brconflict
I think the market is so different for Adobe, that they can get away with it, because business are able to write off those costs, and it's much easier to expense a subscription vs. amortize large one-time upgrade costs.

The Adobe plan is actually great for a company like Gibson. Everyone's on the same software, whether they're in Mumbai or Nashville. But you've hit the nail on the head. As I've said before, I don't think anyone had come up with a model tailored toward individual users. I think Cakewalk has addressed that well.

Love my Sonar X3 Producer and consider myself a loyal Cakewalk user and advocate, but am going to let this one sail without me.
 
I simply have everything I will ever need: a great DAW, cool synths (from CW and others), effects, etc.  Stunning capability so far and tons of music to be written!
 
Would probably buy in for the amusement of it, but I simply have too many ass kicking bills.  Boo hoo, I know. 
 
Wondering if CW will continue to offer effects, presets, instruments etc. to the occasional [independent] buyer, or is this an exclusive in or out club thing?
 
Cheers,
Jim
 

@Craig...
 
Sweet! So essentially FX Chains using goodies we don't really have access to on speed lovingly cooked up in your own personal RV in the desert (wearing tighty whiteys as is the custom I assume).
 
Which brings me to yet another question, which of course you can feel free to ignore because it's woefully off topic and I'm being annoying... since you created these using the FX Chains as the shells is there potentially going to be a legit way for users to do the same? Like some of the other platforms that allow users to not just create a mish mash of plugs but create actual hack VST's like you've done here? I'm just scratching the surface of these topics in my "research" but I could definitely see myself wanting to try something like this and the FX Chain module looks like a very nice shell to work with. I'd of course just be doing it for fun and educational purposes but who knows... maybe I'd come up with something cool enough that people would want.
 
And again gonna be annoying but seriously curious about the Vocal Align on doubled guits. Totally ignore me because I'll find out as time passes but I figure you've played with this stuff.
 
Thanks for showing us a sneak peak at your creations and I look forward to the vids. Cheers.

Anderton

brconflict
I think the market is so different for Adobe, that they can get away with it, because business are able to write off those costs, and it's much easier to expense a subscription vs. amortize large one-time upgrade costs.

The Adobe plan is actually great for a company like Gibson. Everyone's on the same software, whether they're in Mumbai or Nashville. But you've hit the nail on the head. As I've said before, I don't think anyone had come up with a model tailored toward individual users. I think Cakewalk has addressed that well.

I totally agree!!  Thumbs up for Cakewalk!

brconflict
The Mix Recall has some benefits, mainly an A->B comparison from day to day, but I have a need to import those Recalls into other Projects. Interesting question, though, are the Mix Recalls stored in the .cwp Project file in a way I can copy/paste the data from one .cwp file to another? I could probably shell script that.
 

I wasn't really following what they were discussing but I think it may indeed do that based on this thread...
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Load-Time-for-Mix-Recall-m3145183.aspx#3146857
 
I may have been misinterpreting that but there has also been Baker talk about how this is just the start for MixRecall. It sounds like it is going to end up being expanded massively to do all sorts of crazy useful stuff.

Beepster
Not exactly release notes but there is this...
https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR&language=3&help=NewFeatures.01.html
No list of bug fixes there. Just the documentation on the new features.

Thank you for that reference.  In my particular case, I found things on that list that I'm sure I would use a lot more than some of the items Cakewalk featured.  I probably use the product differently from most, but everybody ought to spend a few minutes on that list.  Some good stuff there.  I love the improvements in scaling MIDI velocities.

Greeny
This stinks. I shall be voting with my wallet, hello steinberg.

You never used the program, so how do you know it stinks? Oh, I get it! I do t allot when I fart, I blame it on others near me. 
 
CJ

Beepster
@Craig...
 
Sweet! So essentially FX Chains using goodies we don't really have access to on speed lovingly cooked up in your own personal RV in the desert (wearing tighty whiteys as is the custom I assume).

 
You got it, except I relocated to Nashville so I'm not in New Mexico any more.
 

Which brings me to yet another question, which of course you can feel free to ignore because it's woefully off topic and I'm being annoying... since you created these using the FX Chains as the shells is there potentially going to be a legit way for users to do the same?

 
I don't really know. My relationship to Cakewalk is like a user, but a super-annoying one because they have to pick up the phone when I call   I've made suggestions about FX chains, and I think they heard me before I was escorted out of the building by security. Your suggestion is one to add to the list.
 

