Mystic38
...a post count of TWO...fire and forget...

 
He left us hanging in his earlier thread too:
http://forum.cakewalk.com...Sonar-85-m1838712.aspx

TerraSin 
It would take some time to get use to, but we're becoming more aware of the virtual space. Younger generations would pick up a digital touch mixing console a lot easier and faster than people who have used a physical console their whole lives, but I and many others believe it's the future. Touchscreens in the past couple years now have become extremely accurate with a very low touch response time. I believe it's Microsoft that has nailed the 0ms touch response delay just last year on a multi-touch screen. Eventually it will become just as commonplace as using a digital keyboard on a smartphone and it will be up to DAW programmers to keep up with the new race of having the best and intuitive console and editing interfaces that work brilliantly with touch.

 
Oh God. I've had an iPhone for over 2 years and still I can't type one single sentence without multiple errors. Will future touch-operated mixing consoles have autocomplete? 

JazzSinger
I run a mobile demo studio service and must use the smallest laptops possible, even netbooks. The new interface has been bad for me.
 
X1 lost me 15% of screen space because the new tracks need more room for the same displayed information. That's not better.
 
The bottom scroll bar is now ABOVE the tabs, wasting more vertical space (in 8.5 they are next to each other, the scroll bar occupying only half the width - much better).
 
The new PC and track inspector introduces huge colored knobs which waste yet more space. 8.5 had just numbers or sliders with numbers integrated. - much better.
 
And most PC modules are sinfully wasteful with space, with analog-looking meters and colossal Saturation knob. Why why why?
 
At the bottom of the track inspector/PC is one single button labeled "Display", losing another 5% of precious vertical space. It is the only button on the bottom. The rest of the space is empty, wasted. Why? It is for settings, it is not used often. Put the button on the top, or as a right-click menu. This is not better.
 
Introducing TOUCH is good and future-thinking. But if I think touch, I think horizontally held screens. -- which means SMALL screens. THAT is also part of the future, for tracking work especially.
 
I appeal to the bakers to review the X interface and see how 8.5 offered more overview on less screen real-estate. From X2a on only Win7 is supported, so I must soon get new Win8 touch notebooks, I feel like I am condemned to paint the entrance hall of my house through the letterbox. 

 +1111
 
The 'X' series wasn't hard to learn - it was just really irritating. So true about wasted space - such that it made it nearly impossible for me to have an all-the-time overview of any project. And no, the overly fussy screensets didn't help.

This just a fly-by, hit & run style rant by the OP.
 
But while we're on the subject, I had cause to open up 8.5.3 a while back to lift some information I needed off a project, and I was instantly dismayed by the GUI.
 
In comparison, the X series looks absolutely gorgeous, clearly laid out & logical

jb101
I was gobsmacked when I first fired up the X series, but watching the Cake videos, and Scott's Sonar Power book helped a lot.
 Now, I couldn't imagine going back to pre X series.  For me, it is a huge step forward.

+1
I was tearing my hair out at first but the 'new' GUI is miles better.  I fired up 8.5 the other day and couldn't believe how cluttered and button-y it was!  Stick with it; once through the pain barrier you'll be flying along, honest.

Skyline_UK

jb101
...I couldn't imagine going back to pre X series...

 
...I fired up 8.5 the other day and couldn't believe how cluttered and button-y it was!

I had the opposite reaction.  I sometimes need to fire up my old Windows XP & Sonar 7 setup if an old project won't open properly on my current system.  Recently I did this and found myself almost on autopilot while I was editing a project in Sonar 7.  I knew exactly what to do without really thinking about it.  In contrast, when I am working in Sonar X2, I need to focus on the software (and consequently less on the music) while I work out how to do basic stuff.  My instincts are still tuned to the old version.

I love X2.  I had a couple of songs that I couldn't open because of the files somehow becoming corrupt.  I was pissed for a minute.  Notified support and never did get those files opened.  That's the nature of the beast, computers.  I had a choice to make "Get busy living or get busy dying".  Negativity will cause an early demise.  I thought of all the positives that X2 had to offer and moved on!  Just saying!

quest4success
I love X2.  I had a couple of songs that I couldn't open because of the files somehow becoming corrupt.  I was pissed for a minute.  Notified support and never did get those files opened.  That's the nature of the beast, computers.  I had a choice to make "Get busy living or get busy dying".  Negativity will cause an early demise.  I thought of all the positives that X2 had to offer and moved on!  Just saying!

Would those projects open in safe mode?
 
Also, have you put a backup approach in place since then?
 
Bob Bone