Helpful ReplyStill waiting and confused

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djwolf
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2018/10/07 08:08:24 (permalink)

Still waiting and confused

I learned Digital signal processing on Logic Audio Platinum for PC.  Three months later they were bought out by Apple and I was told I had to buy a Mac at $7000 to continue to get support.  I didn't.  I installed one of the early versions of Cakewalk instead.  However, due to the poor sampling technology back then dominated by soundfonts (SF2) I moved on to better things.
 
I am a composer who once played cello in our local symphony orchestra.  I used a piano for tuning and can play a few legato chords but due to the complexity of what I compose now using a keyboard is a waste of time - inputting each note using piano roll or score sheet is quicker.  In other words, I'm working with MIDI to realize my compositions.  I have spent thousands on Spitfire Audio Libraries.  I work alone.  I don't need to record anything, send anything or share anything.
 
About 9 months ago (maybe more) I bought Cakewalk Sonar Platinum.  The learning curve since the early 2000s is immense and not long after I was informed that I would have to move to Bandlab.  According to the comparison sheet I'll lose most of the effects filters I use... great.  And, I'll get a whole bunch of sharing and co-operation features that I not only don't need, I actually don't want unnecessary CPU power being spent on a PC that is unplugged from the internet.
 
It gets worse.  As a paying customer of Cakewalk, I had a reasonable expectation of quality and support.  I'm now faced with a situation similar to the Logic Audio fraud.  If I want updates, patches and fixes I have to download Bandlab but since Bandlab is free I really can't expect any more support than a Youtube customer gets.  Am I wrong?  I want to be.
 
So I wait.  I peruse Bandlab's features fearing the destruction of my work and looking for something I want.  Bandlab caters to performers.  What are they offering to orchestral composers?  Anyone?       
#1
BRainbow
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 08:44:19 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby seriousfun 2018/10/07 21:28:28
Your wish has come true.  YOU ARE WRONG.
 
 I am a 20+ year Cakewalk user and I assure you that Bandlab is offering a contiually updated version of the SONAR Platinum you purchased - for free.  You don't lose anything and it won't destroy anything. 
 
If you install alongside your SONAR, Cakewalk by BL will find, incorporate and use most if not all of your existing effects. You can manually point it to any it misses.
 
There is about ZERO (yes - nil, nada, 0) learning curve.  It is just an continuation and refinement of SONAR Platinum.  Except for the new features (which you don't have to use until you grow up), it works exactly the same.
 
It's great.  No worries.  And did anyone mention - it's absolutely free?

Cakewalk (forever), Two WIN10 64-bit DAWs: home-brew ASRock x299 Taichi / i7 7820x w/ 64GB RAM and ASUS X99A-II / i7-5820K w/ 32GB RAM, ZOOM UAC 8, Mackie ONYX 1640i FW Mixer/Interface, Mackie ONYX 1200F, Avalon U5 PreAmp, NI Komplete 11 Ultimate, EastWest Composer CloudX, Yamaha MOTIF XS8, Ensoniq SD-1 and ESQ-1, Korg M1rEX, Yamaha TX-81Z, Roland D110, Line6 HELIX Rack and Native, POD HD-Pro, POD Farm 2.5, Yamaha NS-10 and Presonus Eris E8 monitors, Yamaha Disklavier Upright Piano, mics, guitars, basses, and the cutest little tambourine.
#2
mkerl
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 08:51:45 (permalink)
Bandlab support is great. Quick, responsive, friendly. 
 
cheers :)

Nothing to do but playing (Ch. Parker)
#3
35mm
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 08:58:46 (permalink)
Wow, that's quite a negative summary. I used to use C-Lab on an Atari, but it got renamed to Logic and moved to PC/Mac :)
 
What I would say is that if you just keep Sonar installed and install and use Cake By BL, you will have all your plugins. The install of Cake does not affect Sonar.
 
There are not loads of sharing stuff and other junk using up CPU cycles in Cake by BL. So you don't have to worry about that. 
 
Support actually seems to have improved with Cake by BL. Support from Cakewalk Inc was virtually nonexistent during the last couple of years. BandLab actually does have support that you can contact!
 
Lastly, Cakewalk by Bandlab has been getting monthly updates since it was released and it has improved substantially over Sonar. I still have Sonar installed for the plugins, but I never use it as all my old projects work fine in Cake. There really isn't a reason to not install and use Cakewalk by BL unless you want to invent one.

