pwalpwal

Westside Steve Simmons
I would bet any of the companies giving away a limited edition of their software are doing so hoping that you will pull the trigger on the full version.
WSS

definitely, the gateway version... also, there's a difference between a host-locked limited edition, and a generic le that's host-agnostic, but they're both offering that discounted upgrade to the full version (all those threads asking "which plugins work in other hosts?")

In the Sonar bundle, the Celemony Melodyne Essentials and the XLN Audio Addictive Drums were always licensed 3rd party plugins that were not locked to Sonar.
 
The Applied Acoustic Systems (AAS) and the Overloud plugins were locked to Sonar, but both companies released unlock codes after the demise of Cakewalk.  (Edit: it appears that the special AAS Session bundle for Sonar users is no longer being offered.)
 
The 4Front TruePianos and the Nomad Factory BlueTubes plugins are locked to Sonar, but upgrades to full versions are available from these companies.
 
The only Cakewalk plugins that seem to be locked up are the ProChannel effects and the Adaptive Limiter VST.
 
It seems that only these last two by Cakewalk are are where substitute solutions may be the only choice.  Overall it's not too bad a situation regarding the bundled value adds...

Thank you. Having tried other DAWs since the news I’m so glad to hear Sonar has a future. It truly is a great piece of software, beautiful piece of art that deserves to continue its evolution. I will support its future iteration.
Thanks,
Alan

Meng,
 
Thank you for the update. This is awesome news. BandLab will have my support.

abacab

HARDDRlVER

What is there not 'to get' when expecting to receive a package I paid for, just as anyone else's package. To deny a platinum lifetime the updates they paid for will actually make it worse on them than anyone else.
Whatever version you paid for, you expect to retain 100% of that package. Lifetime updates were part of the 100% of the package that was included in that version.
So because lifetime update purchasers chose to go balls out on their purchase...for some reason you think they don't deserve the same 100% of their package, as anyone else?!?!
L.U. purchasers jumped on the front of the wagon, but they're to be the only ones who actually get less than what they paid for?!?!

Just my two synths...

Lifetime updates were cancelled when Cakewalk was shut down by Gibson.  Those license agreements are with a dead company.
 
Any beef you have about updates needs to be taken up with Gibson.  Get in line with their creditors as they pick the bones ... 
 
The new owners of the former Cakewalk code owe nothing to former license holders.  They did not buy the company, or have any intent to continue conducting business as Cakewalk.  That is just the way things work when a company stops doing business.
 
Anything that BandLab offers to former customers for free is strictly as goodwill to retain customers, and is at their complete discretion and free will.

So you prefer that Bandlab gives you what you paid for, while those who paid for the extra mile be left out.
IMO a company that buys up another also bought up that company's promises.
L.U. is simply a different version than the several others.
Suppose Bandlab were to dig into any of the other versions and denied various inclusions of those versions? Would you have something to say, then? Pick any one 'benefit' that was added with your particular version, and have that denied to you now...
If they offer everyone EXCEPT L.U. purchasers exactly what they paid for then they'd single out one particular group.
What a way to start a new venture with a bad taste in so many mouths.
Those who grabbed the biggest prize will actually be THE ONLY ONES in this deal to be left with less than what they paid for.
It was mentioned that Bandlab could not survive if they were to honor the L.U.
Do you really think they'd leverage themselves so close to the bone when picking up Cakewalk that holding back L.U. was the ONLY way Bandlab would survive the purchase of Cakewalk?
The person who mentioned this, are you privy to this evidence?

'Make everyone happy...except those who shelled out the most...or rather, those who took the biggest risk.'

Man, I feel for you. But your beef should be with Gibson only. Bandlab has rescued Cakewalk from oblivion. No court in the land would say they have to honor the lifetime update. That was only in effect as long as the company (Gibson) that made it continued to own Cakewalk. In business there are winners and losers. No point living in the past. Time to move on.

Hi Meng,

Thank you for seeing what's special about Sonar.
I purchased Sonar Platinum on Steam, so I hope you will be able to bring us steamers
when you're ready to launch your new flagship. It sounds like you have many great ideas ahead!

Will Z3TA+2 be a part of it? I wonder. :)
 
All the very best!

David from New Zealand.

Thank you, Meng - you rock.    Thrilled to hear that TDFKAS is alive again.
 
Also, congrats to Noel on your new job.
 
Here's hoping you add Mac development.  Happy to be a beta tester if so.
 
Looking forward to more information including the new name.
 
All the best,
 
urock

michael diemer
Man, I feel for you. But your beef should be with Gibson only. Bandlab has rescued Cakewalk from oblivion. No court in the land would say they have to honor the lifetime update. That was only in effect as long as the company (Gibson) that made it continued to own Cakewalk. In business there are winners and losers. No point living in the past. Time to move on.

 
This sums up things perfectly in my book.

Did anyone seriously believe the LU would last, particularly under Gibson, which was a known, unknown ? The cost wasn't so much that it made the gamble simply too much to risk. At least, not for me. And after the notice, the choice was to spend even more money getting into another DAW, and more importantly, at least for me, spend a lot more time learning, and finding new workarounds.
 
It just doesn't make any sense to me that anyone would be upset by this buy out. Just like we needed to give Noel's updates and advice to hang on a run for it's money, we now need to give this new acquisition time to get up and show us what they can do, and what their intentions are. Everything I've read so far from Meng suggests we will be looked after. What reason is there to doubt this? I accept the LU's are over. I've still got massive value for dollar compared to the alternatives. If I have to pay more in the future, then that's fine. I would have to spend it to move elsewhere !
 
This is a massive win for me, and I suspect others like me, that make a little money out of what we do, but don't have the time, or indeed the inclination, to set about starting over. Everything I have now, my PC, my operating system, my DAW, my interface, and sound systems, all work pretty much perfectly, and the product I get out, is pretty darn good, even if I do say so myself. I don't want to change that at this stage.
 
So, to those worried about where this is going, I say to get back to work, and see what comes. Because whatever is coming, you have almost no control over it, and it may be favourable anyway.
 
We are in a good place. Far better than I though a couple of months ago.
 
regards. Dave.

As a "lifetimer" myself I`d be quite happy to go back to how it used to be $149 a year for a major upgrades and use the old style serial number and reg code system.  As side note, add and sell more prochannel modules (I hope to god they are keeping the prochannel in the new DAW)
 
But, wait and see I guess :-) 

I was really otimistic that Sonar would never die. I am super happy. Thank you so much!