AudioFanzine gets it wrong

I don't know whether Cakewalk are interested to know or in fact worry about these things but AudioFanzine have got the wrong impression about the new Cakewalk sales model.

Here's a copied quote from their recent online magazine.

"The other news is the upcoming Pro Tools 12 and a new acquirement policy. You won’t purchase the DAW anymore, but rent it, just like Adobe or Cakewalk have done recently with their software. Various renting options will be available starting from February;"

http://en.audiofanzine.co...ws/a.play,n.19748.html


I'd be just as happy for Cakewalk to delete or lock this thread once they have the info.

They also mention about a pro tools unlimited license and then say you are only able to rent it..

There are people who do not comprehend and make assumptions.
There are people who deliberatly misrepresent.
 
And there are people that listen to the them and beleive it.
 
And some people are genuinely confused by all the accidental and deliberate misrepresentation.

 
If Cakewalk hadn't said a word about the whole thing there wouldn't be any problem.
 
The option to pay in 12 installments could have just showed up in the shopping cart.
 
Would have saved a few thousand posts, bad press and confusion.
 
All this membership business is just a smokescreen.
 

Sanderxpander
I think the name "membership" just makes it confusing. You simply equate it with other memberships in your mind. I realize they had to call it something and a case can be made for "membership" over something else, but it may cause more harm than good.

I think this trend started with X2 and the "Content Club" with the Sonar logo credit card icon... 
http://forum.cakewalk.com...ub-m2682251.aspx 

I noticed a place at the bottom of the article where we could leave a comment. Why not just leave a few comments that cakewalks policy is not a rental program but a buy and keep your license program?

Posted a comment on the article.

I read through this article and I must admit I was intrigued by the offer of Pro tools for free. I went to their website to check it out. Upon further investigation I discovered that they give you 16 tracks to record your projects with. A lot of bells and whistles are included in this free version.
 
However when I began to dig further I discovered some things that to me were just wrong. The biggest deal breaker for me was that anything you record using the free version of Pro Tools can only be stored to their cloud service. You can't store projects on your computer. Second you can only store 3 projects.
 
So if you have any more recording to do other then those 3 projects you got to buy cloud space. How is that free? What good is a software app that I can only use three times then I got to delete my work in order to use it again? To me this is nothing more than a glorified demo version with the purpose of selling storage space on the internet. By the time you are done paying for all your cloud space you could probably own Sonar platinum outright!
 
I say thanks but no thanks. I will stick with Sonar! 

Or, just don't use the word "membership". Really, I don't mind, I'm at peace with the new model and think we older users are getting a good deal out of it at least for this upgrade. But it's clearly demonstrable that people mistake this easily. It's all fine to say they should read better but that doesn't solve the fact that it's causing Sonar undeserved bad press.

One thing to keep in mind is that people who write internet reviews are not necessarily knowledgeable about the thing they are reviewing. There are professional reviewers. I know this because I do some online reviews and articles. I was shocked when I saw my articles posted with those of other tube professionals that didn't have a clue. This lady writes a big article about the history of Marshall amps and when reading it I noticed it was pure bunk. Then I see links to other articles she wrote, including a review of The Real Housewives of Atlanta and a guide to Inns in Boston. 
 
I had to go to the guys that hired me and tell them that I wasn't going to develop content for their web site if they posted it along side of garbage. I thought I'd lose the job, but to my surprise they agreed. I'm sure C.A. has noticed this during his years of online publication.

Tell it brother! 

It's semantics guys...I have not signed up by the way but the subscription model which Cakewalk is offering is rent to own.  It's still a subscription, it still means you are shelling out a monthly instalment-the difference between Adobe, Microsoft and Cakewalk is you own the software at the end-and kudos for Cakewalk for doing this. 
 
But come on fan boy's to think you have some higher moral ground because your digital serfdom package is better than Microsoft's or Adobe, means you really have to think about history and the line "your still ****en peasants as far as I can see" John Lennon for all of you aged between 10 and 30.
 
We are all slowly but surely-yes even me-becoming digital serfs (please sir, can I port the software I have rented to another machine I own...no not unless you sign this in triplicate and uninstall it off your original machine and then use a digital tether to check this has been done) lol.
 
I don't know what the solution is...I understand the Cakewalk need to make money Cakewalk obviously had a cash flow problem...every 12 months a new Sonar would come out, most of the fans would shell out, then that money would dry up.  This makes sense for Cakewalk and for some of you, you too and again....although I call it digital serfdom, at least Cakewalk seem to be the benevolent Lord of their digital lands, although I'm not sure of the new authorization system and what I have been hearing.  After getting a new laptop last week, and having lost a couple of keys, and not being able to authorize Notion 3...via digital tethering, I am concerned.
 
For the record, even though I can be a **** and I have complained vehemently (ADHD/Asperger's-Oh lord please don't let me be understood)-Sonar is by far the most compressive DAW on the market for what I do and to whoever will listen (digital exile lol) and there ain't many these days I trumpet the virtues of Sonar.  The pro Channel is a real boon and used properly can teach proper mixing techniques-allowing you to use "better" console and tape emulators latter, when you figure out how to use these baby steps plugs-same with most of the stuff that Cakewalk bundles with Sonar these days-although some it is starting to look like bloatware, and backdoor advertising.  Ah middle age, that time in life when you would prefer a whole Lamborghini, rather than a carbon fibre one brought as a kit for 10,000 grand...yes it still drives but it's not a whole Lamborghini.
 
For what it is doubly worth...I brought Sonar 2 back in 2002-upgraded to Sonar-6, upgraded to 8, X1-X2-X3, I brought Pyro 1 and 1.5, and Project 5, which I subsequently upgraded to 2.  And I've shelled out for a few Pro effects too.  So I'm a fan, and I have spent my money...perhaps I should be traded up to serf master, I'm intrigued by a couple of the new Sonar things-recallable mixes-now that is neat.  But as always I will wait, and see what transpire...I prefer my upgrades to be cheaper and done at the end of the cycle-It's not the bells and whistles Santa-its how you ride the bike.
 
Sorry, musing as always-ADHD/Asperger's never anyone really to discuss this stuff with but just remember folks, it's still a subscription-semantics and digital serfs!!
 
Ben

Marcus Curtis
However when I began to dig further I discovered some things that to me were just wrong. The biggest deal breaker for me was that anything you record using the free version of Pro Tools can only be stored to their cloud service. You can't store projects on your computer. Second you can only store 3 projects.
 
So if you have any more recording to do other then those 3 projects you got to buy cloud space. How is that free? What good is a software app that I can only use three times then I got to delete my work in order to use it again? To me this is nothing more than a glorified demo version with the purpose of selling storage space on the internet. By the time you are done paying for all your cloud space you could probably own Sonar platinum outright!

^^^THIS is the reason that when people hear new marketing words (even if the meaning is made clear) that they get the feeling that they are getting tricked.
 
This is obviously a way to trick you into using the software "for free", then getting dependent on the "cloud", then paying a fee per month or who knows.
 
CW's plan of course it not the same and is fine.  But I get when peoples radar goes off on "membership" or "subscription" or ??  It's because they think there may be a catch or some future plan that they don't like.
 
 

Well they may find it hard to say "you own it outright". I don't think their legal department would let them say that.  We have a right to use the product we do not own it, though. 
 
Its a fine line but a huge one.

aidanodr
Legal, simple, no ambiguity .. mmm :D

 
If you ever figure out that one, please become the Attorney General. Thank you.