I guess some of you missed the above post / quote :
 

Seth Kellogg [Cakewalk]
June '16 - $20mo/$200
June '17 - $20mo/$200

 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3145782
 
-> click the link
 
The way I read this is that Cakewalk has spoken on the matter.
 

Agreed that Cakewalk should have done a better job of communicating that you can still effectively buy the most up-to-date version for a fixed sum of cash, and get a year's worth of updates. That would probably have stopped a lot of the worrying and whining about the subscription model.
 
Also agreed with the person pointing out that EULAs don't free a company from having to provide working software or a refund. Having said that, although all the bugs I encounter with Sonar are annoying, probably only one of them has come close to "this product is not fit for purpose", so this point is largely moot.
 
On a related note, I would also be interested in learning how bug fixes are going to be handled in the context of updates - eg. whether lapsed subscribers can get free patches for obvious flaws, whether lapsing subscribers lose bug fixes when rolling back to the last version they fully paid for, etc.
 
And I too am slightly concerned about the cost mounting up - as someone who could only justify upgrading every 3 years or so, I can't commit $720 to Cakewalk over that time period (36 months x $20) when previously I would have paid maybe $200 to upgrade. So, I could pay for one year, leave it for two years... but then if the rejoining price is hiked too far, I won't be able to justify it.

Beepster
The thing is you are always going to have folks who will stay current and those who lag behind ......

In the past you could wait for the price drop just before a new version release and buy cheap.  That way you eventually have every version and every feature that everyone else had, but you got it (at least) a year later than everyone else.
 
This can not happen with the membership scheme. Whenever you buy in you instantly get the latest version.
 
 
To be honest, if you're a casual amateur user and know you'll maybe doing other things during the summer, your best option is probable to pay monthly when you use it and stop paying when you don't.  As long as you take 3 months off sometime during the year it will be cheaper than the annual and you still get all the latest toys.  The downside is you don't get to keep them, but that shouldn't be an issue if you're not even using it for 3 months or more...

Paul P
 
I guess some of you missed the above post / quote :
 

Seth Kellogg [Cakewalk]
June '16 - $20mo/$200
June '17 - $20mo/$200

 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3145782
 
-> click the link
 
The way I read this is that Cakewalk has spoken on the matter.
 

I actually did see you post that but because it was cropped I thought it was just referring to the regular renewal fees for up to date users. In that post he seems to be confirming that yes... you can wait TWO years and still pay the same upgrade price as everyone else thus getting 2 years of previous product free on TOP of the next 12 months.
 
Now that's a pretty sweet deal but man... it doesn't seem like the best approach. That is begging to be ultra gamed. Maybe they just don't care and simply want us to be happy. If so... mission accomplished. lol

Kylotan
And I too am slightly concerned about the cost mounting up - as someone who could only justify upgrading every 3 years or so, I can't commit $720 to Cakewalk over that time period (36 months x $20) when previously I would have paid maybe $200 to upgrade. So, I could pay for one year, leave it for two years... but then if the rejoining price is hiked too far, I won't be able to justify it.

Actually, three years will cost you 550$ if you keep up to date during that period (150+200+200), unless you want to pay 20+% financing.
 
It will cost you 200$ if you wait till the end of the three years before upgrading.  So 66$/year.
 
And there may be sales along the way.
 

I have been watching this thread from the beginning. My impression after looking at the videos and reading the new features is I am impressed. I am also pleased with the new purchase methods. 
 
Because I have not run or used the new Sonar yet I can't comment on how well it works or if these new features are as good as they look.  My past experiences with releases have been excellent. I trust this will be at least as good.
 
Clearly CW has listened to the forum and has tried to implement features that users have asked for.
 
I am also pleased that they have announced this at this time and not waited for NAMM.    
 
  

Atsuko
 
Ryan, I think you had an overreaction, I have a real preocupation and I don't intend to convince anyone - don't do this, please, it's unfair, the new store is really confusing me.  I've never had a problem with the old store but when I enter the new one, the prices that are shown is too expensive.  On the other day a product costing about US$150 was shown for me more than R$1.200!! but the axchange rate for US$150 is R$420!!  That's my concern, I'm worried to not be able to upgrade and this is a thing I hope to do the moment you make the software avaialable.

I'm sorry Atsuko. My response was more so in regards to the styling error pointed out by azslow3 (whom I do believe is bringing up legitimate concerns as well).
 
