Well as a long term Sonar user, who at this stage refuses to go across to Bandlab...I can assure you that the last version of the released Sonar Platinum runs very well and I believe it shall into the future. It is very stable - I actually crashed Sonar today for the first time in yonks - bloody Wacom graphics tab - I still can't control the slide screen facility and it just goes haywire lol.

Second of all, to expect a DAW to do it all is of course inviting trouble and disappointment! If you want a serious orchestral instrument and one that you can also export notation into Sonar then use Notion 6 by Presonus. It is by far the best score and orchestral instrument in the business. And I don't mean it's the best scoring software either...it has its flaws apparently if you want to write 'proper' scores. But as a way to write midi as proper notation, as well as its sounds, so long as you know how to mix those sounds - I can't sing its praises enough.

michael diemer
Cakewalk IS a great tool for classically-oriented composers. I use it and have found it by far the best DAW for that purpose. Check my profile for my website, which has music composed with Cakewalk for examples of what it can do for composers.
 
No, you don't need notation software, except for a score. But the sound will be terrible. Cakewalk has a great score editor, meant to be a working tool, not professional notation software. I make my music in Cakewalk, because the tools are great. The feedback of good sound is extremely helpful for feedback as I compose and orchestrate. I then export to Notion to produce a score.
 
There is no single software with the great sound of a DAW, and the great score production of notation software. Maybe someday, but not yet. For now, Cakewalk and notation software is the best solution.

Hey Michael - Did the notation in Reaper not work well?
 

Since it costs you nothing to try it and you can it use as long as you want, common sense would suggest that route rather than waiting for the perfect solution and support issues to work themselves out in the future. You can still use ALL your vst's and synths that came with platinum or any other Sonar version as long as it's still loaded on your computer.

Honestly your post makes it seem harder than it needs to be, I meen, waiting for others to tell you what you can really find out yourself...NOT that efficient ya think when it only costs you time, hard drive space and one online activation to get all you need to know right now.

You can always unistall it if it doesn't work out in the future.

BobF

michael diemer
Cakewalk IS a great tool for classically-oriented composers. I use it and have found it by far the best DAW for that purpose. Check my profile for my website, which has music composed with Cakewalk for examples of what it can do for composers.
 
No, you don't need notation software, except for a score. But the sound will be terrible. Cakewalk has a great score editor, meant to be a working tool, not professional notation software. I make my music in Cakewalk, because the tools are great. The feedback of good sound is extremely helpful for feedback as I compose and orchestrate. I then export to Notion to produce a score.
 
There is no single software with the great sound of a DAW, and the great score production of notation software. Maybe someday, but not yet. For now, Cakewalk and notation software is the best solution.

Hey Michael - Did the notation in Reaper not work well?
 

Hi Bob, I was able to complete one long orchestral work in Reaper (16 minutes). But it took far longer than Sonar/CbB does. For one thing, the midi routing is very cumbersome, taking 3X as long, with lots of unnecessary mouse clicks. Also, it took me 2 weeks to figure it out, and lots of help. And while the score view is excellent, I had issues there as well with copy/paste and dragging form one inst. to another. There were other problems also, like when I got toward the end of the piece, I would do something, like copy/paste, and the piece would suddenly be thrown back to the begining. This would happen constantly as I tried to complete the piece. not good for the work flow, needless to say. Once finished, the sound was great, however!
 
I reported all my problems to the mods, who as you know are very responsive, but I think they focus on audio over midi, as do most DAWS. Maybe they have gotten around to fixing them, but when CbB came out it was a no-brainer for me. I was using Sonar 8.5 Studio as my latest version, since I foolishly never updated. I have a tendency to say, it's working, why change it? but Bandlab saved my tofu (I'm a vegan).

michael diemer

BobF

michael diemer
Cakewalk IS a great tool for classically-oriented composers. I use it and have found it by far the best DAW for that purpose. Check my profile for my website, which has music composed with Cakewalk for examples of what it can do for composers.
 
No, you don't need notation software, except for a score. But the sound will be terrible. Cakewalk has a great score editor, meant to be a working tool, not professional notation software. I make my music in Cakewalk, because the tools are great. The feedback of good sound is extremely helpful for feedback as I compose and orchestrate. I then export to Notion to produce a score.
 
There is no single software with the great sound of a DAW, and the great score production of notation software. Maybe someday, but not yet. For now, Cakewalk and notation software is the best solution.

Hey Michael - Did the notation in Reaper not work well?
 

Hi Bob, I was able to complete one long orchestral work in Reaper (16 minutes). But it took far longer than Sonar/CbB does. For one thing, the midi routing is very cumbersome, taking 3X as long, with lots of unnecessary mouse clicks. Also, it took me 2 weeks to figure it out, and lots of help. And while the score view is excellent, I had issues there as well with copy/paste and dragging form one inst. to another. There were other problems also, like when I got toward the end of the piece, I would do something, like copy/paste, and the piece would suddenly be thrown back to the begining. This would happen constantly as I tried to complete the piece. not good for the work flow, needless to say. Once finished, the sound was great, however!
 
