Did you switch to SONAR? Tell us your story.

Hello,

Over the last few years we have seen a major surge in the number of customers switching to SONAR from other applications. We have our own ideas why this has been occuring, but we would prefer to hear it from you directly. So, please tell us.

What we are interested in knowing is:

1. What application you switched from and which version of SONAR you switched to.
2. Your specific reasons for switching to SONAR (specific features in SONAR, specific problems with other aps, customer service, etc.)

Thanks for your support of SONAR and thanks in advance for your help.

Best regards,

Carl Jacobson
Marketing Director
Cakewalk

I switched from Cubase SX.

I had been a cubase user since atari days....8)

I bought Sonar Producer 6

I needed something that could handle acidised clips initially, though i have since changed ( i was using drum loops, and have now gotten EZdrummer so this is less of a requirement)

I really was really impressed with

Track Icons
Audio Snap
Vintage Channel


The things I am craving

An arrangement function...I want to be able to have an arrangement ability, to try out different types of song arrangement structures by defining sections as verse bridge chorus etc and then easily trying different structures.

I want mixer snapshots, including VST effects, so I can easily have different mix version of the songs available to try quickly

I want to be able to right click the mouse when editing midi and chose a tool ala cubase, so I can delete, ,copy notes easily.

cheers

Wiz

Analog guy.

Tape machines.

You ever try to edit a drum track with 16 channels on tape?

6th level of hell I tel ya.

PR Tools...just slightly better.

Went to Phoenix to a banjo depot seminar when Sonar was first introduced.

Was impressed with the cooperation between Cakewalk and Microsoft.

Laid down the $600.00 for Sonar and an M-Audio Delta with the breakout box and never looked back...

Well never looked back at Sonar....M-Audio is another story you don't want to hear.

My serious concerns with Sonar are the direction headed looks a little to much like Digidesign/Apple and Microsoft/Norton for my comfort.

The last thing we need is another audio-app that is OS exclusive and only supporting a handful of hardware scenarios.

Currently Vista and the limited hardware support for Sonar on Vista is remarkably like MOA (Mother Of Alsihad)...thats a little bit scary...but I'll chalk it up to the hardware vendors for one more year, after that its your fault.

What do I want to see in the future of Sonar?

Can it make me a great website?

Will it import video files for editing?

Will it export High Definition video streams into the ethernet?

The music industry (of which the recording industry is just a part of) in ten years we will not remember what a hard-drive was used for nor understand why anyone would ever listen to non-variable rate audio, or some other such tech-not-ology.

The ability to lock and load a live show to a flash-server and send to a handheld multi-use personal appliance in real-time is only a few years away, I'd love to see Sonar ahead of the curve on this one.

Can you imagine being able to watch and listen to a live concert (and mix it to your own personal user preference as you listen) in High Def audio from your phone?

Whadda ya got Cakewalk?

ORIGINAL: Wiz

The things I am craving

An arrangement function...I want to be able to have an arrangement ability, to try out different types of song arrangement structures by defining sections as verse bridge chorus etc and then easily trying different structures.

I want mixer snapshots, including VST effects, so I can easily have different mix version of the songs available to try quickly

I want to be able to right click the mouse when editing midi and chose a tool ala cubase, so I can delete, ,copy notes easily.

cheers

Wiz

+1.
I switched from cubase sx 2 to sonar 6 because of automation problems and freeze function. What i found is great !

ORIGINAL: doc_drop

Please keep working out the bugs with Audio Snap, V Vocal and VCT before you try to include new features. They are great, but still buggy.

But i had to go back to cubase (4) because of stability prolems and multiple crashes. I don't know for v vocal, but, for example, i still have very strange things with vst efx automation or the mute tool when enabling the loop mode. And crashes for this or that.
But your daw is near to be the best one.
With :
- vst3 implementation (with the clip rack, it will be great) allowing sidechain
- a playorder track
- midi workflow improvments
- mixer snapshots (including the efx, of course)
- a crash free coding

it will probably dig the protools or cubase's grave.

I stopped making music around 1990 after making sequenced music through the 80's, the last few years running Steinberg Pro-24 on an Atari 1040-ST. At that time, I was aware of Cakewalk sequencers, but was wary of the whole PC/Roland MPU-401 thing, so stayed with Atari.

In 2003, after deciding to start making music again, I researched the field and felt Cakewalk was best value. I purchased Home Studio 2004 (not Sonar Home Studio) for the PC, used it for several months, then decided upgrading to Sonar 3 Producer Edition was a prudent move for the added features and audio engine. I have continued to upgrade to Sonar Version 6 PE at this time.

My reasons for switching were that Cakewalk offers great features/value, are very forthright with information, are great with their customers, and the company has maintained an excellent business culture over many years of operation.

I stay with Sonar because I have come to realize that it is among (if not THE) best recording/sequencing applications available, able to take me as far as I want my recordings to go. Add to that PACE/dongle-free operation, a great Forum community, continued excellent customer-support and communication, and the sustainable company culture, and it's just a no-brainer.


Steve L./Canada (aka SteveJL)


(ps. You have my permission to use this endorsement as you desire.)

