I've never read so many problems on a release in these forums...even back with X1 it seems.  I may be wrong.  But there just seems to be too many issues to see if I "escape" having any with a purchase.  I imagine Cakewalk is looking at a lot of these threads and is putting the resources on it that they can at this point.  Maybe in a couple months...and hopefully the intro price or close will still be available.  If I have to pony up $150, after already owning Dim Pro and Rapture, I'm probably going to save my pennies and put it towards Omnisphere2 or the next, best ProChannel module.
I know forums are the place to come post problems, looking for solutions, but too many "seasoned" DAW users here seem to be having issues that are beyond small nitpiks.

I am going to wait a week or two myself. I have NO doubt that they will get it all ironed out, they seem to be good at that lately. I'll probably buy before the deal ends though. I just hope it is worth it to me since I really don't care much about Rapture but I like Dim Pro. It makes me wonder if I would be better off to put the money toward ST3, I can afford that. Komplete would rock but I can't justify the price for my needs.
IDK.. 79.00 is hard to pass on.
J

I've played on it every day since I bought it.
 
It bugs me that there are issues, but there are plenty of patches I don't have issues with.
 
ShellstaX and BRock noted that the available number of slots for LFOs is still limited.
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3214969
 
For me though, the tool is going to be really fun. And I can say that I never got very good with rapture. I mostly use patches other people set up and then work off of them.
 
I've been through a whole bunch of the Syntorial lessons (not all). These really helped my understanding.
 
I mostly just play a regular guitar and mix other people's music. :-)
 
For me, Rapture Pro was a no brainer to buy. It makes the cool synth more accessible to me.
 
 

thx gswitz.... I've watched some of your videos too. I've got a Roland Strat, but use the GR-33.  The GR-55 was too much $$ for an upgrade from my GR-33 which I like a lot.  That said, I never use my guitar as a MIDI controller.  I"ve haven't been the biggest fan of either DimPro or Rapture, but I've never really dived into them deeply either.  I find for emulations, my Roland JV2020 and XP80 keyboard are still relevant in my opinion and hold up well against DimPro for piano, strings, other keys and just regular synthy stuff.  I actually use Z3ta2 the most of the three for the more arpeggiated stuff and wackier sounds.

It is frustrating that this is not 3rd party software synth but Cakewalk's own product that should have no problems with integration. It looks like they are not aware of all possible complications. Their installation directions make sense if you installing anew and never had these instruments on your system. While they did say that Rapture and Dim Pro should be installed from CCC in order to show up in Rap Pro, they do not make it clear by saying, "Uninstall what ever you have, delete folders A, B and C and then reinstall from CCC. They state:
 
Just like expansion packs, all factory content from Dimension Pro and Rapture Classic that was installed before Rapture Pro will be automatically migrated.
 
They did not migrate for me (see my other thread).

vladasyn
 It looks like they are not aware of all possible complications. Their installation directions make sense if you installing anew...

I think you've nailed it in the first sentence. It does seem things like missing packs relate to factors that the CCC is not taking into account, although it also seems there are some things that just plain don't work. I don't think anyone has said the Gold Top Expansion Pack showed up for them.
 
I also think a large part of the problem is how the original instruments placed their samples and programs. When I wanted to mess around with samples and programs I created, I always had to go to Google to find out where Rapture and Dimension Pro placed their data.
 
With my Rapture Pro installation it did install the samples where I wanted them to go. The Les Paul Standard programs play, but not the Gold Top programs. Unfortunately I can't be of much help because I've modified things so much I'm not sure what a fresh install would even look like.

I have issues with the expansion packs - but not the legacy packs. Despite that, I wouldn't hessitate to recommend this synth to anyone! It's ease of use and versatility is awesome! The first 4 hours I had it I programmed 30-something patches that I am really happy with, stored them easy and recall them easy. And it sound even better than Rapture and DimPro in my ears

My reference was pure Dimension Pro, and took a look yesterday at Rapture LE which came with Sonar.
I don't see much that is improved regarding making new interesting timbres(even looking at the obvious that you can work on envelopes, which are grayed in LE).
 
Basically a browser improvement, which is not bad idea, but maybe not worth all the effort.
NI and Arturia have this from long ago.
 
 
I would have liked to see improvements on:
a) multiple outs
b) sound engine stuff like oversampling when rendering or always
c) modulation extensions like Waves Element has - with 4 lfo's and each can take input from about 20 sources, and roughly a dozen targets. DP and RP has lfo on each envelope which is nice, but v2 should maybe extend these things to be able and create really new sounds.
d) use of VST3 features like audio inputs - that can serve as an Element from other synths.
Maybe a short record scenario even, if continuous audio stream is difficult to handle, that you can record a snippet and is mapped as an element and waveform.
 
One of the above, and I would look further if to buy.
 
Otherwise, it seems that Mac people are worst case regarding installer issues. From KVR some seems to gotten entire folders wiped out with presets they had from other synths - installing RP.

I upgraded right away and regret it. I see no advantage right now to upgrade from the component synths. I am not much of a synth programmer/ sound designer, but do some. My biggest issues with this program are:
1.- its slow. loading programs takes a while. Why?
2 -Because some of the patches are humongus. I'm looking at a decent patch right now, Tension Stabs that is nearly 3 gb. It sounds decent but not 3 gb decent. Some people are really going to have a hard time using patches like this in a full composition. I've tried some patches over a gb in size that are awful.
3. the browser and performance page should be together. I f you want to audition a patch, you do it on one page and then have to move to the instrument page. You are able to page forward or backward to the next patch from there but if you want to look at your patch lists or switch to a whole other category you've got to go back to the browser page. Take a look at Massive and how its done there, one of the reasons it was so successful.
4- if these patches were the best their sound designers could come up with, it doesn't say much for the program as a whole. If Cakewalk wants to sell this thing their factory patches should blow people's socks off. instead i feel like despicable me's mother, "Meh". Not worth the investment.
5- I won't even go into all the problems with installation and moving sample libraries, others have expolored and described this much better than me.
6- I do not own omnisphere but have heard the new version. If people have to be judicious on how they spend their audio dollars, I would say buy that or stick with the component synths for now.
7- the cakewalk management team right now should be doing some really hard self examination.

lfm
 
 
Otherwise, it seems that Mac people are worst case regarding installer issues. From KVR some seems to gotten entire folders wiped out with presets they had from other synths - installing RP.

WOAH... hair on fire huh? I imagine everything is recoverable but still a scary and stressful problem. I hope they are recoverable! BACKUPS... someone once said (I forget who) "until it is backed up twice, it doesn't exist".
 
J