Thanks for the reply and answering all my questions Andrew.  Looking forward to see what you guys have in store.

mudgel
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.

 
You TOTALLY get it (but do consider that more content is also part of the plan), although I need to make one clarification for the last sentence. If you pay for the upgrade upfront, then you've already paid for the upgrades you'll receive for the next year. If you then choose to renew and pay upfront, you'll be paying for the upgrades that will happen for the next year. What you're describing is the pay-per-month option, where indeed after 12 months you're paid in full for the upgrades you received.

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.

Thank you. Exactly. Cakewalk pays very close attention to the community.
 
Please indulge me while I say something here as the de facto Cakewalk/Gibson connection, because I live in both worlds.
 
Gibson is totally committed to the idea of a customer experience. One of the reasons why Cakewalk is a part of Gibson is because Cakewalk also believes that ultimately, the customer is all that matters. A lot of companies cut, cut, cut, to get a good bottom line when what they SHOULD be doing is making customers happy - which ultimately will give a good bottom line anyway.
 
During the months and months (and months) of discussion that went on about what kind of plan to implement and how to implement it, the question was ALWAYS "What's going to be best for the greatest number of users?" Period. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cakewalk for cutting to the chase and putting that as priority #1, and also, to Henry Juszkiewicz for his role in making this possible and supporting it.
 
End of preaching. I love my gig  Carry on. I'll shut up now and go to sleep.
 

Greeny
 
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!

Dude, give yourself some slack! We had to spend HOURS trying to figure out how to explain this in a way that people could wrap their heads around, and every time we thought we had succeeded, someone would point out "but this part could be misinterpreted..." The statements were literally being revised all weekend and Monday. You think you're tired LOL!!
 
I really think the bottom line is simple. This is a customer-centric ownership model instead of a company-centric rental model.

Okay, I didn't shut up. Now I will. Honest. And thanks to the Cakewalk community, a lot of what's happening now is due to your comments and suggestions. 

Just my 2 cents...for me it sounds good overall. I've always upgraded for the reason that each time, I've received a better overall DAW. The subscription process for me is okay to a point. $149 - $184AU - has been the usual almost yearly cost between each new version. However, in a year from now on, I'll looking at $247AU subscription in order to continue to take advantage of new features and less 'bugness'.
 
I've been a long-time supporter of Sonar - 1,2 and 3 - and I'm not seeing that reflected with a blanket subscription like this. I mean it doesn't really reflect the fact that if you upgraded - normally at a discount - you were being rewarded for already having paid for the full product at some point...it's part of the incentive to keep buying into a product - apart from the obvious developments.
 
I think this should be taken into consideration for renewed subscriptions - esp. if you're paying upfront and perhaps being a long-time customer. I have no idea how the latter would be measured though. Perhaps just that you've paid upfront for the year. Okay it may be less expensive than subscribing for 12mths, but I think it could be even sweeter. Whilst Cakewalk might think it's affordable, I however do not agree. Of course, no-one is forcing me to continue to go this way. 
 
So despite the argument about it being cheaper now than in the past blah blah, I would be happy for it to stay at its current cost. If it's cheaper than in the past, then it should be going down next year, not up.
 
PS. The good thing about this is a least you get to keep the software after a year...so at least you have something for it, as opposed to the Adobe subscription fiasco, which I refuse to buy into.

Paul G

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.



 

Sorry, I knew you intended it to be, and I apologize for my tone.
 
I do (and always) trust CW, and I believe this is the best thing for them to do in many ways, so I'm more than fine with it: As I said this will personally benefit me immediately.
 
I've no experience with musical software employing this business model, we all probably know someone who has, but I do know how well it's worked for software users of any kind.
 
It greatly depends on what you have, your entire computer DAW setup, and what you use Sonar for and how you use it.
 
Andrew & Ryan have been great here in this thread (& well before that) but I'm looking at all this with a certain amount of devotion & very half-hearted cynicism.
 
Anyone remember when X3e came out and we were fore-warned and bombed on this forum with bug fixes that weren't fixed?  Wait a month.
 
All us new subscribers will have free tech support for a year (I think I've had that since '96) and a lot of new people are going to cough up very little cash before they jump on the Sonar parade.
 
I know what I'm going to be paying for, and again I'm grateful for getting it - and also for the head's up.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Craig it's all good, maybe next time I shall not jump in at the deep end with frustration. At the time I was making them my points all seemed perfectly valid to me and I couldn't see what everyone was so pleased about, now I get it I think its great, and its my birthday sunday so nice timing!

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

WallyG

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. 

From XLN's site is seems this Bundle is only the AD2 engine, not the upgrade from AD1. "Includes Addictive Drums 2 engine The perfect way to get into AD2... ...Or expand an existing AD2 library"

My Head Hurts !!!
 
When I first read the headline with 'Membership' in it, and then seen a bit of a subscription thing going on, I said to myself 'Reaper, here I come'
 
But as far as I can see, to me it's no different, it's the same as paying once a year, and getting a new version. Different of course, and probably better, but the same thing to me.
 
Haven't checked out any of the new features yet, but just a couple of questions,
 
Can I still keep my Sonar X3 Producer exactly as it is, 100% undefiled, and run the new one along side it with zero problems to either ?
 
Will I be able to run Dimension Pro, Rapture and Z3TA 2 in the new one ?, I have individually purchased versions as well as what comes with Sonar (Guess I should have checked whether or not they were in the new, but anyway)
 
I have been using, correct that, I have owned Cakewalk stuff since Pro Audio 8/9, and apart from a bit at the beginning, and now with X3, I never really used it, wandered off to Pro Tools and then Reaper for a long time, just paying to keep it upgraded and checking in every once in a while for a look see, so I would have upgraded anyway. But since I checked in to check out X3 mid last year, and thanks to Mr Andertons help, I have FINALLY found myself at home with Cakewalk/Sonar. It's not just that I find X3 to be a great piece of software, but it's also in a big part to the community, these forums and the Cake people themselves, how they interact, it just feels good. The help you can get, the things you can learn just by cruising the various forums/posts, you can learn so much, then there is Mr Andertons tips and tricks, the knowledge of the forum members, all of which I count as part of the value that is Cakewalk/Sonar.
 
I'm in, cheap at twice the price
 
Now off to check out the new stuff . . . :)
 
 

Just in case people missed it, Quad-Curve in Platinum gets an upgrade 'Includes zoom spectrum analysis'.