Splat, Win 10 64bit and all sorts of musical odds and sods collected over the years, but still missing a lot of my old analogue stuff I sold off years ago.
#4
Euthymia
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 11:31:40 (permalink)
35mm
There really isn't a reason to not install and use Cakewalk by BL unless you want to invent one.



I almost miss sparring/trolling with some of the more vehement naysayers who were convinced that BandLab's changing the program to a free license meant that they must be up to no good. What motive could anyone possibly have for giving away a program to end users except spying on them? (You know, like the web browser I'm using to read and reply to this forum.)
 
Either that or the company was doomed to fail almost immediately due to having no doubt spent billions to purchase the codebase of a dead product line from a company that has been hemorrhaging money, hiring a few of its engineers to start polishing it up, and licensing it for free.
 
Because nobody has ever made money by giving away software for free, not Google, not Adobe, not Mozilla, not Microsoft....
 
Another great fear that some may yet hold is that BandLab will START CHARGING for Cakewalk licenses, which would mean that....I guess....you'd start paying a license fee after using the program for free for however long, or refuse and be happy using the last free version that already runs way better than the last version of Platinum. Gee, talk about a scam. Somebody call the FTC.
 
I think there are still some "spite" holdouts who paid the $600 for the perpetual license for the Platinum suite and view it as a slap in the face that other people now get a free license for a similar core program without the rest of the suite. Deny yourself the free upgrade because other people get it for free? So that the people who get it for free wind up with a better core program than you who paid for it?

-Erik
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#5
msmcleod
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 12:14:34 (permalink)
Euthymia
35mm
There really isn't a reason to not install and use Cakewalk by BL unless you want to invent one.



I almost miss sparring/trolling with some of the more vehement naysayers who were convinced that BandLab's changing the program to a free license meant that they must be up to no good. What motive could anyone possibly have for giving away a program to end users except spying on them? (You know, like the web browser I'm using to read and reply to this forum.)
 
Either that or the company was doomed to fail almost immediately due to having no doubt spent billions to purchase the codebase of a dead product line from a company that has been hemorrhaging money, hiring a few of its engineers to start polishing it up, and licensing it for free.
 
Because nobody has ever made money by giving away software for free, not Google, not Adobe, not Mozilla, not Microsoft....
 
Another great fear that some may yet hold is that BandLab will START CHARGING for Cakewalk licenses, which would mean that....I guess....you'd start paying a license fee after using the program for free for however long, or refuse and be happy using the last free version that already runs way better than the last version of Platinum. Gee, talk about a scam. Somebody call the FTC.
 
I think there are still some "spite" holdouts who paid the $600 for the perpetual license for the Platinum suite and view it as a slap in the face that other people now get a free license for a similar core program without the rest of the suite. Deny yourself the free upgrade because other people get it for free? So that the people who get it for free wind up with a better core program than you who paid for it?




Meng has already stated Cakewalk will stay free.
 
He's also been fairly straight about the fact that the income comes from different sources - i.e. his chain of music stores, audio hardware & gig bags etc. There's a bunch of business owned by BandLab, some of their products are free, some are not.
 
I can see a few things coming in the future:
  • Paid software such as Rapture Pro, Z3TA 2, ProChannel modules.
  • More hardware products, some which may be more tailored to Cakewalk - i.e. it'll work well with all DAWs, but you'll need to go to Cakewalk for the "special" features.
  • Pure speculation here... but if you go from a free collaborative web-based platform, then introduce a free professional DAW, the next logical step to me would be an online record label.
 
Also, there's a bunch of companies out there making money out of free software - look at all the Linux distros, which > 90% of the worlds servers run on. They make money by offering:
  • Paid courses and consulting
  • Premium support contracts
 

Mark McLeod
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#6
fitzj
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 13:26:25 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby bapu 2018/10/14 15:21:59
What a silly posting. 
#7
bitman
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 13:31:24 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby bapu 2018/10/14 15:22:06
Some people complain when hit with even a golden hammer.
#8
rontarrant
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 13:51:04 (permalink)
@djwolf: I get where you're coming from. Finding any software these days that does the job you want done without a lot of fun-necessary extraneous features is a lot harder than it used to be. It may even be impossible. Those who have responded so far don't get this, likely because they're young and have never experienced non-bloated software, but that's totally beside the point.
 
