BMOG

fresh101
This is another example of the "How come they?" mentality many Americans suffer from. The original poster probably would not have had a problem receiving the product for free as a loyal paying costumer....but as far as everyone else?..."How come they get it for free too?" is what's really being asked here.

I am American and proud of it, if that means I want my hard earned dollars to count for something then I am guilty as charged. I have paid for every version since cakewalk, which paid the developers that created the latest version of Splat. So yes I fee others should not get for free what my invested dollars have paid for, give them a baseline version but not the latest and greatest

I guess this is a cultural thing. I'm not American, so personally I'm fine with Cakewalk being free, but I work with Americans every day and for an American company, so I do understand the difference in attitude and why you feel the way you do. Meng is from Singapore and was educated in the UK, where many have a different attitude to money.
 
I look at this way:
1. I too paid for Cakewalk as far back as Pro Audio 7 and at least every other version since. I got what I paid for at the time, I got good use out of it, so I'm happy with that.
 
2. Sonar Artist (with a few minor exceptions) was not very different from Platinum - it was the bundled plugins that made the difference which aren't being made available with BL Cakewalk. So this is effectively the baseline version.
 
3. You've still got everything you paid for in the past, and all the bundled plugins you got with your previous versions are available in BL Cakewalk. New users won't have those.
 
4. I fully expect the missing Cakewalk instruments/pro channel effects etc to become available at some point, and these we will have to pay for. I'm still gutted I didn't buy the PK4S Channel Compressor so I'm hoping this becomes available for purchase soon.
 
5. Most important... you can spend the money you're not spending on BL Cakewalk on more plugins/instruments/hardware :)
 
M.

The only way you could use Sonar in the past was to pay for it. That money paid to develop the software to where it is today. You could have used Audacity, or Reaper and never paid for the license. But, you saw value in Sonar and in return, were willing to pay for that value. Because you were, the software was able to endure to the point where another company could buy it and keep it going. So far so good.
 
Meanwhile, you get to keep all the current goodies - L-Phrase processors, Rapture Session, Blue Tubes plug-ins, Melodyne Essential, Addictive Drums, TTS-1, etc. as well as goodies from the past (my Pantheon reverb still works...) AND all the content that was released since X3. This represents considerable value that the people getting the "free" version today won't have.
 
I would hope that Cakewalk goes back to the original idea behind lifetime updates - deriving income not from the core program, but from add-ons that people can choose to purchase or not as opposed to being rolled into the cost of an upgrade. Remember, people who already had Battery and Melodyne paid for those again when they bought X3 or Platinum. The add-ons offer people more choices.
 
If it makes you feel any better, new users buying the add-ons you already have means that they're paying to help continue developing the program for your benefit.

jmasno5
I will admit this was first reaction too, WTF. However, if bandlab keeps it updated I'll be happy. Still new free owners do not have all the cool stuff I received as addons when I purchased Sonar. This is what I tell myself anyway... let's face it, the product needs a lot of fresh blood to continue. The more users the better. I'm looking for it to be the ultimate DAW someday. So, I'm going with it. Let's see what happens.
Oh yeah, the new piano roll looks great!

Yes... and we've had it for years longer than any new users!

Love the new PRV colors too!

Anderton
 
I would hope that Cakewalk goes back to the original idea behind lifetime updates - deriving income not from the core program, but from add-ons that people can choose to purchase or not as opposed to being rolled into the cost of an upgrade.

Yep, give away the razor. Also one version to develop and support is cheaper (ditto for 64bit only).

msmcleod

BMOG

fresh101
This is another example of the "How come they?" mentality many Americans suffer from. The original poster probably would not have had a problem receiving the product for free as a loyal paying costumer....but as far as everyone else?..."How come they get it for free too?" is what's really being asked here.

I am American and proud of it, if that means I want my hard earned dollars to count for something then I am guilty as charged. I have paid for every version since cakewalk, which paid the developers that created the latest version of Splat. So yes I fee others should not get for free what my invested dollars have paid for, give them a baseline version but not the latest and greatest

I guess this is a cultural thing. I'm not American, so personally I'm fine with Cakewalk being free, but I work with Americans every day and for an American company, so I do understand the difference in attitude and why you feel the way you do. Meng is from Singapore and was educated in the UK, where many have a different attitude to money.
 
I look at this way:
1. I too paid for Cakewalk as far back as Pro Audio 7 and at least every other version since. I got what I paid for at the time, I got good use out of it, so I'm happy with that.
 
