Is there a way to start the monthly plan now?
 

Teksonik
Sorry, late to the thread and can't read all 33 pages.  I just upgraded from X2 P to X3 Producer for a very nice price, happy with that purchase.  Can someone point me to some information that lists what I would get for upgrading to Platinum now for $149 ?
 
An open comment to ALL software developers.  I'm not paying a monthly subscription fee for software......any software. Period. End of Story.

http://forum.cakewalk.com...one-post-m3145468.aspx

Teksonik
Sorry, late to the thread and can't read all 33 pages.  I just upgraded from X2 P to X3 Producer for a very nice price, happy with that purchase.  Can someone point me to some information that lists what I would get for upgrading to Platinum now for $149 ?
 
An open comment to ALL software developers.  I'm not paying a monthly subscription fee for software......any software. Period. End of Story.

Cakewalk will continuously give members new features and upgrades so to list everything you'll get for the $149 is impossible at this point. Here's a list of what you'll get at once though:
http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Versions
 
Also. It's not a subscription. Pay the whole upgrade price now or split it up per month. When you've payed the sum for the whole upgrade you'll get to keep everything even if you decide to stop paying.

There are some strange people on this forum! Why would you thank Cakewalk for putting out a product?  If you think it is worthwhile, you buy it, it is not a "friendship", they aren't your family doing you favors. There are some on this forum thanking them for putting out a "great product". How could you possibly know before it is released?
Anyway, I do NOT like the continual dodge of support issues.
1. Assume I have X3. If I call tomorrow can I get support for that product?
2. Is support ONLY for up to date subscribers? If I call with an out of date subscription is the first thing I hear is "Sorry, can't talk to you"? Is there anything in place to fix showstopping bugs in out of subscription products?
Thanks

scottfa
 
1. Assume I have X3. If I call tomorrow can I get support for that product?
 

 
Yes. Here and through Cakewalk's own support. I would guess at some point X3 would no longer be supported, but from my own experiences, I've always been able to get help for at least a year after I purchase.
 

scottfa
 
2. Is support ONLY for up to date subscribers? If I call with an out of date subscription is the first thing I hear is "Sorry, can't talk to you"? Is there anything in place to fix showstopping bugs in out of subscription products?
 

According to an earlier post be a Cakewalk staffer, the answer is they would never do that to any customer. It is, however, possible that the "fix" for your issue requires updating to a newer version, if the issue resulted from an actual bug.
 
Regards,
Dan
 

what payment methods do you have re monthly payments????

Paul P

YouDontHasToCallMeJohnson
Amazing how much absurd stupidity has been spewed in this thread all because the CW/Gibson dudes have proposed more value for less money.

Your assessment of your fellow person is inspiring
 

I'm thinking the same.  Let me try to boil it down to basic terms.  *MY* skepticism lies in this difference between the two wins in this change that's being sold as a win-win:
 
1.  The Win for Cakewalk is very clear, stated in concrete terms that are very easy to understand (eventually :)).  There is no question what the users will be expected to pay.
 
2.  The Win for Sonar users is really soft and fluffy without concrete commitment.  This is brushed off when challenged with answers like, "Why would Cakewalk do something to put themselves out of business?  It has to be good for users or Cakewalk will fail ..."
 
Sorry, but the answer for #2 doesn't give me much comfort.  The statistics on failed businesses tell a story based in reality in very concrete terms - a lot of ideas aren't as great as the decision-makers thought they would be.  I'm sure the vast majority didn't fail intentionally, believing they had the bases covered in their plans to generate revenue.
 
Yes, I know.  Time will tell.  We will eventually know with absolute certainty whether or not this model presents a real win for the users.
 
But I still haven't seen a commitment from anybody on bugs.  If we're going to be really open and honest here, the concern over bugs is because the Bakers already have a questionable record for fixing bugs, partially hidden by the consistency of the release schedule and bundled goodies to get people to upgrade rather than demand fixes for a prior-than-current versions.  Then there are bugs carried from version to version ...
 
I want to know, in 8th grade English, what the commitment to bug fixes will be in this new scheme.  Not for the members, but for the periodic upgrade purchaser.
 
 

 
First time poster here, actually first time poster anywhere, but I have used the Cakewalk forum resource daily for years for the excellent information and advice, and I'm familiar with many of you by your forum names. (I thought that given the circumstances of this Cakewalk announcement, now would be the time for a first post.)
I must have read through 100 pages by now both here and at Gearsluz (God is there some awful, incompetent dribble over there re the membership announcement.) I have checked out all the Cakewalk links etc so I feel confident I can comment with at least some knowledge.
 
The first thing is I basically applaud the "membership" system. It shows a lot of courage and makes sense for a variety of reasons that have already been stated by Cake and others.
 
