X3 Version Comparison Chart

Yeah... unfortunately I can't afford the upgrade to Producer right now either.   So I'm just going to have to wait, because I really want what Producer offers.  It just sucks watching others gleefully downloading... 

bapu
stevec & beepster
 
two words
 
Loan Shark

Huh... I hadn't considered that.    Should I just tell them "yo, Bapu sent me.  He said you give me da money and ya just fugetabout it, a-hight"?   Sounds reasonable.
 

Beepster
I'm mostly interested in the fact that have now decided to maintain the product. I said it in the other thread... give Producer users a stripped out version of X3 Pro (without all the new plugs and PC modules) for $50 to act as the missing X2b patch. $100 for a version with Melodyne and the PC modules. Now THAT would be worth it and I would happily starve myself to pony up the cash... provided it actually works of course but it should, eventually, with regular maintenance.
 
 

DITTO THAT!!!

cclarry

Beepster
I'm mostly interested in the fact that have now decided to maintain the product. I said it in the other thread... give Producer users a stripped out version of X3 Pro (without all the new plugs and PC modules) for $50 to act as the missing X2b patch. $100 for a version with Melodyne and the PC modules. Now THAT would be worth it and I would happily starve myself to pony up the cash... provided it actually works of course but it should, eventually, with regular maintenance.
 
 

DITTO THAT!!!

I hope they are listening because I'm trying really REALLY hard to stay on board here. Yesterday I had given up and was at peace. The renewed focus on maintenance has me all cranky again.
 
grr...

Is it correct that there are no core functionality differences between Studio and Producer?  Everything extra in Producer is effects and synths?  Coupled with the persistence of previous versions' effects showing up in X3 I'm not seeing as compelling a reason to choose Producer. 
 
I believe it used to be that things like Audiosnap were Producer only.  Now it looks like you're paying 50 dollars for the drum sampler, tape effect, electric piano, fake guitar thing, and one Nomad Factory effect.  Not a bad bundle for fifty bucks, if you want those particular sorts of tools and don't have similar tools already, I guess, although these in particular don't strike me as long-term reliable tools, rather as perhaps stepping stones to more robust implementations.
 
Is a new (non-upgrade) copy of Producer really 300 dollars more expensive than Studio?  That seems quite high for that effects bundle, especially given that there are in some cases multiple redundancies in capability in the rest of the Sonar X3 Studio package.
 
What's the cost likely to be for upgrading from X3 studio to X3 producer? 

Beepster
I'm mostly interested in the fact that have now decided to maintain the product. I said it in the other thread... give Producer users a stripped out version of X3 Pro (without all the new plugs and PC modules) for $50 to act as the missing X2b patch. $100 for a version with Melodyne and the PC modules. Now THAT would be worth it and I would happily starve myself to pony up the cash... provided it actually works of course but it should, eventually, with regular maintenance.

Cannot agree more.  However, it appears we are in the minority.
 
If you can resist the hype for a while, you may be able to buy into a deeper-patched version of X3 for a better price.  Then, you can see if the maintenance commitment sticks.

cparmerlee
However, if anybody is looking for a rationalization or two, this is less money than going to Starbucks 2 or 3 times a month for the next year.  

Heh. Giving up smoking is another way. I have an employee who recently performed this heartfelt (whining) speech about how he wasn't earning enough and that I should give him a pay rise to pay for his subway card to get to work. I pointed out to him the ridiculousness of someone who smokes a pack a day complaining about not being able to afford his train fare. The guy has a cigarette in his mouth every chance he gets! Not only that, but he has a top of the range Samsung phone and pays for some ridiculous all-you-can-download data plan. I'm not saying that everyone who's hard up has screwed up priorities like this guy, but it's amazing how many people are prepared to throw good money away on stuff they don't really need (or stuff that's killing them) while denying themselves things that could really make a difference. 

The fly out Quad Curve EQ is REALLY nice and it was something users asked for. I spent some time comping some vocal takes this morning and it was so easy compared to past versions. I am taking a stab at each new feature as the opportunity comes along to us it with in my latest song mix, those 2 features this morning were fantastic.

MakeShift
The fly out Quad Curve EQ is REALLY nice and it was something users asked for.

Yes, that is excellent.  OK it would be nice to be able to float several of those EQ graphs at once, but still this is a very nice enhancement, especially including the frequency visualizer.
 
I haven't had any dropouts.  That is worth something.
 
The startup time is a little faster.  That is worth something.
 
The Melodyne integration is terrific.  That is worth a lot.
 
I don't get the Blue Tubes thing.  The idea of effects that don't provide any visual feedback is something I cannot appreciate at all.  I don't need tools that try their best to look like a hardware product from 1960.  I want tools that help me get where I am going fast and with the best results.  I'll probably never use those things.
 
