Bottom Line It - Why should an 8.5 user switch to X1?

If you met an 8.5 user on the street and struck up a casual conversation, would you urge him to switch to X1?
 
Why, or why not?

like most software: try the demo

Not with the problems I've been having as of late....

bottom line- ease of use

Even tho X1 works very reliably on my system, I can't honestly say I like it better than 8.5.
 
If the ProChannel was a VST, or if X1 supported touch displays, or if it had gapless audio, then I might reccoment it.
I like it, I just don't really prefer it over 8.5 (yet).
 
 

Compguy


If you met an 8.5 user on the street and struck up a casual conversation, would you urge him to switch to X1?
 
Why, or why not?

After working with X1 for a while now, I can't hardly look at 8.53 and want to work there in again. X1 has a new look that is clean and professional. The workflow is much better here, but that took some time to adjust to, now I really like it. For around $100 - I feel like I got a great bargain! I like being able to drag my fx, loops and track templates from the browser. I like how I can get to most everything on the arrange window. The track inspector is improved, screensets are easier to manage. Prochannel has a nice vibe to it and it offers some routing choices. I like how easy it is to setup parallel compression with the mix knob. Digital Sound Factory is nice as well as the new Bass, Strings and Piano modules. Fx chains... New interface, lots of bugs addressed, new Smart Tools, Rapture and Dimension Pro updates, lots more than I care to type since you can find this info easy enough on Cake's site.  BTW-I recently spent that much on one plug - PSP's Old Timer (which is fantastic).

An observation is - at first I did experience more crashes than 8.53 until... I cleaned out a lot of older vst's. I noticed that when I did have crashes, it always happened while doing something with a plugin. I still have plenty of plugs, but I did get rid of several buggy ones. Sonar X1 runs smooth and reliable now.

I'd urge them to try if for themselves. My much faster workflow is what makes it for me mainly thanks to the smart tool & screensets.

I find X1 gave with one hand, but took away with the other.

If a future X2 version improves the inefficient use of screen real-estate, fixes the folders-clone-last-track bug and the clean-audio-files tool, and doesn't force the ProChannel on me, I will upgrade.

I still have 8.5.3 on my old machine and shall continue to use it for recording artist's raw tracks. X1c is worse at that, for many small reasons.

X1c has advantages for mixing and mastering, but it would have been better if ProChannel had been offered as a plug-in. Let the user decide.

Bristol_Jonesey

X1C is yet to suffer from a crash on my (aging) system. This wasn't true with X1A or X1B.

I don't have a crash, but what does happen is, on starting playback, it runs fine for 10 seconds or so, then it stutters a bit (not audio dropouts, it actually does a few short stop-go-stops) before running on fine to the end of a song.
 
Very bad when it happens when a client is doing an overdub.
 
I have a clean install on a new Win7 64bit i7 4GB laptop with the new Roland QuadCapture interface.
 
I never have this on my atom-powered netbook, 8.5.3 with my older Edirol UA-25EX or 16-input Tascam US-1800.

trimph1


It is much faster for one thing...

Screensets! 
Screensets!
Screensets!

Without a doubt  one of the best posts I've ever seen on here.

They are the reason I don't understand complaints about screen real estate, there's ten times as much now. More screensets please........

FastBikerBoy

Screensets! 
Screensets!
Screensets!

Without a doubt  one of the best posts I've ever seen on here.

They are the reason I don't understand complaints about screen real estate, there's ten times as much now. More screensets please........

You cannot see as many tracks as you can in 8.5.3
 
I see 4 tracks less in X1. It is the accumulation of fatter borders around buttons, space between widgets, bigger fonts, etc.

I think laterally, I have all audio in one screenset and all MIDI in another then jump back and forth with a keypress. I've several other combinations that help my workflow but I appreciate my methods don't suit everyone.

Works for me though, I can't say I've really noticed or counted the number of tracks differential from 8.x to the X1. I have enough trouble keeping up with what's happening on one or two tracks, never mind more.

I imagine it's a pain for those that do though.

Press 'B' - that hides the browser. If you want it gone completely undock it and then use the close window button.

JazzSinger

FastBikerBoy


I think laterally, I have all audio in one screenset and all MIDI in another then jump back and forth with a keypress. I've several other combinations that help my workflow but I appreciate my methods don't suit everyone.

Works for me though, I can't say I've really noticed or counted the number of tracks differential from 8.x to the X1. I have enough trouble keeping up with what's happening on one or two tracks, never mind more.

I imagine it's a pain for those that do though.

:)
 
I use Sonar like a digital multitrack tape recorder and record bands live, up to 28 tracks at a time.
 
I have dual 24" monitors oriented vertically so's to see as many tracks at once as possible.
 
But I mostly am asked to record in rehearsal rooms, for which I bought a large 18.4" laptop.
 
Losing that real estate for no direct benefit will move me back to 8.5.3 eventually, I think.
 
 

If you haven't already pressing C will completely hide the Control Bar gaining a bit more space and Benstats Sonar plus will enable a "full screen" view getting rid of the title bar and I *think* allows you to hide the collapsed multidock which will buy a bit more vertical space as well.

That may or may not help.

FastBikerBoy

If you haven't already pressing C will completely hide the Control Bar gaining a bit more space and Benstats Sonar plus will enable a "full screen" view getting rid of the title bar and I *think* allows you to hide the collapsed multidock which will buy a bit more vertical space as well.

That may or may not help.

Am noting this down and shall try tonight, thanks again! I am aware of most of the space maxing tricks in X1 because they already exist in 8.5.3 and I use them, of course.
 
However, the minumum track height has is increased in X1 because the widgets are all just a bit larger.