z1812 said: “I am on the brink of also trying Mixcraft 8.”

For me the news about Sonar has forced me to rethink how I do things and although this won’t be a common view here, I realised that Sonar is wwwwaaaaaayyyy too complex for my needs. I bought Platinum and I think I’ve probably used only 10% of its capability. What I’ve discovered in the weeks since the announcement is that what I needed was a comprehensive yet not over-complicated DAW with loads of plugins and synths bundled - and not something with a ton of stuff that I wouldn’t use. That was the case with Sonar and me - I kidded myself that I would use all of its ‘treasures’ one day, but the truth is I won’t. I really don’t need to.

I invested in the crossgrade offer with Mixcraft 8. You can see that it’s not as feature rich as Sonar but it’s absolutely fine and very capable. The bundled synths and effects are really very good and there’s absolutely loads of them - including Melodyne, iZotope mastering essentials, Bass Studio Devil and a really usable guitar sim. The same week I purchased Mixcraft I bought Hybrid plus EIGHT expansion packs on Plugin Boutique for £1 each. Absolutely tons of stuff at a laughable price. I also got VacuumPro x64 (free I think). Some great stuff at a bargain price.

I’m not writing this to disrespect Sonar in any way. The software is great and the support on this forum second to none. All DAWs, at their most basic, all do the same thing. It’s things like workflow, value for money, functionality, aesthetics and a load of other stuff that influences our decisions. Also I’m only a hobbyist - many of you guys pay your bills through your musical endeavours so I can totally understand the anxiety this could potentially cause.

Good to see a large proportion of you sticking with Sonar. I don’t think it’s going anywhere fast. For me however, the closure news gave me a much needed kick up the posteria. I’m really enjoying Mixcraft and it’s certainly revitalised my enthusiasm!

Dave

Don't feel bad Yellowcake. I invested in Samplitude, Studio One, and Tracktion so far. Slowly investigating them now.
Samplitude I wanted and at the upgrade price with Spectral Layers Pro was easy. Tracktion I'm actually loving the idea of it. Studio One I'm looking at  the videos wrapping my head around it. Mixcraft probably would be fine for me too.
If I bit the bullet on it, it will be for the performance panel. Reminds me of Project5 which I loved. I can't justify Bitwig or Live10 for the price.  Enjoy your new DAW. I decided to expand my horizon and learn new Toys

Personally, i HAD to migrate, because my composition studio is in high traffic time, and I cannot rely on a platform with zero support.  I have to often purchase other software, that at times may or may or may not play nice.  I HAVE to have someone I can call. 
I went the avid route - because many of the other producers I work with also use it.  Its definitely been a learning curve.  My favorite thing about it is, it really sounds great, and Im able to produce very nice mixes with it.  Many people on forums claim it is not possible to have 1 daw platform sound different than the other, yet for some reason Im getting more depth and clarity than on other platforms.  Perhaps its the lack of easily available processing?  (I doubt it) without the pro channel involved?  Regardless, my ears are telling me that things sound more grandiose and clear, and my stereo imaging is much more intenional.
 
It is however SEVERELY and unnecesarily complicated, and completely behind the curve from a workflow point of view, having just released track templates with their most recent updates, something thats been around for almost a decade.  Midi sucks in PT in comparison.

I'm happy with my newly purchased DAW Studio One is a joy to work in. I love the outlay and can only see it getting better. Easier to mix in too. It just sounds punchy sharp with a smoothness that is underrated.
 
I recently purchased some Sony headphones and I must say they sound amazing. They have a tin type open sound with room and clarity then the bass rolls of nicely giving it an old time 70's 80,s speaker feel. Amazing quality.
 
Funny enough Studio One has that same sound which I love and gives me a mix to aim for.
 
Sonar has some great things like sound on sound. It is a small feature but an amazing one. Sonar is a leader in many areas of productivity and I'm sure it will continue to be. 
 
I am happy that I have two really, really good DAWS and I eagerly await the new named DAW with new code implemented, faster, leaner Sonar by Bandlab.
 
If Sonar could open it's authorisation to other platforms so I can use all the goodies that are in Sonar in Studio One 3 I would be very, very happy.

I gave Ableton Live a 30 day demo spin when it was on sale for the ver 10 release and I liked it for being really different and figuring it out wasn't so traumatic but I didn't like it $350 much.
 
I'm going to try Reaper next and now we know there will be some new visioning of Sonar so that will be something else to try.  If they keep the old Sonar accessible I'm willing to go the polyamorous route and see where it leads.