And again gonna be annoying but seriously curious about the Vocal Align on doubled guits. Totally ignore me because I'll find out as time passes but I figure you've played with this stuff.

I actually didn't think to try different VocalSync abuse techniques until recently so I don't have any significant data yet. But when I do, it will result in an article. Or if nothing works, a sentence.
 

ramscapri

 
 
Agreed Andrew, but I do have a few questions here, some related to the purchase models and some technical.
Firstly, let me say that I love Sonar. I started with 4LE when I knew practically nothing about music sequencing and audio production, then to 6LE, X1LE, purchased X1 Producer and now own X3e Producer. Sonar has brought me a long way ahead in realizing my dreams to compose and produce music and I commend Cakewalk for the great progress made in developing Sonar. The new model seems to look good in many ways. But I do need to ask the following (Willy, Andrew, others, please help to clarify) :
 
1. If I do go for the upfront upgrade to Platinum for $149 which is a full purchase, why do I then have to pay an annual fee again after one year and then year after year ?! I don't see how this is any different from the subscription option. Why do I keep paying major upgrade prices for possibly smaller feature updates at times ?
 
 
2. I do see the advantage of getting updates as and when ready, but how do I know when updates / upgrades are coming ? What if there are no updates / upgrades for one year from my upfront purchase ? Then I pay again at the end of one year for what ? Does Cakewalk have a sure-shot plan for releasing updates / upgrades / new features during the course of one year and then year after year ? Will the customers get to know the forecast and the specifics ?
 
3. Lets say even if there are no major updates / upgrades but only bug fixes and enhancements to the executable. Does it mean we would now pay for software bug fixes which were always supposed to be free in the first place ? I ask this because I read that the periodic payment would be necessary even to get bug fixes which are essentially corrections to software errors / inadequacies ! Now this beats me...
 
4. Why does the renewal price show as $199 for the next year ?
 
Some tech questions...
 
1. Is Sonar Platinum an update option to X3 Producer, meaning a small update download and install ? Or is it a completely new executable which will require me to download few GBs ? Is there a DVDs box option ?
 
2. In case its a new executable, can we assume this will be once and for all, meaning all feature additions and upgrades / updates in the future will be patches and small downloads ? OR will there continue to be full executable upgrades of 4 to 5 GB files to be downloaded again or boxes purchased ?
 
3. Will new feature updates be of modular type, that is, I could choose and download what I wish, which in turn means they will not be of cumulative nature ? Or will they be sequential and conditional, meaning, I get an update only if I have a previous one ?
 
4. I would assume bug fixes and basic enhancements to be cumulative though, as they used to be previously, that is, like X3e would include everything from X3a to X3d as well. True ?
 
5. How will the bug fix patch updates and builds be named and tracked (like previously they used to be X3a, X3b......X3e with a build number) ?
 
Regards...

1. By paying again after 12 months is basically just like buying an old version upgrade like say X2 to X3. If you decide not to do it you still get to use what you already bought just like before.
 
2. They have a page showing upcoming features but do you really think Cakewalk is just going to not release any new stuff for a whle year? They would crash their business immediately if they did that. It is somewhat trust based but if they don't provide content people will just say screw it and bail so they'll have to haul butt even more than they used to.
 
3. That is a moot point because they aren't going to simply not release content. As far as bugs all software will have SOME bugs but X3, which is the backbone of this model, is about as solid as you can get. Anything new they add can be repaired more easily because we, the users, will be getting it sooner instead of all in one massive chunk causing a scramble to fix ten things instead of one or two.
 
4. Because the $149 upgrade is only an introductory offer. That will expire at some point that has not been clearly defined yet but I've seen February as a potential cut off date. Then it will be $199 for the foreseeable future.
 
I can't/don't really want to attempt to answer you tech questions. You should take a look around the site and this thread. Many things have been answered over... and over... and over again. It is however confusing at first glance so I get it... you just wnat to know.

CJaysMusic

Greeny
This stinks. I shall be voting with my wallet, hello steinberg.

You never used the program, so how do you know it stinks? Oh, I get it! I do t allot when I fart, I blame it on others near me. 
 
CJ

Greeny actually plans to upgrade. He was just misinterpreting what was happening. If you scroll thorugh the admittedly MASSIVE thread you'll see that.
 
Now if Dave_lol were still around then you'd have someone to rip on but he seems to have been banninated. ;-)