anxiousmofo
Microsoft and NI are the only companies that could make it profitable.  NI could bake deep integration into NKS and their tools, and Microsoft could make it a Windows Garageband with additional, tiered professional versions.  MS would find a way to bake it into their cloud services and make it profitable.
 
Of the two, only NI sounds palatable.

 
Personally I hope Waves buys it. That's the only bloody chance I'll ever have of seeing a fix for my problem of Waves plugins losing their settings in Sonar. I'm currently working on a 80+ track, 20 minute project in which approximately half of the Waves EQ plugins I have on every track load with blank settings. I have to save presets for every track and load them each time I work on the project. 

They will sell the source code for Sonar, and it will happen this summer when Gibson files for bankrupcy.  Doesn't mean that Sonar will survive, it just means the IP that was Sonar will be sold off for pennies on what Gibson paid for it, to the highest bidder.  The most likely buyer would be either Steinberg, Microsoft or possibly Avid.  They're the only one's that would be interested.  Sonar would not be revived, what would happen is they would take the source code for certain things (i.e. Z3TA), and put it in their own product lines.  Or possibly Microsoft who is already working on their own DAW, could use the source code for doing thing like time stretching algorithms, etc.
 
And in answer to people's questions, no this will not go open source.  Gibson owns the source code, no they're not going to give it away, they will have to sell it off, to help pay off investors when the file for bankruptcy.  And yes it's still piracy to take the code and make it public.

@space_cowboy
 

space_cowboy
I would like to organize a group to bid on Cakewalk, but if the talent all leaves, there is not much there except source code. 

I know of current parallels for something like this, all supported by a sufficiently talented, motivated and dedicated group of developers. 
 

space_cowboy
I have tried to guess at the revenues of Cakewalk.  I do not get a huge number.  I am guessing somewhere in the $5-20MM range.That guess is likely confirmed by the fact that Gibson must have tried to sell it and found no suitors.

 
Cakewalk does not appear to impact any part of the "global consumer electronics audio business" "growth strategy" statement issued by Gibson despite being relevant to the very aspect on which they base their claim of "world-recognized brands" (guitars). Business being business, have to believe the Cakewalk P&L was not panning out in spite of the one time bump from "lifetime" memberships. You'd think they'd be all over any positive cash flow given their financial status. 
 

space_cowboy
Then again, everything has its price.  

 
Maybe. Appears to be some turnover in their finance dept, so no telling what's going on there. Timing would be everything for both sides. 
 
But what do I know. I do not work for them. The challenge would be pulling together a workable business model. Leaner sounds tough given what we think we know about the current level of staffing. Might take quite a bit of re-setting expectations for any future user base. 

why would a company buy a pc only daw.. if it's got both mac as well. then yer, there is far more interest.
 
its cheaper maybe to build one from scratch.. or buy sonar.. cherry pick the code you want out.. then sell the IP / asset on to someone else.
 

 Sonar will eventually be sold and used again. It isn't over. Different maybe. Not over.I don't see it ever being over.
 
Fog- Microsoft. Meebe. Some feel it couldn't happen. If it ever happens Cakewalk would be the best answer. 

space_cowboy
James
I am afraid you are right.  I would like to organize a group to bid on Cakewalk, but if the talent all leaves, there is not much there except source code.  Ditto on user base, tho that would be slower.  
 
It may be the case that taking a loss (which is probably small vis-a-vis Gibson's debt load) is more tax efficient.  
 
I have tried to guess at the revenues of Cakewalk.  I do not get a huge number.  I am guessing somewhere in the $5-20MM range.  And with a team of software developers, profits could not be huge.  That guess is likely confirmed by the fact that Gibson must have tried to sell it and found no suitors.
 
Then again, everything has its price.  

If they sold it for less than their basis - probably for very little give current circumstances - they would still get a tax loss.  Something doesn't have to be liquidated for $0 to generate a tax loss, it just has to be liquidated for less than your tax basis.

I think the main issues Cakewalk faced were
1) Stability and reliability of code
2) Focused on the wrong things IMHO - propriety stuff like pro channel (to lock you into the eco system) rather than improve core functions like audio quantising
3) The competition upped their game  big time!
 
Its such a shame. The only positive I can offer is there are brilliant DAWs out there to move to if you want to Studio One IMHO is probably the easiest jump for Sonar users but lacks core features (sysex etc, external CC etc).
 
Cubase Pro is the absolute bomb. You can even set up the keyboard short cuts like Sonar. I actually couldn't believe how good it was after using Sonar for 14 years. I cant think of anything it cant do and yet every year Steinberg come out with something which blows me away lol

I'm sure most of us could be happy with Cubase Pro, especially those of us who hunger and thirst for a decent score editor.  What you will miss is a lively forum home. They just don't have it. I don't know why; maybe most cubase users are nerds or something. But their forum leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe that's not important, but I think that a lot of the grief people are feeling has to do with losing (eventually) this wonderful forum home, the best there is. I would suggest, even if you move to another DAW, stay with the new forum, Beyond Cakewalk that Bapu has set up. At least for awhile, until you've moved on from the grieving process.

I agree with you James, however you have no crystal ball on whats going to happen.
but I still agree with you.
 
My opinion is Noel and Keith, Jon and possibly a few others get together and write a new code for a new DAW similar to Sonar. That seems like a likelier case than someone buying Cakewalk.
Noel wrote the code, no one never said he couldn't use portions of it to create a new daw. Im sure there are trademarks but who knows.

I hope to see people on this forum on Cubase or Studio One. The community around Cakewalk was one of its greatest assets. Some amazing people on here.