So, I don't look at the Sonar forum a few days and this ?
NoooooooooH !
In retrospect, my first clue in the demise was the "lifetime updates", then Craig Anderton's recent "announcement"
Suddenly, a company I have regularly been sending money to for very many years, didn't get my money anymore ?
There was nothing left to buy. I own most of their products, and many were no longer being developed further.
Monthly updates for "free" . . . I was thinking, is this a sustainable business model ?
iZotope was now regularly getting my money, they are in constant and cutting edge development mode.
 . . . but they are not a DAW. Can Cakewalk truly become a casualty in the DAW wars ? . . . time will tell.
 
It is truly a day for reflection.
Similar to what many in this last thread have said, this may well be another nail driven through a changing and outdated music industry. Things are not done the same way they used to be, even five years ago. The recent introduction and marketing hype of Cakewalk's MOMENTUM phone product says it all. Adapt, and adapt quickly, or get left behind.
 
I still have my first Cakewalk floppy disc from the 90's propped upon my fireplace mantle.
Thank you Noel, Keith, and all the Cake Bakers. Live long and prosper !
 
Now I'm off, into the night . . . to turn off my Windows update, and buy a bunch of drives to clone, and some spare computer parts. Hoping to make time stand still as long as I can, I have all I need.
Cakewalk Sonar Platinum.

I'm afraid that this is too much of a niche market for a company like Microsoft.  They make software products that sell millions of licenses, not thousands.  In a big company CW would be merely an extremely minor afterthought.  This needs a smaller, entrepreneurial ownership with an aggressive and disruptive business strategy.  In that scenario, Sonar could well end up looking too much like Pro Tools from a business standpoint.  Pro Tools is about the only acquisition that Avid has made in the past 20 years that wasn't defunct after three to five years.  Now you see them moving PT more toward the revenue strategy of their video products, which is to generate substantial recurring revenue through annual support fees and using that income to fund development.  Perhaps the best scenario would be a software company already in the audio business who wants a DAW to complement their current products.  
 
With that all said, I am saddened, a little concerned for the future and sorry for the good folks at Cakewalk.  May the future be brighter than it probably looks today.

TerraSin
Cakewalk needs to be sold, not closed. Closing down for any amount of time is a death sentence.

Yes of course.
Why i bought a update for ever ? i've been stole so?

I'm not complaining. These things happen. I hope you all follow your hearts and find happiness in your future endeavors. The only thing which is a worry (or shame) is what will happen to this great product, called Sonar.
 
I hope that someone else can believe in Sonar (or actually preferably rename it) and then take it from there.
(Make it open source for a while.)
 
Much respect and appreciation.
 
For me, Cakewalk are one of the original DAW makers. I remember 28 years ago, they had a booth in Mars Music store in Fort Lauderdale. That was the first time I saw them in person. That shows my age though, and I do believe a DAW company should have plenty of young team member contributors.
 
As people here have said, I'd also chip in to keep the forums going, or help out with anything volunteer and online related. Onwards and upwards. It's a new opportunity for the Cakewalk team or individuals. I'm not sure why, but it's better at the end of the year, than the beginning.
 
2 cents and thanks for a great product.

First Ableton says 10 will not support VST3 nor MPE, now this...  
 
Can I get a refund for my "lifetime" platinum plan ?    
 
 

 
~

Crap. Just... Crap.
 
I've been ordering parts as Black Friday specials come around for a new PC build to run SPLAT on. But this has taken the wind out of my sails. I'm really depressed by this announcement. I've been using Cakewalk since the mid-90's, and none of the other DAWs feel right to me. Obviously, I'm going to put off moving to another DAW for as long as possible. And when it does finally break? I don't even want to think about it.
 
To the Bakers: Thank you. Seriously. To me, Sonar has been the gold standard by which other software is judged. Wherever your paths take you, I wish you all the best.

aconte22
I just heard the news that Cakewalk’s Boston HQ offices have closed. My name is Anthony Conte (currently VP for the Mixcraft DAW), and I spent 19 years at Cakewalk, including 12 years as the Vice President of Sales. For decades I worked with many of the brilliant, incredibly talented folks that now find themselves out of a job.  My heart aches for the current Cakewalkers and the thousands of SONAR users across the globe. Simply put, this is the end of an era in the world of MIDI and Digital Audio recording.
 
While I do not know the fate of SONAR or what Gibson’s plans are for Cakewalk, I can assure all the current Cakewalkers that their future is bright. For the last six years, I have been lucky enough to have landed at a like-minded company, Acoustica, makers of Mixcraft 8, an award-winning DAW for the PC. Not coincidentally enough, Acoustica freakishly reminds me of the early days at Cakewalk. A small but growing music software company made up of great people who are passionate, innovative, hard-working, and who have all become my family. Acoustica is committed to making Mixcraft a DAW that SONAR users will want to seriously consider adopting. Thanks,Anthony

How about a 'vegetarian vulture' crossgrade deal Anthony?

