Yep I like it! Vocal align will certainly be useful, I do use audio snap and any improvements there will make life better. Who doesn't like customization :)

bapu

Greeny
Yes something has changed, I pay the upgrade price, and dont get the updates right away. I dont know what I am buying how exactly is this better for me?

So you want updates before they are coded? That just not make sense.
 
I own X3. I'll pay $149 up front. I'll get updates as they are available for 12 months.
 
Simples.

Agreed, Simples indeed. Seems there are always a few who make much ado about nothing. One can buy up front as usual or use a new monthly plan. No harm no foul, seems like a pretty good move on Cakewalk's part.  I've only had X3 for a week (but go back to the Pro Audio days) so I'm still checking it out but I really like it. Nice to see Cakewalk continue in such a positive way. 

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.

Just consider any new stuff as freebie bonuses. Just like the old Content Club. You are paying for what is shown in the features list... if you get extra stuff on top of that throughout the year how is that a problem? The upgrade prices are the same as they were last time around for X3.
 
 

redbarchetta
No versions????
I can see one huge burn and churn with no versions...  What about external content vendors.  People who write books and create video content?  Lets say Cakewalk adds a brand new widget feature that never existed before. It comes out April 2015.   
 
Now lets say some person whats to create content, but he's working on content in say Feb/2015, but it's not released until May/2015
 
Lets say it's now July 2015 and I see a new video.  I might expect this new feature to be talked about in this new video but it's not going to be.  
 
Not only that but, tweaks to the way things work.  It just seems to me that there is a good chance of people feeling jaded when the external learning content they purchase does not contain what they had hoped because there was no easy way to tell where the line in the sand is drawn.  
 
Those may be bad examples, but I think you get what I'm saying.

Yeah this might present a few issues with content providers, and we'll have to work with them to address it. But what we care more about is the customer experience and we like the idea that we'll be giving customers a lot more value and rolling out features sooner than later. So if we need to work a little extra harder with content vendors to find a system that works, we will do that. I don't see that as a good reason not to change our business and be more responsive to customers. Just my opinion.

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

Greeny

Ryan Munnis [Cakewalk]

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

I sense a recurring theme starting here. Any chance you can share what aspect you're not a fan of? Maybe we can help to clarify? If not, the feedback would be helpful for us either way.

I want to buy a daw, I want to know what I am buying when I buy it, I dont want to be teased tyvm. When I part with my hard earned cash I want to know what I am buying. You dont buy a steering wheel with the promise of a car in parts over the next 12 months do you? No! So why should we be doing this with our daws?

Sounds like you prefer the annual upgrade model. Buy the current software and then wait 12 or more months to get new stuff and pay again. What we are offering right now is new features plus 12 more months of new features, updates, content, videos, etc. I would think it would be a win-win for you but having a hard time understanding why you this is bad. 

This is my point Andrew where is the option to only pay for the update now? I only see the option to buy the update AND the 12 months of extra stuff.

Beepster

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.

Just consider any new stuff as freebie bonuses. Just like the old Content Club. You are paying for what is shown in the features list... if you get extra stuff on top of that throughout the year how is that a problem? The upgrade prices are the same as they were last time around for X3.
 
 

That's fine if that works for you, I dont see them as freebies cos I am paying for them regardless of what the last update fee was.

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

theheliosequence
Ok, just to clarify... If I sign up for a month to month and the new version is messy enough that I feel like I'm going to wait on it... I can cancel, but I lose the new version.
 
If a few months down the road it seems like it's worth trying again, then I can go month to month again and I've got the software back.
 
If I keep going, after 12 months, then I've got all of the current features at the 12 month point even if I cancel. Now what about consecutive month 13, 14, 15? Do I "own" any current updates for every month past the 12th month? Or will it be another year before new features are owned without a monthly membership?

You wil continue to keep everything you own after the 12th month. So say you continue to renew for 6 more months and then decide for whatever reason that you don't want to be a member, you'd keep everything you received up until month 18. However, once you opt out, you'd have to do another 12 month membership or pay upfront. 

Ok, that seems fair. It is more expensive that the $100-$150 every year and a half or so, but it would be worth it if the software could be kept bug free more easily.
 
BUT... BIG QUESTION!!! How do you implement this type of licensing? iLok? Or do we have to be connected to the internet? Please tell me there is going to be a dongle free offline activation that I don't have to run at the beginning of every month unless I purchase a year license in advance...
 
Also, will this at all change the policy of having Sonar installed on more than one machine, just not used at the same time? I am still using Sonar for Live shows on a Laptop...

I think his point may be that he's seeing his $149 as paying for the new features as well as the "coming soon" features and he'd rather only pay for the new features already released that he can evaluate before buying.
 
It's just a different way of looking at the pricing structure. To me I (too) am not going to pay $149 for promises, but I choose to look at it as I can evaluate the current new features to see if they're worth the upgrade cost and then I get a year's worth of free stuff.

This is fab news :-)
Keep up the good work !
All the best
Jan

Greeny

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]

Greeny

Ryan Munnis [Cakewalk]

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

I sense a recurring theme starting here. Any chance you can share what aspect you're not a fan of? Maybe we can help to clarify? If not, the feedback would be helpful for us either way.

I want to buy a daw, I want to know what I am buying when I buy it, I dont want to be teased tyvm. When I part with my hard earned cash I want to know what I am buying. You dont buy a steering wheel with the promise of a car in parts over the next 12 months do you? No! So why should we be doing this with our daws?

Sounds like you prefer the annual upgrade model. Buy the current software and then wait 12 or more months to get new stuff and pay again. What we are offering right now is new features plus 12 more months of new features, updates, content, videos, etc. I would think it would be a win-win for you but having a hard time understanding why you this is bad. 

This is my point Andrew where is the option to only pay for the update now? I only see the option to buy the update AND the 12 months of extra stuff.

I think this just isn't for you. There isn't an option to buy just the updates we are releasing today for some discount or anything. Upgrade price from X3 Producer is the same as it was last time and we've included a bunch of new features. You'll get all of those and we think it's a good value. Plus we are throwing in 12 more months of membership where you'll get even more features that you can choose or not choose to install. I guess you could always but it today for $149, get all the new features and then 11 months from now, when we've announced all the new stuff download it and it will be like getting a free upgrade :)