yeah i tried to get help with my problem a month ago now & still haven't heard anything other than an automated response, giving me a case number.  i only have, what, 22 more days to decide if i want lifetime updates for Platinum

I've had a case outstanding for 3 months:
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Why-does-Rapture-Pro-always-revert-to-demo-mode-m3380090.aspx
 
I have had an occasional request to perform "busy work," though and haven't been completely ignored. (I began my career in technical support and therefore recognize "busy work" when I see it.")
 
I would ask for a refund for  the product in question which I have never really been able to use, but I have to admit that I am interested in how long this adventure takes to play out.
 
Keith

I agree, I don't think it's so much a problem with finding someone on this forum who knows what wrong, you guys have been great it's just that text support doesn't respond at all. No more phone support and when you send an email, or when I did, I got a response in two or three weeks saying that they were busy and if I still needed help resubmit which I did and it's probably been 2 weeks since then. The issue isn't a big deal and I think I have it figured out it's just the tech support is gone and used to be one of the greatest things about Cakewalk.

WSS


WSS

My understanding is that some additional support people have been hired (as have some more developers).
 
Again with the standard disclaimer that I don't speak for Cakewalk...I've had interactions with support at multiple companies. The reality is that support people have a limited shelf life for the gig; dealing with people who call up and yell at you tends to lose its appeal after a while. Of course not everyone is a jerk, but I see what the support people at Gibson go through and their patience is a wonder to behold. 
 
So if multiple support people reach the end of their shelf life at the same time and bail ("I'm leaving, I got a much better job - catching rabid dogs"), you have to find replacements quickly. However then they have to be trained.
 
Paradoxically, I'm sure it doesn't help that Cakewalk is on a roll. The rate at which SONAR is gaining new customers is off the hook, and new customers tend to tax support much more than veterans who can state a specific question in the forums and get an answer a few posts later, or search the net and find an answer. Hopefully Cakewalk will be able to get any new support people up to speed expeditiously.
 
 
 
 

Anderton
My understanding is that some additional support people have been hired (as have some more developers).

You're right.

http://www.cakewalk.com/Careers/Gigs

I've been able to sort out approximately 97% of my problems just searching for my question and finding somewhere it's already been answered here (of course, using Google to search the site, not the site search, which is about as useful as a chocolate teapot). Another 2% asking for and getting help here (and I try to be helpful to others where I can, though I'm not nearly as clever or quick as a few other folks). I think I have actually called technical support once or maybe twice in the decade plus I've been using Sonar. They were helpful and pleasant, if memory serves - it was a long time ago - but I have to say I've generally been able to solve problems quicker on my own just digging around a bit. 
 
That's not intended to excuse the fact that CW tech support seems to have hit a rough spot and is perhaps not serving those who need it as well as it could, but I definitely encourage - echoing others above - taking an active approach and using the incredible resource that this forum and its amazingly helpful and knowledgeable denizens represents. 

One thing I feel i soften forgotten by vendors are supports ability to assist in giving feedback of bugs to devs.
 
The more bugs that remain in system - the more new users will, over and over again, experience these - and subsequently wear down support.
 
The most professional handling I experienced over the years are Waves. Nothing compares really.
I invested heavily in Waves because of it - everything that might be bugs are quickly taken care of and you are given feedback in hours to any problem you have. They phone you, they connect with TeamViewer to help you out - support is very much integrated in the business idea from start. Like a car manufacturer know service is an important part of purchase decision for customers.
 
I always felt I was a PITA to Cakewalk support staff:
- Why are you bothering us, we have a company to run
 
kind of.

lfm
One thing I feel i soften forgotten by vendors are supports ability to assist in giving feedback of bugs to devs.
 
The more bugs that remain in system - the more new users will, over and over again, experience these - and subsequently wear down support.
 
The most professional handling I experienced over the years are Waves. Nothing compares really.
 

Agreed that Waves support is excellent. But as to bugs "wearing down support," you need to separate product/phone support from development/bug fixing-type support. The main phone support issues by far involve getting third-party plug-ins and audio interfaces to work with SONAR, not SONAR itself. By the time people encounter bugs, they've gotten pretty deep into the program. 

I certainly understand the points about phone support even though I'm always polite and very appreciative of the help. I'm talking about a matter of months for email support. I would guess if it's a reasonably common bug there would be a stock answer to cut and paste.
 
It's hard to imagine first time users of Sonar just jumping right in, it's a pretty daunting program.
 
Maybe charge a few bucks / support issue?
WSS

Got an email this morning that they are hiring support reps.
 
Coders too btw.