BandLab was interested in Cakewalk and Sonar for some time. It wasn't like they just woke up one day and said "hey, it's Tuesday! Let's buy a DAW!" I really think they bought Cakewalk's IP because they see it as being an important part of the company's future.
 
I wish all of you could have met Meng at NAMM, as I did. The guy is smart, positive, and driven. And as we've found out from his forum participation, attentive. It wouldn't surprise me if CbB goes in a non-traditional direction going forward, and shakes up the industry in the process. I really don't see that CbB being free will put others out of business as much as grow the overall music business.
 
I always said in the past I was on the sidelines at Cakewalk but helped wherever I could, and I remain on the sidelines now - it's a low-stress place to be :)  So that gives me the luxury to speculate without the burden of knowing much insider information. My hunch is that the industry is going to be pleasantly surprised at how this all turns out.

Thanks, Craig! Glad to hear your positive impressions of Meng! Reassuring. He seems like a great guy indeed, and maybe even a bit visionary if he can pull off his ambitious goals!
 
I hope you're right about the overall pleasant surprise we're all in for. I'm not saying I'm skeptical, but I am going to take my time to see how things evolve. He's executing a unique business model and for me, a DAW's long-term stability and progression is very important. If I'm going to invest my time and creativity to building my music in it, I want to know if it's going to be around for a while, and more or less what I can expect (while also understanding market pressures and changes can sometimes be unpredictable). How Meng eventually evolves Cakewalk matters -- if he goes the direction of profile building or ad revenue, for example, it will be a huge turn-off. Likewise if he sacrifices stability and bugfixing, or decides to no longer invest resources for professional users, it will be a problem for me personally. But if Meng follows through with the passion he's talked about (and I have no reason to believe otherwise at this point), then he has the potential to have a huge impact on the industry.
 
However, I do think that other DAWs in the lower-price category are in for a rough ride though. They'll have to come up with a value proposition that convinces people to spend money vs. just using a very powerful, free alternative in Cakewalk. 
 
BTW, I did see that you posted in some other thread or forum about the idea that you think that DAW users are going to adopt more DAWs in their workflow, and that other DAWs are going to start specializing again, after a long period of convergence. Correct me if I'm wrong. Very fascinating. Can you elaborate more on that, and how you think Cakewalk will evolve? I know you can't divulge inside information, but you obviously have a basis for your theory, would love to know more. I think it's very relevant to this thread, and also the general idea of changes in the DAW market overall, especially re: Cakewalk. Maybe Meng's approach is the tip of the iceberg?

Lanceindastudio
 
You da Meng!
 
Cheers!
 
 

ionecake
BTW, I did see that you posted in some other thread or forum about the idea that you think that DAW users are going to adopt more DAWs in their workflow, and that other DAWs are going to start specializing again, after a long period of convergence. Correct me if I'm wrong. Very fascinating. Can you elaborate more on that, and how you think Cakewalk will evolve? I know you can't divulge inside information, but you obviously have a basis for your theory, would love to know more. I think it's very relevant to this thread, and also the general idea of changes in the DAW market overall, especially re: Cakewalk. Maybe Meng's approach is the tip of the iceberg?

I'm privy to a lot of information, and the reason why is because I don't leak it . Anyone who's been following my posts over the years probably knows that I've been using Sonar for tracking, Studio One for mastering, and Live for live performance ever since each one of them was at version 1.0. If found them uniquely qualified for those particular tasks.
 
I've also been conversant with Cubase, Pro Tools, Mixcraft, Samplitude, Logic, Reason, and Digital Performer. I'm currently writing a series of books for Hal Leonard so I'm getting deeper into them. What I'm finding is that it's really not that hard to learn multiple programs, and that they have particular attributes that make them well-suited for particular projects. As the developers continue implementing their visions of where their programs could go, I think we'll see greater differentiation, not less. I don't know what the roadmap is for Cakewalk, but I can certainly imagine one that would be unique, make a lot of sense, keep the existing users happy, and bring in more newcomers. I'm hoping that's the direction it takes.
 
But other DAWs are pursuing their own directions, and I suspect their priorities are not Cakewalk's. I can easily see myself deciding which program to use as I start thinking about a project...not that different from starting a song on keyboard, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, or a vocal line.

Thanks for your thoughts, Craig! I agree that each DAW has certain strengths, and it will be very fascinating to watch this new chapter in Cakewalk's history and how the larger DAW community evolves! Wishing the best for Meng, Noel, and the rest of the team!
 