I switched to Sonar 5 PE about 12 months ago after using Cubase SL.

The free upgrade to version 6 was just icing on the cake,a friend recommended Sonar,and I haven't
looked back.

My main love was Logic,but when they sold out,it was easier to get another DAW than a new computer.

Didn't like Steinbergs attitude towards customers problems,so I looked round for an alternative.

I think the Audio editing could be improved,and a few more mastering tools would be appreciated.

Midi and note entry on the stave has been covered before,no doubt improvements will be forthcoming.

Alan

Started with 4 tracks, then a VS840, then a vs 2400 with our band. Found sonar 4 and never looked back. Work flow is very intuitive. Cake seems to really listen to the users. This forum alone is worth the price of admission. Lots of nice helpful and usually happy folks here that are willing to help. Where else will you find company employees on their forums??? I've learned more tips and tricks here than anywhere else.

For performance per dollar...nobody touches Sonar. Heck, for performance only...Sonar still kicks @$$.

I too would love mix scenes or templates. Then I could track with light CPU and then when mixing time comes, load up a typical mix and then tweak from there.

ERIK

I switched from Master Tracks Pro to Cakewalk 6.0.

*crickets*

Yup. Not very useful to your marketing department. Sorry. Long time user, infrequent poster....

I started years ago with FL Studio, version, 3, or 2 I guess ? I've used it all the way up to version 6. I switched to Cubase when SX3 came out, because I wanted something linear that handled multi out synths, and effects in a less clumbsy, goofy way. Then I had a friend one day ask me, "Why are you following the in crowd, you need to try Sonar".. So, interested, and upset at the thought I may have wasted my money, I went to his house to mess around with this "Sonar", that at the time I'd never heard of. I'm pretty sure it was version 4. I liked it, but decided to stay with Cubase. Finally, about the exact same time as Sonar 5 came out, I just go so upset with Cubase, and the fact that midi editing was too hard, I just bought Sonar 5. Well, Sonar was great, but come to find out, the midi editing was even more of a pain than Cubase was. So, I pretty much gave up, and stayed with Sonar, for audio ONLY. I still did ALL of my soft synth composing in FL Studio, then exported the audio to Sonar for effects / automation / mix down, etc... I really fell in love with almost ever aspect of Sonar EXCEPT midi, and the PR. Well, the next year came around, and in October '06, my girlfirend went to GC and bought me Sonar 6. It's really nice, and has all kinds of great stuff, but the midi editing / PR is still EXTREMLY lacking. I finally started to compose midi tracks in Sonar, but got used to the fact that, the midi editing is so horific, that is I mess up on more than one single note, I'd rather play the ENTIRE thing over again, than even SEE the PR... Last time I tried to mess around in the PR, I got so upset, I had to leave and go to a friends house for a few hours to cool off. I refuse to touch it now. It really, really drives me nuts, but who cares I guess, I'm only a paying customer, why listen to me... Anyway, you guys could learn A LOT from FL Studio's PR / midi editing / midi options. Just if you do, PLEASE don't take anything else from it, other than that, - FLS is real mess, and handles soft synths like, well, not very well, we can just leave it at that. Anyway, I'm not upgrading until midi editing / PR is copmpletly redone. Other than that, great product!! For audio only, you make an awsome daw!!

As for computer DAWs, I started with Logic Audio Big Box (5.5.1), which I liked for 2 years or so. At the time, I knew nothing about Cakewalk other than I had played around with some really ancient version of "Cakewalk" that came with some midi breakout box.
Logic Audio was mostly fine, except that it was more confusing than it was worth for a long time, and too complicated for little things like sequencing external hardware.

A few years ago, I was looking for a Logic "replacement," that was still being supported on Windows.
Still not knowing much of anything about Cakewalk, I purchased a copy of Cubase SL 2 off eBay for $75 (I think... maybe $100). I got it because of the name and the hype, I'll admit, and some people I liked used to use it (none do now).
Cubase SL2 was... an adventure. It took a week to actually get it installed, since the instructions that came with the product were wrong about what number in the package was the serial number. I eventually found out which one it was, and then it wouldn't work because Steiny had left off a leading "0" from the number.
Finally, a week later, I was able to install and launch the application, but the midi timing was early (yes... early). A few weeks of forum searches (including being locked, and accused of using a crack), finally led me to a LONG list of "workarounds" to help with the issue. I tried them all of a few days, but they didn't solve the issue.
So, I purchased a new midi interface, and went through another 2 weeks of going through the workarounds, which again didn't work.
So, I did it again... but didn't work.
So, I did it again... but didn't work.
I went through 4 or 5 (can't remember now) midi interfaces over 2-1/2 months before finally finding a little Edirol that would work, but that was really a controller keyboard with one interface, so it didn't serve my needs.

Finally, nearly 3 months later, I threw in the towel, and got Sonar.
Since that time, I've been quite happy with the product. I still also use Logic Pro 7.2 on my Mac, but on Windows I'm all Sonar.

Are there things I'd like it to be better at?
Of course... I want some seriously advanced midi editing... carefully designed, a la the midi threads that go on from time to time on this forum.
I'd also like to see the upgrade schedule relaxed to 18 months instead of 12, even if the cost for the upgrade is raised slightly... Take your time

Would I stop using it?
No, and I recommend it highly.

