Customer Support [Cakewalk]
Hey all,
 
Let me help try to dispel some of the myths that seem to be making the rounds in this thread. I'm also being a bit candid here, and it probably won't be the stock response you'd expect at this point.
 
First, while we didn't specifically mention install/reinstall in the FAQ, we've mentioned there, and also now on our home page, that our servers and website will remain active, and there will be no changes to how you can access your products. I know the feeling you get when you read "at this time" or "as of now", etc, but that's the best way we can be open and honest with you. We have no control over what happens to us next, but we were told that moving forward, servers will remain up. There's currently no indicator that this will change, what day that could change, etc, so all we can say is what we know. As strange as this may sound, it's sort of business as usual for now. Uninstall, reinstall, and authorize as little or as often as you need. If it makes you more comfortable, get the downloadable installers and put them on a hard drive, another machine, etc. If one day someone decides to shut everything down, we'll have a plan in place for you to authorize without the server.
 
The less fun thing for me to bring up is all the mentions of bug fixes. Unfortunately, this is another "at this time" situation. Gibson has in fact ceased operation and development of Cakewalk products. Bug fixes are definitely part of what the development team works on, and without a development team... well... you know the rest. The few of us here have been working on plans A, B, and C for different scenarios. If we get sold, shut down entirely, or somehow repurposed, we're doing our best to ensure we have a plan in place for our users. Don't forget, we're still SONAR users too, and we still want it to exist as much as anybody else.
 
Though I may get some flack for this, I'll even mention Lifetime Updates. In short, it looks good on paper. If Gibson didn't shut down Cakewalk, it'd still be something we could honor. Of course, the term "Lifetime" should always be met with the question of "what lifetime?". During the promotion, we said "even if we change SONAR Platinum to SONAR ___, you'll still get updates" and believe it or not, we meant it. I personally would have looked with caution, but if the plan was for updates to be enhancements and bug fixes, and then charge for new content, instruments, and major features, the business plan now seems to make more sense. It's unfortunate that it comes off as a "too good to be true" situation, but considering annual updates were $249 on our site for just about all of 2017, I still think the price for the now dreaded LTU wasn't all that bad. I know of a certain industry standard that costs more for a single year anyway, and they definitely weren't handing out new features each month.
 
Now a question for you all: would it be helpful if we continued to update the FAQ when we receive new information, or to address some of your concerns? Otherwise, what do you think the best way for us to relay information would be? I'm open to doing whatever it takes to keep you all in the loop.

awesome...thanx so much customer support guy

Thanks for the feedback.  Furry paws crossed form something positive for you all left there firefighting and hopefully SONAR and Cakewalk.

I've been using Cakewalk since DOS 4.0 (1988) I did all the upgrades, every year, until one of (don't remember which) the Pro Audio series.  Then I skipped a few, the started with Sonar.  I bought Sonar Professional and then, a couple of months later, got Sonar Platinum (anybody want a copy of Sonar Pro?  Used very little?)  Then I bought the lifetime update at the sale price, and figured "well, that's the end of Cakewalk." 

I realized there was no way they could sell a one-time, lifetime upgrade if that was the end of the product line and stay in business.  I already had a bad feeling because Gibson bought them. 

So, after about 30 years, I just want to say "Thanks, Cakewalk."  I bought it way back in 1988 because, unlike the competitors, it didn't have a "dongle".  Greg Hendershott and 12 Tones actually trusted me not to steal it.  So I didn't.  And I dreamed of the day I'd be able to record audio with my computer.  I could never have imagined the heights to which home recording would eventually reach.  And for me, Cakewalk was always part of it. 

Pro Tools?  Yeah, sure, I've used that plenty of times in studios I've recorded in.   Never liked it much.  I always thought Sonar (or Pro Audio, or Cakewalk) was better.  Then again, I'm not much of a Mac fan in the first place. 

So thanks to all the men and women at Cakewalk.  I'm sorry that you're no longer employed there, and hope you will find jobs quickly that will be rewarding both mentally and financially.  It's been a long run.  You've been helpful to millions of musicians making G-d knows how many songs.  You've made things a little better for everyone.

You should be proud of yourselves.   I'm proud of you.

- Russell "Hitman" Alexander
The Hitman Blues Band

(and yes, I've used Cakewalk for pre-production on every album, as well as recording some permanent tracks and then porting them over to whatever the studio used).

Thanks for the feedback.
Really hope someone throws you all a lifebelt!

Because info from this thread has been copied and pasted, and has started the same discussions elsewhere, when in fact Cakewalk Support have officially addressed some of the concerns here, I'm bumping this discussion back up in the forum to ensure we're not seeing posts which appear to reveal new information when in fact, it's just been plagiarised from this original thread.
 
I agree with Chuckebaby on this in that it creates posts which elude to new information and create false hope when in fact there's nothing new at all and so it's disappointing to have to trawl through the thread to discover this fact!
 
In the meantime, some new info from Customer Support would be nice and like I keep asking what do you guys mean when Noel's statement read "during this transition period"?  Transition to what please is what I'd like to know?  What can we the users/customers expect from Cakewalk going forward?
 
Cheers. :-)

On the Gibson website there is still advertising for SONAR:
http://www.gibson.com/Products/Pro-Audio.aspx
 
.... Millions of musicians worldwide—including Grammy® and Emmy®-winning producers, composers, sound designers, and engineers—use Cakewalk products daily to produce audio for the professional music, film, broadcast, and video game industries.

RickJP909
Because info from this thread has been copied and pasted, and has started the same discussions elsewhere, when in fact Cakewalk Support have officially addressed some of the concerns here, I'm bumping this discussion back up in the forum to ensure we're not seeing posts which appear to reveal new information when in fact, it's just been plagiarised from this original thread.
 
I agree with Chuckebaby on this in that it creates posts which elude to new information and create false hope when in fact there's nothing new at all and so it's disappointing to have to trawl through the thread to discover this fact!
 
In the meantime, some new info from Customer Support would be nice and like I keep asking what do you guys mean when Noel's statement read "during this transition period"?  Transition to what please is what I'd like to know?  What can we the users/customers expect from Cakewalk going forward?
 
Cheers. :-)

maybe a host could sticky this thread?

I'm very encouraged by the Cakewalk customer support person's words. Those that are panicking should calm down and trust what he said. If you love Sonar like I do and have years or decades wrapped up in it, you should stay with it unless there's a real reason to jump ship and personally I doubt if that will happen. There are too many smart dedicated people that will keep us afloat. I'm a lifer.

gmp
 
 I'm a lifer.

and perhaps a dreamer?

RickJP909
 
In the meantime, some new info from Customer Support would be nice and like I keep asking what do you guys mean when Noel's statement read "during this transition period"?  Transition to what please is what I'd like to know?  What can we the users/customers expect from Cakewalk going forward?
 
Cheers. :-)

I took the word "transition" to refer to this comment in the "formal" notice from Gibson which Noel links to his own message:
 
Gibson Brands announced today that it is ceasing active development and production of Cakewalk branded products. The decision was made to better align with the company’s acquisition strategy that is heavily focused on growth in the global consumer electronics audio business under the Philips brand.
 
 If one was looking for some hope regarding the future continuation of the Cakewalk brand/product line, I don't think (unfortunately) that one realistically can find it in Noel's statement and his use of the word "transition".