Obviously beep you can do as you wish. Just for me it's personally it's poor form. It's like the guy who drops out of high school early and then has nothing else to do so he shows up at lunchtime to visit his old friends or something. 
 
I mean there are other forums for home recording and comparison of daws and such things. It seems not right to me that people pop up in the SOnar X1 and X2 forum saying they are moving to Cubase or Studio One or Reaper or Ableton and that they have lost confidence in Cakewalk and boy have Roland made some big mistakes etc and then expect no repercussions from users who are able to make the software work. 
 
Sort of like- this software sux, I'm moving on to bigger and better things- but don't worry I'll be here 5 hours a day all the same.

backwoods
Obviously beep you can do as you wish. Just for me it's personally it's poor form. It's like the guy who drops out of high school early and then has nothing else to do so he shows up at lunchtime to visit his old friends or something. 
 
I mean there are other forums for home recording and comparison of daws and such things. It seems not right to me that people pop up in the SOnar X1 and X2 forum saying they are moving to Cubase or Studio One or Reaper or Ableton and that they have lost confidence in Cakewalk and boy have Roland made some big mistakes etc and then expect no repercussions from users who are able to make the software work. 
 
Sort of like- this software sux, I'm moving on to bigger and better things- but don't worry I'll be here 5 hours a day all the same.

Uh... yeah, okay. Do you seriously think I'd just hang out bashing Cakewalk?
 
Good grief, man.

Grief aside,
 
I, for one, am taking advantage of the upgrade. It's a good deal price-wise to go from Essential to Producer. What it says to me is 'go for it!'.

doncolga
Well I just upgraded to X2 for the $50 this weekend.  It took a really long time to download all that stuff and I've not actually done the install yet.  To me that was worth getting Rapture alone...not to mention OverLoud.  Excited to play with both of those.

I find x2 to be smoother and better optimize vs x1. Have fun!

cclarry
I seriously doubt I will be doing the upgrade, if,and when, it becomes available....for several reasons..

First and foremost - the Product released as Sonar X2 was bug infested....as evidenced by an "immediate" quickfix, and then
some "250" fixes in the X2a patch...
which only added a flurry of "other" bugs...whether they be "minor" issues for some and "major" issues for others is irrelevant.

I'm not slamming Cake or X2...I'm discussing MY opinion....some guys here say they are using it "without" issue...because they've
instituted "workarounds".  That's not "without" issue in any sense of the word.  That's called "coping".

Second - Cakewalks failure to even "discuss" the REAL issues of X2a...stating they have been "sequestered"...that's hogwash...
You don't "sequester" your reps....that's VERY BAD BUSINESS...VERY BAD BUSINESS indeed.

Third - as has been stated, if you're not happy...go elsewhere...that is all of our prerogatives....

Surprisingly I have found INCREDIBLE stability in a 64 bit DAW....won't say which one....but it is the LEAST expensive...
and is probably one of the most powerful and useful I've found...it's editing is incredible, it's features are very well 
thought out....and it's reps stay in contact with it's users.....no corporate HORSE PUCKY to deal with...they just do
their job, unrestrained by "Corporate" politics....which is ALWAYS BAD BUSINESS, as I previously stated.

I've been in the recording business, computer business, and performing business for as long as I can remember...30+ years...

I'm seriously disappointed in Cakewalk...they had an opportunity to REALLY take this field over...and they let their TREMENDOUS
egos get in the way...and everyone knows what I mean...and NOW Roland comes in the picture, restrains everyone, and thinks
that they are doing a good thing...it is my opinion that they are SERIOUSLY mistaken, as is evidenced by the number of those JUST IN THIS FORUM
that have "abandoned ship" on, what the fanbois call, a "Stable" program.  A program should function "out of the box" without
"workarounds" and such...and, when it doesn't, the issues should be addressed in a timely fashion...NOT by telling customers/users to just "sit and wait".

No DAW is flawless...there are always issues....but some Companies are "doing the do" to keep their products functional and productive,
and others are just "flogging the dog".  

Also, those who criticize the company should not be "sequestered" and "Locked" by the Reps, nor should the Reps read "Private" messages...
If your product is as good as you think it is...then you should have no fear of that...nor should anyone be so
childish as to "run and tell mommy and daddy when they feel the others aren't playing nice"

We're adults here (supposedly) and, if you don't like someones opinion or thoughts, then DON'T READ or COMMENT ON THEM....that alone
will end the thread...

