Do we accurately represent the Sonar user base?

I also have pondered on this very topic.

To me it's the question I ask every time I read a new thread. I'm not sure how we can know how representative this group on the forum is but I suspect we are a very small, very vocal minority.

Representative? My opinion? Not at all. To be ignored? Not AT ALL.

And I think it's important to define, or continually redefine, the purpose of the forum.

Does the forum exist to find and offer solutions to technical problems?

Is it here so we can offer opinions on current features?

Is it here to vent our anger and frustration about non-working features?

All of the above? And more?

Hard to say how "influential we are (or should be) in pushing product development along" but if even a small bit of the wisdom of the forum gets through the noise and causes real change, it's worth trying IMO.

mike_mccue


I personally suspect that the sales numbers are smaller than most people imagine.

I suspect the actual users are an even smaller number.

best regards,
mike

Interesting Mike. You could be right especially about 'actual users'. Man I'd like to know just to satisfy my curiosity.

well, maybe not an accurate representation of its total user base (how many that is I'm not going to speculate in).

But I'm sure that the forum users are its absolutely most opinionated user! And that's not necessarily a bad thing

Why not both and other things as well?

I am just as perplexed at how this has unfolded. How many are actually having issues? And, if not, why? How about the one's who look at this forum, just lurking...and wondering what would happen if they had issues, or are having issues?

What if those with no issues stayed away from arguing that point and just tried to assist those who had issues? 

I'd really love to see what the actual breakdown is between those with issues and those without...could it be that the software is, in fact, the problem....and that those of us without issues are just plain lucky...?

old pal , no... we don't represent things .. we don't all have hats like yours.. thats why so many lurk and never sign up.. hat envy!!

they do email out surveys to users to find out things.

we are part of a wider picture..and for them not to listen.. well it's market research and we are their "target audience"

as for other companies that I deal with their "suggestion box" is just that.. a box on the screen.. thats what it might as well be.. not gonna name and shame them, but it's to do with many things.. whether updates / support / customer service / or them changing the goalposts to get more money out of you.

all the companies who make DAW's have a finite resources / budget and amount of time set aside for various aspects..  much like any other project e..g. building a house

I would say more , but some peoples thoughts are set in stone.. so no point.

As it should be. Thanks Ryan

Sorry, just got that 'bouy'

meant to say thank you Brandon

Not sure how many copies of Cakewalk products have been sold, you can be sure many browse the forums, but 95% of them just read and do not post (hi there if you are out there). This is pretty common with well known brands.

Hmmm...I have been on a lot of forums, especially the Open Source forums.

From a lot of Open source software (especially KDE and Gnome and distro's like Fedora) it is known there is a very big user base. Still - there are only a few fist-full of "steady" posters on those forums. Although there are a lot of posts with complaints, there is a overwhelming non-posting majority that has no problem at all. Typically such a forum is used by people seeking for answers and/or having problems. If you only look at those forums you would get the impression the software is a complete disaster, but in reality that's not the case - otherwise the project would be dropped and the known user base would be collapsing. Conclusion? The forums are no representation of the real user base (and their satisfaction), but only a presentation of the most vocal members (negative or positive).

I see no reason why this forum would be drastically different, but I definitely not claim to know for sure..

Edit...
Wow - your guy's are fast... while I was typing a lot of messages has been added...Sorry my reply comes "late"
/Edit...

They only listen to Bapu

That could explain much.

(or could it?)

Dunno about the user base but I have a new avatar which represents ME better since a part of the studio burnt down.
Thank god for insurance companies

kubalibre


Dunno about the user base but I have a new avatar which represents ME better since a part of the studio burnt down.
Thank god for insurance companies

"He ain't heavy, he's my headphones"
 
 

Monkey23

mike_mccue


I personally suspect that the sales numbers are smaller than most people imagine.

I suspect the actual users are an even smaller number.

I have come to believe that Cakewalk doesn't give a *rodent's butt* about it's existing customers and simply hopes to gather more first time new sales regardless of whether that really equates to more users.

 best regards,
mike

I know that my current Cakewalk dealer has decided not to stock X1 (Producer, Studio, and Essential) but will order it for a customer as a "special order". To me this is a sign of two things: 
1. The decreased demand for SONAR in my area
2. Retailers are growing reluctant to purchase software (that already depreciates in value very quickly) when it can be ordered directly from the company. My local music store carries Cubase, Pro Tools, Logic, Studio One, etc but not in mass quantities.

For those that are interested in buying SONAR already, this is of little concern as you can still special order these items and/or purchase them from the Cakewalk store. The problem lies with the salesman who have not tried X1 and as a result cannot recommend SONAR X1 to potential new customers looking for their first DAW (or perhaps looking to change from their current DAW). If they don't stock it on the shelves, SONAR doesn't even stand a chance.

In the current bugged out  state X1 is in right now in comparison to 8.5.3..would you want to be the salesman that sold it to someone for 500 bucks...knowing that in less than a weeks time they would be in your face demanding their money back? A used disk..the box open and somebody in your face trying to give it back and lets not mention ...very very pissed off? Think about that for just a second........X1b please?

kubalibre


here is the user base

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/uimages/ohdeedoh/070209baby_headphones.jpg

Those are just the new users, right?

I'm one of those "started using Cakewalk in 1991" people, who uses the product regularly (10-15 hours per week), but but doesn't hang out in the forums. BTW, what originally sold me on Cakewalk (for DOS!) was that I could chase/lock to a SMPTE track on my 8-track reel to reel..... That's old shool!  I've upgraded fairly regularly over the years, and have been generally impressed with the progression of the product.
 
I check in here now and then if I run into an issue, but just because I'm not active here doesn't mean that I'm not using the product and care deeply about it.  I'm usually in lurk mode.
 
What spurred me to post today is that I'm completely fed up with this X1 release.  I just spent $200 upgrading from 8.5 Studio to X1 Producer.  Because of some hardware changes I was making at the same time, I lost my 8.5 install in the process, so I've only got X1A running.  And it has been a hot mess.  I've had to cancel recording sessions, and am spending as much time fighting bugs than actually doing productive work.  I'm trying to get my 8.5 install resurrected, since at least it was stable and productive.
 
I cannot believe that "bread and butter" things don't work: no "arm" indicator on a MIDI track when I've armed it for record; inconsistent behaviors for selecting, copying and snapping clips, the snap-to/snap-by indicator being wrong, etc.  My studio is primarily used for songwriting and developing demos, so the ability to manipulate clips is a critical piece of what I do. The fact that I don't trust that moving groups of clips around the TV will work correctly has seriously impacted my ability to get my work done in X1.
 
Many of my friends have bought Sonar because of me, and for the first time I'm telling them not to upgrade.
 
The comments I've read by some of these posters match my experience, so if Cakewalk doesn't care about this group, that is sad, they'll alienate a group of people who are driving sales & credibility for their product.