Gentlemen, it seems as if we're doing a lot of early worrying here.
As Windows 8 approaches there will likely be an entirely new set of problems.
We'll need new drivers and patches and who knows if and when those will get written.
 
Personally I'd like to upgrade my computer to a multi core i7 but don't want to until 8 and X2 and the V 700 are copasetic.
 
And I've been a Roland Cakewalk stalwart for decades.
WSS
 

Steve after watching the X2 videos tonight it is pretty clear that the 700C is really not the focus if you want to achieve in Sonar. It's completely changed my point of view watching that webinar.... X2 has left the 700C (as originally featured) behind IMO and the surface is never going to nimbly navigate all that function... if it did, why didn't Seth and Brandon use it? Mouse is clearly the quicker option in general apart from the obvious basic duties etc....

I was impressed by X2 to the point I have now bought the upgrade and wish to focus on the music and to that effect will sell of the 700 set if it frustrates me again and will go back to something more universal so the interface frustration no longer gets in the way of the process of making the dang music.

'Copasetic' (nice word BTW) is an ideal that I think now is behind us along with 8.5 so personally I am cracking a Guinness to the future and giving X2 a run. I can certainly understand your comments....time to leave the past behind and sell off if it gets that maddening again.

Cheers for now.

Has anybody actually contacted Cakewalk and asked what's up with the VS700? I'm looking at all the gripes and feature requests and the fact that the software is fast out-progressing the hardware, and I just have to ask, what does it take to integrate hardware to new software? and visa versa? People want the buttons to all line up from software interface to hardware interface, they want every new plugin to conform to the hardware configuration. You'd think it was doable and they'd design with that in mind. At some point in the progression of software, hardware will have to change or we'll have to adapt our veiw. At some point, the common controls and elements aren't going to match anymore. Building hardware to match software is much more involved process. If we want advanced software, we have to realize that hardware may lose some the new functions of that advanced software. The same was true in the advancement of hardware, before there was software.

Hey Mully, watched those too and been blown away as well.

I'll make the move too... and keep hope {insert an ecclesiastic chant with angels decending in light beams to cheer the lost believers who still pray thier lord despite the lack of manifestation of his benevolence}

As you say when you don't find a fitting smiley 

Crg, I think most of us can understand that the hardware is, as it says, "hard", so yes it won't bend and adapt indefinitely.

But the fact is that most features and bugs asked/pointed are based on the current hardware configuration.

If you're refering to the quad curve eq when saying : "People want the buttons to all line up from software interface to hardware interface, they want every new plugin to conform to the hardware configuration."  honestly you have to admit that it was hard not to notice. I, myself, do not look at the console labels when EQing anyway but that's never been the point. This was just an obvious : -lack-of-concern-

Anyway I think that if a prehistoric keyboard and an archaic mouse (both hardware) can achieve such a high level performance in X2, I don't understand why a more evolved tool  like the VS700C could not offer something at least comparable.

I know the vs700C have dedicated buttons that could eventually mismatch, but the basic DAW functions remain the same. I wouldn't type a dissertation with the VS700C but I could clearly see myself dialing-in a low shelf or drag a group of tracks and so for as long as audio will be edited the way we know. I also think that the evolved functions could be added thinking they can be achieved with lesser tools.

To answer your question though, I've already asked to support, in the forum here and everywhere I could think of why there's problems with integration, with no satisfiying answer but I believe in Cake's good intentions, I just still not understand either.

By the way, I've re-read my post before posting and I don't want to sound rude on you or whatever. I know we usually don't agree togheter and you have your point of view which I totally respect. I know you try to stay down to earth and face things like they are which absolutely make perfect sense. I'm also trying to find solutions, in my own way, for something I think we both love. So even if we don't have the same approach, don't think I'm deliberately lacking respect for your perspective, which is not my intention at all.

Till next time 

I think the issue with Cakewalk and the VS700 & X2 integration is this, they are working on fixing the bugs. CW has a time limit to when software has to be released.

