I just bought and downloaded Sonar X2, with the great summer update sale. I have not yet installed it though.
 
I already have both Sonar 8.5.3 and Sonar X1 installed on my computer. I haven't been using Sonar a lot lately, and when I do, I usually still use 8.5.3, which I am more used to. (I also bought X1 when it was on a great sale, but have not had much time to try it out yet.) (So the only reason I upgraded to X2 now is that great $49 upgrade price.) (I do not have a touch screen, by the way.)
 
I want to keep 8.5.3 on my computer, but I see no reason to keep X1, when I install X2. Can I uninstall X1 before installing X2? (Or since I bought it as an upgrade from X1, does X1 have to be installed for the X2 installation process?)
 
If I cannot uninstall X1 first, can I uninstall it after installing X2, without causing problems to the X2 installation?
 
I see on the Sonar support site there is now an update patch to X2, X2A. Would the X2 that I purchased and downloaded in the last week automatically be version X2a, or do I need to download and install the X2a update patch as well?
 
What about some of the extra files that came with my X2 purchase, such as Dimension Pro and "Loops and Shots" and "Additional Content". If I installed those files with X1 (I know I have Dimension Pro installed), should I install the new files that came with X2 as wel?. Is it a newer version of Dimension Pro, Loops and Shots, and the other additional content, or no change in that content since X1?
 
Thanks in advance for your help.

No problem uninstalling X1 prior to installing X2.
 
If you installed the DimPro from X1, there is no need to install the version that comes with X2. They are identical. Since it uses a separate installer from X1, uninstalling X1 will not affect your DimPro installation.
 
If you already own Rapture, you want to perform an "Advanced Install" of X2 so that you can skip installing Rapture too.
 
Yes, you will need to download and install X2a in addition to X2.
 
The "Loops and One Shots" are mostly the rx2 files that shipped with Beatscape. The Best thing to do, if you want the files, is to install "Loops and One Shots" that come with X2. Then delete the "Factory Content" directory installed with Beatscape and create a junction to point to the new Audio Loops in "Cakewalk Content". If you never used Beatscape, you might just want to uninstall it when you uninstall X1. Beatscape has a separate installer, so it will not be removed when uninstalling X1, run the Beatscape uninstaller too.
 
The X2 "Additional Content" are demo projects.

Thanks a lot for the info, scook.
Is Beatscape in X2 the same as in X1, or an update.
Are the Loops and One Shots the same in both?
 

The Beatscape synth was dropped in X2. The Beatscape library was moved into "Loops and One Shots".

Please note that the minimum system requirements for X2a are Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 maintenance level.
 
Bob Bone
 

scook
The Beatscape synth was dropped in X2. The Beatscape library was moved into "Loops and One Shots".

Thanks for that info. Please advise what may then be the best way to deal with it in upgrading from X1 to X2, if one is uninstalling X1 first? Best to uninstall Beatscape synth, and install "Loops and One Shots"?
 
Or, leave Beatscape and do not install Loops----- ?
 
Or, leave Beatscape and also install Loops----- ?
 
Thanks.

Dealer's choice.
 
If you don't use Beatscape, uninstall it and install "Loops and One Shots"
 
What I did was
Installed X2 "Loops and One Shots"
Deleted the "Beatscape Factory Content" directory
Made a link to the Audio Loops library using mklink at the command line
mklink /j "C:\Program Files (x86)\Cakewalk\Beatscape\Library\Beatscape Factory Content" "C:\Cakewalk Content\Audio Library\Loops"
This left the synth in place but removed the duplicate loop library
 
 

scook
 
If you don't use Beatscape, uninstall it and install "Loops and One Shots"
 

 
I haven't yet used Beatscape. That doesn't mean I might not find a use for it in the future.
 
 
Or is all the same functionality present in "Loops and One Shots"
 
Thanks for the info.

The loops in the "Loops and One Shots" contain all the Beatscape Factory Content. If you have not used Beatscape, it might not be a good time to start as development on the plug-in was discontinued some time ago and the synth dropped from the product.
 
"Loops and One Shots" is only collection of samples.

scook
The loops in the "Loops and One Shots" contain all the Beatscape Factory Content. If you have not used Beatscape, it might not be a good time to start as development on the plug-in was discontinued some time ago and the synth dropped from the product.
 
"Loops and One Shots" is only collection of samples.

What use are the samples without the synth that plays them? Or do they also load into other synths that come with Sonar? Do they work as well in other synths as they do in Beatscape?