Karyn

Bristol_Jonesey

ston
Come to the UK and drink warm beer and eat chips in the rain!
 
[translation; chips == 'fries', only much better]
 
Have you ever thought of hosting a 'webinar' (or whatever the cool kids are calling it these days)?

Totally agree. 

Chips and mushy peas would be better...

Or you could go north of the boarder and experience the wonders of Haggis with chips and melted (real) cheese
 
Or down to the south east and have Cockles and lukewarm beer. 

Great ideas, all of them, especially the part about how Gibson provides drink vouchers for the events and all the motel stays to and from....I'm sure I saw that mentioned in one of these posts and anyway, the CEO likes surprises, right?
 
Using on-line video somehow, as others mentioned, to involve the other 99% of us who won't make the trip sounds really key. How about hosting an on-line get-together or two (webinars?) beforehand to sort of test the waters and gauge participation for on-line users. The webinars don't need to be about anything too specific, could just be on-line user meetings. If they go well (good numbers), then that will encourage the effort to have the physical meetings and to enhance them with live video.
 
Whether you go on-line or on-road, I hope you consider featuring users' (read, forum members) projects, either in-the-can (download-ready) or in-progress. Related idea, CW could sponsor a forum member artist-of-the-month.

Bristol_Jonesey

Wookiee

Karyn

Bristol_Jonesey

ston
Come to the UK and drink warm beer and eat chips in the rain!
 
[translation; chips == 'fries', only much better]
 
Have you ever thought of hosting a 'webinar' (or whatever the cool kids are calling it these days)?

Totally agree. 

Chips and mushy peas would be better...

Or you could go north of the boarder and experience the wonders of Haggis with chips and melted (real) cheese
 
Or down to the south east and have Cockles and lukewarm beer. 

Or go down to the South West and have a tiddy oggy (small pasty), washed down with farmhouse cider.
 
Then, when if you regain the use of your legs.........

Corrected
 
Now that is pushing it a tad Colin very few non natives can get away with drinking that stuff, I mean you know full well that until the horseshoe has disappeared it is not ready to drink.

HA! michaelhanson! That's true and when I left Texas for New Mexico in '84, NM seemed like yet another country!
 
 

#2 videos would be great for Scotland

Well!! It seems like this has struck a chord on several levels. I received an email from Cakewalk asking what they can do to make this happen, and am email from Henry asking me to write up a proposal for both options. One of the (many) things I love about working with Gibson is that ideas can become reality rapidly.
 
So here are the next steps.
 
Re (1), I'm checking into whether it would be possible to use Gibson's Nashville showroom for a get-together. I don't know if there are legal or zoning issues or whatever...other than that, I can check out the costs for a hotel conference room or something. So this requires further research.
 
Re (2), the most complicated issue is setting something up a "tour" where I could be someplace different every day and be no more than maybe a four hour drive from each other. For example something doable would be Nashville, Bowling Green, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, then back to Nashville...or go west, starting with Memphis. Or north, and move through Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana...but if the tour could be set up in a way that makes sense and fits in a week, this could happen pretty soon.
 
So, here's what I need next for (2).
 
If you would like to be visited (and don't be shy, ideally I'd love to have a range from total beginner to hardcore user), PM me with your location and what day(s) of the week would work best for you. Let me see what the response is and whether the logistics could work. If so, we'll work out the details by PM.
 
And yes, a big part of this would be the videos so others can participate vicariously. (Webinars will probably be part of the mix in the future as well.)
 
THANKS FOR THE RESPONSE!!
 
 

gcolbert
Meh.
Sounds as exciting as a Microsoft Word user's conference with a bunch of Powerpoint presentations on how to type.

 
I think you might underestimate your fellow SONAR users...I run into people from these forums at trade shows, and it's fascinating to find out the many ways people use the program, and some of the techniques they've discovered. I find it inspiring.
 

How about a Gibson 'Music Production' conference where Gibson provides free studio and production resources to (local Nashville?) singer/songwriters (possibly even a few studio musicians) with Cakewalk backing up the effort with production, mastering, and even possibly sessions on CD production (copying, artwork etc.).  The 'Cakewalk Summit' would then center around how to record the various songs that come into the studio, seminars on mixing and mastering those songs, and a sharing of the Sonar Projects to attendees to practice with.  Cool if there would be a couple of big name music producers.

