Drone7
This system my be vulnerable to abuse, think of this... What if I first buy outright/upfront, then 11 months into the second year just decide to opt-in for membership to get all the updates. If we try to take advantage like that, what is stopping people? Or, if someone done it that way and only paid for a month membership just to get all the updates after initially buying outright in the previous year, and then they discontinue payments after a single one month payment, does that mean the updates will all be suspended and they will only end-up with their previous full version?
 

Yes,  that's it exactly.  It will revert to a demo mode, but the previous FULL version the paid for and kept will still work.

Drone7
This system my be vulnerable to abuse, think of this... What if I first buy outright/upfront, then 11 months into the second year just decide to opt-in for membership to get all the updates.

Please read this page which describes everything precisely.
 
The only thing that should probably be underlined is that "Membership Renewal after 12 Months" is the same for everyone for the product in question.  "Renewal" meaning you've already, at least once at some time the past, bought up front (or rented for 12 consecutive months).  In your above scenario, at month 11 of a second year of not paying, you have to pay the Membership Renewal in full (or pay for each of the following 12 months) to get the updates to that point (and you'll then also get the updates during the next twelve months).
 

Drone7
This whole membership thing is seeming like a mindfield of confusion when trying to figure-out the best deal.
 
Let me make it easy with a few simple direct questions...
 
1: If initially i buy Sonar professional outright ($199), what will be the outright price of buying the next version? (of course you don't have to say the 'exact' amount, just approximately in terms of how much upgrading again will cost)
2: If initially i buy Sonar Platinum outright ($499), what will be the outright price of buying the next version? (of course you don't have to say the 'exact' amount, just approximately in terms of how much upgrading again will cost)
 
Concerning those who opt for the "Membership" route...
1: After the first twelve months of the membership route, what is the cost of another 12 months thereafter?
 
2: If someone were to buy outright first, can they revert to the membership route after the first 12 months are expired? And, if we can, and do, and subsequently fail to make further expected monthly payments, does that mean the program will revert back to the previous full version we had paid for, but without any of the subsequent upgrades, fixes etc that we got for initiating the membership. Phew!
 
Joe Connor, please chime-in again, and give us full and thorough answers to these four questions, i think that will solve the whole mystery and most of the potentially enigmatic associated variables. I do thankyou in advance. Cheers.
 
 

The renewal prices are clearly displayed on the prices tab of the web page where you saw the purchase costs.
 
For example, the full price of Platinum is $499,  the renew each year thereafter is $199.  That's it.
 
As for the best option,  the version you choose is down to the value you place on the features,  but for payment method the best value is the pay it all upfront option.
 
As far as membership,  you have no choice.  That is what you are buying, not software.  The software is provided as part of membership.

Thanks for your effort karyn.
 
The only thing you haven't told us is what the renewal fee is for the Professional version. $199 outright, then how much every year after that?

The complete price schedule is shown here.
 
The annual renewal rate for Pro is $99

Thankyou karyn, I must have viewed that page at least 3 times in the last few days, and still I didn't see it. Like the Cab driver said to me the other day (i'm 43 years old), "Oh you kids these days, you go through life with your head in the clouds!" LOL
 
Truly, thanks karyn, that's saved me a lot of angst. God bless.

Reading (and absorbing) appears to not be compulsory here.
 
I keed I keed.
(or do I?)

Me
As far as membership,  you have no choice.  That is what you are buying, not software.  The software is provided as part of membership.

I didn't write that very well.
 
The way it works is...  you're buying a membership. Your membership entitles you to use the core software as well as other things like the additional content and soft synths etc.  Everything that you get now plus anything else they choose to include.
If you buy a new membership and pay upfront (like you always had to) you get to keep the software for ever.
If you upgrade from an old version by paying upfront (like you always had to) you get to keep the software forever.
If you buy or upgrade by paying monthly...  once you paid 12 consecutive payments you get to keep the software forever. If you stop the monthly payments BEFORE this, the software reverts to demo mode BUT any software you have already completed payment for (12 months) will still work as it did.
 
The membership period lasts for 12 months (or monthly) and needs to be renewed to continue to receive updates and new content.