Adq
I think this update system is very good. And definitely more rare updates would be much worse. The only thing I see that could be added is more intensive beta-testing, but it could be a problem from business and marketing point of view.

Cakewalk asked for more beta testers not very long ago.

From my experince people who become beta testers do not necessarily do so much beta testing because it can take up a lot of time. Bit like volenteer moderators. Only a few end up fulfilling the deal the rest disappear into the sunset or just do the bare minimum.

Susan G

lingyai
PaulP -- I'm not saying I would neccessarily install an update withput reading these forums; on the contrary. I'm just saying it would be nice to get the emails other subscribers get.
 

Hi Ken-


If you go to your account at http://www.cakewalk.com/My-Account is "Newsletter" checked? If so, I guess you'll have to contact CW directly. I had similar problems with CW emails for years, but none lately.
 
Good luck-
 
-Susan

Thanks very much Susan, Good steer -- indeed, it is not checked. It never occurred to me that I'd need to  opt-in to be notified for an update for which I'm paying, or that this is what "newsletters" cover, to me that term always implied more pedestrian news.  Oh well, now i know. Though for some reason,in both Firefox and Chrome, the "Newsletter" box won't accept a check mark. I'll contact the bakers directly and ask them how to check the box.

lingyai
 
 
Thanks very much Susan, Good steer -- indeed, it is not checked. It never occurred to me that I'd need to  opt-in to be notified for an update for which I'm paying...

In the United States it's considered impolite to "opt-in" people to newsletters and such without asking first because some people get really angry about it. Ideally the notifications section of the Start Screen should help solve these kinds of issues, but the Start Screen itself currently has some limitations that cause people to disable it, so it's no guarantee people will see the notifications. 
 
Susan G is not the only one who has had difficulty getting the email newsletters. Most of the time the answer is obvious, like newsletters being diverted to spam filters or someone not opting in, but there have been some people who seem like they just can't get these newsletters. If you continue to have problems, contacting Cakewalk is usually the solution.

Sorry, I'm getting screwed up somehow with the quoting function,pardon this roll-your-own formatting...
 
Craig, thanks for replying. BTW I've been reading your stuff since I was in my DAW diaper days (CW7 and Cool Edit). The fact that I might not always agree with you (see below ;-)  ) in no way means any disrespect; on the contrary. 
 
-- As for "First, if you encounter a bug many months after something was introduced, it probably didn't relate much to your workflow, so you probably won't miss it much if you just stay with the new version."
 
No sir, that does not follow at all. Features used in a project are links in a chain, and what they say about chain strength and weakest links is a cliche for good reason. Importance does not necessarily correlate at all with the order in which something is used. My typical workflow is audio recording>>audio editing>> basic audio levels and panning >> basic audio FX and routing >> detailed audio automation envelope work >>> [same steps for midi] >>> basic master bus FX >> master bus fx automation. 
 
The fact that, for example, I spend maybe the first 95% of my time on all but the last step in no way means that the last step doesn't relate much to my workflow; on the contrary, it is integral to it, it just comes last. That might sound like an extreme example, but it's actually exactly what happened to me in Sonar 2.2 when I found, and tech support confirmed, that master bus automation wouldn't work in that version. A major enough omission that I abandoned Sonar (having been with in the family since CW7), only returning last year. 
 
--As for "Second, Cakewalk is quite good about compatibility, both forward and backward. Of course if you used some feature in a project based on a new version, and that feature wasn't in an old version, you won't be able to use that feature in an old version."
 
Agreed.
 
--As for "Third, I believe you're overthinking this. You might find this tip helpful as a way to create "future-proof" files but which are also "past proof." Ultimately the most important part of any DAW is the audio and MIDI data, which can transfer not just between different versions, but different DAWs and even different platforms. "
 
Thank you, that tip is indeed a useful way of quickly and conveniently archiving through rendering-- old working habits of mine, but I didn't know about that method in Sonar. Good stuff.
 
