My apologies if this has been covered elsewhere... I searched the forum for about an hour before writing this post.

I was hoping someone could tell me about how one automates mixes using a Tascam DM3200. We have the firewire card, so the console is the audio interface as well as the control surface. I have audio running through the console, no problem. However, I can't get the DM3200 automation to work. It looks like it is not receiving MTC from Sonar. Is this correct, or should it be receiving timecode? It's possible I set it up incorrectly, the Tascam documentation was written for Sonar 2 I think, so a lot has changed and I wasn't able to completely follow the instructions.

There is *some* level of communication though.  I have midi in and out between the console and PC and the console's transport buttons start and stop Sonar just fine. However, when I move a fader or a pan knob on the console, the level attenuates or pans as it should but that move is NOT reproduced in Sonar (faders and pans stay where they were), leading me to believe that the best method is to use the console's automation and not Sonar's.

Can anyone shed some light on how this is supposed to work (when it's configured correctly) and maybe take a guess at what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!

Nate

Welcome to the forum.
I'm not familiar with control surfaces and I hate to write 'read the manual' but until someone comes along with better advice, check out ACT in the help files.
ACT lets you map control surfaces to functions in SONAR.

Greg 

SONAR Home Studio 6 XL, Focusrite Saffire, not enough space. 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=609446
http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/gregfields 

Thanks, Greg, I may end up going down that road but I'm hoping to hear from someone who has successfully connected a DM3200 so I can find out how much control over Sonar it *should* have. 

Since I've never done this, I don't know if I have gone as far as I can go and it is behaving as it should or whether I've screwed up the config. In other words, I don't have enough info to tell whether I've done it wrong or not. The Tascam documentation is seriously outdated and the Sonar docs are non-specific when it comes to control surfaces.

Here's a question, can Sonar be configured to output MTC? If I could get MTC to the DM3200, automation should work fine. Anyone?

This TASCAM downloads page has some info on using the DM 3200 with SONAR.
http://tascam.com/product/dm-3200/downloads/
According to the Music Creator 6 (SONAR X1'S little brother), it can use MTC, so SONAR X1 should be able to, too.

Greg 

SONAR Home Studio 6 XL, Focusrite Saffire, not enough space. 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=609446
http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/gregfields