GjB

Cactus Music
Grant:
 
Don't you have an older version of Sonar? Dim Pro is a great little VST I have the Accoustic Full Bass on about 60 backing tracks so I certainly need it. 
 

Unfortunately not. I never ventured higher than Professional. So Dimension LE it was.
(Cakewalk By BandLab vs SONAR Versions Comparison Chart)

One way to get beefier versions of some of the software that was included in Sonar is back issues of Computer music magazine.  I believe Zeta+ and Rapture have been given away.  The digital versions are dirt cheap. 

I also have Professional on my CCC list and I guess Dim Pro LE is there as it used to be in my list. I didn't install any Profesional stuff last time around so I don't see Dim Pro LE now. But I seem to remember a lot of the same instruments were included including the Full Acoustic Bass. 
 
I've been populating my CbB barebones copy here at work with freebies. 
Only thing missing is AD2 which is hard to replace with a freebie. So if I was a first timer I would be purchasing AD2 or something similar. The SI Drums are pretty lame. 
The other HUGE feature missing is Melodyn. I never used it on vocals but it is critical to me for converting Audio to MIDI bass tracks. I would have to play my bass tracks on the keyboard again so big step backwards in workflow. 

Can't you just log into your Celemony and XLN accounts and use your second license option on that computer, Johnny?  

THAT ^^^ sounds like a plan!!!  Celemony and XLN are completely 3rd party products not locked to the Sonar installation.

Of course but this is just a 3rd install on a laptop at work so I could sort of see what it will be like for those who don't own Sonar. My son is one of these people so I'll be helping him get going. 
 
I have 2 fully populated systems and that uses up my 2 licences for XLN and Air. 
I opened a new account for XLN and grabbed the free Piano. 
I also installed the Ample P Bass free and the Guitar Free and an Combo F annd V  Organ from .here- http://www.kvraudio.com/news/martinic-announces-combo-model-f---transistor-organ-17074
 

mettelusI can see both sides of the Sonitus comments, and another thing is that there are a lot of totally new users who will get a "first impression" from appearance only. A revamp of a GUI is not actually that complex, and aesthetics alone go a long way to a first time user/buyer.

Agree. I have read so many reviews about how musically do Sonitus plugins sound, if there's not much to rework soundwise why not give them a more contemporary look. Given how many people rate plugins based on their GUI that wouldn't be silly move at all.

Jarsve
I know this might upset some. but i guess BandLab now owns the Sonitus Suite.
 
So why not just make them look better.
 
I mean, more intuitive, so they will be easier to use. Its nothing wrong with the sound in those plugins.
 
Maybe make them some bigger, and group the knobs related to each other. Make the plugin Cakewalk theme compatible, With same sliders, knobs and the rest as Cakewalk.
 
And by doing this, dont say this is brand new sounds, but say it as it is. The same great sound, but with brand new user experience.

You could go into the suggestions thread and ask for a new GUI for the Sonitus Suite, perhaps even a pro-channel GUI.

dubdisciple
One way to get beefier versions of some of the software that was included in Sonar is back issues of Computer music magazine.  I believe Zeta+ and Rapture have been given away.  The digital versions are dirt cheap. 

Yes, thank you. I got Rapture in July of 2017 by getting the February 2014 back issue of Computer Magazine 200th edition.
I learned about it in this thread.

Putting a fresh face on the Sonitus suite might seem like a trivial undertaking, but AFAIK there is only one coder working on Cakewalk today, and his priority is making the transition happen smoothly. Next on the priorities list will be pending bug fixes and enhancements to the core program. Much further down the list will be updating bundled freebies, and even then the emphasis will be on stability and features rather than cosmetics.
 
Looking at the Sonitus plugins, I'm not seeing a lot of justification for the "long in the tooth" accusation (one that I've made myself, btw). They still sport some of the cleanest, easiest-to-use UIs around. The compressor is still a favorite for sidechaining, and the multi-band compressor is one of the clearest, most straightforward implementations I've seen. I have to admit, though, that I've become spoiled for resizable GUIs.

bitflipper
Looking at the Sonitus plugins...They still sport some of the cleanest, easiest-to-use UIs around. The compressor is still a favorite for sidechaining, and the multi-band compressor is one of the clearest, most straightforward implementations I've seen.

I don't feel a compelling need for a different interface either, and I'm not always convinced an "interfacelift" is such a good idea. For example on balance, I like the original Rapture interface (despite its limitations) more than the Rapture Pro one.