Total v700 integration is always gonna be secondary because it's the natural evolutionary process.
The VS bug fixes takes time, issues has to be identified and retested, new issues has to tested and all applied to X2 platform. Many issues aren't known until after the product is released like now. So CW has to release bug fixes post X release. So they are doing what comes naturally which is release a bug fix update that applies to the V700 system right after all the bugs are reported and discovered.
But the million dollar question is will or can CW restore X2 functionality to the legendary functionality of 8.5.3 status.
If CW can achieve that, then I think they would have reached a very significant milestone in performance and technological achievement on their hardware / software X2 platform.
 

Guys all sounds good and balanced and I believe Dyo and I are absolutely on the same page with all this...I can SO relate to your epiphany description mate! [:)} ...classic!

I've moved on (finally I know I know) after seeing how far advanced X2 actually is and it is clearly past the original spec of the 700C. I stated in this forum many months ago about the ideal being the ability to configure the surface as the user saw fit as the ideal solution when X1 was released and that opinion is the same now as it was then.

The hardware has limitations and all of that and if it was a simple fix then it would have been done by now, it isn't and I suspect it won't, so time to move on and Sonar is still the best platform IMO after shopping around. That being said, I have discussed selling the 700 kit to an interested party and if successful, I will be changing over to a universal surface option again so as to not get roped in again like this. Plus the ability to expand faders again will be nice <cue Norrie )

Cheers for now.

Mully

[...] I will be changing over to a universal surface option again so as to not get roped in again like this. Plus the ability to expand faders again will be nice <cue Norrie )

Mully,
I'm glad you don't sound that depressed anymore
 
I just wonder if you convert to another surface and stick to Sonar, it's back to the Mackie protocol emu, isn't it? How tighly an integration will you find there?
 
Anyway, talking about the ability to expand faders: I have 2 old Behringer units lying around that I just hooked up for a test. It took about 3 minutes to have them configured to control channel 9-16 and 17-24. Works in parallel to the VS-700C; no incompatibility problems detected while having that set-up active for a couple of hours ... you probably don't want these cheap & noisy faders in a decent studio environment, but if a 150 EUR toy can work in parallel to VS-700C, I'd expect a similar thing from the professional surfaces. BTW, with that set-up working so easily I might actually plug one of those units in occassionally to control buses or monitor mixes ...
 
Cheers

kday you're a very optimistic person (didn't you use to be on vsplanet?) I do believe that cakewalk staff would have liked to bring the VS system in par as before. But we must remember they have an overseer now called Roland. It may surprise some but this is the way they have moved on every platform they bring to market. They had time through X1 to bring the VS in line, unlike many i find no excuse, it's not like when they build their system and upgrade it that they have to go hunting down a vs system to see if it will work properly. The same way they map functions to a keyboard & mouse they could put to the vc700c. I would even be willing to pay for functionality if they wanted to go this route as this is how important it is to me. I also believe i have the right to rant, belly ache, b!tch n moan or whatever verb or adverb one wants to call it. The amount of $$$ I put into this system allows this and I find it totally unprofessional and inexcusable for a company to take my hard working money and move in this manner. How many times did a cakewalk rep make a post asking us to go to a certain link and vote for the vs system as the best controller, how many times did it win, how many of us did vote as we were proud to have such a system? And now THIS? Lovely. Obama is proof hope doesn't work.

I'm not that optimistic for the ultimate update that will fix it all. I don't believe that CW will ever restore X2 functionality to the legendary functionality of 8.5.3 status.  I'd expect parent company Roland to call the shots - and they stopped distributing the VS-700 (in Europe at least, don't know about the rest of the world). 

So my hope is that CW stuff love their best controller enough to grant it a long life and still bring updates for the VS-700, at least with each 'c' version (like they did in X1c).

There must be a zillion people recording and mixing with the mouse, happy to buy the lastest update and new plugs.  This is where CW makes money and Roland gets their share ... and it's all about sharehoder value, remember?