However, archiving won't always suffice to save time lost if a suddenly encountered bug bricks a labor-intensive project. This is because the most important part of any DAW, or rather, a project done in a DAW, goes quite beyond the underlying audio and midi data. It also includes the data embodied in comping, volume and panning levels, FX chains parameters / automation / routing, soft synth choices parameters (including, say, custom-layered Kontakt instruments) and their automation / routing, master bus FX chains etc.
 
Archival bouncing (including bouncing midi as audio) will capture a snapshot of the final sound of a project, which is great if that's the final version, but if it's not, you've got a problem because you won't be able to tweak the links in the chain got you there. These links are what I spend the vast bulk of my DAW time crafting. Sometimes the links can be painstakingly reconstructed, sometimes not. If say on a vocal track you've got EQ>>verb>>compressor>>limiter, and you want to go back and fix the verb on a printed audio track,you're stuffed.
 
So, with respect, I am not overthinking this at all. I'm speaking from painful experience, not only with CW products. Complacency can make you really sorry layer. As I bother with all of this out of fun / love of the craft and art of music-making, I try real hard to avoid the colossal time-wastes I've gone through over the years.
 
In case someone infers otherwise -- I'm largely happy to return to the CW fold. I got X3e last year, and for the first time in quite  a while, I could spend hours focusing basically on the music, as opposed to the DAW. Real joy. In fact I saw no compelling reason to move on until I heard about the sale price for Platinum with its killer feature, Mix Recall, so I went for it. I'm proceeding with it cautiously -- so far, so good-ish, though a freeze at the start screen was not the best introduction.
 
My main point is that rollback-ability can in some ways be a lifeboat; but at the end of the day, I'd prefer to enjoy the ride on the stable cruise ship I'm paying for. So I am super-careful about rolling upgrades.
 
Unfortunately it's not so simple a matter as forgoing some of them under  the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule, because the monthly updates are an inseparable mix a) new features which, while maybe super nice, aren't vital; b) bug-fixes, which could well prove to be vital; and c) new bugs, as you can read about all over this forum, release after release.
 
I know this stuff is hard to do, and that the bakers are talented and dedicated. Still, there are real reasons to get nervous. These should not be dismissed.
 

Saving the export settings in the project file was worth the entire release, thanks for a version that targets me!

Just like the prior versions of SONAR, the SONAR Reference Guide.pdf is a snapshot of the original help files included with SONAR. Only the website and chm files are updated. The updates are near the top in the "New Features" section. There is a feature request regarding the update frequency of the Reference Guide http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3244803

kevinwal
Saving the export settings in the project file was worth the entire release, thanks for a version that targets me!

I also find this helpful. Thanks Cakewalk Bakers!

Geo524
Loving the update and new features but Sonar seems to take longer to open now. I'm not complaining. Just saying. Anyone else?

Well known issue if you scan the forums. See if disabling your internet speeds it up. Also try disabling the new start screen.

When you update Sonar and then run it for the first time it is likely to start slower BTW.

Hmm now left wondering if having no internet slows it down now.. (Waiting for Timeout).../ hmmm hmmm..

Sorry, severe bug with copy past of projects parts, containing groove clips. Sonar crashed. I need to return to previous version. Same project in older version worked fine. Upset. 

Is this available in the demo version?  All I have available is the Hopkinton version.

Anderton
Steps to reproduce? I've done a lot of copy and paste with groove clips, even split ones.

Looks like we have asked the same question. Please redirect here:

http://forum.cakewalk.com.m.aspx?m=3290484&p=1

Carl Posz
It might be great, it might have quirks but I'm all for change.

"Art is enamored of chance." If I wanted consistency, I'd watch television

stevec

Anderton
...If I wanted consistency, I'd watch television

Or listen to regular (Clear Channel/iHeart) radio.  
 

I don't like to listen to radio any more. The compression algorithms they use are just horrible. A quiet section is now the loudest part of the song.

Most of the prominent parts/instruments are buried in the mix by other things that were in the background!!

lingyai
Though for some reason,in both Firefox and Chrome, the "Newsletter" box won't accept a check mark. I'll contact the bakers directly and ask them how to check the box.

I had to click "Update" first, and then I was able to check "Newsletter".