cparmerlee
It is a starting point.  It looks pretty near worthless in its present implementation.  But one can certainly imagine many time saving gestures in the future.  Have a look at the kind of integration in StaffPad already.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR7HAKmAdhs.

So it seems like I am alone with the feeling that all demonstrations of "extended" features with this Thing are rather "artificial" (including StaffPad video).
 
I mean anything above "push+turn", as in Simon's video, has some tension and rather impractical.
F.e. "copy/paste"... this thing is big! How someone can precisely point what to copy and where to paste?
Can someone select something faster by pushing + turning the Thing then just with "2 fingers touch" (right mouse button) + "1 finger touch" (required item)?
 
On "real" DAW Control Surface, you just move the hand to different control. There is nothing in the hand and you do not normally even look at the device (controls are "real").
With "normal" touch sensitive operations, you move the hand to required position and immediately have a set of gestures.
This Thing should be moved by your hand, to correct position (again, it is not transparent and it is big...) and the only operation you have is "turning".
 
So I think that is not only a starting point, it is also the end point. There was many attempts to put more controls on normal mouse. Still most devices have just one wheel and 2-4 buttons. This "new" thing is just yet another wheel, for which you need an "extra" hand. Supporting more then one mouse could be more exciting then that...

Thanks for this, looks really interesting.
I agree a mouse is possibly the most flexible controller, but I (like many others) have to limit mouse usage due to RSI.
On the video I saw you using the mouse/touchpad to select a control, and then adjust it with the Dial - that is of interest to me (and could be enough to persuade me to look at upgrading from X3 to SPLAT).
I also use a touch screen, and my biggest frustration is that on many of the Sonar (X3) screens, you can't 'select' objects/controls using touch. In Windows OS a screen 'touch' is different to a mouse 'click' - and while some software respond to both in similar ways, others (including Sonar) don't.
Is this any different in SPLAT? With a touch screen and Dial, could I select a parameter using onscreen touch, and then adjust it with the Dial?
 
On a different (but related) note - as more an more software companies (hopefully) develop for the Dial technology, I wonder if other hardware vendors will release 'compatible' (competitive?) products? I was going to as about this: https://contour-design.co.uk/product/shuttlexpress/
but I've just done a quick search and found other threads about Shuttle products, so I won't ask you to reopen old wounds/threads :)
  
Really positive to see Sonar developing for these new technologies - they won't suit everyone, but hopefully Sonar will continue to keep 'ahead of the game' in the areas of touch screen and other controls......
 

thanks simeon! think I may have to buy one of these things

I think I lean towards azlow3's view on this, myself. It's a cool gadget and all, but for DAW use, I feel like it wouldn't speed me up any. I've already got a control surface with a transport wheel, and that's about the only thing I can imagine using this for on any regular basis. It's cool that you can adjust the volume with it once you've clicked on the volume, but on the other hand, once you've clicked on the volume, you're already there, and can just move it with the mouse.
 
All that said, I expect someone more ingenious than me will come up with interesting uses for it. But it does seem more suited to what it was clearly designed for, which is an artist's tool, with the pen in one hand and this in the other.
 

azslow3

cparmerlee
It is a starting point.  It looks pretty near worthless in its present implementation.  But one can certainly imagine many time saving gestures in the future.  Have a look at the kind of integration in StaffPad already.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR7HAKmAdhs.

So it seems like I am alone with the feeling that all demonstrations of "extended" features with this Thing are rather "artificial" (including StaffPad video).

I don't know.  It seems that with Staffpad, at least some of the gestures could save more time than they take.  It clearly is not revolutionary at this stage.  I see zero value for this thing without a very large touch surface, such as with the Studio.  The only way it can save some time, it seems to me, is if placing it on the screen surface quickly selects a context.  I see how that can work in a painting app.  It isn't so clear to me that this will be so useful in a DAW.
 
One of my displays is touch sensitive already and I practically never use that.  It is more trouble to pick up the stylus than it is to just to the operation with the mouse. And if I had a real control surface, that would be even faster.

cparmerlee
 The only way it can save some time, it seems to me, is if placing it on the screen surface quickly selects a context.  I see how that can work in a painting app.  It isn't so clear to me that this will be so useful in a DAW.

Exactly, yes. The "click, them select a context, then click again, then use" is a really slow usage model. If I could be sliding it around in a really intuitive way to go from EQ to jog wheel to compressor and so on, that would be amazing.

Great video Simeon!
While the dial isn't a step up for someone who already owns a professional control surface there are several cool things about it. You have to try it out to appreciate its use and convenience since its not that obvious. I find it especially useful with a laptop alongside the touch support in SONAR.
 
1. Direct integration into Windows 10 via the Dial API makes this work in any application that supports it (including Windows itself obviously) so you get a lot of bang for your buck. 
2. Its wireless via bluetooth unlike most other one knob style control surfaces from the past which makes it easier to use with laptops.
3. It has haptic feedback which is handy for discovering limits of controls
4. On screen placement support on supported display surfaces like the new Surface Pro and Surface Studio. (Less useful on Surface Pro since the screen is small)
5. Programmable per application custom tool menus from by pressing and holding the dial button.
6. Our work to support dial will works for any device that supports the dial API in windows. This includes the Totems that work with the Dell Canvas.
 
All in all there is a lot of functionality packed into that one knob. Its a lot more flexible than the prior one knob devices that I have seen.
 
BTW there is an interesting product from logitech that includes a surface dial like wheel imbedded into a keyboard. Unfortunately it doesn't appear to use the Dial API as far as I can see.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3220526/computers-accessories/logitech-craft-keyboard-hands-on-price-release-date-features.html
 

Can you control the volume increments of the dial?

soundtweaker
Can you control the volume increments of the dial?

Yes, using the CTRL key while using the dial will make it more precise.


 

Thanks Noel and everyone for their comments!
Someone has to be on the bleeding edge of things and I love being that guy when I can. I love to get conversations started about potential and see something amazing come out of it hopefully.
 
I am excited to see where this might go. I am approaching this as one who does not currently have a control surface so having a compact physical control is nice. There is so much that can be packed into the "Radial" menus. I sort of think of the DIAL as a supercharged shortcut key/control. I am hoping that there will be enough interests for Cakewalk to continue pursuing this. I will be the first in line to check it out. :^)