Right. I understand the frustration though I love Melodyne. Yeah true you really kinda need at least one level upgrade to get the most out of it. I much prefer Melodyne's musical GUI to V-Vocal's GUI which I always found hard to navigate. Funny how experiences differ.

FWIW, I think they had to drop V-Vocal, a Roland licensed technology, when Roland sold them to Gibson.

scottcmusic
 
 
I'm also bitter about the whole narrative where I was very content to use V-Vocal and then it was just removed from all versions going forward because they swung a new and better deal with Melodyne. Yeah, that still stings a bit ...
 

 
There has never been anything to prevent you from continuing to use your VV if you wanted. In fact the ARA integration made it easier /more stable if anything. 
 
I also don't think that CW had any choice in the matter of having to find an alternative.

Using software to produce your heart and soul in the form of music is like that scene in Back To The Future where Marty keeps referring to the snapshot of his family and seeing various parts of it faded out and not quite there. It's like your past is fading away and you can't get it back ... 
 
I used to love this simple little synth called Dreamstation too ... that thing was lightweight and you could very simply get great, old-school, analog sounds out of it ... same thing happened with that ... I glanced back at my little snap shot and Dreamstation was no longer in my tool kit ... sheeesh ... that's creepy. 
 
But we are all used to it ... you move on to the next plugin ...

I think all of those synths are still available if you have your old Sonar installations.

Regardless, sometimes things are changed (like going to 64 bit) and it's not worth (or possible) updating the code of such an old piece of kit. It's still up to you whether you want to upgrade or not. If you loved Dreamstation and V-Vocal and they improve your process, why not use Sonar 8.5? I'm not being sarcastic here, updates are a mixed blessing and sometimes it's more important that the software doesn't get in the way than that we have all the latest features we might not even use.

scottcmusic
... 
I'm also bitter about the whole narrative where I was very content to use V-Vocal and then it was just removed from all versions going forward because they swung a new and better deal with Melodyne. Yeah, that still stings a bit ...

I feel your pain.
 
Melodyne Propulsion Systems

Sanderxpander
why not use Sonar 8.5?

I would if the community would still deal with me ... what happens is ... you just get left in the dust. Nobody will talk to or assist your luddite ass.
 
Think of it this way ... If I buy a Les Paul ... 10 years later there is not, like, only half a pickup and maybe part of the headstock left ... it's still just as I bought it. You pay. You take ownership ... you use. You continue to use ... or, maybe you sell. Get some money back out of it ...
 
That's what I miss ... now everything is disposable. The whole system I am using right now will be pushing up daisies in about a year and a half. At that point I will sort through all these compatibility issues anew ... should be fun. I look forward to it.
 
Seems like somebody's job should be porting these older tools that are beloved over to versions that remain compatible with the Sonar upgrades that keep the ball rolling for them financially. They need continued revenue from their customers, we need creative tools to make music. Maybe we meet in the middle? If I love Dreamstation as a tool but, for financial reasons, Cakewalk has to move on to other partner agreements, than what gives with the music making process again? Where does that fit in? When do I make the music again?
 
If I sound bitter ... it's not that way ... I will concede frustrated. I was smack dab in inspiration mode when all of this occurred. Now I haven't touched my stuff to actually make music in over a month. Exactly THE OPPOSITE of what is supposed to happen.

The only suggestion I can offer is to not upgrade. The idea that you have to is a self-imposed illusion. To take your Les Paul analogy - you don't keep swapping tuners and pickups and adding strings either, at least not if you're happy with it. If you liked it when you bought it and it works well, it's no wonder you still do after 10 years. It could be the same thing with your DAW.
If you're a songwriter or producer it's way more important that you stay in your "creation" zone. But anyway, I'm sure you thought of all that before. I'm sorry you're frustrated. Just keep telling yourself updating is a choice.

I think that's a fair point. I wish I could do that. What happened was I got all amped up for some old school flanging on my background vocals. So I found the Fix Flanger and Vocal Doubler from SoftTube ... I was stoked. It looked awesome and like exactly what the song needed. I also wanted Echo Boy ... I had been given these two gift cards at work for Christmas and had about $150 to blow ...that's where I went wrong ... I started turning a lustful eye towards a few things that I thought would make the music a tad more authentic. That was a bridge too far. Lol.
 
My mom always used to say, "Keep your eyes on your own plate." ... I get that now.
 
But, long story short, I have like three threads going right now around the forum where it's just me ****ing about iLok and also how I can't make this new $100 Native Instruments Delay show up in my plugins list ... see how that works? It's a rabbit hole ...

Haha I'm right down there with you!

I once saw it on one Russian forum - the guys make a 1mb "V-Vocal only" installer. I do not know how much it's legal, but it is a fact.