CakeAlexS
Yup exactly burried. Features need to be shouted about... But if you can't because 32 bit/DirectX isn't gonna sell your product... Well there are always are 64 bit Nomad plugins which may grow on them...

That's  why I mentioned a replacement. The Nomad plugins work for the "something different" processing,  but fall short as general go to suite. Several Sonitus plugs have no equivalent replacement as of now. 

If there are still DX plugins in Sonar, i'm very disappointed! VST3 is the only way to go. I hope that in the near future Cakewalk will update all its plugins to VST3. However, if the current DX plugins are 32bit and running as DX through bit-bridge, even more disappointing!
If this is the case, then Sonar needs a serious housecleaning session and cleanup. That's like having stray dogs running around the neighbourhood, messy and unseemly and just generally uncivilized and not unified. I had assumed that Cakewalk would have done a springclean by now and got everything in Sonar unified and on the same page. The current situation gives me thoughts of wanting to go look at Cubase or Bitwig Studio, because i know the plugin sets in those are all on the same page format-wise. I can't stand a messy motley crew of plugins littered throughout a DAW, very untidy and irksome, call me OCD, but i think i do have a point. Is Cakewalk ever gonna rectify this? 

And for me it's a bone of contention that way to many features are added for the none musicians and not enough new features or improvements for the audio and singer songwriters. Notation is still weak as example. 
 
I seriously have proposed that instead of versions that add more features they have them like this
Sonar For Audio and songwriters- More audio editing, basic synths, Easy to be used by old school dudes and real musicians. 
Sonar for Electronic Music- Less Audio editing, Lots of synths and space farts, easy to use by none musicians. 
Sonar for Everything. Hard to be used by everyone ( what we have now) 

Drone7
If there are still DX plugins in Sonar, i'm very disappointed! VST3 is the only way to go. I hope that in the near future Cakewalk will update all its plugins to VST3. However, if the current DX plugins are 32bit and running as DX through bit-bridge, even more disappointing!
If this is the case, then Sonar needs a serious housecleaning session and cleanup. That's like having stray dogs running around the neighbourhood, messy and unseemly and just generally uncivilized and not unified. I had assumed that Cakewalk would have done a springclean by now and got everything in Sonar unified and on the same page. The current situation gives me thoughts of wanting to go look at Cubase or Bitwig Studio, because i know the plugin sets in those are all on the same page format-wise. I can't stand a messy motley crew of plugins littered throughout a DAW, very untidy and irksome, call me OCD, but i think i do have a point. Is Cakewalk ever gonna rectify this? 

You went from "If....." to "Is Cakewalk ever gonna rectify this?" In one paragraph. Lol
For 64 bit version of sonar, Cake has 64 bit dx plugs which work well. Bitbridge is included for non cake 32 bit vst/vsti plugs. 32 bit dx won't work in 64 bit sonar. IMO most vst3 plugs are Steinberg koolaid. Are all included plugs in Cubase Vst3 ( no vst2)? Would be surprised if so. Their solution for dx was to abandon them years ago. I like Cake's solution better

johnnyV
...
Sonar For Audio and songwriters- More audio editing, basic synths, Easy to be used by old school dudes and real musicians. 
Sonar for Electronic Music- Less Audio editing, Lots of synths and space farts, easy to use by none musicians. 
Sonar for Everything. Hard to be used by everyone ( what we have now) 

I don't know if you're joking here, but it seems to be a common theme around here to slam EDM producers, that they are not really 'musicians'.  If you feel that way, that's fine, but know that there's some really talented guys out who do have a more 'educated' background and are doing some very interesting things in terms of EDM.
 
Having now said that, I agree with the OP, there's little in this release that's there for me in terms of what I like to do with SONAR, which is remixing/mashups creation.  I am not expecting this to be made as easy as in other DAWs like Ableton, but there are still some big holes that seemed to need to be filled.  For example, split a section of audio and place into a sampler.  You can do it in Sonar, but it's quite painful and very limited. Also, my perennial wish list is much better audio warping quality and speed.  It's ok, but it doesn't generate good results for me using it to bring in time a full mix.   Craig states he can get good results with it, but I think it would take much more work to try and still the results would be sub-optimal compared to other DAWs.
 
JohnnyV you said you stated new features added for the 'none' (sic) musicians?  I would disagree with that.  Only thing that I've seen added lately was Melodyne integration, and that can be used by a range of folks.  Otherwise, I've seen little else added that helps out the 'none' musicians.  
 
As for me, there's just not enough yet in this release, and not pre-release features yet for me to pony up either the yearly or the monthly rate, and I'll just have to wait and see if something interesting comes along and that I don't need any major bug fixes until I get a newer release.  I want to wait and see how this grand experiment CW is undertaking works out.

johnnyV
Sonar for Electronic Music- Less Audio editing, Lots of synths and space farts, easy to use by none musicians. 