I see I'm not alone in my grief.  People are comparing what this is like with other situations.
For me it's like a girlfriend or wife that dumps you.  They had it planned for awhile, and just suddenly spring it on you. "I'm leaving!"    Even though you know you might meet someone else, it still feels like your world is coming to an end.
You feel betrayed, angry and depressed.

I downloaded the trial for Presonus Studio One, and got it running.  Loaded a few instruments. I guess it works well enough.  But I don't like the UI, and I'm not used to doing even the simplest of operations, like making a clip into a looping groove clip.   Yeah, I guess I'll get used to it, but I don't think I'll ever totally get Sonar out of my system (no pun intended).

Even though I've switched to a different DAW a few years ago, this news really hits me hard. I feel like I'm losing a very dear old friend. I started using computers and Cakewalk at the same time, back at the end of the 90's and a lot of what I know about digital audio, MIDI and sequencers I've learned by using Cakewalk products and reading their manual.
 
Just this weekend, I was working on a song in Logic and thinking how irreplaceable Cakewalk synths were to me...
 
A shame, really. Can't say I wasn't expecting it though, with Gibson's track record and the way they screwed Opcode users over back in the days...

Well I feel like a dupe for paying for the updates. Thanks.
 

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
After 30 years of Cakewalk's long and illustrious history, I am saddened to announce that we ceased new product development and reduced overall operations this past Friday. You can , which states that this decision was made in order to align with the company’s acquisition strategy, focused on growth in the global consumer electronics audio business.
 
Working at Cakewalk has been an incredibly positive experience for all of us who worked here. This can largely be attributed to the incredible people who worked here, past and present. I've been at Cakewalk 19 years and I've never come across a more dedicated and talented group of people. Our greatest motivation was the joy in producing software for an astonishingly passionate base of artists, musicians and producers who used our software to create music on a daily basis.
 
So what does this mean for you, our loyal customers who've been with us all these years? Cakewalk's servers will continue to operate, you will still have access to all of your online assets, and your software will continue to work normally. A dedicated team has been established during this transition period to continue to serve the Cakewalk community. Monthly updates to SONAR from Cakewalk will however cease during this time. We will continue to post notifications to keep you informed with any relevant developments. A sincere thank you to everyone in the Cakewalk community.
 
Sincerely,
Noel Borthwick,
CTO, Cakewalk
 

RonCaird
I'm afraid that this is too much of a niche market for a company like Microsoft.  They make software products that sell millions of licenses, not thousands. 

 
I actually think it makes sense for Microsoft to buy Sonar, for the same reason it made sense for Apple to buy Logic.
 
Microsoft have an image problem they're desperately trying to shake: they don't want to be the staid manufacturer of computers your boss makes you use, they want to be the preferred option for creatives. Apple have been rapidly losing the thing that makes Apple cool- the creative industries. Apple are cool because of the people who used them. However, Apple have long been neglecting that market, whereas Microsoft have been embracing them.
 
Look at Microsoft's investment in hardware (e.g. Surface, Surface Studio), industrial design and pen integration and they all point to the same thing. And whilst Windows has a number of Windows-only offerings in areas like CAD, they really need a Windows-exclusive video editing package and DAW, and Sonar fills that gap. 
 
Think of it more like a marketing investment for MS than a profit maker ;)

Jarsve
im on studio one now
 

Great! Maybe you can tell us which of Cakewalk's bundled plugins don't work with Studio One?

Somone at Omnicorp Hyperglobal Megatech, err - I mean Gibson - might want to update the Cakewalk Gibson FAQ (http://www.cakewalk.com/Page/Gibson-FAQ)
 

Why would a guitar company want to acquire Cakewalk? 
Gibson Brands encompasses not only Gibson guitars, but also high-end consumer electronics (Onkyo, TEAC) and pro audio (TASCAM, KRK, Stanton, and Cerwin Vega). Cakewalk will be a vital part of the pro audio group. 
 
Will the name Cakewalk be retained? 
Cakewalk will transition to the name Cakewalk Development to underscore the emphasis on R&D and new product development, but a new brand, TASCAM Professional Software, will be created to support, promote, and publish Cakewalk’s professional line of products. As TASCAM is the company that launched a revolution in recording, the pairing with Cakewalk is a natural. 
 
Will SONAR continue to be developed? 
Of course! As a market and technology leader with many industry firsts, SONAR will be the flagship product of TASCAM Professional Software. The program will continue to innovate in exciting, unique, and even surprising ways. Who will handle technical support and questions about the program? Cakewalk will continue to handle customer support and questions.