I am about to upgrade from X3 Producer to Platinum lifetime. I am just curious what updates have been introduced lately. I am concerned that after paying for this week won't see the amount of love that the subscriptions did. I am sure this has been overly discussed but in searching I haven't found dead concise answers.

The update history is here http://www.cakewalk.com/P.../Rolling-Updates#start

Here you go: https://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Rolling-Updates#2016.07
 
Rocky

Sonar Platinum is the only version currently available for lifetime updates, and that only until the end of the month. Cakewalk will have every bit as much incentive to improve the program in its various versions after that as it ever has in order to stay attractive to new users, competitive with other developers and to retain its current user base via paid renewals/upgrades as in the past. Any change in this practice will not be the result of a limited time offer.

So if I update it this weekend for example and go with the lifetime option from Sweetwater (so I can put it on my Sweetwater and get interest free for 6 months) will I get the most recent version with all the updates since platinum has come early out?

Yes. There are a couple of months last year which had content available to members during that time. For example, members in Feb 2015 received Brian Hardgroove’s Bass Loop Library. People purchasing/upgrading SONAR in March 2015 or later would not receive this library for free. Otherwise the most recent version contains all updates since day one.

Whenever you buy SONAR, you get the latest version. FWIW the August update is pretty sweet 

Thanks for your help guys. That sounds like I'd be jumping 2 versions ahead for about the price of one and still get updates moving forward.

Audiodeluxe.com has it for $168.99. I don't know about installments. It says $199, but after you add it to your cart you get $30.01 off.
 
http://audiodeluxe.com/products/cakewalk-sonar-platinum-lifetime-updates-upgrade-any-sonar-producer-or-platinum