brconflict

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

brconflict
I'm not sold yet on the new version, but I REALLY like the extra stacked FX and Sends in each channel strip! I'll have to give this all a go, though. 
 
Subscription for Platinum isn't ideal, for me (far too expensive--$24.99 would have been right-priced ($600/2yrs, vs. $600/1yr)). If it's viewed as a payment method, it equals putting $499 on a VISA and paying Interest. 
 

Aren't you upgrading? Your price would be $14.99/month if you have X3 Producer.

Right now, I don't need to. I'm working in X3. There's a few features I want to see, but we aren't quite there yet. I may give it a shot to see if the glitches I have with Lanes are better. I might have to before the discount ends, though. I do like the inline updates. That's the way I like them. 

Ok, my only point was it wasn't $49.99 for you. And even without the intro offer, for SONAR Producer customers, it's only $19.99 month.

MusicGenX
Most of it doesn't seem appealing or beneficial enough to shell out for an upgrade although some will disagree and benefit with an upgrade but not everyone.  1 or 2 minor features could be useful but nothing earth shattering or innovative.  Virtual Amps seems interesting but expensive to CPU and I have an Axe FX II so its not something I would use.  I use Superior Drummer and iZotope Nectar to cover my VOX and percussion needs, so AD2 and any VOX features are not beneficial for me.

 
You might be surprised. Mix Recall is super-useful, as reflected by the many requests in this forum for that kind of functionality. Nectar is cool and all that, but it doesn't have anything like VocalSync...the closest you can come is another program that by itself costs more than SONAR Platinum (or you can subscribe to Adobe Audition, although I don't know if it's sync function performs to the same level as other programs or SONAR, for that matter...I didn't renew my subscription ). If Sony and others have bet on the right horse, you'll appreciate being able to deal with DSD files when clients start asking for them (I've already been asked). The MIDI paint feature is really quite cool, as are the other MIDI enhancements, and AudioSnap has been redone.
 
And the Control Bar is what I always wanted the control bar to be. Whether on a laptop of multi-monitor setup, you can make it exactly what you want, including custom commands (yes, all the people who miss the save button can now assign save a custom command). Being able to stack a zillion sends or FX is great with large projects. I also think some of the things I've contributed are pretty cool  
 
As to the amp sims, consider listening to them before making up your mind. If you want to hear them in context, listen to the four most recent songs on my YouTube channel. You'll hear what I mean by the sound of "idealized" amps. All the guitars (including the slide guitar) and bass were processed by these sims. I don't use any other sims any more.
 
AND - this is important - don't forget the update also gets you the next 12 months of updates and content as well. I'm sure you'll find plenty of merit in that, added to what already would have been in "X4." 
 

So my question is whether addressing the mastering piece is on the road map anytime soon?

 
I can't speak for Cakewalk about this. But I will speak for myself. I don't think SONAR is that far off technologically speaking from being able to do quality mastering. You can interpret the inclusion of DSD import/export any way you want...
 
I have definite ideas on what I would like to see along these lines, and I can be pretty persistent...maybe some would say annoying...we'll see.
 

Other than the UI change, is there any difference in stacking FX or sends?
You could do all that before, it just didn't show up on the console the same way.
That being said, it's definitely an improvement.

In a sense not too much has changed.
Previously if I didn't like the upgrade I could skip it and stay with what I have. I can do that with the new system as well. Cakewalk are just giving us an option to pay monthly instead.

If X4 was what was now being released we would pay $149 to upgrade from X3 to buy the development work of the last 12 months. Now no change.. on release we are asked to pay $149.

During this year we will get the new components of what would have become X5 as they are ready rather than being packaged for a single release in 2016. AND I won't have to pay for that until after I get them. That is, payment will be due in 12 months time.

Apart from getting features quicker in more manageable bits and having the option to pay monthly in arrears I can't see that there is much change, in the payment model that is. The rest is just benefits to the user. We even get to know what major features are being worked on at any given time. It seems we've been given so much of what we've been asking.

AAnd that doesn't even take into account any of the frog ram features that were getting now and will get over the coming year. But I can see a closer and more consistent interaction between the forum members and Cakewalk staff because we'll be getting more from them.

Susan G
I guess it was the "Cakewalk is trusting you to pay for it over the course of a year" part that threw me. Since they effectively "take it back" if you stop making monthly payments, I don't see that there's really any element of trust involved.

 
Sure there is. If you use the software for, say, six months and then stop paying, you will have had the full benefits of the software for those six months but without having paid the full price of the software. 
 

It is in fact similar to a rental model already (IMO) in the sense that it does in fact die on you if you stop making payments.

 
No, it dies if you don't buy it. If you stop making payments, as long as you paid for 12 months you have indeed bought the software and it most certainly does not die on you. This is a payment plan, not a rental plan.
 