I haven't used the comping feature yet, but looking at the video, I see whee it will save time over my prior method of using the erase tool to delete everything except the take I want to keep.  This is worth something.
 
To me, it just isn't very hard to find $150 of value here.

smallstonefan
I would like to take a moment to shift the conversation away from price and back to value. I can afford this upgrade easily, but I don't see the value. I paid for X2 and had to go back to X1 due to crashes and I didn't complain. First, based on my decade or more with cake believed their would be a patch that would solve my issues, and second, again due to my experience with cake figured everyone screws up once in awhile.
 
Now, I find that to get stability I have to upgrade. Also, since I have stayed a loyal Producer user (and have all of the Pro Channel modules), I have to spend extra money to buy a bunch of plugins I absolutely do not need or I lose my Producer and deal with the (almost certain) consequences of that in the future.
 
I feel for those where money is tight, but don't let that diminish the legitimate feelings that this upgrade is not "worth it" considering the other variables.

Perhaps the SONAR X3 Studio upgrade would be better for you. You get the ProChannel, all your modules will work, and you get all the core workflow features and Melodyne. I understand your concern about losing Producer but at the end of the day the tools you use to make music are most important. SONAR X3 Studio is pretty powerful.
 
 

brian brock
Is it correct that there are no core functionality differences between Studio and Producer?  Everything extra in Producer is effects and synths?  Coupled with the persistence of previous versions' effects showing up in X3 I'm not seeing as compelling a reason to choose Producer. 
 
I believe it used to be that things like Audiosnap were Producer only.  Now it looks like you're paying 50 dollars for the drum sampler, tape effect, electric piano, fake guitar thing, and one Nomad Factory effect.  Not a bad bundle for fifty bucks, if you want those particular sorts of tools and don't have similar tools already, I guess, although these in particular don't strike me as long-term reliable tools, rather as perhaps stepping stones to more robust implementations.
 
Is a new (non-upgrade) copy of Producer really 300 dollars more expensive than Studio?  That seems quite high for that effects bundle, especially given that there are in some cases multiple redundancies in capability in the rest of the Sonar X3 Studio package.
 
What's the cost likely to be for upgrading from X3 studio to X3 producer? 

Customers buying new often don't have anything so you have to really evaluate the entire package and what you get for the additional $300. You start totaling it up and it's way way more than $300. Tremendous value. Compare it to other competitors who ask for $200 or more to go up to the next version and see what they offer? Unlimited tracks, 64-bit? You need to pay for that? 
 
We spent a lot of time looking at each version of SONAR X3 and seeing how we could make it better for new and existing customers. I think we significantly raised the bar for each version.
 
I don't want to try and market here to you because this a peer-to-peer forum but do the research and you'll see what a great package each version offers in the SONAR X3 lineup.

The question I basically want answered is will the ProChannel stuff in X2 Producer work in the X3 Studio installation? - assuming I don't uninstall X2. I've already got just about everything else and can live without a tape emulator.

groverken
The question I basically want answered is will the ProChannel stuff in X2 Producer work in the X3 Studio installation? - assuming I don't uninstall X2. I've already got just about everything else and can live without a tape emulator.

Yes. Sounds like we may need to put up an FAQ for the questions as they have been asked quite a bit. We'll get working on that.

I appreciate the input, Andrew but believe me... I've done the math and weighed my options. I don't think a base producer package to simply get the bug fixes, core refinements (like the Take Lanes) and access to your new found maintenance commitment (X2 just needed that one last fix to make it golden for me) is such a wild idea.
 
Seriously, I get it and I TRULY appreciate you even taking the time to respond to a somewhat negative post/request. I just really would like to be able to have the foundation of my DAW solid. It is the only thing I truly need right now and $600 in I think it's not such a crazy desire.
 
Anyway, if the decision has been made and that is the final answer I can base my decisions from there. That is the most important thing for me. Knowing (knowledge is half the battle donchyaknow? ;-p). I've been doing a lot of cost/benefit analysis throughout all of this and $150 is just a little too much when I look through my options. Studio MAY be in the cards but I would hate to lose my Producer status and at $100... well without the Quad Curve improvement at the very least it's a hard pill for me to swallow.
 
As always this is not meant to bash, hate or berate but to hopefully give some insight into the mind of a relatively recent adopter who has kind of lost his enthusiasm.
 
Thank you again and I wish you all the luck in the future. Cheers.

Thanks for the response Andrew. Looks like the Studio option is going to be the one for me. Been using the Producer edition since Sonar 6 but this time I think I'll resist. I'm at my download limit for the month, so maybe I'll have changed my mind by tomorrow!