dougalex

Success! I am now using TouchDAW (wireless control surface on Android phone) to control Cakewalk transport, and now, I can also set the loop range (the loop range was the part I was struggling to figure out). I realize now this is done fairly simply using the "pick list" of commands in the "Cakewalk control surface setup screen" that can be assigned to Function buttons: e.g. F1 Set "from selection" to Now F2 Set "thru selection" to Now F3 Set loop to selection

So, to be clear, with your Mackie, can you (completely remotely) set a selection range like this scenario: 1] Pause, the transport somewhere in the song, and set "beginning of range" at that point 2] Play forward a bit, and pause transport, and set "end of range" at that point No matter what the buttons are called ("Modifier keys", "Selection Keys") they still have to send "generic control surface commands"that Cakewalk understands, right? I am trying to determine if the Mackie has some proprietary commands that: a) Cakewalk responds to (of course), but, b) other controllers cannot produce those same special commands.

If you don't mind, might be good to edit the original post to correct that. I found myself googling for 5 minutes before I gave up? Might help others avoid that rabbit hole. Thx

So you can set/edit the loop region with the Mackie MCU? If so, I think that means I can do it with TouchDAW. Can you tell me more of how you do it with the Mackie MCU, then maybe I can extrapolate to TouchDAW. FYI, here is a video on using TouchDAW with Cakewalk

I have tried but do not not yet find a way to set a loop range by defining custom function buttons on a control surface. Anyone know of a way to set loop start and end points using a control surface?

I think scook covered it. I will just add: Cakewalk by BandLab is same as Sonar Platinum, EXCEPT that Cakewalk by BandLab is EVEN BETTER, because there are new features/improvements that have been added, and it appears that further development/support is now ongoing. I kept using Platinum way too long (before switching to CbB) because I had presumed CbB was a "light" version of Cakewalk Sonar. I am extremely happy with Cakewalk by Bandlab, because the DAW I know best is "alive and well". And the amount of excellent Youtube tutorials for Cakewalk by Bandlab is tremendous. Not to mention there is a plethora of older Cakewalk Sonar Youtube tutorials that are still relevant.

For live performance, definitely check out https://gigperformer.com/ I did gigs with Cakewalk Sonar starting in 2013 (because I knew Sonar so well, but of course it was not suited well at all for "live gig" situation), then I was much happier after switching a true "live VST host and song/setlist manager" which was Brainspawn Forte (until they ceased development), and now, Gig Performer is my choice for "live VST host and song/setlist manager".

[Ignore my question/comment: "Is this using CAL? I cannot find this possibility in custom key bindings."] Because I figured it out. Problem was I did not know the "title" I was looking for in key bindings. The title that actually does what I wanted was: "Go to start of this measure or start of prior measure" and "Go to end of this measure or end of next measure"