I have a StudioCat PC circa 9/12/2013, which included a new install of X3e.
 
I want to keep that unchanged and load Sonar Platinum on the same machine and be able to run them both independent of each other, but NOT at the same time.
 
Is that possible and how do I do it?
 
Thanks

I have independent versions of 8.5, X1, X2, X3 and Platinum on my PC, all running independently.... but not at the same time, because I only have one audio interface, and SONAR would like exclusive-ish use of it.
 
If I had two independent audio interfaces, then I suspect I could pick any two versions of SONAR and run them simultaneously. I've never tried this.

But to answer your question - just install Platinum on the same PC as the X3...

While all versions of SONAR share utilities and plug-ins, the core program and configuration are installed in separate directories by version. Both X3 and Platinum will co-exist on the same PC.

Very cool, thanks.
 
 

Make it easy on yourself. Add what you don't already have, which would be the SONAR Platinum core, ProChannel Collection, Anderton Collection, AD2 and Help and Tutorials (if you use local help). You can overwrite all the other stuff if you wish but I would definitely recommend skipping DimPro, Rapture and Melodyne.

Would I not benefit from the upgrade to Melodyne, as I never upgraded it?
 
Also isn't TH2 upgraded as well in Platinum?

It's clever enough to not install in to the same directory as older versions. There has been some debate about whether to import preferences from your old version, but it *is* worth looking in "Preferences" under file locations - to see if you agree with them.
 
My installation actually pointed to some X3 folders - where I'd prefer it point to Platinum folders.
YMMV though...

 
From a slightly different angle :  I know we cannot simultaneously run two copies of say, X3.
 
But can we run, for example, X2 on a laptop at the same time that we run X3 on a desktop ?
(or both on the same machine for that matter, but I don't see that as being very useful)
 
This shouldn't be possible with the new single version, but what of the old ?
 

This issue is the number of licenses not what version is being run. Only one instance of SONAR may be run per license. When upgrading from X2 to X3 or X3 to Platinum, there is still only one license, so only one instance may be run. If one purchases two retail copies of SONAR than two instances may be run at a time.