I switched to Sonar 5 PE about 12 months ago after using Cubase SL.

The free upgrade to version 6 was just icing on the cake,a friend recommended Sonar,and I haven't
looked back.

My main love was Logic,but when they sold out,it was easier to get another DAW than a new computer.

Didn't like Steinbergs attitude towards customers problems,so I looked round for an alternative.

I think the Audio editing could be improved,and a few more mastering tools would be appreciated.

Midi and note entry on the stave has been covered before,no doubt improvements will be forthcoming.

Alan

I had been using Cubase for quite some time but had to switch to Logic due to compatibility reasons as I was working with people who was Logic users. I kept going using Logic for PC even though it had been discontinued but I realized that I would have to move to the Macintosh in order to benefit from the powetr of the more modern DAWs. But then, when I was searching the net for my future solution I came across the Cakewalk site and I saw Project5 for the first time. I thought it looked real nice so I purchased it. I really liked it.

I had used a Cakewalk sequencer many years back (I can't remember the name or version number) and now it came back to me. I looked into the functions of Sonar and things such as freeze, clip effects and groove clipping took me places I really hadn't been able in exploring with my somewhat dated Logic 5 for PC.

I've now decided to stay with the PC (I'm planning on purchasing a Quad Core now when the price drop comes) and to go for Sonar PE instead of investing my money in a Mac and Logic Pro.

Started with 4 tracks, then a VS840, then a vs 2400 with our band. Found sonar 4 and never looked back. Work flow is very intuitive. Cake seems to really listen to the users. This forum alone is worth the price of admission. Lots of nice helpful and usually happy folks here that are willing to help. Where else will you find company employees on their forums??? I've learned more tips and tricks here than anywhere else.

For performance per dollar...nobody touches Sonar. Heck, for performance only...Sonar still kicks @$$.

I too would love mix scenes or templates. Then I could track with light CPU and then when mixing time comes, load up a typical mix and then tweak from there.

ERIK

Removed...

Due to SONAR's lack (still!) of flexible surround bus creation and native surround VST support, I've since gone back to Cubase. Until SONAR has these badly needed enhancements, my SONAR Producer will sit on the shelf uninstalled and won't be updated until then (and only maybe at this point).

Cake's SONAR severely lacks in the surround sound arena, which hasn't been touched for quite some time...

I switched from Master Tracks Pro to Cakewalk 6.0.

*crickets*

Yup. Not very useful to your marketing department. Sorry. Long time user, infrequent poster....

The bundled Cubase LE that came with my Soundblaster Audigy 4 Pro set me off, really. The first upgrade I installed for it reduced the number of allowed VST plugs, however.

That turned me off Steinberg for good, and I decided to go with the competition, and have not regretted it yet, although to be honest the product's not flawless - but no dealbreakers anywhere.

Would like to see more feedback from the developers on suggestions for future enhancements made here in the forums, though. There's several threads I could point to, that have some eminent suggestions, but not a [Cakewalk] posting anywhere in sight, so no idea if it's even picked up, or even read.

Other than that, I think a great community besides a great product, and that's saying a lot, these days.

I started years ago with FL Studio, version, 3, or 2 I guess ? I've used it all the way up to version 6. I switched to Cubase when SX3 came out, because I wanted something linear that handled multi out synths, and effects in a less clumbsy, goofy way. Then I had a friend one day ask me, "Why are you following the in crowd, you need to try Sonar".. So, interested, and upset at the thought I may have wasted my money, I went to his house to mess around with this "Sonar", that at the time I'd never heard of. I'm pretty sure it was version 4. I liked it, but decided to stay with Cubase. Finally, about the exact same time as Sonar 5 came out, I just go so upset with Cubase, and the fact that midi editing was too hard, I just bought Sonar 5. Well, Sonar was great, but come to find out, the midi editing was even more of a pain than Cubase was. So, I pretty much gave up, and stayed with Sonar, for audio ONLY. I still did ALL of my soft synth composing in FL Studio, then exported the audio to Sonar for effects / automation / mix down, etc... I really fell in love with almost ever aspect of Sonar EXCEPT midi, and the PR. Well, the next year came around, and in October '06, my girlfirend went to GC and bought me Sonar 6. It's really nice, and has all kinds of great stuff, but the midi editing / PR is still EXTREMLY lacking. I finally started to compose midi tracks in Sonar, but got used to the fact that, the midi editing is so horific, that is I mess up on more than one single note, I'd rather play the ENTIRE thing over again, than even SEE the PR... Last time I tried to mess around in the PR, I got so upset, I had to leave and go to a friends house for a few hours to cool off. I refuse to touch it now. It really, really drives me nuts, but who cares I guess, I'm only a paying customer, why listen to me... Anyway, you guys could learn A LOT from FL Studio's PR / midi editing / midi options. Just if you do, PLEASE don't take anything else from it, other than that, - FLS is real mess, and handles soft synths like, well, not very well, we can just leave it at that. Anyway, I'm not upgrading until midi editing / PR is copmpletly redone. Other than that, great product!! For audio only, you make an awsome daw!!

