Is it possible that there will be Sonar 8.x product that keep being developed?

If you don't like the new X1 style of working, will there be products in the Sonar line that will keep being developed over the years to come?

I'm thinking Home Studio or whatever.

Or will all stuff switch to X1 style?

You want to stay with a product that is maintained over the years, that bugs are fixed etc.

What do you think?

If even Cake would care to comment I would be much obliged.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Time to look for a new daw then.

8.5 seems to work ok besides the V-Vocal that has serious issues. It seems you have to follow strict rules not leaving it in your projects. And regretfully S8 still has some of the bugs I reported 4-5 years ago.

But wanting to upgrade(eventually in future) means X1 and you have to adapt to a new style of working. It's not just improved.

I think it will take years before Cake fully has filled in the blanks on X1 to correspond to S8.x even.

It seems that X1 has lost a lot of customization options, both on colorsettings as well as keyboard shortcuts. Quite a few has expressed frustration over this.

I remember just hating 8.5 standard theme and could not see anything due to the dark interface. Spent an evening fixing it up and it's just fine. But if you lost ability to customize many things, where are you then?

I first thought I'd wait for X1 demo and try for myself but sort of changed my mind. Too many things has been confirmed from several long time users.

And demo is usually a couple of month after release as I've seen from 2005 and onward. It's too late for me to shift daw then shifting to fulltime musicproduction(Q2 2011).

I want stuff that can be trusted and that I'm well aquanted with. Not go through what the guy did that stumbled for a day to get an export done on X1.

We'll see, I thought I was done testings daws. The one I hope the most of is not x64 until next year some time so I'm screwed there too.

Hi Skyline,

I am personally no huge fan of how X1 has rolled out. That being said its no different than any other Cakewalk release in that they eventually get it patched and up to snuff. What I do not understand is why so quick to jump ship? I personally will not be upgrading soon but I will watch X1 and if things level out, upgrade after a patch or two. If they do not I might put my money into hardware for a while and hang out on version 8.5.   Or... I might even skip a whole version this time to allow some of the more significant UI issues to get ironed out.  Its not like non of the pre 8 skills I've acquired over the years will translate to X1. If still nothing then I'll start looking for a new platform with the assumption that I'll have to take my lumps on a big learning curve and that whoever it is will have their own nagging issues as well.

Is there something in 8.5 that is preventing you from working?

George

Yes, they could have cleaned up the act with a 8.5.4 in between.

Then possibly you could wait and see how X1 evolves to X2 or whatever if having something you trust to work with.

But I don't think they anticipated such mixed receival of X1 and obviously did not think about how it usually is until patch 2 or so.

Yeah, despite the repeated mantra, to people who find X1 doesn't work to their satisfaction, that you 'don't have to upgrade' it does appear that 8.5.3 is abandonware. It's been taken out of the list of apps on the bug reporter (I've not tried the FR form yet but I guess it's the same).

So arming the mute button from my MCU will never happen, inserting a send without it being switched on and up remains a pipe dream and having v-vocal be stable too.

Sonar remains great software, and the closest to how I want to work, but this business model is growing it away from my needs rather than towards it. I'd love to know how many 'case characters' or 'average users' cake have, what their usage is about and how that informs the decisions they make.

When Eratu had his workflow thread many people chimed in saying (practically):

"yeah, whatever, some workflow tweaks and changes would be welcome but not before you've ironed out all these stupid legacy bugs we've all seen for generations of software now, stop putting in new features and give us a 'perfect' daw'"

IMO 8.5.3 should be considered feature complete, but that shouldn't stop it receiving patches to ensure it actually works as sold, once the snag list is complete then it can be called 'done' and the rest of those resources can go in to the new shiny thing.

Child

daveny5 X1 is now the product line. Love it or leave it. 

Any tips on where I might leave to?

daveny5

Rothchild

daveny5 X1 is now the product line. Love it or leave it. 

Any tips on where I might leave to?

No, because I am sticking with Sonar. There's some good things in X1 if you take the time to work with it. 

I have no doubt of this. However, there is a bunch of new stuff that clearly doesn't quite work right and there's still a bunch of old stuff that's never quite worked right that still isn't fixed. £100 a year for 'nearly but not quite - jam tomorrow' is growing a bit tiresome.
 
Oh well, what I've got works ok. Tracktion appears to be discontinued, Reaper doesn't really do it for me (can't use it as effectively without the cv) and Studio One looks very similar (to x1 and Reaper).
 
Child
 
 

As soon as a new version of a CW product comes out, then kiss goodbye to any patch fixes for the old versions.

