No denying the goodies are great and sure appreciate them.
I can't say it's all been without some weirdness though.

CCC reset to default settings but I didn't know until after the Braintree Platinum installation.
I found out when I saw that Boost 11 had been installed to its default location, when I have my own locations defined.

Now I hadn't used the CCC for installing anything that I already had like the various Sonar plugins that came with X3 and long standing installations like DimPro and Rapture. Then I read in another post folks were questioning the new updates to Dim Pro and Rapture that appeared in their CCC.

So I checked my Cakewalk SSO account and found that the version numbers of the current installers were newer than my installed versions so. Installed them using the CCC after resetting default locations.

What else is strange is that the advertised Rapture expansion pack was part of the Platinum installer. If I need to reinstall that pack again at a later time will I need to install the Braintree update again? It's a little messy don't you think. How will that work when there surely will be subsequent Sonar updates.

So that's Boost 11, Dim Pro and Rapture as well as Studio Instruments and Cakewalk Sound centre all updated but no documentation as to what's been updated.

The Braintree release document states:

"Dimension Pro and Rapture serial numbers would not authorize automatically on systems with pre-existing installs"

This could explain what the updates to those 2 programs are about.

Yes, it does.
 
But it doesn't explain why you have to download the whole package for DimPro (on a slow internet connection .... etc.... whinge .... whinge ....). Its frustrating !
 
Cheers,
Jerry

mudgel
What else is strange is that the advertised Rapture expansion pack was part of the Platinum installer. If I need to reinstall that pack again at a later time will I need to install the Braintree update again?

The Hardgroove loop library and expansion pack will be available only with the Braintree update. In other words, if you sign up in time for, say, the June update, you will get the new program features as well as quite a bit of the content (IRs, my amp, ProChannel presets, etc.) but you won't get the Hardgroove content.
 
However, these are just like any other sample libraries and programs, so you can copy them to back them up. Presumably you have custom programs for Rapture so when you back those up, you'll back up the Expansion pack. Ditto when you back up your Rapture multisamples. You can back up the loop library to a CD-ROM and put it on the shelf in case of emergency.

And of course, those involved with the Braintree release will be going through the comments to figure out what can be improved next time around. For example I had written a section on where to put the samples and programs for the Rapture Expansion pack if you were doing a manual install, but it was taken out because the installer could do it for you. It seems next time it might make sense to include multiple installation instructions to handle different scenarios. The main document could assume people were going to use the installer, with other options tacked on at the end so as not to add confusion to the main body of the release eZine.
 
As to more information about what is actually updated, that can be done as well. The time crunch was pretty bad for the February release. When all the snow was happening and Boston was effectively shut down, it was looking like the release wouldn't make it in February. They were definitely scrambling to get it out on time. Hopefully the next one can be done in a little more leisurely fashion.
 

n/m

It would be helpful if exclusive content was in a separate installer rather than requiring the user to make special provisions for handling the content. It still can still be done. The content will effectively be gone in the next series of installers but Cakewalk should know who was a member in Feb. It is going to be increasingly difficult to manage reinstalling the product if one cannot rely on a complete set of installers from the manufacturer.

scook
The content will effectively be gone in the next series of installers.

Actually the only content that will be gone will be the Hardgroove loops and expansion pack, which you can copy and backup per normal files. The rest of the content in this release is considered part of the program. I confirmed this with Cakewalk yesterday. At least for the initial releases, they're being more liberal with what they consider "part of the program" than I expected.

I understand but throwing the onus on the user to keep track of bonus content is a poor choice. Instead of being able to rely on a series of Cakewalk installers to get back to a full version of Platinum the user will be expected to run a series of installers and then use whatever plan they have to get back to a full version of SONAR. Even as jacked up as my account currently is, up until the most recent reorganization in January, I was able to download exclusive content from previous versions of SONAR from my store account. Most of those files were deleted in January. I still see a few but have no expectation they will be available for long. The new SONAR and current account handling reinforces my belief that I cannot rely on my account for anything other than a portal for downloading purchases one time and I must keep track of all files and registration information.

Just from this release it seems we have 2 widely disparate groups.
One group seem to be made up of power users who don't want to be forced to install where Cakewalk insist and want full control. The other group prefers to have everything automatic.

Judging from the many questions on the forum, a lot of new users are a bit confused regarding nformation about file locations after the fact and what to install.

Not everyone's at the same starting position. Above all the CCC really needs some love