Cheers panup.
 

Nothing Noel sez means that Gibson won't sell Cakewalk - that old dog still has value.  In fact, if they go bankrupt Gibson won't have a choice about selling what to whom.
 
However, a new company doesn't have to honor the lifetime updates.  Personally, I figured a life-time upgrade was a short pier to a name change for SONAR, just like fruityloops did.  I didn't think they close rather than be sold.  If Gibson is filing for bankruptcy, it could be a while.  I can't see Gibson sitting on value if they try to muddle through.

I'm sad and angry at the same time.
 
Sad for me, for all other users, for the development team...
And angry at Gibson.
 
Now here's an idea. Make Sonar a free software. Leak the code to the community and for the first time ever, there could be a truly good and comprehensive free DAW out on the market, not some deep **** like Audacity.
 
Or at least please, release the latest install files and make code-free versions of Sonar, Rapture and other pieces of software so that we can keep on using them and installing them without getting blocked by unavailable servers (because that will happen at some point).

didd
Knock on the Microsoft's door they are more fit and uptodate in PC softwares than Gibson !

Yeah! Microsoft needs to step up to the plate as zApple did with zLogic!
 
Very sad news to start the day. As everyone else is already saying... I feel very badly for The Bakers with so many years of dedicated work too!
 
So many of us have been with them for decades and I for one has my life centered around Sonar and it's use.
 
I have used others and in time I too will be forced to move on to another DAW as situations evolve, but I will cling to Sonar for quite some time I'm sure!
 
The forum! I too would like to find some way to keep it alive, but as we all slowly move on, much of the topics will cease to apply commonly as migration continues...
 
I can't say I didn't see this coming... I once was a user/employee of Soundscape who made a direct2disk multitrack for PC before pc-audio interfaces were available.... They got sold to Mackie, and then to SSL where they were finally fully folded into the company and all Soundscape products cease to survive...
 
I felt this when Roland/Tascam/Gibson purchased/sold Cakewalk and deepened with the offering of Lifetime Updates.... I wondered when the other shoe would fall and hence, the axe! <sigh>
 
Here's hoping for some kind of last minute reprieve. There must be at least one of us who is wealthy enough to make it happen...
 
I am in shock anyway!
 
My gratitude to The Bakers! All the many both with us now and of earlier times. I have always considered you and the forum members to be an extension of my life. This feels much like a bomb wiping out a large number of close relations in one swift moment...
 
<sheesh>... thinking of the other DAW's out there I don't have one I will be crazy about. that much I'm certain.!
 
I will hold onto Sonar for as long as is remotely possible... It's current status has a few sore spots that will persist forever, but it still beats the competition in everything (except sales it seems?)
 
All my Love and Gratitude to all involved... I hope the future has good things in store for the Bakers and maybe they will all merge into another DAW helping raise it to the beauty of Sonar! <sigh>...
 
Keni
 
 

Well said Keni.

panup
If this forum is closed, I could provide a new forum for the Cakewalk community with no cost or to the users.

Hi Panu!
 
That's very kind of you. What a great alternative! You have always been a very dedicated and creative member of the Sonar community. It seems it would be very appropriate...
 
I wonder if there's any chance Cakewalk might make the code available for future development by driven souls?
 
 

It would be nice if Cakewalk users boycotted Gibson from here on out, to give them some extra help easing into that grave they've so capably dug for their brand.

Here's a grand idea...Gibson should assemble the transition team and let them assess what it would take to keep the platinum line afloat. Then...Start a kickstarter or indiegogo campaign to fund a small dev team for a few years. Let Sonar be the PBS of DAWS. If I know anything...Cakewalk users would fund this. Gibson could essentially sell this to the userbase. Just a thought to pass up the overpriced guitar company flagpole. 

LJB
I'm a little shocked right now - being a professional engineer who runs my studio totally on Sonar for projects this now forces me to look at other DAWs, learning curves, decisions about how to transition to another DAW, never mind all the Sonar specific plugs that I know like the back of my hand.... wow... much to contemplate.

Same here. I found out Friday that Cakewalk was officially closed down from contacts at other companies, and called Noel on Sunday just to make sure. To me it's like a death in the family.
 
On the bright side, there are still people using ancient versions of SONAR, so I think it's probably safe to assume I'll get plenty more years out of it before Windows changes to the point where it's unusable.
 
On the other hand...as I've mentioned before, I also use Studio One Pro for the mastering-oriented Project page functions and Ableton Live for live performance. I've always felt SOP was closest to SONAR, so I guess it's time to learn the Song page functionality and move on.
 
I'm downloading the Studio One Pro soundsets in the background...
 
BTW someone might want to hip Gibson to the typo in the "Annoucement" headline.