This may have already been answered, and I apologize, I couldn't find a clear answer in previous posts.
Could someone from Cakewalk please chime in and provide the definitive answer.
 
In the past, I would wait a few months after an initial release to let the dust settle before upgrading. I just don't have the time to wade through newly introduced bugs/issues. When I did finally make the plunge, my Producer version upgrade always included EVERYTHING that all other Producer owners received. I may have paid a little more then the "introductory" offer, but I still received everything all other owners received. (with the exception of the X2 content club)
 
My question is, how will I or can I "catch up", if I don't become a member immediately? How do I know what is and is not included in MY membership as opposed to when someone else signed up? Will past content be available for me to download or purchase? Will I ever have EVERYTHING that every other Platinum user has or will everyone's package be different based on when you joined? If content and or features come and go, is there any way to know what will be dropped, so I can decide to renew before I miss something?
 
Please, let's not let this thread become a debate between the fans and the the skeptics.
I'm looking for the Cakewalk policy on catching up your membership, not opinions.
Also, the Cakewalk definition of content. As some hosts/posters call features and plugs content while others say it's only loops, presets, samples, etc.
 
Thanks,

Hey john,
 
For me It was easier to think of the new system in the old way terms, so I think I have a good handle on how it works.
 
for simplicity i will use 200 dollars as the "upgrade" price even though there are other avenues for a cheaper price.
 
so in old way thinking,, it is 200 bucks to "upgrade" and i want to "upgrade".  cakewalk has been so kind to offer me two ways to pay for my upgrade, you can pay the whole 200 bucks or if money is tight they now offer me a payment plan to pay this "upgrade" price on a monthly installment plan for a year. the installment plan will contain a small processing fee so I will pay a little more than 200 bucks for the "upgrade" on the payment plan. if i choose the monthly plan I have not paid for my "upgrade" unless I pay the 12 installments. Cakewalk has advised that every year you will have the same choice to purchase the "upgrade" upfront or in a monthly plan.
 
to your original question? whenever you decide to buy an "upgrade" you are at the most up to date version, immediate catch up. If you decided to pay up front you will have the most up to date version up to the next "upgrade" version, old way thinking of yearly upgrades which would be a year after you jumped in. If you choose the monthly payment plan, and you did not pay for the whole year  12 payments you would drop back to where you were when you jumped in, assuming that would be X3e. if you did pay the whole year then you would stay at where you are as if you paid the 200 upfront. if  you decided not to "upgrade" the next year that is where you stay. so if you jumped in today and paid the 200 upgrade fee or paid 12 months of the installment plan and did not want to "upgrade" next year you would stay at the version as of 2/24/216
 
most simple way of thinking if you have paid or are paying monthly you have everything you could possibly have for whatever version you have artist, platinum, etc.,, if you have not paid or stopped paying monthly you will have the version that you last paid for an "upgrade". for this year it would be x3, x2, x1 whatever version you were when you jumped in. 
 
Next year you will stay with the version you paid for a year so if you jumped in today and either paid for a year or the 12 month installment plan and did not want to continue "upgrading" you would stay with the version of sonar up to 2/24/2016.
 
Mixing the old and new way of thinking cakewalk has decided not to hold their improvements to just a once a year release they will release the improvement or new feature when its ready during the year. 
 
I hope that helps,, I might have confused myself. ;)

jatoth
My question is, how will I or can I "catch up", if I don't become a member immediately? How do I know what is and is not included in MY membership as opposed to when someone else signed up? Will past content be available for me to download or purchase? Will I ever have EVERYTHING that every other Platinum user has or will everyone's package be different based on when you joined? If content and or features come and go, is there any way to know what will be dropped, so I can decide to renew before I miss something?

It's already been stated by CW employes that anytime you start your membership you get everything included up to that point *unless* it is content that has been discontinued.
 
It's also said that at this time there is no plan to discontinue any content (i.e. Addictive Drums). It was also said that if something like Addictive Drums was to be dropped the user base would be notified with adequate notice. 
 
So if you wait until December 2015 to become a member (i.e. upgrade) you will get everything I got on (nearly) day one plus any added content, features and fixes since that time. One caveat, you pay more than I did since I got the introductory price of $149.
 
Simples.

My understanding of the OP's question, as well as the Membership model is thus:
 
Whenever you buy Sonar (upgrade or new customer), you will get the full most current version of the base product (Sonar, whatever major bundled content comes with Sonar that year like AD2, etc).  You will also be receiving all of the bug fixes, updates, etc, as it relates to those offerings.
 
What you will not receive are any of the extra little goodies that came out during the period when you didn't have a membership.  For instance, I imagine that you will get the base set of Anderton FX Chains that came with the Sonar base install, but you would not get any of the additional goodies Craig submitted to be included in monthly updates between Sonar's January release and whenever you buy-in.  When you buy-in, you'll get all of the monthly (or whatever release schedule) goodies and extras going forward (depending on your version) like the Drum Replacer or other things they have teased.  I'm not sure if they'll make the extra goodies available for separate purchase, but I would guess not, as the monthly goodies are one of the incentives to stay current with your membership.
 
 

Thanks everyone for your replies.
 
Pollo, I understand the payment options just fine. Just not the "catch up" part.
 
Baps,
"So if you wait until December 2015 to become a member (i.e. upgrade) you will get everything I got on (nearly) day one plus any added content, features and fixes since that time. One caveat, you pay more than I did since I got the introductory price of $149."
This contradicts what some others have posted. Some have said, "you miss any content released while you were not a member".  See Mager's post above.
 
This is why I am asking someone at Cakewalk to chime in and answer my specific question. Three replies and three somewhat different answers.

Bapu,
Can you point me to where Cakewalk has stated what you posted? That I will receive ALL updates AND content if I wait until December 2015.

jatoth
 
Baps,
"So if you wait until December 2015 to become a member (i.e. upgrade) you will get everything I got on (nearly) day one plus any added content, features and fixes since that time. One caveat, you pay more than I did since I got the introductory price of $149."
This contradicts what some others have posted. Some have said, "you miss any content released while you were not a member".  See Mager's post above.

Yes, I may be off the mark on "content" (if content is defined as Anderton FXs, loops etc.) but not stuff like Addictive.
 
So, let's say if you're not a member and some content comes up for grabs, and you hear about it, you probably will never get it unless you jump on membership that month. In the OP you may have been asking how will you know (in advance) about upcoming content. I suspect you will not. Again, one of the the perks of membership is the surprise arrival of content.

Bapu,
My OP did not ask about future content. I guess what I asked about content could have been worded like this...
Is additional CONTENT only available for the month it is released? If I wait three months, do I miss out on any content that I can not "catch up" receiving?
If that is the case, I would like an accurate detailed description of EXACTLY what is meant by "content".
 
In the prior paradigm, it really didn't matter WHEN one purchased the upgrade.(except the X2 content club stuff) If I paid for Producer I received everything you received in the Producer package.
 
I would really appreciate Cakewalk's clarification, as there are way too many user opinions being posted.

Maybe this post hints at what you want to know?
 
It was the basis (albeit with a bit of misunderstanding regarding "specific" content) for my first post in this thread.

 
I agree that the term 'content' could be clarified.  I've taken it to mean the same as it did during the X2 Content Club : you only get the freebies going forward from the moment you upgrade.  I believe this is what Andrew is saying in the other thread.