I see a bunch of babies in here....don't talk about my product..I'll cry...really...GROW UP...be ADULT...let someone else speak their mind
just as you have the freedom to speak yours...that is what this COUNTRY is supposed to be about... and THAT is TRULY being ADULT
and PROFESSIONAL...but, instead, you all whine like little school kids on the playground when someone has taken their toy...and CAKE
Is right in there.....doing the same...reading private messages and locking threads...that's just ludicrous...and GASTAPO/FASCIST.

Talking about your experiences is not ADVERTISING for another company...it's stating YOUR OPINION and EXPERIENCE...
NOW, if they say SCREW SONAR - BUY "WHATEVER" OVER HERE FOR $XXX, then that is a violation of the TOS....but talking about your
personal experiences with Sonar or any other DAW is not "ADVERTISING", it's relating PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
 
Things may be GREAT FOR YOU...but they may not be so great for someone else...let them state their experiences..
you don't have to like it...YOU have the right to NOT READ, NOT COMMENT, and NOT REPLY...and just let the thread die...

It amazes me what truly childish people you all are...with your FINE GOODBYE AND DON'T COME BACK...statements and such...really?
Saying "I'm glad you've found something that works for you and I wish you the best" would be a far more PROFESSIONAL response...

My only hope...that X3 is WHAT THEY ADVERTISE it to be...and that they realize that "they put their pants on one leg at at time"
just like everyone else does....and my other wish....that the forum members here "grow up"....

Here's one thing I can tell you for sure...if not...we're all in trouble...

 
 
Excellent post Larry, I for one find myself nodding in agreement with every paragraph.
 
Roland should insist that this is printed off and stuck on the wall of every office in Cakewalkland.
 
Being told by a Cakewalk staffer that when we're criticising their product, it's "their livelihood" that we're effectively discussing and affecting is simply sidestepping the issue. What about the livelihood of their (professional) customers who have records to make and deadlines to meet, who just expect the software to work as advertised?
 
Make the product work, and your 'livelihood' will take care of itself.
 
Don't get me wrong, I love all things Cakewalk, and I genuinely want them to succeed - and take me as a customer along for the ride.
 
But I want to know I'm being listened to. I want to know that I'm being taken seriously. I certainly don't want to be fobbed off with excuses, empty words and corporate-speak.
 
And furthermore, I don't want to be made to feel that I can't offer up genuine criticism and maybe even vent a little every now and then without having to look over my shoulder all the time in case I get banned, or reported by other forum users for what I've said.
 
Cakewalk will only improve and become more successful, to the benefit of us all, by listening to those who can't get their product to work as advertised. Not by receiving sycophantic plaudits from those who think it's perfect. Or in some cases I've absolutely no doubt, and for some unfathomable reason, pretend it's perfect.
 
As I've said before, this forum is the most useful market research tool they have, should they choose to take advantage of it. I'd employ someone to be on here every day - not only to chip in and deal with the odd public relations response, but to take a really deep look into what's being said, what's being complained about, and what is making customers' unhappy.
 
Feature Request forms are all well and good, and long may that avenue be open to us, but they're no substitute for getting stuck in and taking the pulse of the user base.
 
And once that information has been absorbed and processed, make a statement - keep people informed. No one's asking for Cakewalk to specifically reveal upcoming features or new toys; that would be impractical and downright folly.
 
But bearing in mind the recent mood of the forum, I can't for the life of me see what the problem is with simply stating that they're working on a patch for X2 or they're not?
 
Look at it this way - if they are going to release a patch, what possible harm could such an announcement do? Or to look at it another way, what possible advantage would such an announcement cede to their competitors? On the other hand, consider just how much good will and continued interest such an announcement would engender among their customers.
 
Conversely, if they have no plans to release a patch, what difference would it make long term if they did announce this? I mean, we're going to find out anyway when they announce X3.
 
On the other hand, you don't have to look very far to see what the result of not making a statement has been. People are getting restless, tempers are getting frayed, and, inevitably, talk is turning to customers threatening their impending defection to other products.
 