Sarcasm on
Yeah, because 'space farts' are way beyond the capacity of EDM producers to create.
Sarcasm off
It's a lot more involved than you think, I've been semi-pro since the 80's, gigging every weekend. Learning how to do even basic EDM stuff (sound design, arrangement, composition, mixing, automation, etc) takes a while, it's not all just throwing a couple loops together. IMO it takes a lot of discipline and talent to make 6 minutes of music people want to listen to with the constraints that are imposed by the genre. Watch some of the Future Music 'In The Studio' series on YouTube, you'll see what I mean. I challenge anyone with a similar attitude to come up with anything reasonable sounding in the genre by doing what they think EDM producers do.
 
 

forkol said: "As for me, there's just not enough yet in this release, and not pre-release features yet for me to pony up either the yearly or the monthly rate"
 
My response: My sentiments exactly. It's like "What exactly have they done this time around, is there anything actually new?" I was very underwhelmed when viewing this new Sonar update. I think in all honesty that Cakewalk still hasn't got it in their heads that EDM producers should be taken seriously and that the odd toy here and there (albeit serious toy) should be included within each and every new release. But hey, with the makers and developers of Sonar all being band musicians and guitarists etc, or doing home-studio Pop-Rock or whatever, is it any wonder that they've got no time for us. And yet they continue to ignore us for years on-end
 
As an overall program, Sonar seems quite capable, but the stock plugins don't care about EDM producers. Year after year Cakewalk has continued to neglect us. I wonder if they will ever be considerate enough to say "Hey, it's about time we gave the EDM crew some tasty extras". Will it ever happen? I don't know, but that's why i'm holding-off from buying. When they think about us, then i'll think about them and part with some cash, until then, Cubase offers "Loopmash" and "Groove-agent 4" and "Halion Sonic", all other things being just about equal.
 
When Cakewalk takes us more seriously and starts accommodating EDM a bit more, then i'll take Cakewalk more seriously, true story! Anyone can see that cakewalk simply refuse to help-out the EDM demographic, as if they can't get past the traditional band-music thing. Why haven't they just put some effort into giving us a real WOW EDM Drum-machine. Studio One ver III is just around the corner, and i bet that'll have a few things for us. EDM is the biggest genre in the world, but it's like they just don't wanna admit it. Most big names in the charts from lady Gaga to Beyonce to Katy Perry to anyone you care to mention, are all incorporating the EDM genre into their style; surely Cakewalk could take notice of that.
 
My wish list is not very big at all, here it is again on the one in a million chance that Cakewalk just might listen...

-I wish Cakewalk would overhaul the Pentagon I synth and give us version II with ultra-low aliasing filters and upgraded synth engine with some all new EDM presets, plus change the graphics of the front panel.
-I also would like to see a built-in cutting-edge Arp integrated for every channel the same as the one in Logic Pro X.
-A brand spanking new drum-machine full of 24bit uncompressed EDM drumkits similar to NI's Battery 4.
-Overhaul Dimension Pro and Rapture, these two romplers are quite pedestrian and getting very long in the tooth. What? 5 years old now, or longer? Hundreds of all-new cutting-edge modern sounds with plenty of phat synths and punchy basses with an interface overhaul.
 
 
By the way, i think JohhnyV simply doesn't realize how much effort and expertise is required to make a 'good' EDM track. The time and concentration required is mind-boggling! If for example, i play some chords on a softsynth, how is that different from playing chords on a piano? LOL

Drone7
-I wish Cakewalk would overhaul the Pentagon I synth and give us version II with ultra-low aliasing filters and upgraded synth engine with some all new EDM presets, plus change the graphics of the front panel.
-I also would like to see a built-in cutting-edge Arp integrated for every channel the same as the one in Logic Pro X.
-A brand spanking new drum-machine full of 24bit uncompressed EDM drumkits similar to NI's Battery 4.
-Overhaul Dimension Pro and Rapture, these two romplers are quite pedestrian and getting very long in the tooth. What? 5 years old now, or longer? Hundreds of all-new cutting-edge modern sounds with plenty of phat synths and punchy basses with an interface overhaul.

Please check this forum:
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Features-Ideas-f76.aspx
 
Thanks...

For anyone who's got ideas for improvement, just post them in the Features & Ideas-forum so the rest of us can rate them.
 
I think this will be the best way for you to find out what other users think of your idea and also the best way of communicating this (possible) interest to Cakewalk.

Yes to both Notation improvement and EDM features. I am "trained" pianist but find EDM very interesting.