Loptec

Greeny

Beepster
That is exactly NOT what is happening Greeny. Not sure how many other ways this can be explained. I'm starting to get the feeling you are trolling or just being very obtuse. If not I apologize but go back and read the information Andrew has provided. This is just giving you extra ways to buy other than the old upgrade method.

I am not trolling, I read the stuff, I pay upfront for the upgrade $149, I get the new features now, then 12 months of extra additions, I dont see an option to get just the update now and not have to pay for 12 months of stuff. I assume the 149 covers the 12 months of new stuff also, but I dont want that cos this far I can only see what "some" of the new additions will be.

Since you're complaining about this I assume you think it worked better before membership was introduced.
 
Please explain to me what's worse with this new approach?
 

• Last year you were able to upgrade to Sonar X3 Producer for $149 and did not know right away what updates this purchase would include the coming year. 
• Now with membership you pay $149 to upgrade to Sonar Platinum and will not know right away what updates this purchase will include for the coming year.

 The difference is that now you'll know what cakewalk's working on at the moment (https://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Up-Next#start) and have better knowledge of what's coming than before.
 
You say you don't want to pay up because you "can only see what "some" of the new additions will be".... Well that's a h*ll of a lot more than you've been able to see in earlier releases.
 
So, again; please explain how it was better before?

All of that would be cool if I hadn't already mentioned that I couldn't get my head around the concept, now I do.

Anderton

Susan G
I guess it was the "Cakewalk is trusting you to pay for it over the course of a year" part that threw me. Since they effectively "take it back" if you stop making monthly payments, I don't see that there's really any element of trust involved.

 
Sure there is. If you use the software for, say, six months and then stop paying, you will have had the full benefits of the software for those six months but without having paid the full price of the software. 
 

It is in fact similar to a rental model already (IMO) in the sense that it does in fact die on you if you stop making payments.

 
No, it dies if you don't buy it. If you stop making payments, as long as you paid for 12 months you have indeed bought the software and it most certainly does not die on you. This is a payment plan, not a rental plan.
 

Yes, of course if you paid for 12 months you've bought it.  I'll drop this now since I'm obviously not making myself clear and it's not worth debating further.
 
Thanks-
 
-Susan

Beepster

Loptec

Greeny

Beepster
That is exactly NOT what is happening Greeny. Not sure how many other ways this can be explained. I'm starting to get the feeling you are trolling or just being very obtuse. If not I apologize but go back and read the information Andrew has provided. This is just giving you extra ways to buy other than the old upgrade method.

I am not trolling, I read the stuff, I pay upfront for the upgrade $149, I get the new features now, then 12 months of extra additions, I dont see an option to get just the update now and not have to pay for 12 months of stuff. I assume the 149 covers the 12 months of new stuff also, but I dont want that cos this far I can only see what "some" of the new additions will be.

Since you're complaining about this I assume you think it worked better before membership was introduced.
 
Please explain to me what's worse with this new approach?
 

• Last year you were able to upgrade to Sonar X3 Producer for $149 and did not know right away what updates this purchase would include the coming year. 
• Now with membership you pay $149 to upgrade to Sonar Platinum and will not know right away what updates this purchase will include for the coming year.

 The difference is that now you'll know what cakewalk's working on at the moment (https://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Up-Next#start) and have better knowledge of what's coming than before.
 
You say you don't want to pay up because you "can only see what "some" of the new additions will be".... Well that's a h*ll of a lot more than you've been able to see in earlier releases.
 
So, again; please explain how it was better before?

Based on Greeny's last post I think he figured it out and was implying he'd upgrade. I kind of feel like a jerk for getting snarky with him over a bit of confusion but it's hard to tell sometimes on the intertubes.

Correct I will be upgrading, and dont worry I totally understand I am also feeling like a complete jerk cos I was getting frustrated that at the time it seemed like I was trying to explain quantum mechanics lol It was late and I was tired!

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

perfectprint

Seth Kellogg [Cakewalk]
 

perfectprint
With Mix Recall - can it only A/B or can you save and choose from multiple different scenes from within a project?

 
You can A/B the latest 2 mixes, but you also have a drop down of all your available mixes.

Thanks Seth. The video didn't show any saved mixes on the drop down menu, but I now see the screenshot on the 'Whats New' page does. Great feature - saves loading entirely new projects.
 
 
Any info on what Direct Stream Digital (DSD) actually does for users?

You check out this video? 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWsDmTnNw28
 
That has more info about it. Really awesome feature. 

 Thanks, yes that was the video I was referring to. The dropdown was empty. It alluded to being able to save multiple mixes when labelling the mix 'Mix 6', but it only ever talks about A/B'ing - switching between just two mixes.  

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

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. 

 
Thanks Andrew. I realize there was no similar upgrade path in the past, however there was complete transparency on which features we might be turning down. I am more than willing to take a leap of faith with Platinum, especially with the discount. I hope there is some great stuff in store for us.