonable certainty.

Oh snap!!

You know, that may become a hit.

Permission to use lol