dubdisciple
I know it sounds like a broken record from sharke, mettelus and I but go Geist when it's on sale and you won't look back. Closest thing to an MPC workflow I have found in software but better. Lots of ways to handroll. Once I got the mapping right for my controller it was a breeze to use very much like a hardware device with huge display screen. It samples, resamples, slices  (feels like i am pitching Ronco products) creates good submixes, sequences and more. It is easy to stack up to 8 samples on one pad. Even has great live options. 

It maybe a "broken record" but its useful information and in keeping with the spirit of the forum.

The more I use it, the more I appreciate the functionality. I just started using the chromatic mode  in Geist. For creating 808 sub-kick basslines it rocks.

Anderton

Beepster 
For the record, and I stated this earlier, Cake should totally keep up with the EDM market's needs.

People giving specific suggestions would probably help expedite that process.

I'm stating in general for their own bottom line. Might as well scoop up some of the marketshare.
 
I don't really know the SPECIFIC needs of that community ('cause I'm an ole dino, yo) but if a gun were put to my head I'd say take a look at how Reaper deals with click/drag warping (much less complex than Audiosnap) and I'm guessing the Matrix could be made to compete better with Ableton style functionality (and I've seen you mention you do beat matching and warping in Ableton... so, yanno whatever works).
 
To me though I just want things that will make tracking, editing and mixing even more enjoyable/efficient. Over the past few years I'd say those things have improved really well.

I rarely get involved in these threads, I did however want to make the point that, being a musician that rarely strays beyond the bounds of classical and jazz, I probably use less than 5% of what Sonar has to offer.
I get where the OP is coming from, there is little to satisfy their specific need. I would like Cakewalk to concentrate on better, more true to life orchestral sounds, for Dim Pro. Or even another program specifically designed to create these sounds. But I know the others on this forum will tell me to just go buy a program specific for these sounds.
In Sonar's defence, I think that need is specific, and if Sonar were to try and create a program for each and every users specifics, that program would be a month long download and take up all the HDD space available.
I also think a little less of a rant and more of a suggestion for a feature might go towards getting what you want. There is no doubt in my mind that Sonar is one of the best DAW's on the market, and to come to it's home forum with such a degrading post is just going to ruffle the feathers of many musicians that make great music on a program that is not set up for their specific needs.

Beepster


Is that so? Then why was it when I was looking to update my studio rig the Cubase package would have cost me at least three times as much due to all the extra instruments I would have needed to buy to even get CLOSE to waht Sonar was offereing? And that was in X1 days. The new package has WAY more instruments, effects

That's why I didn't bother with the Cubase platform . IMO Steinberg is taking 'business prerogative' too far, they are overcharging, but Cubase is up there with the best for sure, a very good package all things considered, and the latest genetation of Cubase also has "WAY more instruments and effects", Sonar isn't the only one with more of everything and new tools.

We see that Sonar offers good value for money, and that can't be denied, that's not my issue. It has it where it counts, with a nice blend of features. This is all a given. I'm simply talking in terms of current objectives and possible specific tools for EDM.

Old school here too, but I just don't like the idea that a daw should try to cater anyone's given style/taste.
 
CW has given me great tools to use over 19 years but, 99% of the "extras" have long gone by the wayside, but in the end I don't want Sonar to be a "band in a box" solution for anyone who's not a complete newb - and even they will eventually find what they need, and things that fit the way they want to work/play.
 
It's just a great daw with stuff.  You like it or don't.  Let it be.
 

I think another reason I am fine with Sonars's EDM offerings is that tools tend to evolve into use for a specific genre and not the other way around. Neither the 808 or 303 were designed for the genres they became mainstays of and in some cases (acid) defined. FL was considered a techno tool by much of hiphop communtiy prior to the popularity of southern (and now chicago) style production  Tools created for specific genres tend suck or come along with the worst of the worst cliche sounds 5 years past relevancy.  I'm more in favor of Cakewalk introducing a solid quality synth than a synth designed specifically with a genre in mind.  One of the things massive DAWS have achieved is spoiling us with so much variety and features we expect so much more to be done for us. Some of the best EDM songs ever have been done on simple trackers or old atari computers. If someone cannot crank out a decent EDM song on Sonar (or any other DAW) that includes so many sound sources, the problem is clearly not the DAW. I have to remind myself of that constantly. Honestly, I think those requiring more realistic sounding acoustic sounds have a stronger argument, particularly if one is "handrolling". I know EDM producers of various subgenres, regardless of DAW, that painstakingly lay out all their drum hits in piano roll (including stacked sounds) despite all the features and plugins that make such things easier.  They desire the precise control. These same people still do all sample slicing manually. I am somewhat of a hybrid, although I am starting to wean myself off of slicing samples up in soundforge. 