If you're as serious about music as you sound, you might have to switch to Pro Tools to get what you're after. It'll still be bloated and there'll still be a steep learning curve (it's a given they're not doing things the same way as Cakewalk), but as far as odds go, Pro Tools is less likely to sink, drastically change their approach, or dump their software into the public domain.
 
On the other hand, you could just do what you can with what you have where you are. (I'm quoting Roosevelt)
 
Your choice, mate.

-Ron T.
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#9
chris.r
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 13:51:07 (permalink)
bitman
Some people complain when hit with even a golden hammer.


I would rather avoid this... I'm having low pain threshold.
#10
bitflipper
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 13:52:50 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby marled 2018/10/08 08:22:03
First, although the OP was misguided, the position taken isn't all that crazy or paranoid. We've been screwed by software vendors before. Any Alchemy users here? Kjaerhus? Folks forced to migrate to Windows 10 so they could use some instrument? Pre-Mackie Tracktion users? It's a fast-moving market. Sometimes, users get burned. Often enough that it can make you skeptical, especially for deals that seem too good to be true.
 
Second, I commend responders for offering thought-out, rational rebuttals and observations. This isn't the contentious, fact-free arena that this forum once was. That's been a pleasant shift.
 
To the OP:
No, Cakewalk isn't just oriented toward performers. In fact, it's often been accused of just the opposite.
 
It tries to be all things to all people, so yes, sometimes that means specific segments don't see progress at as fast a pace as they'd like. It means you'll often see a new feature and think "that's not for me". That doesn't mean the platform is moving away from you, just that it's broadening its base.
 
 


All else is in doubt, so this is the truth I cling to. 

My Stuff
#11
bdickens
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 14:03:24 (permalink)
Some people just can't be happy unless they have something to be unhappy about.

Byron Dickens
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mkerl
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 14:14:12 (permalink)
djwolf
 
 
I am a composer who once played cello in our local symphony orchestra.  I used a piano for tuning and can play a few legato chords but due to the complexity of what I compose now using a keyboard is a waste of time - inputting each note using piano roll or score sheet is quicker.  In other words, I'm working with MIDI to realize my compositions.  I have spent thousands on Spitfire Audio Libraries.  I work alone.  I don't need to record anything, send anything or share anything.




Maybe Sibelius, Finale or even Notion or Dorico is a better choice for you. . . . 
 
cheers :)

Nothing to do but playing (Ch. Parker)
#13
FCCfirstclass
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 15:22:14 (permalink)
I have been burned by software over the years.  I always had to pay more for the new product.  CbB is the first product that was less money than the predecessor.  
 
Holy Cow.  *insert your own smart remark here*  Money for nothing and so on.

Win 10 Pro x64, 32Gb DDR3 ram, Sonar Platinum, Cubase 9.5, Mackie MCU Pro, Cakewalk VS 100, Roland Octa-Capture,  A 800 Pro, Carver M-1.5t amp & C4000 pre amp, various mics, drums and brass instruments.
 
And away we go!
#14
BobF
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 15:51:17 (permalink)
SONAR and CxB are certainly great tools, but reading what you're doing makes me think maybe a DAW isn't the best choice for you.
 
I've heard some incredible orchestrations from people using notation software w/VSTi
 

Bob  --
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#15
FCCfirstclass
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 16:24:36 (permalink)
BobF
SONAR and CxB are certainly great tools, but reading what you're doing makes me think maybe a DAW isn't the best choice for you.
 
I've heard some incredible orchestrations from people using notation software w/VSTi
 


Finale is just about to release version 26 which has some very interesting tools. 

Win 10 Pro x64, 32Gb DDR3 ram, Sonar Platinum, Cubase 9.5, Mackie MCU Pro, Cakewalk VS 100, Roland Octa-Capture,  A 800 Pro, Carver M-1.5t amp & C4000 pre amp, various mics, drums and brass instruments.
 
And away we go!
#16
JDNelson
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 19:30:44 (permalink)
 Maybe Sibelius, Finale or even Notion or Dorico is a better choice for you. . . . 
 
cheers :)
 
This is what I was thinking.  CbB is good at lots of things that perhaps you don't need as much.
#17
mettelus
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/07 20:13:51 (permalink)
fitzj
What a silly posting. 