I agree with others on here that the new features in this release are a little underwhelming. I would have thought that Cake would have predicted the confused and at times belligerent response to the new purchasing arrangements, and come out with all guns blazing. A sort of "knock your socks off" update to balance the critics. Having said that, Mix Recall, VocalSync and the MIDI Enhancements are attractive, but not something that would really have anyone rushing for their credit cards. And I say that realizing that the potential is that Cake Bakers have probably spent months refining some of this new product to have me comment that it's not very good. Sorry!
 
The other hot discussion point is bug fixes relative to the end of a 12 month membership. I don't know if the content and bug fixes are going to be separate downloads but I would hope they would be. Any bug fix with a "connection" to a past edition/update should be down loadable for all users. It is in Cakes best interests to have happy customers operating stable and consistent software. From what I have read in the past both here and on other forums, Cakes reputation was obviously smashed during the Roland experience, and the lack of updates to X2. Cake has taken back a lot of ground with X3e but you have a long way to go, and how you manage the bug fix aspect will be important. You want customers sharing and posting good experiences, because it is great for Cake's reputation.
 
Re support, I would go one better than the rest of the pack and give 18 months of continuous service.
 
Beepster made a comment re having the "monthly" content available in the Cake store for sale at a premium price. I think that is an excellent idea and gives customers the opportunity to buy what they may have missed and Cake the opportunity for extra revenue.
 
Post #964 by Mettelus is an excellent post and I agree 100%. The Cakewalk hierarchy need to take note because a lot of what Mettelus says I constantly read on other forums during the discussion of software. A lot of people have reached saturation point when it comes to buying software. When Sonar X3 scans my plugins I have 1020 plugs, and I'm not saying that just to impress Bapu. I actually feel embarrassed. I will never buy another compressor, and not even Steven Slate can talk me into it. I have Amplitube 3, T-RackS, Komplete 9, VTM, VCC, VBC etc,etc. Like Mettelus, I'm over GAS, and I want core functionality as a priority. (I also know that Cakewalk has to grow by enticing new users.) I also demand reliability on the latest computer systems and a focus on workflow improvements that give me efficiency, although I am aware that one person's workflow improvement is not another's. ( A perfect example is the bitterness that is still maintained to this day re the GUI update from 8.5 to X1.)
 
Unlike many others, X3 is my only DAW, and I have no desire to stop using Sonar and experiment with other DAW's. I will upgrade for this first "cycle" because it should be of value. The value, or projection of that value will be more interesting in the second cycle. But I would just skip updates until I saw something I liked. I really wish Cake all the best over the next 12 months.
 
Hmmmm, ended up being a long first post. Is there some sought of reward for that? Perhaps a free compressor?
 
Regards
 
Greg

 
 
 
I'm thinking the same.  Let me try to boil it down to basic terms.  *MY* skepticism lies in this difference between the two wins in this change that's being sold as a win-win:
 
1.  The Win for Cakewalk is very clear, stated in concrete terms that are very easy to understand (eventually :)).  There is no question what the users will be expected to pay.
 
2.  The Win for Sonar users is really soft and fluffy without concrete commitment.  This is brushed off when challenged with answers like, "Why would Cakewalk do something to put themselves out of business?  It has to be good for users or Cakewalk will fail ..."
 
Sorry, but the answer for #2 doesn't give me much comfort.  The statistics on failed businesses tell a story based in reality in very concrete terms - a lot of ideas aren't as great as the decision-makers thought they would be.  I'm sure the vast majority didn't fail intentionally, believing they had the bases covered in their plans to generate revenue.
 
Yes, I know.  Time will tell.  We will eventually know with absolute certainty whether or not this model presents a real win for the users.
 
But I still haven't seen a commitment from anybody on bugs.  If we're going to be really open and honest here, the concern over bugs is because the Bakers already have a questionable record for fixing bugs, partially hidden by the consistency of the release schedule and bundled goodies to get people to upgrade rather than demand fixes for a prior-than-current versions.  Then there are bugs carried from version to version ...
 
I want to know, in 8th grade English, what the commitment to bug fixes will be in this new scheme.  Not for the members, but for the periodic upgrade purchaser.
 
 


Exactly. The continual non clarification troubles me. Come on, we can take it!

Teksonik
Sorry, late to the thread and can't read all 33 pages.  I just upgraded from X2 P to X3 Producer for a very nice price, happy with that purchase.  Can someone point me to some information that lists what I would get for upgrading to Platinum now for $149 ?
 
An open comment to ALL software developers.  I'm not paying a monthly subscription fee for software......any software. Period. End of Story.

You need to read the FAQ to understand how this model works, but in a nut shell there are two payment options:
Pay for the upgrade in a lump sum ($149 Producer to Platinum) or
Spread the payments out over 12 months ($14.99 per month Producer to Platinum)
 
When you have paid either the lump sum or 12 months of payments, the software and all updates provided over the 12 months (for lump starts when you make the payment, for payment plan starts with first payment) are yours to keep forever.
 
This is not a lot different than the X3 update except that they will be rolling out new features and other content in smaller chunks to get them to market faster and with higher quality.