Paul G
A couple of questions.

1.  I'm on X3 but never DL or registered Addictive Drums, (I'm a Superior 2 user).  Would I still be able to get the previous kits that were part of X3?  Sorry, I don't remember how that all worked.  Seems like you had to have you DAW online to access the kits.
 
<<You will have one for X3 and brand new one for Platinum so you can redeem both.>>

2.  How long does the $149 upgrade price for X3 Pro to Platinum hold?  What if I wanted to wait 3 - 4 months before upgrading?  I'm guessing the price will no longer go down at years end but will it go up?
 
<<At least through January and probably February>>

3.  Has there been any changes / improvements to the track color options?  Can we finally colorize the track backgrounds instead of the waveforms?

<<I don't believe so. Noel could confirm>>
4.  How does the new FX Stacking (FX bin), work with the Pro Channel?  Pre - Post?  Can you position it in the PC like the FX Chain?  Will we still have the FX Chain?

Thanks.
 
Paul

perfectprint
looking at the Version comparison page right now as an X3 Producer owner and I am seeing one drawback to this purchase model.
 
Off the bat with everything I own already I would pick PROFESSIONAL. All I lose out on is Vocal Sync and two ADpacks, neither of which I would miss. I would like to be an informed consumer and know exactly how much more over the 12 months is expected to be added exclusively to PLATINUM. With the release date around the corner all I see is a hint at a drum replacer.
 
 
Would I be able to pay the additional $49 (soon to be $99!) to make that 1 step upgrade halfway though a PRO membership to get any new PLATINUM features?

We've never had that upgrade path where later on down the road you can make up the difference in that particular path after the fact. I think for me, the $50 difference wouldn't sway me from upgrading to Platinum. VocalSync along is worth 8-10x the price. The Drum Replacer is worth way more and they'll be cool stuff coming all throughout the year. That's just me, but the Professional is definitely a good value too. 

DrBoom

bladetragic

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

Susan G
Sorry if this has been asked. It's hard to keep up!
 
If we pay for the monthly subscription for, say, three or four months and then decide we want to purchase it outright, is what we paid for the subscription deducted from the full purchase price?
 
Thanks-
 
-Susan
 
 

Honestly, that's not a path we want to manage. There is no way to make the really automated. We'd be managing a lot of SKUs and scenarios. I understand why you might want to do that and then hope you can go back to paying upfront. I think that's why we want to offer a demo on day 1 so people can have 30 days to try out some of the new features. 

I'm confused by this.  Are you saying that if someone was to pay monthly for 6 months they don't have the option to pay off the remaining 6 months in one lump sum if they choose??? 

That is another issue I have. If I pay for 6 months on something, I better have the option of paying the rest to own it....... I am with you guys at cakewalk on this subscription thing being a great idea. But honestly if someone pays 6 months on something and not be offered to pay the other 6 months to own it isn't to cool for me. Again, I pay for the 149.00 upgrade anyhow but still..
If I am reading it correctly, it is "either or"........

This is why it was important to keep the traditional upfront method here. If that's really your preference, then you should pay upfront and get the discount. It would be very difficult down the road to manage all these variations of people wanting to pay up after 1 month, 3 months, 5 months, etc for all the different versions. We'd rather focus on supporting the product then managing every pricing possibility. I hope you can understand that.

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

WallyG

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

Vern C
Because I guess it got lost in the shuffle the first time:

What if you're like me and got Addictive Drums 1 when it was offered with Sonar? Would I get Addictive Drums 2 this time?

Yes, you get the Producer Bundle so you get to choose 3 new ADpaks, MIDIpaks, and Kit Pieces. 

Andrew,
You're not answering the "real" question. Will we be getting the upgraded Addictive Drums 2 or just the Addictive Drums 2 engine? The latter doesn't allow you to use previously purchased AD1pacs. This question has been asked before but not answered. Thanks.

Walt

Not sure why real is in quotes but hope this answers your question. You will be getting the new Addictive Drums 2 Producer Bundle. Not just upgraded engine like we did in X3. This is exactly the same as the Addictive Drums 2 Producer Bundle on their site. You can visit there site to learn more about it. 

Andrew,
This is not a Cakewalk issue, but I appreciate you addressing it.

I visited their site but was deceived (as others have posted on this forum) and thought that I would be getting the
Addictive Drums 2 Update, but it is only the engine that doesn't allow you to use previous ADpacs that you have previously purchased.

