2016.5 is up for the Early Version

Check it out either in you CCC or your account. 
 
See this http://forum.cakewalk.com...R-201605-m3420079.aspx

ampfixer
It looks like the UI customization is only partially developed. There is 1 new theme but I see no tools for creating themes other than what there was before. Strangely, this release has the best core balancing I've ever seen. Anyone else notice that?

Since you mentioned it, I opened up a project with Ozone 5 and all sorts of look ahead plugins, and I would agree, cores do seem more balanced, especially core 1 doesn't stand out as much.

Really dislike that bright orange (the rest of the new theme is very nice).  Too bad there doesn't appear to be any way at all to edit it, the theme is not a text file.
 

spoke too soon.  Just like Reaper, the themes miss many of the editor, configuration and setup windows.

I like the new theme overall, though I'm not an orange-lover by nature. I mean, I like the fruit very much, but often the color is not my thing. Except that here it seems to work rather well - highly visible differentiation of the states of things without being straining or jarring on the eyes. I think it'll grow on me. 
 
The one thing I don't much like is the drop-down menus in Track and Console views - you know, View, Options, Tracks, Clips, MIDI, Region FX... and in Console, Modules, Strips, Track, Bus, Options. I don't know what the designer was going for but they are barely legible here. And unless I'm missing something obvious, I can't see where it's possible to change them in the Color preferences. Anyone else seeing this, or know how to change them if it's possible?
 
Looking forward (hopefully) to the possibility to create, alter, and share themes... 

Grumbleweed_
 

subtlearts
...
The one thing I don't much like is the drop-down menus in Track and Console views - you know, View, Options, Tracks, Clips, MIDI, Region FX... and in Console, Modules, Strips, Track, Bus, Options. I don't know what the designer was going for but they are barely legible here. And unless I'm missing something obvious, I can't see where it's possible to change them in the Color preferences. Anyone else seeing this, or know how to change them if it's possible?
...

Not sure I'm misunderstanding something but the drop down menus are white so stand out as good as anything over the dark background. Looks like there is no difference to the old menus to me.
...

Hmm. Now that you mention it... I looked at the screen grabs posted in other threads and you're right, they look fine. Unfortunately mine look like this:
 

 

 
Any ideas? Did I get a corrupt download somehow? Seems a bit odd since everything else works... 
 
EDIT for typo (sorry, compulsive)

Keith Albright [Cakewalk]
 
Did you try resetting your colors to default?  Feel free to save it as a preset first in case there were specific customizations you wanted to keep.
 
Another thing to try is restarting SONAR, which shouldn't be necessary but would definitely cause a reload of the theme colors.
 

Resetting to default does nothing, as those menus appear to not be affected by anything on the colors list anyway. I can change colors to my hearts content and reset all I want, but it doesn't affect them. Reverting to Mercury theme works, but when I go back to Tungsten the odd washed out menus are back. I'll try restarting now... 
 
nope, that didn't work either. I will try rolling back to the previous version and then reinstalling the early version, maybe somehow some small graphics file got corrupted somehow. Seems pretty strange, and it's not a showstopper, but it's clear it doesn't look like it's supposed to, on my system. 
 
Edit: rolled back to last release, deleted install files, re-rolled into early access, re-downloaded and installed, it looks the same. Menus messed up. Any further suggestions most welcome! Am I the only one seeing this?

subtlearts

Keith Albright [Cakewalk]
 
Did you try resetting your colors to default?  Feel free to save it as a preset first in case there were specific customizations you wanted to keep.
 
Another thing to try is restarting SONAR, which shouldn't be necessary but would definitely cause a reload of the theme colors.
 

Resetting to default does nothing, as those menus appear to not be affected by anything on the colors list anyway. I can change colors to my hearts content and reset all I want, but it doesn't affect them. Reverting to Mercury theme works, but when I go back to Tungsten the odd washed out menus are back. I'll try restarting now... 
 
nope, that didn't work either. I will try rolling back to the previous version and then reinstalling the early version, maybe somehow some small graphics file got corrupted somehow. Seems pretty strange, and it's not a showstopper, but it's clear it doesn't look like it's supposed to, on my system. 
 
Edit: rolled back to last release, deleted install files, re-rolled into early access, re-downloaded and installed, it looks the same. Menus messed up. Any further suggestions most welcome! Am I the only one seeing this?

are you using a different windows theme ?
im not sure but it may be possible that your colors are changed because of a windows theme.
im only taking a guess because to be honest, I really don't know. mine are showing up fine.
 
my first guess was have you changed any colors but keith already asked you that.
im just wondering if a custom windows theme may alter your color in sonar. I wouldn't imagine it would but I don't know
it might be worth a shot using the default and re open sonar.
 
right click on desktop/personalize/ choose: Windows default theme. (windows theme)

deswind
Do the colors lock in for a track - i.e. a new clip is recorded on a track and it retains the colors selected for that track (instead of having to change each clip at a time).  I hope I am explaining this well enough.

yes, once you change the color of your track the wave form is the same color.
but the whole track does not change color as it did in mercury. there is a strip (next to the WAI strip)
im used to it now and like this version/tungsten way better then old iron sides mercury.

OK, maybe I spoke too soon.  The tabs that I have docked in Track view have white letters on a light gray background, making them nearly impossible to read.  Also, the buttons for view, options, tracks, clips, MIDI, and region fx are light gray letters on a white background in track view.  And, the little slider at the bottom of TV is very light in color, as well.  Really???  Is it so hard to make the text contrast with its background?  I can't believe you put all this work into this nice new color scheme and forget these little details.  It does no good to put this in the features request, because I've been asking for this for years.  Perhaps, CW can correct this soon because this is a serious drawback to those with color impaired vision.  Thanks for you ear because I hope somebody from CW is listening this time.

John
I think there is an issue with how the new theme displays on a few systems. Everyone of the complaints I have read do not appear on my system.  Recall with the LP remake and how a very few had blank windows. 
 
I suggest those that can't see the same theme colors I posted in the Dark Theme thread may need to contact CW. 
http://forum.cakewalk.com...in-Sonar-m3420096.aspx

Yeah, I'm thinking it's probably a graphics adapter/driver issue.