Confused between Sonar LE and Home Studio

LE is a stripped down (only slightly) version of Sonar 4, not home studio.
It comes with the VST Adaptor, so you can add non-dxi instruments to it.

It is virtually identical to Sonar 4, except for the following:
- it has a maximum of 8 virtual instrument slots (I think 8... maybe 12) - if you want more, you've got to bounce one to audio
- it has a maximum of 8 input audio slots (if your audio card has more than this, like the 1616M, you'll only be able to use 8 at a time, but you can select which ones)
- it has a maximum of 8 output audio slots (if your audio card has more than this, like the 1616M, you'll only be able to use 8 at a time, but you can select which ones)
- limited number of instruments and effects

There are a few other differences, I think, but not many. It's basically Sonar 4 Studio Edition, minus some of the soft synths and effects.

Here's what I would do:
Since you're getting LE for free with the 1616M, install it and see if you like it before spending more money. Make sure you register so you can be entitled to upgrade pricing from Cakewalk.
If you like LE alright, but it's just a little restrictive, buy Sonar 5 Studio at the upgrade price. I don't know which upgrade price you're eligable for with an LE registration, but it's probably the $199 one. I doubt it's the $99 one.

I'm quite sure that getting Sonar 5 Studio + Sonar 6 studio for $199 is going to give you more for you money than Home Studio 4 XL.

Have fun,
I'm sure you will. I have the EMU 1616m as well, and love it. I used the copy of Sonar LE that came with it until I upgraded to a license of Sonar 5PE (which I love as well).
- zevo

Hi Greg...
Good set of questions. I'll try to answer as best I can, but it's been several months since I've had LE installed, so I might be a little rusty.

If Sonar LE is a slighly stripped down version of Sonar, why do they give it away for free while charging about $150 for Home Studio?

Now THAT'S a good question.
Honestly, I have no idea, but I'd speculate that it's to introduce you to their upper line for free, and then perhaps you'll be more likely to upgrade into the full version, and then perhaps you'll be more likely to upgrade that one every couple of years.
Cakewalk seems to be very interested in repeat customers, particularly in their higher end stuff, and once you're there they'll throw cheap offers on everything else they sell (Project5, Rapture, Dimension Pro, z3ta+, etc. - they got me for each of those, at $99 for each, except for Rapture, which I paid $160 for - the upgrade deals are amazing).
Also, there's competition in this arena (free software bundles) from the likes of Steinberg and Ableton. Sonar LE smokes the free offerings by those guys, so they'll probably make some permanent customers by including it.

You mention LE has 8 or 12 "virtual instrument slots." I just read that Sonar LE has 256 MIDI tracks. By virtual instrument slots, do you mean like a sound module or softsynth, in which each can have as many MIDI tracks as you want, just as long as the total MIDI tracks do not exceed 256?

Right... sorry not to be more clear. You can only use 8 or 12 virtual instruments at a time... each instrument would presumably take at least one of your midi tracks to run as well, but it seems to have plenty of those.
It's not really a huge limitation for most people, since you CAN bounce to audio if you need to, and 8-12 at a time can take a hefty machine anyway.

Also, since Sonar LE will probably be more than meet my needs (because Home Studio would already be enough), do you recommend upgrading to Sonar 5 anyway (or buy Home Studio) on the assumption that LE is not supported by Cakewalk like the other two applications?

Hmm. That's a personal call.
I'd definitely recommend not spending ANY money until you've used LE for a while. It might be fine for you.
I used Logic Audio 5.5 for years before moving to Sonar, and Logic Audio 5.5 had many of the same limitations that Sonar LE has (limited inputs and outputs, maximum virtual instrument slots, etc.). It took me years to outgrow the limitations.
I went to Sonar 5PE on one machine, with LE on another, and I really couldn't tell huge differences between them. The layout is identical... the configuration was identical.
They could easily sell Sonar LE for $150 with a few of the staple Cakewalk instruments included and it would be a good deal.

My personal opinion is that if LE works for you, stick with it until it doesn't... maybe over a year from now. However, once you get ready to upgrade, going from LE to Home Studio would be a step backward, and since you can upgrade from LE to Sonar Studio Edition for around the same price, do that. Sonar 5 Studio Edition comes with TONS of stuff that Home Studio doesn't have... Sonitus plugins... better dithering for mix down... some other stuff as well.

I hope this helps,
- zevo

CLICK HERE for some more details on Sonar LE, (from Sound On Sound magazine)

I have SHS4XL. It's Reverb XL plug-in and extra loops & Soundfonts (3 CDs in total) justify, in my view, premium between "regular" SHS4 and XL version.

I would suggest also to try LE, and than upgrade later, if you need to.

Good luck!