There is no gear menu in the bandlab assistant...

Top left on the title bar.

Daibhidh

julianochrisway
My Experience with Cakewalk 2018:

Fast, Stable, Polished. And contrary to what they say DO NOT REQUIRE the user to stay connected on the internet to work. I did the test with the internet in offl, I rebooted the notebook without internet and unlogged, to my surprise the software did not require that I enter the account online to use it in full. So who is saying that Bandlab requires you to stay connected on the internet is making a mistake

I liked this version so much that I already retired my version of Sonar Platinum. Because this new version read all my plugins without any difficulty........

I liked it so much that I already made my first donation

My experience has been the same and I feel exactly the same way you do about Bandlab and the trolls.

Btw, time to update your signature. :)

Studio Gears:
Interfaces: Roland, Allen & Heath and Other
Native Daw: Cakewalk by Bandlab
Midi Controllers: Roland A88, Akai LP8, Arturia Keylab 61 Essential, M-audio Oxygen 61 V3

LOL exactly my friend, thanks for reminding. I just updated including the link for those interested ...

For me the best surprises in recent years in terms of software. Such powerful software for free. I have no problem giving monthly donations, I am very satisfied. My projects are flowing better, some small problems of incompability with I had in all daws including the latest version of the platinum of 2017. It was a problem with my musiclab replay. This problem has disappeared ... It's all melting like butter

Is Session Drummer included?

No

I've just downloaded and installed. Session Drummer works flawlessly on the project I opened, but I guess it worked because I've got the Artist installed.
No Session Drummer, no joy.
Uninstalling...
 

Just because the early release lacks Session Drummer does not mean Session Drummer will be unavailable to you now or any time in the future. For now, Artist or any old Cakewalk (the company) DAW containing the plug-in must be installed. Of course, Session Drummer may be installed with the old DAW too, it just takes the old installer.
 
This release of CbC is the similar to the SONAR Platinum installer only, none of the other installers that were part of SONAR are part of this release. Session Drummer will be available from BandLab. It takes time to update all the software. By installing Cakewalk by BandLab you are getting a free upgrade to the SONAR Platinum feature set.

uninstalled

Some people I've seen around the thread have a chronic uncapacity to be happy. I am also a "lifetime" Platinum owner, but a lot of things happened since that day. Our DAW was breath-cutted, we lost hope, we were fearing a major Windows update that kill it, and suddenly one day it got fresh air again by the hand of young people with future projections. We have lots of reasons to be happy about this. The actual Cakewalk by BandLab is just SONAR with one or two new details and some less processors, but I'm sure they are preparing something unbelievable for the future of Cakewalk. I feel that this is just the beginning of a reinvention, and in (let's say) 4 years from now Cakewalk, step by step, will become an innovative DAW, because it has been acquired by people way younger than the most of us, and they are full of new ideas and energy; people who created an unthinkable DAW social network, which to me has an amazing future. They are not trying to sell blenders and TV's like Gibson. But this is not by altruism. BL Technologies came here because they saw the potential to partner Cakewalk with BandLab each other, taking pro features and processors from Cakewalk to make BandLab more complete and better sounding, and bringing from BandLab new DAW concepts and young future perspectives (and customers) to Cakewalk, one of the pioneers (the oldest?) DAWs in the world. Also, they incredibly ASK US what we would like to have in the next versions in the "Feature request + improvements" thread. Remember this is SOFTWARE, it NEEDS to change and be modernized, and what a better way than by the hand of this young innovatibe people. Otherwise it happens what happened to SONAR by the hand of a 65 years old bald businessman. So if some of you want to keep complaining, do it against Gibson.
Yesterday we were lost, today we are breathing again, and in some years we will be the envy of other DAW users, not only because the DAW, but also by this great community, which will be participating actively in the development process. So let's trust each other, take part in the "Feature request + improvements" thread bringing new ideas, and leave BandLab transform Cakewalk in the unthinkable with their own new ones.
Cheers.
PD: I'm 37, he, not a grandpa yet...
PD2: I think Gregg Hendershot deserves a Deluxe copy of Cakewalk by BandLab in 'vinyl disc'...

^^^ THIS!
 
I'm super happy about the new situation. Onwards and upwards :-)