(also, formatting not working proper like)

musicjohnnie
Good morning 
One question. Is there a core difference between the now plat, pro, artist. Or just a difference of added features like a difference in car packages?

Complete version chart:
 
http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Versions#start
 
Much of the core engine and tools are the same. Platinum and Professional have more mastering tools, ProChanel, and AudioSnap along with Melodyne. Platinum has a few more integrated tools including VocalSync and Drum Replacer. Also, Professional and Platinum have more instruments and effects.

subtlearts

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]
...
Hopefully June 1st, we can fill in the rest of the story. All of which is very positive for current SONAR customers as well as those who are new to SONAR. 

Andrew, please rest assured that many of us have considerable faith in CW at this point, based on how things have been handled so far, for a long time and with very few exceptions... so while some of us may indulge in speculation - it's human nature, I'm sure you knew it would happen - and while there are certainly those who seem determined to find the dark conspiracy hidden in everything... a lot of us are just excited to see what's coming down the pipeline!

This is why I told you guys not to share the email or link :)

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

pwalpwal

Anderton

RD9
This is not the first time CW marketing tactics have created chaos with incomplete or unclear announcements and I am beginning to think they like watching the customers squirm.  From what I can see, though, you are doing your best to combat this and have always been an advocate for the customers so please accept my thanks.

I know what you're saying, but note the way this was rolled out...a specific offer to a specific group of people, who were asked not to post it on the forum. It was probably naive to think it wouldn't get posted, but it was, and unleashed a flurry of speculation (most of which is spectacularly wrong, but...it sure gives a great idea of what people have as their prioritized "wish lists," as opposed to just feature requests!).

the way this was rolled out?? i'm with rd9: andrew started this thread, before any emails were sent - an invitation for speculation if ever there was one - so it's hardly surprising that once a splat user received the secret email that they would share it here to end the speculation, especially if the request for confidentiality wasn't obvious in the email - andrew's been playing this marketing game for years, surely he's not so naive to think it wouldn't go as it has? i also agree with the "chaos" suggestion. since x3 there have been several business/distribution models already:

regular major/minor releases

"membership"

monthly updates

via steam

early access (a la steam)

lifetime updates (a la image line)

this seems to imply that each model, in turn, didn't deliver whatever the business needed, hence the change to another model...however, i disagree that it was deliberately to see customers squirm, that's just an unfortunate side-effect/fwiw/imho/etc 

Well Steam is just another channel. I guess you can see it as change, but maybe change is good. Means we are listening and fine-tuning. You have to listen to customers. Anyone here going to argue lifetime isn't better than renewal? Given that the updates are the same for both group. 

thanks for replying, and yes fair enough, steam is just another channel
good luck!

The Grim
the request for confidentiality was quite obvious

fair enough - i didn't see the email myself, i got that impression from a couple of forum posts

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]
Customers who have not renewed this year or ever upgraded to Platinum will also get a very nice offer to participate. 

 
Since we can already see a discounted price in the now well-known webshop link, can we assume this is actually already that offer (except that it has not been communicated yet) ? Or is there a chance that by June 1, the offered price will be different ? At the moment, some people are seeing $149 or $199 depending on their history. I'm in the $199 camp (or Euro equivalent) as I only jumped to SPlat in December, and I'm definitely not complaining about that deal either. 
 
 

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]
 
Pay only for optional add-ons and content
...
Clearly stated, you will not have to pay for any future updates for SONAR. Everything we put into SONAR, you receive. You continue to get the rolling updates, only they don't expire after a year. That also means you never have to pay for bug fixes (a long time gripe). You will only pay for optional stuff that we release that is not part of SONAR. We do that today as well. Z3TA+ 2, CA-2A, Rapture Pro, Videos, Expansion Packs, Third party products are all available as add-ons and for purchase separately. It was important to distinguish that so people don't think they get everything Cakewalk releases. Since we started this new model of rolling updates last year, there have always been the naysayers who had their reservations. 

 
I keep getting confused about this piece and have not seen a clear answer. If that question will be addressed post June 1, fair enough, but would at least like to get some indication.
You make it sound here as if there is no change compared to today wrt add-ons/content, and that all those will be available as separate purchases. However, until now, Sonar has always come with additional content and in fact the difference between Artist/Pro/Plat is mostly in the bundled extras. In fact a few posts higher, you acknowledge that yourself. Even in the monthly updates some stuff was thrown in and some was only available for Pro/Plat or even Plat alone. Can we expect this to happen in the future as well where some select content (even if it's just light versions) will be thrown in for free for members ?
 
 
 
 

If you are still having issues getting emails, send me a PM. We fixed a lot of issues this week but if you are having a problem, send me a note.
 

subtlearts

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

subtlearts
Andrew, please rest assured that many of us have considerable faith in CW at this point, based on how things have been handled so far, for a long time and with very few exceptions... so while some of us may indulge in speculation - it's human nature, I'm sure you knew it would happen - and while there are certainly those who seem determined to find the dark conspiracy hidden in everything... a lot of us are just excited to see what's coming down the pipeline!

This is why I told you guys not to share the email or link :)

And I didn't. But I - like what seems like rather a lot of others here - wouldn't have seen that email if someone hadn't leaked it. OK, maybe I would have gotten it a couple of days later if/when you figured out that many of us who had updated this year but through some other channel, weren't seeing it. But I don't think there's any avoiding the fact that there seems to be something fundamentally amiss with your email / newsletter / list / database / server or whatever it is. You spent most of a day, along with other members of the team, updating users' settings and sending emails that in most cases theoretically should have gone out automatically. The extra effort is much appreciated, but maybe tracking down the deeper issue that seems to prevent people who have signed up for emails from actually getting those emails, might be time well spent. Just sayin'... 
 
In any case, while this episode has been instructive on many levels, and maybe could/should have been predicted, and clearly created a lot of unexpected work and management (some might call it Damage Control), it has also resulted in a bunch of people who otherwise might not have gotten the message, sending you a bunch of money. So that part worked out at least! 

You'll be happy to know that this indeed did help us tighten the process and we fixed thousands of records. And I was just kidding, thus the :)

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]
If you are still having issues getting emails, send me a PM. We fixed a lot of issues this week but if you are having a problem, send me a note.
 

PM sent
Kenny

Hey bakers I didn't tell anyone or post anywhere.  Don't you think that I should get a bigger discount

michaelhanson

Anderton
My sense is that Cakewalk has been totally taken aback by the response. I think they intended a quiet sort of "thanks loyal users" by giving them an option before the main announcement on June 1, but like a wildfire, it spread rapidly.  

 
 
I'm surprised by the response as well.  I will say it, if no one else will.  Thank you Cakewalk for offering this up to loyal long time users.  My experience since starting with Cakewalk back in 2004; they have always strived to listen to the customers and work towards the best end product.  
 
I will be purchasing this Life Time offer the first week in June.  Not because I feel I need to wait and see what the "Big News" is; but because it will be pay day.   

Nah, isn't that like saying "I love you" when you propose to your wife - and then never again.
What kind of relationship is that?
 
I want to pay over and over again....it's saying ILY CW over and over...

reactorstudios
Despite signing up for the list roughly annually for most of the last decade, I have never received an email from Cake. Please put me on the list of accounts that need to be checked.
Thanks.

Please also include me in emails.