I think we should discuss those types of issues outside of this thread. There was definitely some confusion and, in most cases, specific questions are better handled on a case-by-case basis. The reason is because people have different product ownership, live in different countries and have different currencies. In other words, it's impossible to provide one answer to all customers since the way the price is reflected is based on a variety of factors. To reiterate, those factors are:
 
1) Previous Product Ownership that would qualify you for particular upgrade pricing
2) The country selected in your Cakewalk Account profile
3) Your IP address based on your location in the world
4) Your billing address
 
Manipulating these parameters can lead to a lot of confusion, especially when you throw in exchange rates, etc. The good thing is that Cleverbridge offers direct sales support to answer these types of questions from qualified individuals who specialize in these types of discussions.
 
We recently worked with Cleverbridge to correct an issue that was not reflecting upgrade pricing properly in some conditions. This fix just went live a few days ago. It is very possible that the price you saw was a result of this. Ultimately, when you add an item to the store cart, it should reflect your upgrade pricing. If you are seeing the full price of a product, click [BUY NOW] so you can see it in the cart. At this point, you should always see the pricing based on your ownership.
 
Anyhow, I don't think these types of concerns should have people worried about whether or not we're here to support them. We have multiple methods where customers can get in touch with us to find the proper answers and correct issues such as these. Best bet is to work with us directly so we can find the right answer and solution.

Paul P
 
I guess some of you missed the above post / quote :
 

Seth Kellogg [Cakewalk]
June '16 - $20mo/$200
June '17 - $20mo/$200

 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3145782
 
-> click the link
 
The way I read this is that Cakewalk has spoken on the matter.
 

Thanks Paul,  I've been looking for that post for hours...
 
They way I read his answer to question 1. His simply states what the current renewal price would be, disregarding that there may have been a "long" period of non membership.
For Question 2 where it is specifically asked in regard to non-membership he mentions the old upgrade/version mechanic

Seth

Steve

1. (Assuming the price next January '16 is $199, as advertised), how much will it cost me to re-join in:
   • June '16?
   • Or even in June '17?
2. If in the example above, I decide to re-join in June 2017 (i.e. after having not been a member for 18 months), will I immediately be upgraded to the then current up-to-date version of SONAR?

Thanks.

Hi Steve!   1. June '16 - $20mo/$200 June '17 - $20mo/$200   2. Yes, you would have the newest up to date version of SONAR. Similar to the current upgrade/version mechanic. 

Karyn

Beepster
The thing is you are always going to have folks who will stay current and those who lag behind ......

In the past you could wait for the price drop just before a new version release and buy cheap.  That way you eventually have every version and every feature that everyone else had, but you got it (at least) a year later than everyone else.
 
This can not happen with the membership scheme. Whenever you buy in you instantly get the latest version.
 
 
To be honest, if you're a casual amateur user and know you'll maybe doing other things during the summer, your best option is probable to pay monthly when you use it and stop paying when you don't.  As long as you take 3 months off sometime during the year it will be cheaper than the annual and you still get all the latest toys.  The downside is you don't get to keep them, but that shouldn't be an issue if you're not even using it for 3 months or more...

Unfortunately that wouldn't work for me at all because I work in spurts and never know when the urge will strike or how long it will last AND I'm on a very strict budget. Much better for me to outright own my stuff. Now if they offered blocks of program time for a fixed rate like I described earlier that could work but still I prefer to outright own stuff. If it were another company/product I wasn't already familiar with or it was a program that had functions I only needed for a specific task then renting would make sense but Sonar upgrades have (so far) always had something groundbreaking for my workflow and I know it will always get used (in fact I just installed X1 on my laptop recently and I use a lot of the plugs from X1/2 that got yanked in X3).
 
My problem is just scrounging up cash in a timely manner.
 
Also I'm kind of semi-pro. Even though I'm not currently making cash Sonar is being used to develop content for my upcoming business ventures.

Paul P
 
I guess some of you missed the above post / quote :
 

Seth Kellogg [Cakewalk]
June '16 - $20mo/$200
June '17 - $20mo/$200

 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3145782
 
-> click the link
 
The way I read this is that Cakewalk has spoken on the matter.
 

Thanks for the info.
 
Yeah I missed that post, maybe because of my time zone. Question answered!
 
And I just wanna to say that $200 a year is not the end of the world, I can pay it easily (for now).
 
But I can´t see the future, and everybody know that sh*t happens.