Wow. I have X3 up on one monitor, and your shots of SHS2 on the other. Things sure have changed.
Back then, everything looked like an Excel spreadsheet.
I still have to load the Delay Lama on the new machine. He's always been fun.
My first dip in the water was Sonar Home Studio 4. At the time, it felt more like I had fallen into the deep end.
The graphics had changed quite a bit from SHS2.
Edirol VSC was my first real taste of MIDI.
At that time, Cakewalk was still steadfast about DXi(note the DXi logo in the synth audio tracks), but they were acknowledging VST with the introduction of the VST wrapper.
In this view, Edirol VSC was a DXi, but Sample Tank Free was actually a wrapped VSTi.
Then there was Guitar Tracks Pro 3.
Essentially a close cousin to SHS4, but without VSTi support or MIDI. It did, however, support VST effects. The great thing about GTP3 was that it had the power of SHS4, but it was totally audio. It was comfortable for those who were intimidated by MIDI or saw no use for it.
And we had a rollicking good time in the GT forum during that period
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Last, but not least, an integral part of my Sonar/Cakewalk experience.
Not a Cakewalk product, but a key component in my old DAW.
The E-MU Patchmix interface.
It was the key to making the humble 0404PCI sound card more than it appeared to be.
There seemed to be no middle ground on this thing. If you could wrap your head around it, you loved it.
If you couldn't, it was the spawn of satan.
I'm starting to enjoy this little trip down memory lane.
What's anybody else got?