Long time Cakewalk user here.  I mean LONG time - my musical journey started on Cakewalk 1.1d for MS Dos, long before Windows interfaces even existed!   But I've been away for a while - and to be honest I missed the entire DAW revolution.  Now I want to get back into the game, so I'm looking at MC7 and Sonar Artist.  
 
MC7 seems appealing because the bundle for $149 has the sounds I am interested in (keyboards, strings..).   My initial plan was to use MC7 to create the song, then remove the bass and drum tracks and record them and maybe add a few more little things.   The bundle is appealing because it has the sound packs but I heard it has a limited sample rate when recording audio and doesn't create audio CD's.   From what I have read Sonar is the other way around, a better sample rate but does not have the sound packs.   I'm assuming that the sound packs will work with both programs, the store doesn't say anything about it.  
 
It is hard to compare the two as there are no demos of MC7 and SA to work with, and I've been away so long I know I'll have a bit of a learning curve each way.    Any insight from those in the know on these two products would be helpful and greatly appreciated.  
 
Thanks,
Lou

There are plenty of options to create CDs some free. The CD burner would not be a consideration for me. MC7 maxes out at 24bit/48KHz not an issue for me either, I run 24bit/44KHz. Here is a comparison between MC7 and the current version of SONAR http://www.cakewalk.com/D...p;help=Comparison.html. If you have any questions about the chart, please ask. There is one update which the chart does not show, the virtual keyboard controller was added to SONAR last month.
 
The sound packs included in the Music Creator 7 Complete Sound Studio Bundle use Cakewalk Sound Center, a synth included every Cakewalk DAW. If you decide MC7 does not work for you, the bundled sounds will work in SONAR. At the bundle price, MC7 is essentially free anyway. One thing I could not find on the CW site are audio demos of the sound packs, DSF does have demos https://www.digitalsoundf..._sound_center_products
 
MC7 and the bundle are great values. SONAR offers more configuration options for your hardware and workflow.
One thing not shown in the comparison chart is if you have a problem with SONAR, Cakewalk is a phone call away.

Welcome to the forum Lou.
 
Unless you are doing projects with lots of tracks or synths, the biggest difference is the fine tuning tools for tweaking the sound of each track when mixing.  Off-the-shelf, Sonar Artist has a better selection of EQs, compressors, reverbs, etc. than MC7 does.  The ones in MC7 do the job, but they have simplified controls that make them easier to use, but limit your ability to fine-tune things.
 
The good thing is that with MC7 you can add VSTs that have this fine control later (many of them are free) if you find the need.  If you are trying to produce serious music, I would recommend Sonar Artist (and too bad about the time you are going to have to spend learning all of the cool features and add-ons).  If you are just looking for a simple recording solution to throw things together and share, MC7 is a great choice at a great price.
 
Glen

Thanks for the info!   The comparison chart was most helpful, and the links to the sound packs were good too as I was able to hear what is in what pack.  By not hearing the samples I would have missed one that I will definitely be buying.    CW should at least link to those samples so we can hear them.  You are right, they are basically giving away the program in the MC7 bundle when you factor in the price of the included packs.  :)
 
What about the interface differences between the two?   The demo of MC7 showed nice drag/drop functionality of samples, are things of that nature the same or similar in Sonar?    There is a lot in Sonar that I'll never use, but I don't think I could go wrong either way.  Trying to decide which would suit me best, watching youtube videos to try to get a feel for it. 
 
One question I had was about licensing, for which I wasn't able to find any info on the site.   Is it allowable to install the program on more than one machine?   Not a deal breaker, but I am on the road from time to time.   When I am away from my home system (4th gen I7) it would be cool to toss my USB audio interface (my next purchase) in my bag and continue working on my music from my Surface Pro tablet.    Not a deal breaker, just curious what the licensing restrictions are.
 
Thanks again for your help!
Lou

MC7 is based on SONAR with some features removed. Anything MC7 can do is in SONAR with one exception. SONAR Artist does not have a built in channel strip like MC7, SONAR Professional and Platinum however the bundled plug-ins include the types of effects typically found in a channel strip.
 
You are allowed to install on more than one machine as long as only one machine is running the product at a time.

I'm leaning towards MC7 because of the sound packs included in the bundle and I can always move to Sonar in the future.    When looking at the price of the packs I envision using this is a pretty good value.   Strangely there is no drum package though (Session 3 is not included in MC7) so that is something I'll need to look for.   Any recommendations?
 
Thanks again for your help, much appreciated!
Lou
 

Three synths bundled with MC7 provide drum sounds, Cakewalk Sound Center, SI Drums (part of the Studio Instruments suite) and TTS-1.