"Cakewalk: A Proud Tradition of Not Finishing What we Started."

Right DA,

I can still use it, single core and all. Actually, that is not that big of a problem since I got use to freezing tracks before it became an easy button - back when adding a reverb could bring a sub gigahertz computer to a stop. I can understand Cake's decision (in fact wondered how they could support two different DAW engines in the forums), but I still think P5 is (was?) the best intro platform to making synth music. And I still start my electro pojects there.

@

RIP P5

Cake - Thanks for telling us.

You should sell the code to someone.

Nick, I more or less agree with what you're saying here. But I don't think CW is "putting all its eggs in one basket." I see this as part of the evolution of the CW line towards a post-Sonar product, what you called DAW 2.0 and what I called a while back a "post-DAW DAW." Here's my take on the Project5 announcement. http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=1712646&mpage=1&key=#1712750

ORIGINAL: Nick P

Cowtowing to the typical geetar/bass yahoo who uses Sonar in his basement will only get you so far. How many more years will these guys pony up the $180 or so for the Sonar upgrade?

Again, I agree with much of the point you seem to be trying to make. But the problems with Sonar aren't rooted in the instruments played or the kind of music made by its user base. There's something about the regular references to "geetar" players and so on that makes it seem like you're slumming to be here among such yahoos. On the basis of what? I gather that you're a formally trained musician. But why should that impress anyone?

The reality is, you're here, using these products, and complaining about these products, and calculating whether or not to upgrade these products, and trying to figure out what it means when they kill these products off. The fact that you can apparently play suma that fayancy music reeeel purty on a pieyana doesn't change that.

We're all yahoos on this bus.

I gather that you're a formally trained musician

This made me chuckle a little.

We're all yahoos on this bus.

Except me.... I dont like to ride the bus, there are some scary people on there.

I am starting to believe that the DAW being beta tested will be the successor to P5.

The cynical side of me says that they must have a reason to stop selling P5 altogether. Even if P5 did not sell much, the cost of having a few pages on their store site dedicated to P5 was probably less than what they might have generated in sales. If P5 sales cut into sales of the new DAW, then obviously it would have to go.

The optimistic side of me thinks that perhaps P5 is going to be replaced with something similar, but more advanced. With a catchier name.

ORIGINAL: Marketing [Cakewalk]
In that spirit, we would like to extend a special offer to all our Project5 customers. Through May 17th, registered Project5 cu249stomers can crossgrade to SONAR 8 Studio for only $99/£69/€79 or you can upgrade to SONAR 8 Producer for $249/£199/€229. In both cases, you will save $100/£80/€90 off your regular price, and this is a greater discount than the current special pricing that we are running for Cakewalk customers.

$249 for SONAR 8 when SONAR 9 is around the corner?

I dont own sonar and never will. Too bad eh?

ORIGINAL: TUS

Well what a shame. Ive been using P5 2.5 for a few years now. Just recently got ACT working with legacy MIDI hardware, and boom, the whole thing goes up in smoke. I agree with many of the comments here. P5 was a real competitor to LIVE and an alternative to REASON, at least for me. Plus you could record into it. Why didn't they kill Sonar home studio?

I'm a little PO'd now because I just bought a new system, will have to reinstall P5, and they have taken down the link to the last maintenance release.

Anybody have any thoughts on this? It seems like a rash decision to pull the last maintenance release, plus all the previous ones are still available.

I think you kinda answered your question. It's not a real competitor to Live or Reason. No reason wasting resources in a sinking ship. From my experience P5 is a system resource hog compared to Sonar and anything else that is out there.

Besides Sonar 8 is getting great reviews and the focus is on making it even better.

Sorry to see P5 end. For those of us that have Sonar 8, maybe Cakewalk can offer a discount on one of the sound libraries.

Cheers,

jayson

Talk about heart-breaking!!!

This is one of those spirit dashing moments...There goes my hopes of seeing P5 evolved to its greatest potential...It would've been great to see P5 become that MPC replacement, I'd been pushing Cakewalk to make it through the FR page...serious let down.

Thanks for at least letting us know...

This doesn't bother me at all, and makes tons of sense. I think most of us are happy to simply have a real answer finally.

Of course, it doesn't mean a person has to stop using the software. Obviously it still works, and while of course no one wants to make their main music platform a dead-end, it doesn't mean it's not a great tool for certain things (beat-making, pattern generation, idea-catching...other hypen-related things...)

For the people who are upset, I would mention simply that P5 just never got a foothold worth Cake's continued investment. Big deal. Things get cut all the time. I'm sure Cake were hoping P5 would be a Reason/Live competitor and it just worked out that the other two programs found their niches faster and better. It's a shame, but it's just reality. I'm not gonna stick Cake with the blame that more laptop-loop kids liked Live more.

Looking to the brighter side, I think it FINALLY opens up the door for P5's still-awesome features to be ported over to SONAR in some way. Like Candlesayshi mentioned, SONAR is indeed in need of a semi-major transformation (and really, if sticking to the 10-year timetable they have, SONAR 10 would actually be a brand new product) and now we know what some of the awesome tools they can bring to bear.

I doubt it was anything nefarious on the part of Cake, I'm sure people like Seth over there were totally bummed about it, but I think they prolly had some long long meetings and realized it wasn't a success, nor a fit for their plans.

Like I said before, I'm just glad to have a definitive answer and am excited that it now means all the good parts of P5 are fair game to yank over to SONAR.

ORIGINAL: Chrisma

Wow...sad to here this. I was hopeful. What amazes me is the fact that with Kinetic and Project5 Cakewalk was 2 or 3 years ahead of BPM and Maschine but I guess Cakewalk wasn't looking in that direction then. They could have a matured product by now could have danced circles around them by now. There are still some things that Kinetic can do that BPM can't. Hopefully the future develope will bring back a competitive edge again. Both products are fabulous pattern sequencing programs maybe we'll see some sort of reincarnation of P5 later. Oh well BPM it is then.

Speaking of Kinetic, it's been three years since its last release. How long until the announcement for that program?

Lets see - Project 5 brought me Dimension (& Pro), nPulse, DS864, Roland Groove Synth, Cyclone, PSYN I & II, Velocity, and introduced me to the good stuff - Rapture, Z3ta+, Battery, RMIV (Thanks Sean), GPO, and many more.

And I've managed to meet quite a few nice folks here and abroad in the process!

Thank you Cakewalk.

PS. P5 is still my go-to DAW for initiating new ideas - and it runs just fine thank you...

Peace!

edit: I guess what I was going to spend upgrading P5 will now go towards buying the latest version of Finale - not bad, really...

Hey, what about those of us who upgrade our Sonar like clockwork every fall? Do we get a $100 rebate?!

And if you already own Sonar 6 or 7, the upgrade prices are a a lot less than the "deal" Cakewalk is offering P5 users. If you own Sonar 6 or 7 SE it's $179 or $129 if you own Sonar 6 or 7 PE. So much for the appreciation of loyal supporters. I already own S7 SE and got it bundled with Dim Pro. So S8 PE doesn't really offer me much. Besides, Sonar is way too complicated for me at this point, which is why I'll keep using P5 as long as it works on my computer.

Hey Cakewalk, what about giving me a free copy of Sonar Home Studio instead -- I'm serious!