Also, BTW, I noticed you have been posting Studio One articles on the Presonus blog since what we thought was the death of Cakewalk -- but now that Cakewalk is back in action, are you turning back to Cakewalk as your main DAW? You seem to have been much more Cakewalk-centric in recent years (I know you have been working with many DAWs of course), but wondering if things have changed for you with all that has happened? Cakewalk could use your enthusiasm and energy like before!

Anderton
But other DAWs are pursuing their own directions, and I suspect their priorities are not Cakewalk's. I can easily see myself deciding which program to use as I start thinking about a project...not that different from starting a song on keyboard, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, or a vocal line.

That's where I'm at now.  Since I learned of Cakewalk's demise, I purchased both Studio One and Cubase through their competitive crossgrade offers.  Each DAW I've worked with has its own strengths and weaknesses.  The score editor in Cubase is superb, making it a natural choice for orchestral work.  The project workflow in Studio One is unbeatable for mixing and mastering.  And of course the DAW previously known as Sonar is still awesome for everything else, and by far what I'm most comfortable with.  There's no doubt I'll find uses for each of them, even though Cakewalk is once again the central part of my studio.  

All in all, life is good. :)

They can make money off their purchase of cakewalk they just need to keep their customer base happy and content. Happy people spend money. There is also the numbers game that I liken to when I purchase an app or a game for a dollar, the first thought is there no money in making apps, but when 50 million people buy it all of the sudden a little money turn into a lot.
 
Off topic, but it seems like just the other day I sent off an email questioning the truth behind lifetime updates. The response took 4 months to receive and it essentially said read our post. I was like WOW that took 4 months. That was the post that was sent out stating how invigorated the staff was, and how motivated they were, and how they promised to stay Sonar.
 
Regardless I am hopeful that this works out. I have spent years fighting off the people telling me I needed the industry standard, and nothing compares to x and that I can't make crap with an amateur DAW. Now I can say try it it will cost you nothing but your time.

Cakewalk by Bandlab needs its own non proprietary (with proprietary features) audio interface and mic system. Also ads on the forum would generate some revenue. Cakewalk needs to be "socially" integrated with Bandlab online and viewed as a social network.
 
People go to Facebook for news and the would more likely come to Bandlab for music creation and music tech info.
 
Hooking people socially though Cakewalk would be nice, Cakewalk could notify you when friends come online not through an audio beep but through a news feed which scrolls with ads. You can glance at it every once in a while, when editing.
 
An instant messenger built into Cakewalk would be nice too.
 
Advertisers could sell hardware though a Cakewalk feed.
 
It does not have to be invasive it can be tailored to your needs.
 
Like, please watch this ad before you delete this track would be invasive but your guitar player just signed in would be helpful... You have X number of fans online viewing your editing or waiting for your new song release would be helpful.

Cakewalk could have an OBS style studio built in so fans could watch you streaming during the creative process online. Much like Twitch is for gaming Cakewalk could have viewers watching the creative process of making music.
 
Hardware made to accomplish this streaming would take the headache out of setups and integration with Windows. 
 
Like the Xbox for musicians, Cakebox by Bandlab. :)

RexRed
 
 
People go to Facebook for news and the would more likely come to Bandlab for music creation and music tech info.
 
Hooking people socially though Cakewalk would be nice, Cakewalk could notify you when friends come online not through an audio beep but through a news feed which scrolls with ads. You can glance at it every once in a while, when editing.
 
An instant messenger built into Cakewalk would be nice too.
 
Advertisers could sell hardware though a Cakewalk feed.
 
It does not have to be invasive it can be tailored to your needs.
 
Like, please watch this ad before you delete this track would be invasive but your guitar player just signed in would be helpful... You have X number of fans online viewing your editing or waiting for your new song release would be helpful.

 
I can't think of anything worse. There are enough distractions already when I'm trying to get some music recorded.

yeah i'm with james here, the "social" side of it to me seems like working in ones own office for years and then being forced to work in an open plan office - no thanks! chat messenger built into the daw?? why not just use one of a zillion already-existing chat clients?

You have X number of fans online viewing your editing or waiting for your new song release would be helpful.

no pressure then! has nobody read all the accounts of how difficult it is to record/mix when the control room is full of the bands entourage??
/fwiw/ymmv