Switched from Pro Tools because of ACT, the 64-bit engine and executable, that it's an open-system, that the company posts on the forum, the Sonitus plugins....the list goes on and on :-) Looking forward to the next version.

As for computer DAWs, I started with Logic Audio Big Box (5.5.1), which I liked for 2 years or so. At the time, I knew nothing about Cakewalk other than I had played around with some really ancient version of "Cakewalk" that came with some midi breakout box.
Logic Audio was mostly fine, except that it was more confusing than it was worth for a long time, and too complicated for little things like sequencing external hardware.

A few years ago, I was looking for a Logic "replacement," that was still being supported on Windows.
Still not knowing much of anything about Cakewalk, I purchased a copy of Cubase SL 2 off eBay for $75 (I think... maybe $100). I got it because of the name and the hype, I'll admit, and some people I liked used to use it (none do now).
Cubase SL2 was... an adventure. It took a week to actually get it installed, since the instructions that came with the product were wrong about what number in the package was the serial number. I eventually found out which one it was, and then it wouldn't work because Steiny had left off a leading "0" from the number.
Finally, a week later, I was able to install and launch the application, but the midi timing was early (yes... early). A few weeks of forum searches (including being locked, and accused of using a crack), finally led me to a LONG list of "workarounds" to help with the issue. I tried them all of a few days, but they didn't solve the issue.
So, I purchased a new midi interface, and went through another 2 weeks of going through the workarounds, which again didn't work.
So, I did it again... but didn't work.
So, I did it again... but didn't work.
I went through 4 or 5 (can't remember now) midi interfaces over 2-1/2 months before finally finding a little Edirol that would work, but that was really a controller keyboard with one interface, so it didn't serve my needs.

Finally, nearly 3 months later, I threw in the towel, and got Sonar.
Since that time, I've been quite happy with the product. I still also use Logic Pro 7.2 on my Mac, but on Windows I'm all Sonar.

Are there things I'd like it to be better at?
Of course... I want some seriously advanced midi editing... carefully designed, a la the midi threads that go on from time to time on this forum.
I'd also like to see the upgrade schedule relaxed to 18 months instead of 12, even if the cost for the upgrade is raised slightly... Take your time

Would I stop using it?
No, and I recommend it highly.

Other things that are a definite factor (in no particular order):
- licensing/copy protection scheme is actually respectful in all Cakewalk products
- price
- forum
- product support/patches

Thanks Cake,
- zevo

My first DAW was Acid 3, sometime around 1999 or 2000 if I remember correctly. I was just learning about computers and software and it was perfect for me then. I would chop up loops and samples and arrange them in Acid, and I thought that was as good as it got until around 2001ish when I heard about the soon to be released Sonar 2 and the upcoming Cubase SX.

After they came out I "played around" with each app for a while, discoveing VST synths for myself in the process. I liked Cubase's innovative interface (at the time) and really cool MIDI features. However, Sonar's interface, although much more plain, was much easier for me to get into. I found that I would take projects farther in Sonar, and that I could also incorporate some of what I was doing in Acid with it's Groove Clips.

It wasn't long before I built myself a new computer (P4 1.6ghz) as well as an Aardvark Q10. The cool thing about the Q10 was that it came with a copy of PA9, which I emmediately upgraded to Sonar 2.2. A few months later I upgraded to Sonar 2.2 XL, and I have purchased each Producer Edition upgrade since.

Looking back I am so happy that I chose to go with Sonar. I've always enjoyed the app and have had a blast watching it grow from where it was at the turn of the century until now.

Thanks Cakewalk!