Hello,

Over the last few years we have seen a major surge in the number of customers switching to SONAR from other applications. We have our own ideas why this has been occuring, but we would prefer to hear it from you directly. So, please tell us.

What we are interested in knowing is:

1. What application you switched from and which version of SONAR you switched to.
2. Your specific reasons for switching to SONAR (specific features in SONAR, specific problems with other aps, customer service, etc.)

Thanks for your support of SONAR and thanks in advance for your help.

Best regards,

Carl Jacobson
Marketing Director
Cakewalk

Well, I switched a long time ago...I went from Digital Orchestrator Pro to Sonar 1.00SE. Why? Because I wanted to have a host that could use plug ins and soft synths. Plus I liked the idea of grove clips. Beides I had used Cakewalk for DOS, and I always liked it, so I figured Cakewalk was a good way to go. I have been using Sonar ever since. I am on 6.02PE now.

Please keep working out the bugs with Audio Snap, V Vocal and VCT before you try to include new features. They are great, but still buggy.

Oh, and some unusual new soft synths would sure tug at my wallet...Can't you use some of the Roland V-Synth technology you aquired to create a soft synth that does extreme pitch/time stretching for example?....

My $.02, I hope it was worth that much to you.

Doc DROP

I switched from Cubase SX.

I had been a cubase user since atari days....8)

I bought Sonar Producer 6

I needed something that could handle acidised clips initially, though i have since changed ( i was using drum loops, and have now gotten EZdrummer so this is less of a requirement)

I really was really impressed with

Track Icons
Audio Snap
Vintage Channel


The things I am craving

An arrangement function...I want to be able to have an arrangement ability, to try out different types of song arrangement structures by defining sections as verse bridge chorus etc and then easily trying different structures.

I want mixer snapshots, including VST effects, so I can easily have different mix version of the songs available to try quickly

I want to be able to right click the mouse when editing midi and chose a tool ala cubase, so I can delete, ,copy notes easily.

cheers

Wiz

I started recording music with Adobe Audition 1.5 after a friend showed me what you could do with it. But, it wouldn't handle MIDI instruments -- which is when I learned about the differences between VST and VSTi.

Around that time, I purchased an E-MU 1212m interface, which came with Cubase LE and Sonar LE. Cubase looked more interesting on the face of things than Sonar LE, so I started using it. Six months later I was still having a frustrating time trying to get into the work flow -- the Cubase way just did not mesh with my learning curve, and definitely not as intuitively as Audition had.

I started checking out the online forums, and discovered that I couldn't be part of the Steinberg forum community because I had a light version without a dongle... and started reading the Cakewalk forums. Shortly thereafter, I installed Sonar LE, and was actually recording and producing in short order. I upgraded to Sonar 5 Studio in August, 2006, and have been using Sonar exclusively for recording since.

Cheers,

Russ

Analog guy.

Tape machines.

You ever try to edit a drum track with 16 channels on tape?

6th level of hell I tel ya.

PR Tools...just slightly better.

Went to Phoenix to a banjo depot seminar when Sonar was first introduced.

Was impressed with the cooperation between Cakewalk and Microsoft.

Laid down the $600.00 for Sonar and an M-Audio Delta with the breakout box and never looked back...

Well never looked back at Sonar....M-Audio is another story you don't want to hear.

My serious concerns with Sonar are the direction headed looks a little to much like Digidesign/Apple and Microsoft/Norton for my comfort.

The last thing we need is another audio-app that is OS exclusive and only supporting a handful of hardware scenarios.

Currently Vista and the limited hardware support for Sonar on Vista is remarkably like MOA (Mother Of Alsihad)...thats a little bit scary...but I'll chalk it up to the hardware vendors for one more year, after that its your fault.

What do I want to see in the future of Sonar?

Can it make me a great website?

Will it import video files for editing?

Will it export High Definition video streams into the ethernet?

The music industry (of which the recording industry is just a part of) in ten years we will not remember what a hard-drive was used for nor understand why anyone would ever listen to non-variable rate audio, or some other such tech-not-ology.