I suspect in a few months time this sub-forum will be pretty much dead.
Most generic Sonar question s will be on the X1 forum,as that's where the new users will go.


I have used Sonar since version 2, but never upgraded beyond Sonar 7PE.
It still works for my needs and I can find my way around for what I need to do.
I know what it can do for me, and what it can't.
When it decides to "die" then I'll look around and see whats available.

Remember, just because CW have a new version of Sonar out... it does not mean you have to buy it!

While it's true no one is being forced to migrate (sorry, I can't bring myself to use the word "upgrade") to X1, staying with an old version isn't a desirable long-term option.

It means whatever bugs and shortcomings are there now will always be there. Even if they're mostly minor annoyances, over time they will be like a pebble in your shoe, eventually compelling you to switch platforms, whether that means switching to Xx or some other product. Nobody I know is still running MS Word 2.0, even though it did everything I needed, and was much faster than its successors.

My current plan is to wait for X2 and see if it signals a return to functional progress over cosmetic change for its own sake. Being an optimist, I really do think that's what will happen. I fully expect to be back onboard come next fall. Of course, in the meantime it's only prudent to look at other options.

My current setup is temporary and makeshift, so it's not a good time for me to be upgrading any software just yet.  Meanwhile, I am still happy enough with Sonar 7PE, which is not a bad version to be stuck with.  It is very stable and has no serious bugs that I have noticed, apart from some quirkiness associated with envelopes.

But I am watching the X1 forum with interest and may or may not decide to "upgrade" later.  CW has now released a PDF manual for X1, but unfortunately has restricted its distribution to existing X1 users only.  This is a shame, as I would welcome the opportunity to study it to get to know more about the nitty-gritty of X1, rather than relying on the forum.

What bites for me is that I upgraded to 8.5 from HS6XL the week before X1 was announced. that might be kinda funny, except I upgraded to HS6XL the week before HS7 was announced.
Can you say "born under a bad sign"?

I just wanted to move up to 64 bit power and make my setup future-resistant as much as possible. *sigh* I shoulda just upgraded the computer and stayed with HS and CoolEdit.

Not really, but the growing pains are giving me the blues....

Rothchild


Yeah, despite the repeated mantra, to people who find X1 doesn't work to their satisfaction, that you 'don't have to upgrade' it does appear that 8.5.3 is abandonware. It's been taken out of the list of apps on the bug reporter (I've not tried the FR form yet but I guess it's the same).


Child

That's my feeling too and I will have a look at the other lines of daws that Cake has. But you have that overall fear that all lines of products will be end-of-line and grab X1 approach.

I looked very close at Tracktion too, having the NFR-version 1.5 waiting for the 2.0 that never came and I went Cake instead. I saw that Tracktion 3 is bundled with all Mackie Hardware nowadays and have no idea how it developed, and if it's abandoned that's EOL too.

My best alternative right now is that Samplitude 12 arrives, and it will be x64 too Magix has stated. If I like the takemanager compared to Sonar take management it will probably be my next. And they have good crossgrade alternatives from other daws.

Skyline_UK


Interesting that Cakewalk have chosen to keep two separate forums for 8.5 and X1.  I suggest they are fully aware that in attempting to make the leap to greater market share (in Europe particularly, hence the many visits by their gurus and PR folk) currently occupied by Cubase at al, they have to risk alienating users (such as myself) that originally chose Sonar because it WASN'T Cubase or Logic having tried their demos and found their GUIs obscure and impenetratable.
I don't blame Cakewalk for making such a move in order to grow the business, but I think my long association with Sonar is now looking like it's at an end.

John

X1 is certainly getting good reviews.
 
For me the trouble is they have made it look more like the DAWs I don't like (with, as you say a obscure and inpenatretratable GIUs). I will keep with 8.5 for the time being,  I like to keep my software up to date but I cant' face the learning curve at the moment.  I am wondering if I am becoming a luddite?
 
However I do think its unrealistic to expect Cakewalk to continue development of older versions.

X1 is different enough to call it a separate product.  Both it and 8.5 should be developed and supported but Cakewalk can't even properly support one product let alone two. I have no desire to "migrate" (well put) to X1 since I see no benefit and will instead spend $60 less to purchase a Reaper 3 license. Forcing one to constantly pay for "upgrades" might generate income but will lose customers along the way.  Sonar 8.5.3 is missing a feature that I really like in Reaper that will now never find it's way into 8.5 so there really is no choice but to move on....................Sorry CW but you'll get no more money from me.............