I saw the OP right before bed, read it twice, then went to bed with pretty much this reaction.

As the OP bought SPLAT "9 months ago" that would imply was the last lifetime offer sale. At that time there was pretty much NO SONAR customer support, so the expectation of such was totally misinformed. CbB actually has more support AFAICT, and began with the last, unreleased version of SPLAT. As stated repeatedly above, CbB is the (free) continuation of SPLAT and will readily use everything you installed with SPLAT.

As to how it is used is in your court. Many third party plugins will fill certain gaps, but notation is not a strong point and may never be. There are both 3rd party apps as well as other DAWs which can do better. In this regard, I was exposed to Notion during the SONAR debacle and pleasantly surprised it can be used as a standalone DAW (VSTi host) as well. These options are also mentioned above.

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#18
bdickens
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/08 01:25:36 (permalink)
Yep. A DAW is for recording music. The better tool for WRITING it is a notation program. Especially for orchestral stuff.

Byron Dickens
#19
michael diemer
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/08 03:04:21 (permalink)
Cakewalk IS a great tool for classically-oriented composers. I use it and have found it by far the best DAW for that purpose. Check my profile for my website, which has music composed with Cakewalk for examples of what it can do for composers.
 
No, you don't need notation software, except for a score. But the sound will be terrible. Cakewalk has a great score editor, meant to be a working tool, not professional notation software. I make my music in Cakewalk, because the tools are great. The feedback of good sound is extremely helpful for feedback as I compose and orchestrate. I then export to Notion to produce a score.
 
There is no single software with the great sound of a DAW, and the great score production of notation software. Maybe someday, but not yet. For now, Cakewalk and notation software is the best solution.

michael diemer
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#20
BenMMusTech
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/08 07:48:55 (permalink)
Well as a long term Sonar user, who at this stage refuses to go across to Bandlab...I can assure you that the last version of the released Sonar Platinum runs very well and I believe it shall into the future. It is very stable - I actually crashed Sonar today for the first time in yonks - bloody Wacom graphics tab - I still can't control the slide screen facility and it just goes haywire lol.

Second of all, to expect a DAW to do it all is of course inviting trouble and disappointment! If you want a serious orchestral instrument and one that you can also export notation into Sonar then use Notion 6 by Presonus. It is by far the best score and orchestral instrument in the business. And I don't mean it's the best scoring software either...it has its flaws apparently if you want to write 'proper' scores. But as a way to write midi as proper notation, as well as its sounds, so long as you know how to mix those sounds - I can't sing its praises enough.

Benjamin Phillips-Bachelor of Creative Technology (Sound and Audio Production), (Hons) Sonic Arts, MMusTech (Master of Music Technology), M.Phil (Fine Art)
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#21
BobF
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/08 11:58:29 (permalink)
michael diemer
Cakewalk IS a great tool for classically-oriented composers. I use it and have found it by far the best DAW for that purpose. Check my profile for my website, which has music composed with Cakewalk for examples of what it can do for composers.
 
No, you don't need notation software, except for a score. But the sound will be terrible. Cakewalk has a great score editor, meant to be a working tool, not professional notation software. I make my music in Cakewalk, because the tools are great. The feedback of good sound is extremely helpful for feedback as I compose and orchestrate. I then export to Notion to produce a score.
 
There is no single software with the great sound of a DAW, and the great score production of notation software. Maybe someday, but not yet. For now, Cakewalk and notation software is the best solution.




Hey Michael - Did the notation in Reaper not work well?
 

Bob  --
Angels are crying because truth has died ...
Illegitimi non carborundum
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#22
CTStump
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/08 13:40:59 (permalink)
Since it costs you nothing to try it and you can it use as long as you want, common sense would suggest that route rather than waiting for the perfect solution and support issues to work themselves out in the future. You can still use ALL your vst's and synths that came with platinum or any other Sonar version as long as it's still loaded on your computer.

Honestly your post makes it seem harder than it needs to be, I meen, waiting for others to tell you what you can really find out yourself...NOT that efficient ya think when it only costs you time, hard drive space and one online activation to get all you need to know right now.

You can always unistall it if it doesn't work out in the future.

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#23
michael diemer
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/08 16:39:14 (permalink)
BobF
michael diemer
Cakewalk IS a great tool for classically-oriented composers. I use it and have found it by far the best DAW for that purpose. Check my profile for my website, which has music composed with Cakewalk for examples of what it can do for composers.
 