It doesn't matter anymore. I very happy with Cakewalk (and your team's support), but won't purchase any more products from XLN Audio because of their deceptive practices.

You can go to bed now. It's has to be late in Boston unless you're here on the west coast. (Or maybe a week deserved vacation for the Cakewalk team in Hawaii!
Walt

declan

Paul G

Greeny
Ok I get it. Sorry for my earlier frustration, I misread a few things and jumped to some conclusions. It makes sense now. Whoever said being dumb was easy. In my defense - iits late and I'm tired. Please feel free to slap me with a sonar platinum boxset.

OMG!  We've saved Greeny!
 
I've got to tell you guys, I was a little worried there for a while....
 

No "you" didn't, and I don't think it's funny at all.  Some did a good job of knocking him down for perfectly good observations on a bloody CW forum. 
 
This new format works for me this particular year (AD upgrade & packs) but as much as I love CW there's going to have to be a lot of proof in this particular pudding.
 
I think the CW staff has done a great job in this thread explaining things.  I don't think this "roll-out" has been particularly well-done on this site.
 
But I'm happy, and I think those of us here should always be kind to those who are not.

Whoa there Richard.  It was all tongue in cheek.



 

mettelus
My concern with "membership" is this situation... say someone upgrades at the 6 month point (like July) with say 3 patches released... 1) I would presume that the patches are included in the upgrade for them? and 2) if they pay-by-month and only buy one month, they now have (for $50) what loyal customers just paid $100 (or $149 for the one-time upgrade) for. Since one "gets to keep" what they paid for, this new marketing strategy is confusing (to say the least).
 
I have never seen a company "retroactively" charge for patches... so the above situation is concerning to ponder.

So how does this membership going to help you guys. So pretty much you will be paying more money from having a subscription? So steinberg's not doing a subscription model, some users will switch to mac and use logic, new version of studio one is coming out soon, and NI are working on a new version of maschine with better sequencing. You guys ever think about this?

bladetragic
2) Also, to borrow a previous posters scenario, if I pay for 18 months straight, then skip one month, then pay for another 6 months straight and then decide not to pay the next month, I now revert back to the version from month 18???  Even though, I invested another six months worth of money into the product???  That seems a bit unfair to the customer, if that is in fact how it works.

 
It's like anything else that's bought on a payment plan. You have to make a commitment to regular payments, but remember - you are getting the complete software package as soon as you make your first payment. Cakewalk is trusting you to pay for it over the course of a year. If the plan allowed for people to maybe skip a month, then maybe come back, then keep paying, or whatever, it would be an accounting nightmare. It's much simpler to say "Here's your software, you have 12 months to pay for it." The other option is to buy it upfront, like the traditional software model.
 

3) While this initial offering seems very good, going forward Cake is going to have to really bring some serious content and features to the table after this initial year to show customers that the yearly subscription is worth the investment.  Although, that could be a good thing for customers......putting the pressure on Cakewalk to really bring it.

 
That's the plan. Cakewalk has this weird, old-fashioned idea that if customers are really happy, they'll support the company. What you'll receive over the next year will be an example of what to expect in the future. If people like it, they'll renew. If they like that, they'll renew again.
 

How will customers know exactly what they're paying for w/ the 12 month membership??? Furthermore, how will customers have reassurance that Cake will provide consistent content???  There's got to be some kind of system to consistently keep the customers informed and enthusiastic on what's to come with this kind of model.

 
As stated in the FAQ, there will be indications of what's coming up (Cakewalk has a roadmap of features), but there will also be surprises. Think of magazines with their "coming next month" box. It describes maybe their cover story and some other features, but not the columns and other elements. Also sometimes schedules are fluid. I'm working with one company now to provide some drum loops that I think are as good as it gets, but I don't know if they'll be ready in a month, two months, or whatever. So in that case, one day these great drum loops will show up 
 

All in all, I think a lot of the question and concern customers have (and are going to have) is due to unfamiliarity and uncertainty of just how much Cakewalk will deliver on their end b/c this is all new.

 
Well, you'll find out over the next year as "X5" gets assembled on your computer. I can assure you that a HUGE amount of planning has led up to this moment, and that planning has a goal of very happy customers.

kitekrazy1

Ryan Munnis [Cakewalk]

gswitz

SimpleManZ
Easy to see I can only use Sonar on "1" computer from now on end. Then the occasional rebuilding of the said "1" computer will need to hassle of reclaiming whatever token I have 'dongled-Sonar' to the internet. 

