Sorry, I'm getting screwed up somehow with the quoting function,pardon this roll-your-own formatting...
Craig, thanks for replying. BTW I've been reading your stuff since I was in my DAW diaper days (CW7 and Cool Edit). The fact that I might not always agree with you (see below ;-) ) in no way means any disrespect; on the contrary.
-- As for "First, if you encounter a bug many months after something was introduced, it probably didn't relate much to your workflow, so you probably won't miss it much if you just stay with the new version."
No sir, that does not follow at all. Features used in a project are links in a chain, and what they say about chain strength and weakest links is a cliche for good reason. Importance does not necessarily correlate at all with the order in which something is used. My typical workflow is audio recording>>audio editing>> basic audio levels and panning >> basic audio FX and routing >> detailed audio automation envelope work >>> [same steps for midi] >>> basic master bus FX >> master bus fx automation.
The fact that, for example, I spend maybe the first 95% of my time on all but the last step in no way means that the last step doesn't relate much to my workflow; on the contrary, it is integral to it, it just comes last. That might sound like an extreme example, but it's actually exactly what happened to me in Sonar 2.2 when I found, and tech support confirmed, that master bus automation wouldn't work in that version. A major enough omission that I abandoned Sonar (having been with in the family since CW7), only returning last year.
--As for "Second, Cakewalk is quite good about compatibility, both forward and backward. Of course if you used some feature in a project based on a new version, and that feature wasn't in an old version, you won't be able to use that feature in an old version."
Agreed.
--As for "Third, I believe you're overthinking this. You might find
this tip helpful as a way to create "future-proof" files but which are also "past proof."
Ultimately the most important part of any DAW is the audio and MIDI data, which can transfer not just between different versions, but different DAWs and even different platforms. "
Thank you, that tip is indeed a useful way of quickly and conveniently archiving through rendering-- old working habits of mine, but I didn't know about that method in Sonar. Good stuff.
However, archiving won't always suffice to save time lost if a suddenly encountered bug bricks a labor-intensive project. This is because the most important part of any DAW, or rather, a project done in a DAW, goes quite beyond the underlying audio and midi data. It also includes the data embodied in comping, volume and panning levels, FX chains parameters / automation / routing, soft synth choices parameters (including, say, custom-layered Kontakt instruments) and their automation / routing, master bus FX chains etc.
Archival bouncing (including bouncing midi as audio) will capture a snapshot of the final sound of a project, which is great if that's the final version, but if it's not, you've got a problem because you won't be able to tweak the links in the chain got you there. These links are what I spend the vast bulk of my DAW time crafting. Sometimes the links can be painstakingly reconstructed, sometimes not. If say on a vocal track you've got EQ>>verb>>compressor>>limiter, and you want to go back and fix the verb on a printed audio track,you're stuffed.
So, with respect, I am not overthinking this at all. I'm speaking from painful experience, not only with CW products. Complacency can make you really sorry layer. As I bother with all of this out of fun / love of the craft and art of music-making, I try real hard to avoid the colossal time-wastes I've gone through over the years.
In case someone infers otherwise -- I'm largely happy to return to the CW fold. I got X3e last year, and for the first time in quite a while, I could spend hours focusing basically on the music, as opposed to the DAW. Real joy. In fact I saw no compelling reason to move on until I heard about the sale price for Platinum with its killer feature, Mix Recall, so I went for it. I'm proceeding with it cautiously -- so far, so good-ish, though a freeze at the start screen was not the best introduction.
My main point is that rollback-ability can in some ways be a lifeboat; but at the end of the day, I'd prefer to enjoy the ride on the stable cruise ship I'm paying for. So I am super-careful about rolling upgrades.
Unfortunately it's not so simple a matter as forgoing some of them under the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule, because the monthly updates are an inseparable mix a) new features which, while maybe super nice, aren't vital; b) bug-fixes, which could well prove to be vital; and c) new bugs, as you can read about all over this forum, release after release.
I know this stuff is hard to do, and that the bakers are talented and dedicated. Still, there are real reasons to get nervous. These should not be dismissed.