Other things that are a definite factor (in no particular order):
- licensing/copy protection scheme is actually respectful in all Cakewalk products
- price
- forum
- product support/patches

Thanks Cake,
- zevo

I was originally a hardware guy who started sequencing songs back in the 80s with my Roland PR-100 and a couple of hardware synths. I am primarily a bassist, but I sequenced the keyboards for several of my bands and the drummer would play along to a click track. Eventually, I moved up to a MC50mkII, which I used through the 90s and into the early 2000s. During this time, I also worked with a bunch of 4- and 8-track recorders. When I finally decided to build a home MIDI studio, I decided to look into a software-based sequencer to control my many hardware synths/drum machines. At the time, I had no intention of recording live instruments or using soft synths, so I settled on a cheap version of Cubase (SE, I believe) that the GC guys recommended to me. I got pretty frustrated with it right away since it didn't seem to cater to outboard synths and the Cubase users forum was less than hospitable to newbies. Then, someone on another forum advised me to look at Cakewalk for its features (esp. instrument definitions). So, I bought Home Studio and watched my musical creativity instantly accelerate. Within about two months, Sonar 5 was released, so I bought the SE upgrade and I'm now on Sonar 6PE. I also own Project5v2.5. Now, I'm down to just 5 hardware synths and rely on soft synths for about 50% of my synth needs and 100% of my drum needs.

Now, if Cakewalk and Access would just get their act together and resolve the ongoing issues with my beloved Virus TI, I'd be very a happy camper...

Switched from Cubase 4/Nuendo 3 primarily due to Steinberg arrogance.
I feel a better rapport between users and developers here, there seems to be a real 2 way dialog.
I also appreciate the lack of copy protection, it's nice to be trusted.

I've used SONAR since the DOS version, before computers had mice. There was a brief moment where I had strayed..........

At one point in the mid 90s, I had gotten curious as to what else was out there, as Cakewalk was all I had known. The rep told me that anyone who had used software as long as I had should stick with it, and in hindsight he was right. I'm lighting fast with the keyboard shortcuts, and clients are amazed at how quick the windows and dialogs fly by while I'm working.

HOWEVER: A couple years back I had decided to see what all the fuss about Cubase SX was. Unfortunately it was indeed a fuss. My main 'reason' for switching to Cubase SX was well.....Reason. Propellerheads Reason that is. Cubase integration was a little more seamless than Sonar at the time, I needed to control more than 16 tracks in Reason from SONAR, especially when in Sonar the parts that I did not want to control in reason counted as some of the 16. So over to Steinberg I went, and stayed for a year or two. Cubase however is slow to address many issues, and as any forum geek will also know, Cubase scrapped an long anticipated and promised update entirely. If I were STILL using the DOS version of Cakewalk/Twelve Tone, I'd understand if I had no tech support or updates, but what Cubase did was wrong, and anyone doing research will see that it's a normal behavior for that particular company. Last straw was DX support being dropped without notice. Dropping technology that is considered obsolete? fine, but WARN some customers, or they're gonna think you wanted their money before they found out. Cubase SX had to go.

To make a long story .....end, during my digression, all my particular gripes about Sonar's integration with Reason had been addressed. Cubase was buggy and unapologetically flippant. Not to mention the major difference in attitude from the two companies when contacting technical support in any way shape or form. That, coupled with the cutting edge features that Sonar has been getting with each update, I'm sorry I strayed.

Jumping ship left me stranded, but now I've found my way home.

Brief affair, but back for good.

I had Sonar 1.2 for years, didnt really ever use it, had cubase, didnt understand it.
Had Sonoma Riffworks i really love that program even now, but was limited (the drum program
that comes with it still kicks sonar drum programs to the curb in alot of ways) but is very limeted for advanced recording.
Then i got Guitar Tracks Pro 3 and loved it and wanted more, got Studio 6 then upgraded
to Producer Edition. Still not satisfied with a drum program for it yet, i prefer the smartloops over thier
drum program, but i think ill try EZ drummer and will be hapier.

I started making music on the computer back in the early days of computing with a Radio Shack TRS-80 and Jon Bokleman's Orchestra-80 program. At the time (early 1980's) that was the only reasonably priced option available. Then, in the early 1990's I migrated to the Atari ST 1040 and Master Tracks Pro and then later to eMagic's Logic and several hardware boxes (Yamaha TG77, Proteus, Roland JV880, and Alesis S4.) I used this setup until eMagic sold out to Apple and product support for the Atari version of Logic was dropped. Also, about the time that happened I went through several medical problems which caused me to stop doing music at the computer entirely.

3+ years ago, after getting my medical issues under control, I decided to start back with making music. Knowing I would need a new computer and software and being a Windows guy I did a lot of online research and talked to a lot of sales people at several different retailers and the consensus was that Sonar might offer me the easiest way back in with my background in Logic. I bought Sonar 4 and have been very comfortable with the workflow and the final results. I'm currently on Sonar 6 and find that it meets almost all of my musical needs. Thanks.