2. Sonar Artist (with a few minor exceptions) was not very different from Platinum - it was the bundled plugins that made the difference which aren't being made available with BL Cakewalk. So this is effectively the baseline version.
 
3. You've still got everything you paid for in the past, and all the bundled plugins you got with your previous versions are available in BL Cakewalk. New users won't have those.
 
4. I fully expect the missing Cakewalk instruments/pro channel effects etc to become available at some point, and these we will have to pay for. I'm still gutted I didn't buy the PK4S Channel Compressor so I'm hoping this becomes available for purchase soon.
 
5. Most important... you can spend the money you're not spending on BL Cakewalk on more plugins/instruments/hardware :)
 
M.

Well said and you make my other point what I have paid for is GREAT! If there is no more updates I am good, I don't using many virtual instruments more real instruments.  I guess it also depends on how you use the DAW as well

Anderton
The only way you could use Sonar in the past was to pay for it. That money paid to develop the software to where it is today. You could have used Audacity, or Reaper and never paid for the license. But, you saw value in Sonar and in return, were willing to pay for that value. Because you were, the software was able to endure to the point where another company could buy it and keep it going. So far so good.
 
Meanwhile, you get to keep all the current goodies - L-Phrase processors, Rapture Session, Blue Tubes plug-ins, Melodyne Essential, Addictive Drums, TTS-1, etc. as well as goodies from the past (my Pantheon reverb still works...) AND all the content that was released since X3. This represents considerable value that the people getting the "free" version today won't have.
 
I would hope that Cakewalk goes back to the original idea behind lifetime updates - deriving income not from the core program, but from add-ons that people can choose to purchase or not as opposed to being rolled into the cost of an upgrade. Remember, people who already had Battery and Melodyne paid for those again when they bought X3 or Platinum. The add-ons offer people more choices.
 
If it makes you feel any better, new users buying the add-ons you already have means that they're paying to help continue developing the program for your benefit.

Great perspective

Leee
I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.  You can't maintain software by just giving it away for free.  There has to be a source of income. 

The company of which BandLab is a part appears to have plenty of sources of income.
 
Quick story. When Musician's Friend owned Harmony Central, when I first came onboard in 2005 the site lost $50,000. I felt terrible about it. I went to the CEO and he said not to worry, the money Musician's Friend got from people buying from their ads on the site added up to way more than enough to keep Harmony Central afloat, and then some. 
 
The CEO had the smarts to realize that Harmony Central wasn't a revenue source, but a marketing expense...and probably the most cost-effective marketing expense they ever incurred . It wouldn't surprise me if Cakewalk is seen as not just a great DAW, but a way to attract people to a site.

BMOG

fresh101
This is another example of the "How come they?" mentality many Americans suffer from. The original poster probably would not have had a problem receiving the product for free as a loyal paying costumer....but as far as everyone else?..."How come they get it for free too?" is what's really being asked here.

I am American and proud of it, if that means I want my hard earned dollars to count for something then I am guilty as charged. I have paid for every version since cakewalk, which paid the developers that created the latest version of Splat. So yes I fee others should not get for free what my invested dollars have paid for, give them a baseline version but not the latest and greatest

I'm American too btw. I've also been a paying customer since Pro Audio 7 from the TTS days and purchased lifetime updates as well. Thing is you do have what you paid for. It died 6month ago. Let's just say if all of a sudden Bandland says yeah you're right and takes it away from everyone else, how does that make your situation better? Bandland will be updating some of the extras you paid for and charging new customers for them. You'll either get them for free for being a loyal paying costumer in the past or get a huge loyalty discount for the said extras. Maybe that helps.

msmcleod
 
4. I fully expect the missing Cakewalk instruments/pro channel effects etc to become available at some point, and these we will have to pay for. I'm still gutted I didn't buy the PK4S Channel Compressor so I'm hoping this becomes available for purchase soon.
 

This would be a pretty hard sale given that Platinum owners already have then and can install them now. BandLab has not suggest this would happen. I do expect that the plug-ins will be available for purchase for those that do not have them including the PC modules.

scook

msmcleod
 
4. I fully expect the missing Cakewalk instruments/pro channel effects etc to become available at some point, and these we will have to pay for. I'm still gutted I didn't buy the PK4S Channel Compressor so I'm hoping this becomes available for purchase soon.
 

This would be a pretty hard sale given that Platinum owners already have then and can install them now. BandLab has not suggest this would happen. I do expect that the plug-ins will be available for purchase for those that do not have them including the PC modules.

Agreed.
 
Patience is the key here.