The ability to lock and load a live show to a flash-server and send to a handheld multi-use personal appliance in real-time is only a few years away, I'd love to see Sonar ahead of the curve on this one.

Can you imagine being able to watch and listen to a live concert (and mix it to your own personal user preference as you listen) in High Def audio from your phone?

Whadda ya got Cakewalk?

i started on tape, then digital hard disk--- all the time I was using cubase on the atari (still the most stable version), My friend showed me cubase VST on a PC and i went with it. For a long time I was using VST5 then SX came out and I hated it. after years of still using vst 5 i went looking for a new DAW.

the reason i chose Sonar?


Downloadable demo
good plugs included
I could figure out the basics without a look at the manual
Groove clips and V-vocal (though i don't use them that much)
track icons
unlimimited busses
easy saving and archiving
the forum ( I lurked for a while)
Price
the underdog factor (in the UK)
resizable tracks
I'm sure there is a lot more but I can't think at the mo


Andy

ORIGINAL: Wiz

The things I am craving

An arrangement function...I want to be able to have an arrangement ability, to try out different types of song arrangement structures by defining sections as verse bridge chorus etc and then easily trying different structures.

I want mixer snapshots, including VST effects, so I can easily have different mix version of the songs available to try quickly

I want to be able to right click the mouse when editing midi and chose a tool ala cubase, so I can delete, ,copy notes easily.

cheers

Wiz

+1.
I switched from cubase sx 2 to sonar 6 because of automation problems and freeze function. What i found is great !

ORIGINAL: doc_drop

Please keep working out the bugs with Audio Snap, V Vocal and VCT before you try to include new features. They are great, but still buggy.

But i had to go back to cubase (4) because of stability prolems and multiple crashes. I don't know for v vocal, but, for example, i still have very strange things with vst efx automation or the mute tool when enabling the loop mode. And crashes for this or that.
But your daw is near to be the best one.
With :
- vst3 implementation (with the clip rack, it will be great) allowing sidechain
- a playorder track
- midi workflow improvments
- mixer snapshots (including the efx, of course)
- a crash free coding

it will probably dig the protools or cubase's grave.

I started with Cakewalk with Guitar Tracks Pro 2. But I have been using Reaper and GTP2 for a while now. I plan to switch to Sonar towards the end of this year.

So, yeah...

1. Will switch from GTP2/ Reaper
2. The reason I want to switch is because in 2002 or whenever I got GTP2, I didn't really know anything about computer recording. But now I have come to appreciate that Sonar is a huge app. I've watched basically all the youtube videos for it, dl'd the demo etc. I'm staying with Cakewalk because I like your logo and I have good memories of GTP2 when I first got it. Also, I just like the name 'Sonar' better than others.

I stopped making music around 1990 after making sequenced music through the 80's, the last few years running Steinberg Pro-24 on an Atari 1040-ST. At that time, I was aware of Cakewalk sequencers, but was wary of the whole PC/Roland MPU-401 thing, so stayed with Atari.

In 2003, after deciding to start making music again, I researched the field and felt Cakewalk was best value. I purchased Home Studio 2004 (not Sonar Home Studio) for the PC, used it for several months, then decided upgrading to Sonar 3 Producer Edition was a prudent move for the added features and audio engine. I have continued to upgrade to Sonar Version 6 PE at this time.

My reasons for switching were that Cakewalk offers great features/value, are very forthright with information, are great with their customers, and the company has maintained an excellent business culture over many years of operation.

I stay with Sonar because I have come to realize that it is among (if not THE) best recording/sequencing applications available, able to take me as far as I want my recordings to go. Add to that PACE/dongle-free operation, a great Forum community, continued excellent customer-support and communication, and the sustainable company culture, and it's just a no-brainer.


Steve L./Canada (aka SteveJL)


(ps. You have my permission to use this endorsement as you desire.)

oops forgot to add no dongle