VS-700: X2 vs X1 -- Time to upgrade, or not?

When are we all going to realize that user actions and computer hardware differences make these questions an ongoing thing. I think even the techs are "working with it". Do you think that any product support division wants to not have an answer to your problem? We are working with systems that are complex. We as artists, work in a different regimen. Making it fit into the artists realization is the ongoing work in progress. Ask any engineer.

It does make sense Heather. Make some more sense out of it. I've tried to help you before, but you want instant answers to unknown variables. Ones that you don't understand enough to state in clear terms. Is your system and work flow habit going to work without glitch in X2A? It would seem by now the amount of variable problems would alert you that hardware and user use create different problems.

I got your post today. In my email. The post says 1 hour ago. Never mind, I won't respond to your posts anymore.

Heather,
 
Here's my view - maybe that helps :-)
 
Is X2a functionality finally on par with X1d?  Are there still significant issues?  What, if anything, is missing?
I think X2a is better than X1d - definitely in terms of Sonar stability and integration with the VS-700; Cake did close some gaps, but some VS-700 Features, which were there in 8.5.3, are still not supported / functional (channel locking, branch functionality, take lane handling, ...)

What are the benefits of X2 over X1?  What new features make it worth the switch?
What Cake annouced as the new great thing was touch capability, but that is irrelevant for me ... other than that I don't see many differences ... apart from porbably several hundred bug fixes
 
Is there any single feature that makes X2 a "no brainer"?  
Better VS-700 support ... at least that was it for me

Is there any single feature that's missing (or broken) in X2 that makes staying with X1 the better choice?
no. none of what i use on a regular basis. i think what was in X1d is still all there and functional, plus better VS-700 handling ...
 
you can install X2d and X1d in parallel. so there is no risk to your workflow. the risk is just $$$ when purchase the upgrade
 
I'm a bit worried, though, as X2b is overdue but not showing up. cake might try to sell us their next round of required bug-fixes as X3 ...

Hi Heather, I have to echo Rob's comments.
 
There is no doubt the improvement to 700C control that X2 brings is the one thing that kept this user making music with Sonar. X1 was a dog with the 700C IMO but I think it only barked the most if you'd been amazed at the workflow you could previously achieve with 8.5.3 and the 700C. It was not perfect but it was incredibly fluid... I have a disclaimer though... I am not a big MIDI fanatic and don't have loads of exotic plugs etc etc...what happens here is we track with the best outboard we can and use the 700C to mix and playback as well as get some nice workflow enhancements like automation and touch faders etc etc. I do also still find wav editing with the 700C pretty clumsy. Make no mistake though... there is still much the 700C 'could' do but we have to accept at this stage that Cake have dropped this product unless we see something great in the next release.
 
Anyway....there is simply so much function in Sonar now as Rob says that the mouse get a lot more use. Personally it meant putting away the track ball and going back to traditional mouse usage because trackballs are great but a standard mouse is a lot easier to be really accurate and quickly functional with..at least for me anyway . Plus after the X1 dramas, it made things a lot easier again.
 
Soooooo if you have a 700C...definitely jump on to X2. Do not pass GO... IMO (+Rob's too  ).
Cheers!

Yeah I think we have seen the last update for X2 unless Cake give way to all the cranky customers who swear they will jump ship if there is not another update before the next release. I'm with you though...a new release is more probable than another update.
 
X1 did seem the goods initially but X2 is a load better and I won't ever go back to X1 for any reason. There will no doubt be the odd return to 8.5.3 but only to avoid getting some old projects into X2. I see you have the 700 gear already so it is a tough gamble for you I guess regarding X2 or wait for next release....can you get a trial install for X2? I haven't kept up to date on this. Just know that X2 with the 700C is definitely a major improvement I think one and all would agree. Not perfect by a long stretch but definitely makes it usable again...mostly.
 
Cheers.

Heather,
 
I had X1d happy and stable on my system and installed X2.. initial reliability (crashes) were frequent (1/day), vs rarely but I managed to correlate between actions and crashes and avoid the instances.. X2a was a sizeable improvement and has behaved itself more appropriately.
 
why x2?.. take lanes tools and auto zoom... The seth/Brandon intro video of x2 had me totally sold.. ease of use has increased quite substantially.
 
Don't have the vs700c..too many synths in the way...lol
 
cheers, ian