 
That would take several days, a venue, lining up people who could give seminars (and fly them in a well as untangle a nightmare of schedule conflicts), hotel accommodations, a bunch of computers, someone just to manage logistics, and lots of $$$ to cover all of the above. That kind of thing is more the domain of schools with recording classes. I want to do something that's looser, more community-oriented, more guerilla, and have it be fun for all concerned - basically a "live" version of this forum.
 

Craig,
 
You know I'm a BIG Sonar fan (and a bigger Gibson fan).  I've also participated in planning a few international conferences, so I do know just how big a project what I suggested would be (not practical right now).  Please keep it in mind for a couple of years down the road though (I would recommend Bozeman, but Nashville is the right answer). 
 
My post addresses the thing that I think keeps Sonar User events from success.  The attention gets focused on the tools instead of what the tools are for (music).
 
Glen
 

Anderton
I think you might underestimate your fellow SONAR users...I run into people from these forums at trade shows, and it's fascinating to find out the many ways people use the program, and some of the techniques they've discovered. I find it inspiring.

 
That's exactly why all fellow users should start creating video content for Sonar. We all think and work differently so seeing people use certain features in unique ways is great for the community. I'm thinking of eventually doing some myself, but it'll be geared toward Hip Hop production.

gcolbert
Craig, are you thinking about putting out a call for papers/presenters?

Whoa! Gotta walk first before we can run. I just threw out (1) as a low-key. local event and (2) as something based on Fidelity Music's thinking: "We all think and work differently so seeing people use certain features in unique ways is great for the community." If I'm there with a video camera, then we can capture the content.
 
If these work out and the process grows organically, I'd be totally onboard with that.

Yea, keep I loose.  I think many would get just not a kick but some knowledge of how other people track and mix.  That is the great missing piece we lost with the loss of the big studios.  Not just great hardware, but the apprenticeship and just exchanging techniques.  And of course, how we can do it in SONAR.
 
@

gswitz
I like the idea Craig. To tell the truth, I'm a bit of an introvert, but I want to support you and Cakewalk. While I'm not sure what I'd get out of a trip to some other town to sit around with other people who sit around listening to music, I'm game to try anything once.
 
:-)
 
I'll do my best to make it if you host it.

Well, at least you'll be with other introverts 

Great idea(s) Craig. I'm in Nashville, definitely more of a hobbyist, but it would be cool to connect...

Great ideas! I'm in Tulsa, but with enough advance notice, I'd be willing to make the 8-hour drive to Nashville. I usually learn something new when watching video of others using Sonar, so there should be tons of learning with a group of people in one room together sharing their skills with the program.

I think the real question is "Which to do first?"
 
The one day "y'all come visit, now" would be easiest to organize the soonest. I think the required minimum number of participants could be met for most times of the year.
 
Have CW send an email message to poll for preferred dates, this will get the question to more users.
 
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, have the tour planners working on the drive-about.
 
Many years ago one of the CW dudes visited Lansing. It was well attended given we did not have a user's group to help coordinate. And it was only for a couple of hours. It was a quick overview of the new version of Sonar. Too short to ask many questions. It was hosted by a local music store in their 50 seat performance room.
 
I will pay for a full day of demonstrations of Sonar, some Tascam equipment,...  Hold it in Detroit which is drivable for me. Chicago would require an overnight, so I would go there for a two event.
 
Lansing would be less expensive, easier to get around, and is within driving distance of about 7 million Michigan residents. Gotta be enough attendees to pay for at least a day. Work with the local music stores (Marshall Music), and national stores (Guitar Center is less than an eight mile from Marshall), make it part of a Gibson/Tascam/Cakewalk national tour and Bob's Yer Uncle.
 
I would attend such even if THE CRAIG was not present.
 
Many years ago (for three years) we hosted a three day event for Custom Installers in the Union Building on the MSU campus in East Lansing. Relevant vendors came to demonstrate and provide in-depth training. Around 100 dudes attended. This paid for the building, the banquet (with speaker) and some of the daily refreshments. It was less crazy than the big shows and all left having learned and connected.
 
So I vote for all three.
 
My main concern is exhausting THE CRAIG and exposing him to the additional dangers found outside his place of confinement.