Is SONAR X2 worth the upgrade from SONAR X1?...

Hi all. So I've been considering upgrading from SONAR X1 Producer to X2, but I wanted to see the opinions of those who've had some time now to work with it and get to know it, and hopefully give me some good insight into whether or not it is worth the $99 to upgrade.
 
What are the largest areas of improvement from X1 to X2? (Any areas that are *worse*?) What aspects that are completely new might be worth the upgrade?
 
Is X2 as buggy as X1 was in the beginning? So much so that it'd be better just to stick with the latest version of X1 instead?...
 
Any info on these points or anything else you'd like to share would be much appreciated! Thanks!
 
PS: If I were to go with the upgrade *download*, rather than the pricier, physical package, would it still be a complete installation package, so that I could install the program from scratch, or does it act only as an update ON TOP of X1?

Definitely worth the upgrade, in my opinion.
 
Since the X2a update, it has been as stable as a rock for me.
 
The improvements in workflow, such as time line zoom, auto track zoom and PRV improvements have made it worth the upgrade on their own.
 
Other major pluses for me have included Console Emulation, Breverb and the improvements to the audio engine.
 
I'm sure there are many other things, but those were just the ones that popped into my head.
There is no need to have X1 on your system, the X2 download is "the complete installation package".

Stay with X1. X2 has some good features, but is not as good as X1. I still prefer 8.5.3

To answer one of your questions, it doesn't matter if you opt for the download or the physical DVD - it's the same set of files, and they do not install on top of X1.

X2 is a completely separate installation and will happily run side by side with any previous version.

It was worth it to me. 

If you stay in track view a lot, you're gonna like the time line zoom.  Just click and drag up / down zoom in or out qucikly, and while you are doing that you can move the mouse left or right to move the whole thing to the left or right.  It is very intuitive and makes navigating easier.

One of the cool things with the PC strip is it now includes effects chains so that you can put normal effects into the PC strip and save a preset which not only records the settings in all the PC effects, but normal effects too.  This comes in very handy for me.

I'm still transitioning from X1 to X2. Any new projects I start on X2, but I've got an album on X1 and don't want to switch it over till I'm 100% happy with X2 stability as I had seen some issues on my system.

I do notice multiple things when I'm on X1 working on my album where I wish I had it switched over to X2. The track zoom feature is really handy. I'm looking forward to properly using that. What it basically does is say you have 20 tracks, all of them are minimised but just activating one by clicking on it zooms it up to your last set size. That I don't care about so much, but what I do like is that if you re-size all the NON selected tracks, EVERY single one resizes to the same degree. So you can easily resize ALL tracks to the same hight to keep them small, but still give you access to what you need. It basically suits MY workflow. Others work differently and it wouldn't assist them in that way.

The ProChan is greatly upgraded (unless you had X1 extended, which I don't). More customisable. The LA2A plug is AMAZING!

I'm still used to comping in layers so I don't know how I'd like doing it in X2 with the take lanes.. I don't really like the new selection bar on clips either. It's much smaller and harder to move clips around.

There are plenty of other things but those are the main for me. The ProChan upgrade is probably my most useful one. It was worth it for me. But if you don't have things in X1 that are really bothering you, there probably isn't too much need.

Its worth it and I don't know why someone would say the opposite?
Example automation is completely solved in X2. Copy Automation doesn't work in X1 at all...

Jlien X


The most controversial feature in X2 is Take Lanes. Try the 30-day demo as recommended above and find out whether you'll like it or not.

+1 - I hate the new take lanes. That processing could be improved.

I actually like the take lanes myself. Makes for a faster workflow here. 

Now...if I could find a soundgoodizer I'd be getting somewhere

guitartrek : "If you stay in track view a lot, you're gonna like the time line zoom. Just click and drag up / down zoom in or out qucikly, and while you are doing that you can move the mouse left or right to move the whole thing to the left or right. It is very intuitive and makes navigating easier."

Unfortunately, this function is buggy. I'm waiting on X2b to fix it.

Paul P


guitartrek : "If you stay in track view a lot, you're gonna like the time line zoom. Just click and drag up / down zoom in or out qucikly, and while you are doing that you can move the mouse left or right to move the whole thing to the left or right. It is very intuitive and makes navigating easier."

Unfortunately, this function is buggy. I'm waiting on X2b to fix it.

Do you think so? It's not as smooth as the same feature in Studio One, but it works fine for me. In fact, it's the very feature that made me upgrade, and I still like it best in X2.

I would recommend X2a. You can still run X1 (I recommend leaving it installed), since they run independently. I have not had issues since X2a came out, and love a few of the new feature (auto cursor, auto track zoom, R-Mix (LOVE this!!), and take lanes). It has even more, but even for what R-MIX does, I would have bought X2.

Jlien X, re ruler zoom/scroll : "Do you think so? It's not as smooth as the same feature in Studio One, but it works fine for me. In fact, it's the very feature that made me upgrade, and I still like it best in X2. "

If, while holding down the mouse button, I move up and down it zooms in and out ok.

If I go left to right all manner of wrong scroll movements happen. It's basically useless for horizontal scrolling.

I'm used to Kinetic which had this ten years ago (it was at the bottom of the pane) and it worked properly.

I find it strange that you say yours works ok.

dimelives1


Can you still record takes in the same manner as in X1, i.e. setting a loop area and recording over and over, each time applying automatically to a new layer (now "take lane")?

Yes.
 
I find it easier with the new lanes, but some people seem to struggle.  I like the lanes a lot.  I find comping with the isolation tool a breeze.  You really need to read up/watch videos to learn how to use them, though.
 
As has been suggested, download the trail and see what you think.  You will get two hugely opposing views on here about lanes, so only you can decide if you like them.

Jlien X, in the video, the user only makes very small movements of the mouse in the ruler and that works ok for me as well. Things screw up when I make large movements especially when hitting the left side of the pane, in which case scrolling is immediately messed up.