I'm admittedly underwhelmed by the slated updates, but am happy about the lifetime, which I bought on announcement.  I despise Apple and am sad that its users will get access to SONAR after killing Camel Audio and making the new Alchemy for Apple users only, but I hope it will be good for Cakewalk.  Aside from lifetime, I deem this a "middling announcement;" certainly not huge.
 
Sad to see no announcement re Matrix View.  I guess it can stay dying in the corner.  At least with my lifetime SONAR updates, I can direct that money to Ableton. I don't want to, but so it goes.
 
I am confused, though, by the push to get people on Platinum, while all slated updates will address all three tiers of the software.  There is nothing unique to Platinum.  I guess lifetime is the only "Platinum-unique" draw for users to continue with Platinum, at least for now.

This is all good. I think that even though many folks (including myself) are long-time PC users using Sonar from back in the early days (90's), but the tech world has changed dramatically in the past 10-15 years. While I still use a windows machine for my music studio (Because Sonar is Windows-only), I have gravitated to both a mac and the various mobile devices that apple makes for other things. Most recently I have started to become an extensive user of an iPad for live performance, and even some scratch-pad recording. The Virtual instruments and sequencing environment on IOS is gradually maturing, and is almost ready  for Prime Time, IMO.  Cubasis and Auria Pro are extremely capable sequencers. But to be able to have Sonar on a Mac and  PC? This is gold, especially if it has eventual integration with IOS, too. Then it is the users choice which platform to use. I know many folks consider Apple the devil, and Big Brother, and all that, and I get it. But their ecosystem, while not perfect, is certainly useful, and since I've become an enthusiast of Apple's consumer products I appreciate their quality and durability (if not the price, LOL). Like it or not, I think Cakewalk has to tap into the MAC world more extensively, not just for the die-hard Mac folks, who have been there forever and (as pointed out in this thread) probably are already committed to the various MAC music software out there, but to folks like me, who in my old age, is slowly converting, or at least adopting Apple's technology and incorporating it into my musical and creative world.
It's about time, I say, and Cakewalk will most likely come out stronger, both financially, and image-wise (which helps the bottom line). I do not believe this will dilute the company's resources, but will potentially open up new revenue streams to support more advanced development. I know how expensive software engineering is; I work for a company that develops proprietary software and services it, too. It's, like Cakewalk, a small local company here in Massachusetts, but it has no support like Gibson. Sonar will be fine, I'm pretty sure. And having a lifetime of updates (even at my advanced age :)) is very cool and will help a lot as Sonar keeps adding more functionality.
I'm looking forward to the improvements mentioned, especially in Take Management and Plug-In load-balancing; these will be huge improvements. I'm happy to wait a while, i don't need constant and instant gratification. I think announcing this now is fine. 
If anything goes wrong with all of this, we will see. I think the user community is very strong and loyal, and if Cakewalk listens to us it can only be of benefit to us as well as to the company.

Rocsee70 The answer above was to go to Sweetwater instead. But we can compare the offering (prices, description, ...) between Sweetwater and JRR to see when JRR has updated theirs. Like I said: new offering has 1 item for 'upgrade from any Producer or Platinum' : http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SonarPltUpSP , so when JRR has a similar one, I'm pretty sure that's the new SKU. Right now JRR has upgrade from X3 Producer, older Producer and Platinum renewal as 3 separate items which indicates old SKUs.

This waiting is burning a hole in my pocket...

Seth Kellogg [Cakewalk]
Just to give a heads up - because I've seen the question come up a few times across our social media channels. 

You will not need to purchase a Windows AND Mac SONAR license, after the OSX Alpha/Beta period.
 
One license to rule them all ... 

This is huge imo. Mac compatibility may not affect me now but there's a good chance it could in the future. The infinite update option is huge. Future updates are looking promising on the Baker's update page. The fact that we had early access to infinite updates watered down the big announcement but certainly didn't diminish the value.
 
Rocky

Jim Roseberry

e.Blue
Ironically, this may be changing soon as Microsoft is finally finishing up a brand new Thunderbolt audio stack which is based around USB 3.1/C and promises to greatly simplify what developers need to do to get their hardware up and running on Windowa 10 PCs.

