I am a keyboard player. I make electronic music disregarding of what you call it. I became interested in Dubstep because it was new technique. I am interested in new techniques that produce interesting outcome. Z3ta 2 is years old and has grainy sound. I see many independent developers on KVR that offer their software for free. I think they have the same problem that independent musicians have: nobody supports them. If Cakewalk took few of these indie coders that making synth under their cover, gave them some money and the most importantly- inspiration, made a team of few of them, they would produce a product that would bring thousands of dollars in revenue. Continuing to force Z3ta on everybody makes no sense. We already have it. I paid like $99 for Z3ta 2 update- it is silly to say that now they give it to me for free in New Sonar. Thanks. I prefer discount for the Zeta 2 and AD2 that I already paid for- why should I pay again. Even beginners attempt to make soft synths with Synth Edit. Why continue sale Z3ta when they can hire people to use Synth Edit and design new synths, that go for $150 each. Here is a yearly membership in one purchase.

TomHelvey
I went through all of the profiles and one thing that I noticed is that no one mentioned being into electronic music or synths.

From my profile:
 
"for DJs I still think Armin Van Buuren is great for trance, and Carl Cox for the harder stuff. For beats I’ve never heard anyone better than Dr. Walker."
 
"check out my latest music videos at http://www.youtube.com/thecraiganderton. It’s an eclectic collection, to say the least…from cover versions to French Antilles dance music to EDM to hard rock to a live ambient performance"
 
[photo caption] "DJing with DJ Russ Reign. I love playing with people who are good on turntables."
 
Here's an EDM-meets-rock-meets-DJ performance I did 8 years ago at the PreSonus booth.
 
I mention the following not to brag, but to give you an idea of the type of person who has input considered by Cakewalk. I built my own synthesizer in 1968 and a mechanically programmable drum machine in 1970. I've been playing and doing solo live EDM sets since 1998, guested with Air Liquide and Rei$$dorf Force multiple times, and had remixes on several European dance compilations. I did two synth expansion packs for Rapture and programmed synth patches for Alesis, Ensoniq, Peavey, Roland, E-Mu, M-Audio, Oberheim, and probably some others I've forgotten...I was a regular at the Battery Park EDM festivals in Cologne when they were happening, and played other dance venues in Germany, Miami, and Switzerland. I've been writing for Keyboard magazine since 1975 and still write for them, and Kurzweil says their "punch" switch was based on my articles. So I've been into this a looooooong time. At this point I'm almost in a "been there, done that" mode when it comes to dance music, so I've been doing some hard rock lately to keep myself amused. 
 
Now, you might say "Okay, but you were doing it way back when. You're not hip to the latest stuff." Well, I listen to it and check out what's happening, but I just don't find it as interesting as what's happening these days with Caribbean dance music, like Soca, Zouk, and Konpa, or some of the current Afropop (internet radio is your friend!!). If you listen to Maladie Du Coeur from my YouTube channel, you'll hear the kind of dance music that spins my crank these days. 
 
I want to explore new places. I think that a blend of groups like Kassav, melded with EDM and with a little techno aggression thrown in for nostalgia purposes, would be an interesting place to travel...SONAR lets me do that, so no complaints. Then again I make most of my own sounds so it's probably not a fair comparison for people who want presets and loops oriented toward what they do. But hey! Now I have a chance to create content!! How convenient...also you'll see that some of the drum processors I've come up with tend toward the industrial.  
 
I guess I basically just like everything. The only music award I ever won was for classical music mastering. Go figure.

My point Vlad was to bring in new users rather than established. Bundling Reel Machines and Z3TA 2 would give a base for new comers to build on.
 
Regards the grainy sound you say, I have no idea I've not used it, but isn't there an option the 2x oversample or something, or am I confusing with something else

 

TomHelvey
I went through all of the profiles and one thing that I noticed is that no one mentioned being into electronic music or synths.

Didn't realise most people put what they were into. I listen to dance music, and was my primary interest in the 90's to early 2000's, I'm still into synths, but physical instruments have taken over.