No, you don't need notation software, except for a score. But the sound will be terrible. Cakewalk has a great score editor, meant to be a working tool, not professional notation software. I make my music in Cakewalk, because the tools are great. The feedback of good sound is extremely helpful for feedback as I compose and orchestrate. I then export to Notion to produce a score.
 
There is no single software with the great sound of a DAW, and the great score production of notation software. Maybe someday, but not yet. For now, Cakewalk and notation software is the best solution.




Hey Michael - Did the notation in Reaper not work well?
 


Hi Bob, I was able to complete one long orchestral work in Reaper (16 minutes). But it took far longer than Sonar/CbB does. For one thing, the midi routing is very cumbersome, taking 3X as long, with lots of unnecessary mouse clicks. Also, it took me 2 weeks to figure it out, and lots of help. And while the score view is excellent, I had issues there as well with copy/paste and dragging form one inst. to another. There were other problems also, like when I got toward the end of the piece, I would do something, like copy/paste, and the piece would suddenly be thrown back to the begining. This would happen constantly as I tried to complete the piece. not good for the work flow, needless to say. Once finished, the sound was great, however!
 
I reported all my problems to the mods, who as you know are very responsive, but I think they focus on audio over midi, as do most DAWS. Maybe they have gotten around to fixing them, but when CbB came out it was a no-brainer for me. I was using Sonar 8.5 Studio as my latest version, since I foolishly never updated. I have a tendency to say, it's working, why change it? but Bandlab saved my tofu (I'm a vegan).

michael diemer
Intel Quad Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge
32 GB ram
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Bandlab Cakewalk/Sonar 8.5 Studio
GPO-EWQLSO Gold-Vienna SP ED-Cinematic Strings 2
 
 
 
 
#24
a13xhp
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/08 18:28:47 (permalink)
michael diemer
BobF
michael diemer
Cakewalk IS a great tool for classically-oriented composers. I use it and have found it by far the best DAW for that purpose. Check my profile for my website, which has music composed with Cakewalk for examples of what it can do for composers.
 
No, you don't need notation software, except for a score. But the sound will be terrible. Cakewalk has a great score editor, meant to be a working tool, not professional notation software. I make my music in Cakewalk, because the tools are great. The feedback of good sound is extremely helpful for feedback as I compose and orchestrate. I then export to Notion to produce a score.
 
There is no single software with the great sound of a DAW, and the great score production of notation software. Maybe someday, but not yet. For now, Cakewalk and notation software is the best solution.




Hey Michael - Did the notation in Reaper not work well?
 


Hi Bob, I was able to complete one long orchestral work in Reaper (16 minutes). But it took far longer than Sonar/CbB does. For one thing, the midi routing is very cumbersome, taking 3X as long, with lots of unnecessary mouse clicks. Also, it took me 2 weeks to figure it out, and lots of help. And while the score view is excellent, I had issues there as well with copy/paste and dragging form one inst. to another. There were other problems also, like when I got toward the end of the piece, I would do something, like copy/paste, and the piece would suddenly be thrown back to the begining. This would happen constantly as I tried to complete the piece. not good for the work flow, needless to say. Once finished, the sound was great, however!
 
I reported all my problems to the mods, who as you know are very responsive, but I think they focus on audio over midi, as do most DAWS. Maybe they have gotten around to fixing them, but when CbB came out it was a no-brainer for me. I was using Sonar 8.5 Studio as my latest version, since I foolishly never updated. I have a tendency to say, it's working, why change it? but Bandlab saved my tofu (I'm a vegan).


Did you checked out REAPER "routing matrix" (ALT+R)? I didn't find REAPER to be slower than SONAR while working with MIDI.
#25
michael diemer
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/08 19:37:11 (permalink)
a13xhp
 


Did you checked out REAPER "routing matrix" (ALT+R)? I didn't find REAPER to be slower than SONAR while working with MIDI.


Everyone has a different work flow. For me, Cakewalk is significantly faster than Reaper. If Reaper works as well for you, that's great. I can also use all my Sonar Producer plugins in CbB, while I could not in Reaper. For example, the LP 64 EQ and Compressor plugins. I have them because I did have Sonar Procuder. (I had to end up using Studio, however, because I had some weird issues with Producer. I could use them in Studio 8.5, an ancient DAW by now, but could not use them in Reaper). I did like how you can download and install Reaper in two minutes. That's incredible. I never liked the Command Center, which itself took two hours to install on my computer. But CbB installs pretty quick. I'm on an older version. Like I said, if it works, I tend to stay with it a long time. Whu upgrade every time you can, only to find something doesn't work?