We have true "PCIe via Thunderbolt support" (right now) under Win10.
You have to be running one of the latest Z170x or X99p chipset motherboards that supports Thunderbolt-3 via USB-C port.  It's now up the the audio interface manufacturers to create the appropriate drivers.
 
The reason for the "lag" on the PC side is simple:
Thunderbolt provides access to the PCIe bus (nothing more nothing less).
We've had (and still have) PCIe slots on the PC.
The only way to access the PCIe bus on any current generation Mac is via Thunderbolt-2.
This is why Apple is pushing Thunderbolt.  
For PC users, Thunderbolt brought nothing new to the table.
Someone here put it eloquently.  "Thunderbolt was a solution to a problem that didn't exist."
In their infinite wisdom , Apple took away PCIe slots and gave their users the same features (albeit lower bandwidth with TB2)... at significantly higher cost.
ie: A Thunderbolt 1TB conventional HD is $200.  That bare SATA drive is about $60.
 
It's easy to see the figures for Thunderbolt audio interfaces and get seduced by the numbers.
But... we've had those capabilities via PCIe audio interfaces for *years*.
MOTU 424 PCIe is an exceptional low-latency performer... as is the Lynx AES-16e/50... as are the RME units.
The only difference is you can connect the Thunderbolt units externally.  That's their only advantage.
 
MOTU now has a "PCIe via Thunderbolt" driver available for their AVB series (for Windows 10).
You'll need a USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter (about $80 - just released this month and out of stock at most places).
 
 

I'm excited for Sonar on Mac but that is a great point about Thunderbolt.  I've had my RME Multiface 2 for a LONG time.  I believe it's the earliest PCIe version, but it's still PCIe.  It was disheartening to see less and less of that interface type on the market.

Photo_G

Rocsee70

Photo_G
Thanks Rocsee70, but that doesn't tell us what the right "SKU" is, so we don't make a mistake...whether buying from JRR or any other distributer.
 
Can someone from Cakewalk help out?

 
The answer above was to go to Sweetwater instead. But we can compare the offering (prices, description, ...) between Sweetwater and JRR to see when JRR has updated theirs. Like I said: new offering has 1 item for 'upgrade from any Producer or Platinum' : http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SonarPltUpSP , so when JRR has a similar one, I'm pretty sure that's the new SKU. Right now JRR has upgrade from X3 Producer, older Producer and Platinum renewal as 3 separate items which indicates old SKUs.
 

But, it doesn't say "lifetime updates" in the Sweetwater description either.  It's not at all clear which purchases Cakewalk will reject, and which ones they will accept for this offer (unless we buy directly, since it's called SONAR Platinum (with Lifetime Updates).
 
G

All purchases from Sweetwater will be fine. They are all set. I am hoping JRR will fix soon. We like them too but they have the wrong SKU up. Might be a time difference thing.

SilkTone
Wow, what a disappointment!! A Mac version that makes absolute zero difference to me, other than knowing SONAR on PC will eventually become the second class citizen. Rolling updates that... we've had for awhile now (am I missing something? What about this is new...?). Announcement of improvements to existing features and a few new features that will be available sometime in the future. Just like we always had announcements of a new features in the past. Confused.
 
I thought I was going to be excited if I waited until June 1st to make my lifetime payment. Now I don't even feel like doing it until the offer almost expires.

I'm in the same boat, Mac version does nothing for me, and the best price they can offer me on lifetime updates is £175! ($252) buying a new license! (why the hell do i need a new license? i have spent £202 ($291) on platinum alone) does not seem like the most loyal customers get the best deals! 

Strategically Cakewalk probably should have waited on announcing lifetime till June 1.  Then comments like Silk Tone's wouldn't be occurring.  Sometimes it's too easy to forget how jaded our society has become.
 
Taken as a whole, these two announcements ARE huge... and definitely the most significant changes to Sonar since I first started with Sonar over a decade ago. Wading thru all the blather, it's nice to see many comments expounding on this.  I can't resist reflecting that those who understand and appreciate what just happened have way bigger brains than those that don't...

Jim Roseberry

e.Blue
Ironically, this may be changing soon as Microsoft is finally finishing up a brand new Thunderbolt audio stack which is based around USB 3.1/C and promises to greatly simplify what developers need to do to get their hardware up and running on Windowa 10 PCs.