Anderton, I am glad that you have such a wide experience with electronic music and synths. It does not show from your forum avatar. Also it is confusing- if you work for Cakewalk, may be you consider to have "Cakewalk" instead of "Forum Host" under your picture, this way we would know. It is great that somebody knows about electronic music, it would be even better if this person was software developer. I have a lot of love for EDM and can program sounds, but I can not make my own software. "Bakers" to me are people who make software- nothing else is matter when it comes to software features. You either know how to make them or not. Electronic music value is not only in dance. It can be anything. You can use any drums and combine any types of instruments. The value is in technology. Before Massive, not many people heard sounds used in Dubstep now days. With introduction of distortion in software synths it became possible. We want to know where technology can take us and what can be discovered and invented in the future. Checking what is new on the market is not the same as making innovations. I would like to see Cakewalk hires real talents and innovators who will move progress of computer music.

vladasyn
Anderton, I am glad that you have such a wide experience with electronic music and synths. It does not show from your forum avatar. Also it is confusing- if you work for Cakewalk, may be you consider to have "Cakewalk" instead of "Forum Host" under your picture, this way we would know.

 
Actually I'm not a Cakewalk employee, I am more like an in-house consultant for Gibson Brands and work with all the Gibson Brands. However I have a special place in my heart for Cakewalk because I've been using the software for so long and have had so much success with it. I'm also the one who engineered the acquisition by Gibson because I felt it would be a good home.
 

It is great that somebody knows about electronic music, it would be even better if this person was software developer. I have a lot of love for EDM and can program sounds, but I can not make my own software. "Bakers" to me are people who make software- nothing else is matter when it comes to software features. You either know how to make them or not. Electronic music value is not only in dance. It can be anything. You can use any drums and combine any types of instruments. The value is in technology. Before Massive, not many people heard sounds used in Dubstep now days. With introduction of distortion in software synths it became possible. We want to know where technology can take us and what can be discovered and invented in the future. Checking what is new on the market is not the same as making innovations. I would like to see Cakewalk hires real talents and innovators who will move progress of computer music.

Tell them to send in their resumes!!!! +1 on innovation.

Now that you said, Gibson, I realized- it is a guitar manufacturer. What do I expect? Roland was surprisingly neglectful as a keyboard company- may be they did not want to develop software synths because it would compete with their hardware keyboards. Gibson- no competition to guitars sales from software synths, so who knows...
 
Is the Cakewalk still hiring? I would love to post reminder on KVR.

I firmly believe a small agile group like the bakers should focus on DAW issues and NOT drum machines... the entire vst arena is awash with amazing new stuff; recently I bought Serum which is amazing in it's own right but does nothing for the DAW.... I'd rather be able to "Hide all console tracks without data"... a huge DAW usability  for me.
 
And, per drums.... there are a zillion ways to go.  Hell, Audiobro: LA DRAMA DRUMS (LADD) is blowing people away over at V.I Control... this is a wide open field!  The joys of "VSTs"... or take a look at Xfer's "Nerve".... totally rad!  amazing!  We already get AD2... or go get some of the unique free offerings...
 
A new, amazing floatable "Arp" module?  fantastic... a new drum maschine or synth?  There are many already... which do nothing to improve Sonar's functionality.
 
Focus on the DAW, please!  It's what they do best! And from the look of the "features request" forum, there are many awesome improvements we'd love to have taking our DAW to higher levels...

Oh look. Angsty people with nothing to do trolling on the internet is still a thing.
 
How quaint.

One of our product managers brought his Arp2600 in one day, that was a lot of fun to explore.  He has a lot of hardware and is into all sorts of electronic music.  The meet the bakers isn't all the bakers by any means.  There are so many amazingly talented, dedicated people that have been crafting this release with a lot of care.  There's much more than bullet points.  We've all poured our hearts into this company wide.  I'm proud to be part of a great company.  We can't wait to show you what we've been up to.
 
Keith