I reported all my problems to the mods, who as you know are very responsive, but I think they focus on audio over midi, as do most DAWS. Maybe they have gotten around to fixing them, but when CbB came out it was a no-brainer for me. I was using Sonar 8.5 Studio as my latest version, since I foolishly never updated. I have a tendency to say, it's working, why change it? but Bandlab saved my tofu (I'm a vegan).

Did you checked out REAPER "routing matrix" (ALT+R)? I didn't find REAPER to be slower than SONAR while working with MIDI.

a13xhp
 

Did you checked out REAPER "routing matrix" (ALT+R)? I didn't find REAPER to be slower than SONAR while working with MIDI.


Everyone has a different work flow. For me, Cakewalk is significantly faster than Reaper. If Reaper works as well for you, that's great. I can also use all my Sonar Producer plugins in CbB, while I could not in Reaper. For example, the LP 64 EQ and Compressor plugins. I have them because I did have Sonar Procuder. (I had to end up using Studio, however, because I had some weird issues with Producer. I could use them in Studio 8.5, an ancient DAW by now, but could not use them in Reaper). I did like how you can download and install Reaper in two minutes. That's incredible. I never liked the Command Center, which itself took two hours to install on my computer. But CbB installs pretty quick. I'm on an older version. Like I said, if it works, I tend to stay with it a long time. Whu upgrade every time you can, only to find something doesn't work?

Indeed, you are very wrong.  Thank God for that.

Quick follow up to the above (not knowing if the OP is about workflow in general or Cakewalk specifically) regarding work flow. Notation is one case in particular where I do find touch input preferred to a mouse/keyboard, and there is a free software (Strokes Plus) which allows touch input, and even more precision with a pen (needs hardware capable of such). With the right computer/device, this also allows for on-the-fly, on-the-go notation work. It is actually refreshing to work on music and not be at a computer desk each session.
 
The below video is specific to Strokes Plus at work inside Notion, but can be used with anything compatible for input/commands.
 

There is a lot to respond to here.
 
Firstly, I have been using staff-lined notebooks for the last 45 years.  Now I have Sibelius which is fine for printing out the final instrument parts but I refuse to invest time I don't have into understanding another digital processing program...  So, Sibelius is just a score printer for me.
 
Secondly, there is mixed information here.  One suggestion is to download the new Bandlab as a separate installation.  Why?  I'll only ever use one of them.  The logic behind this is that the new platform will use "Most" of my effects.  Unfortunately, the effects that are listed as not supported by Bandlab in the comparison chart are the effects I use.
 
Another issue is SSD space.  Two installations would require two copies of my instrument libraries which are many and huge - 1.2TB.  Two installations would require a significant financial outlay for new SSDs.
 
The next issue arises from a practice that has become pervasive across the internet - corporate connectivity for users.  Will I be able to install and use Bandlab if I don't own a mobile (cell) phone (and never will) or don't use anything with "cloud" in its title or operate my studio PC without an internet connection?   Without knowing these things, overwriting my current Sonar installation with Bandlab could be disastrous. 
 
Thirdly, I don't care about the money.  It is a fact that without a financial transaction, there is no legal liability.  EVERY free software version is always a cut-down version of the one you must pay for.  What was I supposed to think when I read that this free version would support "most" of my effects?
 
To explain my "CPU power" comment more accurately: I was having issues with my 'Interrupt to process latency' creating an unstable audio environment.  To fix it, I removed all cloud and internet connectivity in the registry to a machine that is not connected to the internet.
 
Finally, let me apologize for my negativity.  I have good reasons but don't want to bore you with them.  Eventually, the lack of updates from Cakewalk will conflict with my driver and hardware updates and I will have to download Bandlab or migrate to another DAW.  I will make that decision when it is forced upon me.                

djwolf
Another issue is SSD space.  Two installations would require two copies of my instrument libraries which are many and huge - 1.2TB.  Two installations would require a significant financial outlay for new SSDs.

 
This is a misconception. CdB will access your existing libraries without requiring further installation. All you have to do is point CdB to your current library paths
 

The next issue arises from a practice that has become pervasive across the internet - corporate connectivity for users.  Will I be able to install and use Bandlab if I don't own a mobile (cell) phone (and never will) or don't use anything with "cloud" in its title or operate my studio PC without an internet connection?   Without knowing these things, overwriting my current Sonar installation with Bandlab could be disastrous. 

Just to be clear, the ONLY time you need to be connected to the internet is for downloading the software and authorising it. After that you can disconnect permanently if you so wish
 

Thirdly, I don't care about the money.  It is a fact that without a financial transaction, there is no legal liability.  EVERY free software version is always a cut-down version of the one you must pay for.  What was I supposed to think when I read that this free version would support "most" of my effects?

CdB is NOT a "cut down version" of Platinum. It is the full, core product. Sure it doesn't come with a lot of the Fx & Instruments that many of use enjoy because we have paid for them via the license fee over many years.
Also, the fact that there might have been a "legal liability" with th former owners, it didn't prevent them from completely abandoning Sonar