I will buy, because I like x3e when it behaves....not too into all the features yet, but am getting good results until a few weeks ago....something is causing issues...so yes maybe a refresh and update is good....I do not mind spending and supporting Goodness and fareness in my eye of the Lords word...fare is far, and work is work ...if I have to trouble shoot this new version and find bugs and work arounds as I do now....then that should be paid back....hmmmm?...so thanks for the lower price tag on the upgrade scheme....as usual I will go into darkness and shine light on it.....But to pay for support...when it was free for old users, means I want improvements to tech support, who know systems, and can remote connect to any system, and see what is amuck.....until it is either solved, or labled and fixed in a fix for my system.....as not all system are alike...and I know cakewalk cannot test on every machine known or made....We are bata testing always!....So I hope it is ready...and I hope I have little use of tech support when I do buy....But if I pay for tech support Like I have with MS, I want the bug rooted out by the tech...and I sip mead while done for me....because I hate loosing hair and time doing it now....I want to make music, not technical solutions for software conflicts with MS oses or find workarounds for my gear anymore if I pay.....think it out, because you may need this implemented to gain full support of many!....Just thinking outside my box...hope the same comes to mind....is all.
 
 

Sir Les
because I am fed up with trouble shooting pc and software for music, to make it work, and then something happens to screw it all up....like once Sonar did do....It sucks!...and other MS updates do from time to time..just to keep us loonies of the billing table and phone calling, press 9 for x...2 for p.
 

I've always found Cake phone support fast and easy... especially if you do the following.
 
1) Create an email support request with a thorough description of the problem, your system specs and the Sonar version you are on as well as any third party plugins and programs you may be using or have installed (including non music related stuff).
 
2) Write down the ticket number for the support email
 
3) Call them and reference the support ticket number at the start of the phone call. That way they can pull up all the info on their screen and see everything without you having to tell them.
 
4) If they need extra time to check everything out they'll send you a followup email which, as a Canadian, may save you some long distance charges. You also have a typed copy of their suggestions to keep on file. If they don't offer that request it.
 
Much better than MS... by FAR. Also I get all skeeved out by remote tech support. Just something unnerving about someone poking around my computer from afar.
 
Also... before installing ANYTHING on your DAW create a restore point. That way if things go funky you can just revert to the restore point until you figure out the problem. This should be standard procedure on any critical systems. If you are ultra paranoid make a System Image and back it up on an external drive or DVDs and it will restore EVERYTHING (including your files... but will wipe out any new data). Win 7 has tools for both those things but you can use something like Acronys or one of the other big name backup softwares which are more reliable.
 
Salud.

Beepster
Actually that's always been their official policy (ie: once the new version came out the old version was technically no longer supported) but they always still helped out.

You're probably right, I always read that as related to the availability of fixes and updates so didn't connect it to tech support as such.

EezyP
150 bucks a year to keep on the upgrade spine of a monster like Sonar sounds like value to me.  And in reality it's pretty much what we've been doing since Pro Audio - who can resist the new toys!?  I just hope the UK price reflects the actual rate ($150=about £98) and they don't just swap $ for £.  It's software, there's no shipping. 
 
Just one more thing....please tell me the NOW time doesn't still jump forward on PAUSE, or at least I've got the option - my projects have more markers than a bad gambler!

Agreed and I also hope brazilian prices reflects the actual rate because since the new shop started, the brazilian prices are shown so much higher than the old store... 

Anderton

karlssonhaus@googlemail.com
i.e. if 2-4 years later I'll decide to rent Platinum version for a month (for some work) it still will cost $19.99 to me (as X3 Producer owner today)?

If you only need it for a month, download the demo. It's free.

If it's free you're missing out on an easy $10. And one month is never enough time for me to trial something.

scook
As your last purchased version ages, I would expect the cost of purchasing a new version of SONAR would increase, just like the price matrix shows today.

You mean that 2 years later it will cost to me like upgrading from Sonar Studio X3 today?

beltrom

Beepster
Actually that's always been their official policy (ie: once the new version came out the old version was technically no longer supported) but they always still helped out.

You're probably right, I always read that as related to the availability of fixes and updates so didn't connect it to tech support as such.

Well I don't know about "right" because I'm actually worried about this myself. I'm assuming if its up to the Baker's they'd continue helping folks out even if their versions are outdated but who knows what's coming down from corporate.
 
Technically though as of today under the support policy I could not get phone/email tech support. Customer support would likely still work because that's more for account issues and stuff. Either way I don't see them being dinks about it if they have a choice and there is always the forum which has almost always provided me with quality answers to my dumb questions.
 
;-)

How long will the "intro offer" be available for X3 Producer to Platinum?

brconflict

Anderton

karlssonhaus@googlemail.com
i.e. if 2-4 years later I'll decide to rent Platinum version for a month (for some work) it still will cost $19.99 to me (as X3 Producer owner today)?

If you only need it for a month, download the demo. It's free.

If it's free you're missing out on an easy $10. And one month is never enough time for me to trial something.

Charging for the demo kind of defeats the purpose though and you can always download the demo again. It's seriously crippled (you can't save or export and if its going to be like past versions it will be bare bones) so I don't see them imposing a limit on how many times you can download the trial version.

karlssonhaus@googlemail.com

scook
As your last purchased version ages, I would expect the cost of purchasing a new version of SONAR would increase, just like the price matrix shows today.

You mean that 2 years later it will cost to me like upgrading from Sonar Studio X3 today?

There are no published prices for 2017. There is a promotional price and the regular renewal price. Historically when users upgraded from older versions, they paid more that users upgrading from the most recent version.