I'd recommend using only what comes with Sonar until such time as you find yourself limited by them. Unless you are a superb mix engineer, it'll take several years before you have learned enough to try a technique that the supplied plugins cannot do.
 
These plugins, while maybe not well matched as a complete set, are still excellent and will do what they are supposed to do.
 
Regards,
Dan

Microphones have helped me more than plugins.

I have learned using a fairly wide array of plugins, but constrained to just what sonar has, I can still do a fairly nice job.

For example, someone mentioned MSpectralDynamics. This is a very cool plugin, but if you lower the threshold of cakewalk Multiband compressor and use a very low ratio... maybe stack two with different crossovers, thresholds... you can get a very similar effect.

The only non-Cakewalk plugins I use are BFD and my T-Racks singles.

Some of the oldest Sonar plugins are still pretty good compared with the competiition.

The old Cakewalk phaser plugin is excellent. Sonnitus modulation fx and compression are fine. The pro-channel compressors and eq are excellent and a match for any provided with any DAW and pretty much any third party offering unless you want the feel of a specific compressor or eq Sonar doesn't have. They're optional extras, but the CA-2A and Concrete Limiter are very good.

The Nomad plugins that come with Platinum are mostly good, though very badly documented (if at all).

I tend to use third party plugins to fill gaps or for a specific effect rather than replace a Cakewalk provided plug. For example, Waves' multiband side-chainable compressor, Reel ADT, the quirky Abbey Road consoles, BozDigital's delay, Valhalla reverbs, Melda auto-panner, SPAN and tremolo.

I actually use the Blue Tubes stuff as my go to's except for the Pro Channel EQ.  I figure that if I can learn to use all of the plug ins supplied by Cake in Platinum, I will actually be prepared to take advantage of the "better" third party modules that I might have to buy.

Oh, and for reverb Eventide still has their Black Hole reverb, which is what reverb should be if you are doing more electronic music.  I even put it on an acoustic guitar/vox song and it had depth forever.  Not natural, but very good.

MY laptop being repaired at the moment, so I can't check, but I believe there is a manual for the Nomad stuff. II can't recall where the link is, it may be hidden in the GUI. I seem to recall it being mentioned once and few people being surprised it was there all along.
EDIT
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3009988

Klaus
The manual is included in the Windows - VST Installer.zip file,
download from here:
http://www.nomadfactory.com/downloads/index.html
 
 
Best,
Klaus

CWBRN-24837

dcumpian
I'd recommend using only what comes with Sonar until such time as you find yourself limited by them. Unless you are a superb mix engineer, it'll take several years before you have learned enough to try a technique that the supplied plugins cannot do.

SONAR Platinum has a very comprehensive set of plug-ins. The one plug-in that SONAR does not have is a multiband maximizing limiter, like the Waves L series or Ozone's Maximizer. However the LP-64 Multiband Compressor is excellent, so a decent workaround is to use the LP-64 to do most of the heavy lifting, then following that with the Concrete Limiter to cut any peaks down to size.
 
I particularly like dcumpian's advice because a) you'll find the SONAR plug-ins do what you need, and b) it will become obvious if you need something that's not included, so you can focus on that and won't spend lots of time auditioning plug-ins you'll never use.

dcumpian
I'd recommend using only what comes with Sonar until such time as you find yourself limited by them. Unless you are a superb mix engineer, it'll take several years before you have learned enough to try a technique that the supplied plugins cannot do.
 

I completely agree with this.  The Sonitus bundle is long in the tooth but still a solid workhorse and, if you are new, a great way to learn since the controls are pretty straightforward compared to some "vintage" style plug-ins.  The Nomad Factory plug-ins add some nice variety and character.  The remainder of the included VSTs, the ProChannel and also the included virtual instruments are all nice as well.  There is more than enough to keep you busy for a long long time.
 
The plug-in world can quickly become an endless pit of time and money.  Finding, reading about, downloading, installing, evaluating, buying, shopping for deals, dealing with licensing, learning, mastering, reinstalling/re-licensing/re-scanning because stuff broke, blah blah blah.  It can be fun and there are lots of great plug-ins out there but I'd advise avoiding it for as long as you can.  
 
If you do get bored with the built-in ones and feel like exploring, there are freebies from Melda, GVST, Voxengo, Blue Cats, etc. that are excellent and fill in some gaps and are mainstays for a lot of us even if we do have a ton of paid plug-ins as well.  
 

schwa
I recently upgraded to Sonar Platinum, and there's a long list of plug ins that come with it.  Some are current, some are a bit long in the tooth.
 
So here's the question/challenge. 
 
What 3rd party plug ins compliment the Cake offerings?  Please suggest only those that work without added hardware (no UA, etc.)  

In line with your topic I would heartily recommend that you go out of your way never to visit the Software or Deals section in this forum.

if you do venture there all hope for you may be lost. You might get bitten - and end up a third party plug-in buying mindless zombie like many of us. I'm one of those. Also take particular care not to read posts by regular posters in the Deals forum who are crafty at luring you in to the GAS trap.