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#26
Studioguy1
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/09 03:51:33 (permalink)
Indeed, you are very wrong.  Thank God for that.

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#27
mettelus
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/09 04:34:19 (permalink)
Quick follow up to the above (not knowing if the OP is about workflow in general or Cakewalk specifically) regarding work flow. Notation is one case in particular where I do find touch input preferred to a mouse/keyboard, and there is a free software (Strokes Plus) which allows touch input, and even more precision with a pen (needs hardware capable of such). With the right computer/device, this also allows for on-the-fly, on-the-go notation work. It is actually refreshing to work on music and not be at a computer desk each session.
 
The below video is specific to Strokes Plus at work inside Notion, but can be used with anything compatible for input/commands.
 

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djwolf
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/14 11:41:53 (permalink)
There is a lot to respond to here.
 
Firstly, I have been using staff-lined notebooks for the last 45 years.  Now I have Sibelius which is fine for printing out the final instrument parts but I refuse to invest time I don't have into understanding another digital processing program...  So, Sibelius is just a score printer for me.
 
Secondly, there is mixed information here.  One suggestion is to download the new Bandlab as a separate installation.  Why?  I'll only ever use one of them.  The logic behind this is that the new platform will use "Most" of my effects.  Unfortunately, the effects that are listed as not supported by Bandlab in the comparison chart are the effects I use.
 
Another issue is SSD space.  Two installations would require two copies of my instrument libraries which are many and huge - 1.2TB.  Two installations would require a significant financial outlay for new SSDs.
 
The next issue arises from a practice that has become pervasive across the internet - corporate connectivity for users.  Will I be able to install and use Bandlab if I don't own a mobile (cell) phone (and never will) or don't use anything with "cloud" in its title or operate my studio PC without an internet connection?   Without knowing these things, overwriting my current Sonar installation with Bandlab could be disastrous. 
 
Thirdly, I don't care about the money.  It is a fact that without a financial transaction, there is no legal liability.  EVERY free software version is always a cut-down version of the one you must pay for.  What was I supposed to think when I read that this free version would support "most" of my effects?
 
To explain my "CPU power" comment more accurately: I was having issues with my 'Interrupt to process latency' creating an unstable audio environment.  To fix it, I removed all cloud and internet connectivity in the registry to a machine that is not connected to the internet.
 
Finally, let me apologize for my negativity.  I have good reasons but don't want to bore you with them.  Eventually, the lack of updates from Cakewalk will conflict with my driver and hardware updates and I will have to download Bandlab or migrate to another DAW.  I will make that decision when it is forced upon me.                
#29
Bristol_Jonesey
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Re: Still waiting and confused 2018/10/14 12:07:16 (permalink)
djwolf
Another issue is SSD space.  Two installations would require two copies of my instrument libraries which are many and huge - 1.2TB.  Two installations would require a significant financial outlay for new SSDs.

 
This is a misconception. CdB will access your existing libraries without requiring further installation. All you have to do is point CdB to your current library paths
 

The next issue arises from a practice that has become pervasive across the internet - corporate connectivity for users.  Will I be able to install and use Bandlab if I don't own a mobile (cell) phone (and never will) or don't use anything with "cloud" in its title or operate my studio PC without an internet connection?   Without knowing these things, overwriting my current Sonar installation with Bandlab could be disastrous. 

Just to be clear, the ONLY time you need to be connected to the internet is for downloading the software and authorising it. After that you can disconnect permanently if you so wish
 

Thirdly, I don't care about the money.  It is a fact that without a financial transaction, there is no legal liability.  EVERY free software version is always a cut-down version of the one you must pay for.  What was I supposed to think when I read that this free version would support "most" of my effects?

CdB is NOT a "cut down version" of Platinum. It is the full, core product. Sure it doesn't come with a lot of the Fx & Instruments that many of use enjoy because we have paid for them via the license fee over many years.
Also, the fact that there might have been a "legal liability" with th former owners, it didn't prevent them from completely abandoning Sonar
 
 

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