We have true "PCIe via Thunderbolt support" (right now) under Win10.
You have to be running one of the latest Z170x or X99p chipset motherboards that supports Thunderbolt-3 via USB-C port.  It's now up the the audio interface manufacturers to create the appropriate drivers.
 
The reason for the "lag" on the PC side is simple:
Thunderbolt provides access to the PCIe bus (nothing more nothing less).
We've had (and still have) PCIe slots on the PC.
The only way to access the PCIe bus on any current generation Mac is via Thunderbolt-2.
This is why Apple is pushing Thunderbolt.  
For PC users, Thunderbolt brought nothing new to the table.
Someone here put it eloquently.  "Thunderbolt was a solution to a problem that didn't exist."
In their infinite wisdom , Apple took away PCIe slots and gave their users the same features (albeit lower bandwidth with TB2)... at significantly higher cost.
ie: A Thunderbolt 1TB conventional HD is $200.  That bare SATA drive is about $60.
 
It's easy to see the figures for Thunderbolt audio interfaces and get seduced by the numbers.
But... we've had those capabilities via PCIe audio interfaces for *years*.
MOTU 424 PCIe is an exceptional low-latency performer... as is the Lynx AES-16e/50... as are the RME units.
The only difference is you can connect the Thunderbolt units externally.  That's their only advantage.
 
MOTU now has a "PCIe via Thunderbolt" driver available for their AVB series (for Windows 10).
You'll need a USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter (about $80 - just released this month and out of stock at most places).
 
 

Thunderbolt on MBP has worked out great. That's all I know. Basically enables me to use my laptop conveniently as I would a desktop. Actually, more conveniently since the laptop is mobile. Via a dock and one cable I can run two external monitors, Motu MTPAV, FireFace 800, external speakers, external hard drives, ethernet (don't really need that since there is no reason to turn off wifi on the mac) etc while keeping everything nicely tucked away. I was totally skeptical to run all this for audio thinking there would be some bottleneck but it's worked out fine.

jpetersen
I thought I read about members successfully runnig Sonar on Mac, using some sort of emulation layer?

Via something called bootcamp, which basically is Windows on the Mac. You have to have a valid copy of Windows and install it. No different than dual booting on a PC. So your not in OS X but Windows. It would be like dual booting between Windows 7 and Windows 10. Not the same as running Sonar natively in OS X.

Zzz

TerraSin
Whether those features are ones you personally use or not is irrelevant.

Respectfully disagree.  This is a product that I pay for, and that, at the very least, buys me the right to voice my opinion and make it known what I'd like to see.  Nobody will argue that they have worked hard, but you don't give trophies to kids on a baseball team because they ran fast in the wrong direction. 
 
Then again... maybe they do.  Bad analogy.

jfcomposer

TerraSin
Whether those features are ones you personally use or not is irrelevant.

Respectfully disagree.  This is a product that I pay for, and that, at the very least, buys me the right to voice my opinion and make it known what I'd like to see.  Nobody will argue that they have worked hard, but you don't give trophies to kids on a baseball team because they ran fast in the wrong direction. 
 
Then again... maybe they do.  Bad analogy.

Except the people I'm talking about are expecting each and every update to be 100% relevant to them. That's just not realistic. We've all spent money on this and we've done it because it's a product that meets our needs better than other products. Voicing your opinion is one thing, being disrespecftul with that voice is a completely different story. Believe it or not, people are capable of debate without insults or discourteous comments.
 
We're all guilty of it. I'm certainly no saint when it comes to making comments that shouldn't be made but I try my best to not trash peoples hard work when I actually see them working hard on it.

Definitely a huge announcement IMO. Lifetime updates for a small one off fee (which many people still have the chutzpah to **** about) and an Apple version too. The only other two announcements of such scale I can remember were the sale to Roland and the sale to Gibson.
 
Will be interesting to see if they can get the Mac version to float. Magix tried with Samplitude for a couple of years (how hard they tried I don't know) but they ended up abandoning the effort. MOTU has a Windows version which users say is not as reliable as the Mac version. If Sonar runs even better on Mac than PC I will have to go to #TeamCrapple