Sonar X2b?

I'm starting to get a little worried that there might not be one.  


Mike

Remember the yearly update cycle was changed with x1. It took 2 years before x2 was released. In the mean time they added the expanded version that is now included with x2. If they remain on that schedule there is plenty of time to release x2b and possibly x2c who knows but the CW.

Free updates does not generate any revenue income.  Paid upgrades do......

Maybe they're waiting for Summer Namm. Let's hope.

I've always wanted a true vari-speed feature, too.

Let me place here an example of how this can go down. It is obvious to many, including myself that X1/X2 have changed a lot of things from previous Sonar releases. MANY things. There are other software companies that do this. Microsoft is one of them that quickly comes to mind. Adobe is another. Facebook is yet another. 

Many people use Adobe Photoshop. I started on version 4. My dad started on version 1. There's been almost no gripes about bugs and weirdness in many of these versions. My dad still uses version 7. I use CS3 and CS6. Adobe still sells many newer versions, and put in nice features to make workflow better and better. But we never feel we need patches, just routine updates for things like RAW versions for new cameras and such. 

Microsoft released a few Duds, and they've NEVER lived down those bombs. Does anyone remember "Me"? We all recall Vista. They worked, but not as well as previous releases. Microsoft was quick to replace them. When Apple released Snow Leopard, it was dubbed, "Leopard: Improved". There were many instances of the underground slogan related to Windows 7. It was, "Vista: Fixed". 

I would imagine Cakewalk should  want to work out the kinks and gripes in any version before shooting for the next big bright, shiny objects. My perception of X2 is "We're not there yet, but very close!". I really would like not to have that impression of X2 when X3 is released. I don't want X3 to say to me, "Ok, let's try this again."

I'm not going to debate the challenges of Cakewalk, or the realities of how Cakewalk is structured vs. their customer-base and compare them to the bigger companies, but I am saying that, if the revenue and staff numbers are low, then the results could be that Cakewalk may have bitten off more market than they can service, and it's time to up the ante, not shrink staff. With the current workflow Cakewalk has/had for X1/X2, we can surely expect the same or less from X3.

I agree that updates do generate revenue by word of mouth and good communication. Lack of communication and updates in the presence of gripes and bugs, is a sign of being overwhelmed and uncertain.

I personally don't have problems with paying $100/yr for upgrades. Look at Waves. They have the WUP plan, which MANY gripe about. The issue is, otherwise, people buy up the plug-ins, and then, Waves goes under because nobody is left to purchase the existing plugs. So, in order to keep them up-to-date (ala 64-Bit), they can induce a Service Plan vs. deprecate the versions and force everyone to buy them all again. Which would tick you off more? 

In Cakewalk's case, I would rather pay $700 for Producer to get a better-tested, better deployed and more professionally accepted product. AVID has that more expensive market because they want it (well, and they were there early on in the studios). Cakewalk wants a lower-end market (my perception, anyway); the creative market. That's not to discount the engine behind Sonar. It rocks and is as professional as they come. But I would pay more for a better QA job from them and for better testing with 3rd-party products. I would pay $100 for a list of thoroughly qualified/tested hardware/software releases that Cakewalk will support, should we ask what hardware is 100% accepted by Sonar.

I would pay a maintenance subscription to get routine updates to fix small issues. I would pay as much as $10/mo for that ($120/yr), and should there be new features for the next version? What if I don't want them? I can just keep paying for my subscription and keep getting updates on the version I use. Now THAT's wisdom. Cisco Systems in the Tech World succeeded in a major way using that method. I mean, MAJOR way! Waves thrives because of it, too.

They should have risen the price to meet inflation, or be thrown into the same category as the other standard DAW makers, but not ProTools. If Cakewalk went after them before X1, they'd be competing with them, leaving others behind. They chose to stay in the moderate market, and now they must compete on price. 
Will Cakewalk take my advice? I expect them to discount me there because I'm just a single user. 

I would pay a maintenance subscription to get routine updates to fix small issues. I would pay as much as $10/mo for that ($120/yr), and should there be new features for the next version? What if I don't want them? I can just keep paying for my subscription and keep getting updates on the version I use. Now THAT's wisdom. Cisco Systems in the Tech World succeeded in a major way using that method. I mean, MAJOR way!

A BIG +1 to this.
Well said.


Mike

"8.5 classic" - McQ - you're a classic..

Since I tweaked the Aud ini file X2a is really stable for me . I like X2 , I don't want to mess it up now.

bobgassert


Since I tweaked the Aud ini file X2a is really stable for me . I like X2 , I don't want to mess it up now.

What tweaks did ya make?


Mike

Hopefully the longer they take means the more stable it'll be.

Mike