It's been a while since I graced the shiny boards of the Cakewalk manor forums. I expected to find patches galore for X2 and the see early teasings of a fine new release features titillating the faithful.
 
But no.
 
Frankly, it's all a bit drab round here. A bit like a south London pub after a bit of a nasty punch-up. The regulars have sloped off to some nicer boozer where the ale is quite not so good, but here they change the barrels and clean the pipes a bit more frequently and at least you can get on the pool table during the weekdays.
 
Nothing doing here at all. Some newbie who can't hear anything, another asking if some ancient Tascam surface is supported. It really is a bit . . . well dire really.
 
Have the wheels finally come off? Is the party over? Now Brandon and the boys have flown the nest do I detect a bit of a dead vacuum here?
 
I've been trying to master Pro tools 11 as a safeguard for the future. It would be OK if i would run with my Roland Quad Capture, but it just doesn't. No AAX 64 bit plugin support from Waves or Native Instruments yet so its a complete non starter anyway (pun intended).
 
Pro-tools 10 is OK, but I really like using all of my 16Gigs of ram and frankly I quite resent running 32 bit apps on by nice 64bit i7.
 
Tried Studio one for bit but it felt like a bit of a toy. Even shelled out for the Harrison Mixbuss which was great until you notice it crashes a lot and as yet, has no midi recording or VSTi support, so its sort of tape deck and a rather nice (if cramped) mixer. Reaper feels like a bit of a geeks club project and Cubase I just couldn't face learning.
 
Therefore it just might be a really good time to release Sonar X3.
 
Or maybe not X3. . . . . .
 
Just maybe it would be a good idea to bite the bullet and try an altogether new approach. The X series is probably fine under the hood, but the cosmetics are a bit clunky. Mixer way too big and wasteful. Main clips window wasteful in layout. Also if you really want touch control you gonna need longer faders and a way to see the fader underneath them pudgy fingers. Pro channel for god's sake why? I use the plugins I want on a 'need to use basis' I don't need a mixer that folds out into an interstate highway so that I can take a bit of top off the overheads.
 
I digress.
 
Like many industries it would appear that things are in a bit of state at the moment. But we can see the light at the end of this long dark tunnel and shortly, before we know it, we are going to blasted by the searing light of recovery and some of these DAW's are gonna be caught in very dirty underwear. Best get them in the wash now eh?
 
Toodle Pip

Queue John with a positive remark about SONAR!!!
 

.

 "But we can see the light at the end of this long dark tunnel and shortly"
 
Lets hope its not the light of an oncoming train eh?...ah well you know what they say, as one door closes another one slams in your face!!

Whats wrong with Pro Channel exactly? I cant live without it now.

I see what he means about the PC. Unless you religiously use the included FX in the PC, it's a large space-consumer. But one size doesn't fit all. In my case, I only use the FX in the PC, so it's a large consumption of real-estate to be able to see a list of more than say, 3 FX in the FX bin. I have a 21" monitor I use when on remote locations, and the PC takes up a huge chunk of that, when expanded on any one channel, or from the Inspector.
 
So, while some really dig it, others simply don't.

brconflict
In my case, I only use the FX in the PC, so it's a large consumption of real-estate to be able to see a list of more than say, 3 FX in the FX bin. 

While I have a 30" (monitor that is) I too have been using FX Chains more and more. I can see where by X3 any new project will be all FX Chain based (even if built dynamically on project by project basis).
 

Well,
CW refuse to give any indication of what their next move is. Apparently, according to support, it is confidential information not for the public domain.  I never realised a release version number was so top secret.
Sometimes a refusal to answer a production question is an admission of inaction. EDIT: I am not saying that this is for sure, but we'll just have to wait.
 
I am happy with Sonar X2, but not with CW.
 
EDIT: Happy with Cakewalk now.

It will be when it will be.
 
To the original poster: Was there some kind of point to your post?
 
@bapu - whatever your deal with poking sticks at John is, please keep it to yourself.
 
Bob Bone

The Bapu
Queue John with a positive remark about SONAR!!!
 

I think I was quite positive about Sonar. I certainly did not say it was bad. I am very concerned that Protools 11 is a mess at the moment, with all my fave plugins in AAX 64 bit limbo. The fact that Roland are still not coughing up a compatible ASIO driver after a couple of months is very concerning. Not relevant? It adds to the mushy mess in the industry sector. Its a concern that the market leading product and its creators are in a really bad state.
 
Regarding Sonar. It seems too quiet. Unless there is a belter of a release just around the corner I don't see how the business is sustainable.Too lose Sonar would be a tragedy. Its still my favourite DAW and I like it most of all. It has strayed a bit from the path of simplicity. Prochannel was simply not required it was a tool to sell extra bespoke modules or to put it another way, create a new revenue stream. The alternative is to plug in the channel strip of your choice (or not) and you're done.
 
Like many large Japanese corporations Roland don't strike me as an enterprise of infinite patience or indeed funds. Japan has been through a lot more than a good 'ol fashioned recession of late. It's in a bit of a state. 
 
Sonar X3 had better be soon, and had better be very, very, good.
Or...
ライトをオフに残す最後の人As they say in Tokyo.