Just for clarity, I believe there is no dongle (can I get a hallelujah).

If you never let your DAW on the internet, there is a way to validate the software so you can use it (by downloading a file and using sneaker-net to move the file to your DAW).

You can use that same file to authenticate 10 offline computers that you own if you wish, as long as you continue to only use them one at a time (which most of us are forced to do anyway due to only having one good interface). I'm really not sure how Sonar would protect themselves if you have 10 DAWs in your studio that are NEVER online. I'm guessing it would come down to the honor system at that point.

For most of us, this translates to the fact that you can install on your DAW and your Laptop if you want. You can use your laptop in the field as long as no one is concurrently bouncing tracks in your studio on your DAW.

Obviously its up to us to protect ourselves. To state it simply, we have no intention of making it difficult for people to authorize their software, even if they have multiple machines. I wouldn't worry. The design is very unintrusive.

With that being said, if we see the same aunthication request 100 times we're going to know somethings up and, if necessary, provide a free complimentary upgrade to SONAR Demo :)

 You should always support developers with the "I trust you" attitude. This is a good way to combat piracy.
 
 This is my favorite quote from the founder of Spectrasonics:
 
The closest thing to that is iLok. But the problem with a system like that is that it gives the most important control of your product to another company...and you have to go along with their way of doing things, even if that's NOT the way you want to do business. Not only that, but if something happens to that company or that system, then it affects everybody...hundreds of products and hundreds of thousands of users! The concept of paying for a system like that, when we can do a better job of it in-house is extremely distasteful to me.

It's weird....we lose some sales to Pro Tools users because we don't use iLok and they prefer to have a dongle. But if we did, there are many thousands more of our users that would hate going to a dongle system. (and offering both dongle and dongless methods just complicates things, providing less reliability, more tech support and less security as well).

I just would never trust another company with such a valuable and key part of my business and how I interact with my customers.


 
 I have an elicenser and iLok. They do have their advantages but when you boot up another machine and run a DAW without those it can be a hassle.
 
 Once again support developers who believe there are more honest endusers and thieves.
 

Neat quote from Spectrasonics. (Embarassing typo from me!).

Piracy is always a heavy topic. Speaking as a consumer for a moment, I find myself naturally investing in companies and products that offer seamless and reliable solutions. I've learned enough about computers and software over the years to sidestep most copy protection, but have found myself maturing to a point where investing in reliable software and support has become a more worthwhile investment. I've learned to value my time, as well as that of others. Why would I pirate anything when I can support a company towards their goals of delivering an excellent product to me? To me, it just makes sense to support art and talent.

I'm personally of the firm belief that people pirate products that are too difficult to obtain legally, and that those that do it anyway wouldn't have purchased the product anyway and most likely won't really use it consistently or professionally.

Anyhow, regardless of my belief, I can assure you the driving factor behind these changes actually wasn't driven by the topic of piracy really. If anything, it was driven by folks with a ton of experience in tech support (which is basically everyone at Cakewalk since we all love helping users) and talking to customers. We felt like we could offer a better experience when it comes to installing, authorizing, and updating SONAR. I'm extremely excited that we're finally talking about it. I think this new paradigm is going to bring our products and support to the next level! It just took us a few years to build the back end to support that goal!

pesel9
What is the price in euro?
 

Excellent question. I believe it's comparable to X3. Upgrade price from X3 Producer to Platinum is €134 VAT Inclusive. We'll be publishing all that info when we officially launch. I believe this time though, it will show up first without the VAT price so you can compare apples to apples. Also if you have a VAT ID, you can use it. See, we are listening to customers :)

rmaclin86

mettelus
My concern with "membership" is this situation... say someone upgrades at the 6 month point (like July) with say 3 patches released... 1) I would presume that the patches are included in the upgrade for them? and 2) if they pay-by-month and only buy one month, they now have (for $50) what loyal customers just paid $100 (or $149 for the one-time upgrade) for. Since one "gets to keep" what they paid for, this new marketing strategy is confusing (to say the least).
 
I have never seen a company "retroactively" charge for patches... so the above situation is concerning to ponder.

So how does this membership going to help you guys. So pretty much you will be paying more money from having a subscription? So steinberg's not doing a subscription model, some users will switch to mac and use logic, new version of studio one is coming out soon, and NI are working on a new version of maschine with better sequencing. You guys ever think about this?

Please read the FAQ.