I completely agree with this post.  For Sonar to not have an updated notation in..... how many years?  We've been asking for a LONG time.  Sorry, I'm about done.  I just got X2 for the $49 deal..... fine, no biggie.  But, next time, I'm going to go with a grown up DAW that understands the actual NEEDS of musicians. 
 
Over the summer, I wrote some string parts for my friend's album.  Typical four part string section.  It was an absolute TEDIOUS NIGHTMARE to program it into Sonar.  What I could have written BY HAND in 15 minutes turned into TWO HOURS. 
 
UNACCEPTABLE.

Ok, let's all say it together. On three. One...two...three... SONAR IS NOT A NOTATION PROGRAM

Notation will not sell sonar to the ever growing user base of EDM producers, only to the static user base of people who write notation but aren't sophisticated enough to use a proper notation editor.

There is, on the other hand, something to be said (and has been said) for tighter integration with a proper notation editor via ARA. My money's on an eventual acquisition of MakeMusic.

yevster
* Andrew and Dan are amazing guys. I listened to them get grilled with the most ludicrous questions and criticisms (including that the learning curve has increased too much since the days of Cakewalk for DOS). They handled this unceasing barrage of BS with nearly superhuman courtesy and professionalism. While Brandon and Seth will rightfully be missed by many, I also do not doubt that the public face of Cakewalk could be in better hands.

I remember one guy who was there who seemed really pissed about the whole X-series in general. He kept saying that CW had taken so many of his features away that him (and many of his peers) had switched DAW's because they couldn't get to grips with the Skylight interface and the loss of their favorite shortcuts. I couldn't stick around for too long but when I left either Andrew or Dan (I can't remember) was sat down with him at the computer going over his beefs and showing him how the same things were done in X3. I'd love to know whether or not he was won over at the end. 

yevster
Ok, let's all say it together. On three. One...two...three... SONAR IS NOT A NOTATION PROGRAM

But it is a pro program, it does have a notation view, and it can't manage triplets, and it has been that way for over a decade.  I don't need pro features here, I do need correctness.

kelsoz

yevster
Ok, let's all say it together. On three. One...two...three... SONAR IS NOT A NOTATION PROGRAM

But it is a pro program, it does have a notation view, and it can't manage triplets, and it has been that way for over a decade.  I don't need pro features here, I do need correctness.

I agree - saying that Sonar is not a notation program is like saying that Sonar is not a step sequencer program or a Matrix program. No one feature "defines" the program, it  is a program of many features and they all should work well. 

yevster
Notation will not sell sonar to the ever growing user base of EDM producers, only to the static user base of people who wrote notation but aren't sophisticated enough to use a proper notation editor.

Cubase and Logic both apparently have good notation abilities and they are more widely used for EDM than Sonar. 

sharke

yevster
Notation will not sell sonar to the ever growing user base of EDM producers, only to the static user base of people who wrote notation but aren't sophisticated enough to use a proper notation editor.

Cubase and Logic both apparently have good notation abilities and they are more widely used for EDM than Sonar. 

+1
 
Now that's the textbook definition of irony!

I would also like to see improved notation.  It's not the most critical thing to me, though, and never has been.   ARA, the new comp stuff and track colors are things that are likely to affect my use of SONAR more than improved notation.  But with that said, I think it's time for CW to start addressing this one area that has been left behind for a looong time.  I also think it helps that CW seems to be tying up some loose ends in X3 that will hopefully allow the time to finally put some focus on notation.  

SuperG

sharke

yevster
Notation will not sell sonar to the ever growing user base of EDM producers, only to the static user base of people who wrote notation but aren't sophisticated enough to use a proper notation editor.

Cubase and Logic both apparently have good notation abilities and they are more widely used for EDM than Sonar. 

+1
 
Now that's the textbook definition of irony!

"As for the notation question, we answered the question. Not sure what else we could do about at the show."
 
Wow - how about "We at Cakewalk are constantly looking for ways to address composition features which many of our customers feel strongly about".
 
This is a sad state of affairs.  Why am I even surprised?
 
Isn't this about the time when Gibson buys Finale and Finale jr. gets integrated into Sonar X14?
 

stevec
I would also like to see improved notation.  It's not the most critical thing to me, though, and never has been.   ARA, the new comp stuff and track colors are things that are likely to affect my use of SONAR more than improved notation.  But with that said, I think it's time for CW to start addressing this one area that has been left behind for a looong time.  I also think it helps that CW seems to be tying up some loose ends in X3 that will hopefully allow the time to finally put some focus on notation.  

This is how I feel about it also. Very happy with X3 but wish it could have included something to fix some long standing notation issues - still thinking that cake is leaning towards some type of 3rd party solution (music XML like) but hopefully they don't lose sight of many users' desire for enhanced score editing for COMPOSITION - many people still think it's about printing scores from Sonar.
My feedback on the recent survey included both notation and video improvements even though neither are anything I do much with currently - I just see them as necessary and important tools in a world class daw- have to believe a lot of feedback was similar.