Someone from Cakewalk is doing a Reddit AMA (ask me anything)

Definitely puts a slightly different view on it all, and very open discussion. Thanks for sharing the link

Wow, that shed a weird light on things. Not too surprising but oh well...

Sadly interesting.  Thanks for sharing Sharke.

Here's another comment from the same guy on a different thread, when asked if he would go back in the event that Cakewalk was sold:

"Under the right owner, yes in a heartbeat. Roland, Gibson - neither really "got" Cakewalk, it's customers or software for that matter.

Gibson is under an enormous amount of debt and maybe that will encourage them to sell it but the truth is that Henry J doesn't give a ****. Not about musicians, not about guitars, not about loyal customers, not about his own employees. For all of Roland's quirks they wholly understood the value of what they had and they were truly passionate about music and their employees.

Fingers crossed that the decision makers in Nashville come to their senses and sell it before every user jumps ship. If recent history is any indicator of future behavior then it's dead Jim."

And he had this to say about the possibility of a Microsoft takeover:

"Microsoft would be an interesting fit.

* They already have an office nearby in Cambridge.
* We've worked closely with them for years, recently on the BT MIDI stuff and surface dial support. Noel has a history of nagging them for Audio fixes/improvements. WASAPI .....
* It would create a great opportunity to include SONAR Home Studio with every version of Windows."

sharke
Here's another comment from the same guy on a different thread, when asked if he would go back in the event that Cakewalk was sold:

"Under the right owner, yes in a heartbeat. Roland, Gibson - neither really "got" Cakewalk, it's customers or software for that matter.

Gibson is under an enormous amount of debt and maybe that will encourage them to sell it but the truth is that Henry J doesn't give a ****. Not about musicians, not about guitars, not about loyal customers, not about his own employees. For all of Roland's quirks they wholly understood the value of what they had and they were truly passionate about music and their employees.

Fingers crossed that the decision makers in Nashville come to their senses and sell it before every user jumps ship. If recent history is any indicator of future behavior then it's dead Jim."

And he had this to say about the possibility of a Microsoft takeover:

"Microsoft would be an interesting fit.

* They already have an office nearby in Cambridge.
* We've worked closely with them for years, recently on the BT MIDI stuff and surface dial support. Noel has a history of nagging them for Audio fixes/improvements. WASAPI .....
* It would create a great opportunity to include SONAR Home Studio with every version of Windows."

All that is quite fascinating, appalling and not completely a surprise, although the comments about MS and Cakewalk are very interesting. I knew Cake and MS had done some stuff together, but I didn't realize there was a fairly solid relationship going back for years. I have to admit I considered the whole "Save us Microsoft, you're our only hope" thing to be an impossible longshot and very pie-in-the-sky (although I am quite sympathetic to the impulse), but maybe there is more to the idea than I thought. Was I being too cynical?... 

Sixfinger
I wish I had a door opener job to put on my resume.

I would write more general for the resume.  Maybe 'executive button pusher'.  You know, just to get the interview ;)

Wow, most informative thing I've read about this whole mess. His explanation for lifetime updates plan seems to confirm what Anderton has said recently as well. Of course as noted it's one employee's take on it, but I think to anyone who's ever had a job at any level in any dysfunctional corporate environment, it's depressingly familiar. 

Uncomfortable read but not entirely surprising. You could see the staff turnover happening, which isn't a great sign. It's a real shame - the people doing the actual work were good people, really passionate about the program and users, but there's only so much you can do when the powers that be cut the heads off of any good initiatives.

mister happy
I think John should make the link a sticky.

 
LOL Mike 

Fascinating description of events. And a band that does play to the same beat is not really a band. Sad.
 

35mm
The saddest part seems to be, despite what we all thought, there was a solid plan for the free updates for life that could have worked really well, driving sales of cool add-on components. Also known as the Image Line model (they use with FL Studio) which is a great success. Only it got trashed by complete mismanagement. Imagine how great that would have been for the product and for us if it had have been managed properly and continued. I'm even more pi*sed off now I know what we could have had.
 
We also found out why the email support vanished.

It really really is a sickener ... for something that could have been avoided.

And worse is the fact THAT IT WAS NOT THE PRODUCT that sunk Cakewalk. But now that product sits on a shelf gathering dust, in that there will be no further development & its userbase is left with what eventually will be a virtual paper weight. All totally unnecessary and a sad sad stupid demise for a great product

Shouldn't there be something indicating that this was moved from upstairs? 

Geeeez... what a read.  So disappointed.