Taking all this into account, and then factoring in the locking of 'subversive' threads, and the banning of a certain person (or people?) for what was said in a Private Message, my reading of the situation is of a company that's not exactly brimming with confidence and is sure of itself and its products. I wouldn't go as far as using the words 'panicking' and 'desperate' just yet, but let's all hope it never gets that far.
 
I might be absolutely way off the mark here, and I'd love to be comprehensively proved wrong. But if that's the way that I perceive the situation to be, or anyone else perceives the situation to be, then who's responsibility is it to do everything practical to dispel that feeling? And I'll tell you what - locking threads and banning 'dissenters' (who have had genuine and well-publicised problems) is certainly not the way to go about it.
 
I might be alone in thinking this, but I truly believe a little more communication and understanding from Cakewalk would go an awful long way to keeping their customers happy, and as a result - loyal.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I started a recording project just as X1 came out. Because the studio I work back and forth with is at Sonar 8.5, I have actually been working in that and have purchased the upgrades, along with several Pro channel plugins to stay up with the trend. I'm actually going to have to learn to use X whatever when I finish the current project

Keni
Well... For those wondering, this sounds to me as if they are about to roll out the next upgrade in another month or two... Next they'll add free upgrade to X3 with X2 purchase...

Here we go again ...   (sigh)

I've been away.  In the forest actually, offline...

mike_mccue
I watched one of those "here's how my SONAR bug works" Youtube videos last week and I realized I had forgotten how ugly the SONAR gui looks.

 
I'd like to beg to differ.  We had a family gathering this evening in honour of a my brother-in-law who is visiting from LA.  He's a professional doing audio for the film industry.  An Apple guy, exclusively ProTools (like everyone else in his line of work).  He'd never heard of Sonar.  A couple of hours ago I showed him my X2P, first loaded with one of the demo songs that comes with X2, then a small project that just had each important synth loaded for easy demoing.
 
I've said this before, but I'm going to repeat it :  [on my 30" Dell monitor] X2 looks absolutely fantastic.  ProTools is not even close.  I was pretty proud to show it off.
 
Leaving the rest of X2 aside, I'm extremely happy with the way it looks.
 
[Just wanted to slip this in before Ryan locks the thread ]
 

The simplest thing Cakewalk could do is offer a FREE public beta of X3 (if that is what's coming next) to existing X2P owners. If they nail the right bugs even the most unhappy of use would (reluctantly) hand over the money if X3 would solve the problems. This would also allow those who are on the fence to decide to either stay or move on based on their OWN experience with X3 on their OWN DAW in their OWN workflow without spending an additional dime. Seems far and simple enough to me. This complete secrecy marketing style has passed it's time. Customers really wanna help companies build their brand. Social media...media created by customers/users about products and services at no charge for companies. What a concept...
 
Question, if your in business who is most important to you? Your competition or customers? Last time I checked the competition doesn't pay the bills...Not saying keeping up with or watching the competition and guarding trade secrets isn't important but I am saying it is much easier to get repeat business (if you take good care of your existing customers) than finding new ones. I also personal find that existing happy customers are much more forgiving when things don't go as planned. They just want to be informed and not left to ENTIRELY guess about what is going own. 

Double post.

I might be absolutely way off the mark here, and I'd love to be comprehensively proved wrong.

I don't see how anyone can really prove you wrong or right on this steve.

Just by being interested in the DAW market for a few years now I get the feeling margins are very thin. I don't think Cakewalk could afford to have a fulltime person on the forum. Do you remember that thread where Anderton was saying the CEO of one major DAW company was not exactly driving an expensive car for example.

And even though the prices for software has plummeted, people somehow expect service and support to remain just the same as when they paid 3 or four times for software. It doesn't add up I tells ye. (Course, I could be way off the mark)

Companies can learn from constructive criticism I agree but how much venting on this forum is constructive? What can Cakewalk learn by having that cclarry post pinned up in every office? That they have "TREMENDOUS egos"?   Some guys around here seem to think a company would prefer to have more dissatisfied customers than pleased ones. Because it would help the company improve more quickly or something.....

One thing that is interesting to me is that the Cakewalk facebook page is going gangbusters and most people there seem very happy with their Cakewalk experience. Likewise on steam, the Music Creator page is pretty positive too.
 
Also, who are these guys who think Sonar is perfect? No such guys I'm afraid steve. If you want a guy talking about a near perfect DAW on the Cakewalk forum you keep an eye out for the Jeff Evans posts.