Can't pause this demon? More on the "Cakewalk Command Center"

I thought it would be innocuous enough to download the newer help files .. but apparently I also must take the tutorials, and IT CAN'T BE PAUSED.   Got to kill the computer to stop the monster?    While I like improvements to sonar, maybe some programmer could take time to work on CCC?  

You don't need to mess with things that have cloven hoofs, sulfurous breath, tridents, and breathe fire. Nor do you have to download anything at all. Just click on Help > What's New and the new help files show up as part of it:
 

Beepster
Yanno... after all these complaints you've posted about the CCC SOMEBODY must have pointed out the offline install option to you. Seriously, if you hate the CCC this much just use the offline method. It's pretty much like the old way of doing things (except the reg process is slightly different). I haven't used CCC and don't really intend to because I don't like programs calling home and doing stuff "for" me... so I used the offline way.
 
Very VERY simple solution to your issues.

I think he was talking about having to download more than a GIG of data to get new help files with the Braintree update.
 
The help file has only recently become available on its own I dare say because of all the complaints. This is the first time I've heard that news so its not too widely spread.
 
It has nothing to do with an offline install because you have to download the GIG+ of data to get it as it wasn't included until Braintree. That means we download 1 GIG + with Allston for help and tutorials and had to do it all again with the next version that only included a 50 meg Sonar Ref Guide.

Correct, must download 1.3GB for a 40MB pdf... I have not seen this pdf posted solo as in the days of old. The installer also just throws it where it was told to, so you have to hunt it down later.

So far it appears the updates are cumulative.

Wow... that IS bad and DOES need to be addressed. I think more users are point and click, button pushing knob turners like ME.. who just click the link and trust that good things will happen. I have neither the time nor the inclination to figure out a "Better way" to do something when presented with something like CCC. I am beginning to think that making CCC work for everyone in the most efficient way and make it capable of a fully customizing any installation or update should be a TOP priority. This particular item should be enough to get undivided attention.
Having to download over 1G to get a 40mb file should not be inflicted on the unsuspecting.
IMO...
J

I agree it's not that big a deal, but it was disrupting to my life for a quarter hour.    And, yes: like not making tiny areas that have to be clicked .. as a general principle, give advance warnings about things that will lock you up for a longish period of time.   (I exaggerated about having to kill my computer, but I DID have to stop the process, and of course the download later began ALL over again (:   )

Reiterating posts that have been scattered about, some people pay for bandwidth discretely and some want to have something to read offline. Perfectly valid.
 
As I am getting the feel more and more that this forum is becoming a "free beta test platform," it is disconcerting when feedback is often initially met with a workaround (as a "solution") or worse, a rationalized excuse as to why users should lower their expectations. The steadfastness of this mindset is the proverbial "train wreck waiting to happen." Something to consider, at least.
 
New SONAR users who do not read these forums are the most disadvantaged, since they are not going to be privy to any of this and simply make assessments based on the program resident on their machine.

I totally agree with posts #17 & #18.
 

Doktor Avalanche
In addition you can download the patches manually from the NI website which Cakewalk does not do.

You sure about that ? I install everything via Command Center, and also download the individual files for storing away from my user account on the Cakewalk site, perhaps I am just imagining it ?

Mettelus
As I am getting the feel more and more that this forum is becoming a "free beta test platform," it is disconcerting when feedback is often initially met with a workaround (as a "solution") or worse, a rationalized excuse as to why users should lower their expectations. The steadfastness of this mindset is the proverbial "train wreck waiting to happen." Something to consider, at least.

I don't think anyone is expecting users to lower their expectations. A workaround is not intended to be a solution. Also, there's not a lot of documentation that doesn't have a troubleshooting section...and I wonder how many people actually had to avail themselves of the procedure that was mentioned.
 
The reality is that even if software sits on the shelf and is released eventually as a giant update, there will be bugs. It's likely there will be quite a few bugs that all happen at once. Then there follows several months of patches to fix them all.
 
The scope here is simply smaller. There were a lot of things released but nowhere near as many as a giant yearly update and AFAIC, the number of issues is proportionately small. Also, I'm not sure having multisamples installed outside of a folder (which is fixable) or having a control bar revert to a default are show-stoppers that will keep anyone from making music. Meanwhile, there have been plenty of reports in these forums of installations that worked smoothly, features that work as expected, and general happiness with the way this has all unfolded.
 
Of course there will be issues. I have never met a piece of software that stayed on 1.0 unless the company went out of business shortly thereafter . But you can either change your model to a "rapid response team" and work to perfect that, or keep issuing big, infrequent updates and keep doing patches afterward. Either way, bugs are unavoidable. The question is would you rather have a few features (with a few bugs) happening frequently, or lots of features (and a proportionately larger number of bugs) happening infrequently. 
 
As with the transition to X-series, there will be growing pains but I believe very few people who have proficient with the X-series want to return to SONAR 8.5. I think that as the Membership program gets perfected - remember, this is only month #2 of something that has not been done before by Cakewalk - few people would want to go back to the old model.
 
 
 
 

Ah of course makes total sense now... I hope you don't have 3G 

Doktor Avalanche
Ah of course makes total sense now... I hope you don't have 3G 

No, I have a fast connect and a 1 Terabyte Monthly data allowance, and I guess it's just one of my OCD behaviors, just the way I like to do it :)

What I find worrying is that even if these are minor issues, they add monthly fuss. I can see why CW feels it's nice to work on a continually developing platform, but in the world of DAWs, updating is actually pretty risky business. Features may break, bugs may become exposed, workarounds fail to work. This isn't a smartphone game I'm updating whenever it says "update available". It is part of my core business.

Maybe I'm getting old. I do pretty well at getting around the computer but I want to spend more time making music and less updating stuff. Maybe I'll just skip updates until my year is up and then see if it's worth it. The fact that an update is available doesn't mean I have to do it, which is an important bit of information I tend to forget.