Anderton

Beepster 
For the record, and I stated this earlier, Cake should totally keep up with the EDM market's needs.

People giving specific suggestions would probably help expedite that process.

EDM would be advanced tremendously if all of Cakewalk's product installers prompted for installation locations prior to installation.  

Drone7

That's why I didn't bother with the Cubase platform . IMO Steinberg is taking 'business prerogative' too far, they are overcharging, but Cubase is up there with the best for sure, a very good package all things considered, and the latest genetation of Cubase also has "WAY more instruments and effects", Sonar isn't the only one with more of everything and new tools.

We see that Sonar offers good value for money, and that can't be denied, that's not my issue. It has it where it counts, with a nice blend of features. This is all a given. I'm simply talking in terms of current objectives and possible specific tools for EDM.

I was using an old version of Nuendo before updating my gear. I know exactly how good Steinberg DAWs are. They are rock solid (for me) and I would have likely gotten Cubase due to those experiences. However the version at that time was extremely stripped down compared to Sonar and I needed the instruments and FX. Money was tight so I took a gamble. It was dicey stability-wise for a while and I was even considering getting the base version of Cubase to do all my tracking and editing in then transfer it over to Sonar for mixing. Then X3 came out and the stability crap went away.
 
Would I like to own Cubase? Sure, why not, but at this point I see no need. I'd rather own and learn Reaper as a second DAW. Cheaper, more stable and portable and by learning it I can get low budget friends up and running so they can record themselves.
 
Sonar is just way better for what I do and really... I did look at the instrument/plugs list of even the top version of Cubase a little over a year ago and it was still seriously lagging behind what Sonar was offering.
 
So now that the stability issues have been hammered out there is no reason other than curiosity that would make me want to use the other stuff.
 
And I keep saying I'm a "dinosaur" but in reality I am extremely adventurous and ambitious with what I want to do musically. That includes electronic elements to orchestral mayhem. I have not seen any indication whatsoever that I will run out of options for anything I could concieve of with the stuff I've gotten with Sonar and the modest set of third party stuff I've snagged to compliment it.
 
Basically I simply do not see what your issue is. Make feature requests. Discuss techniques with the other users. Making demands and insulting people is not going to make things happen. It's just gonna tick people off who would otherwise help you get to where you want to go.
 
Peace.

Anderton
 
Other than that I agree with much of the sentiment here - that SONAR is a host program. You can customize it pretty much any way you want with third-party accessories, like VSL if you want to do orchestral scoring to ReWiring Reason or using Geist as a plug-in.

Same goes for Reaper or any other DAW. How does this make Sonar special or give it an advantage when almost every DAW is based on the same basic concept? Are you forgetting that we buy DAWs in view of provided plugins that come with it, or for any plugins that might cater more closely to our specific preference of tools and sounds, and that DAWs are subject to 'value added' perceptions of potential customers. Nonetheless I respect Sonar, and that's the main thing, but please Cakewalk, be more attentive to the EDM crowd please.

But in terms of specifics as Craig queried, I would ask for...

1: An update of the Pentagon and PSYN synth-engines with an overhaul of the preset menus.

2: A dedicated drum-machine with unprocessed 'RAW' 24bit drum samples, but with slice/edit features similar to 'Groove Agent 4" in Cubase.

3: Four individual dedicated drum-sound modules each designed specifically for one purpose, in this case one for making Kicks, one for making all manner of phat Claps, one for open hi-hats (ala TR 909 esque) and one for all manner of snares. But these would have to be of the caliber of the ones found in Native Instruments "Maschine"

4: A sound-module/rompler consisting of purely 'hardware synth' samples, and many presets in the form of Synth hooks, synth stabs, hoovers, synth plucks, evolving Trance pads, huge detuned unison leads, and gated pulsating drone [7]s LOL

5: A plugin dedicated to making fill-sweeps and risers.


6: A dedicated ARP on-par with the one in Logic Pro X, 'integrated' into each channel.