I'm now using S1 producer 30% of the time. If it ever becomes 50/50 I'm gone. In my mind, X2 is the one I want, but the lack of forward momentum is discouraging. I started out buying only Cakewalk and Roland hardware/software but now I'm focused on generic products that will work with everything. Too many obsolete Roland products on the shelf.

Some valid arguments here in my opinion. Some I agree with, some I'm not sure on because of what we don't know. I think that's what bothers me the most...this whole secretive thing going on. It's sort of like me working on client material and not contacting that client to let them know approximately when I'll be done or the fact that "I'm working on it, but it may take a bit longer than expected."
 
I know the software business is a bit more difficult than that....but we have seen that there are bugs that are recognized in X2. Yet, there is no indication on whether or not they would be fixed. One thing that I am totally against, is when software doen't work right and then they sell you "the new version" that has the fixes and it costs you money. I just think that's totally wrong and if there is no way to remedy it, it's time to adjust your business to where you can.
 
For what it's worth, one thing I've learned in life that really makes me feel better, is when I return the silent treatment back to someone or some corporation. Just as they have been silent without giving us anything...if I decide to use another product, I'll just disappear from here being just as silent. It doesn't pay to rant, wish for or try to get through to a company that just feels silence is the best bet.
 
The other side of the coin playing Devils advocate, I've seen the Bakers take some shots BECAUSE they shared bugs, approximate releases and....just for posting on another topic, someone would jump in and give them a bag of crap about something Sonar related. If you're the boss for that company, you tell your people "stay off the boards...the less controversy, the better. You mean well, but it only opens you up for attack."
 
And that, is exactly what I've seen time and time again. Some of is deserved, other times....definitely not. It's a tough situation to be in for us, and for them if you look at things realistically. But that's just my take.
 
-Danny

With the recent survey just a while ago it almost seems like they're just starting to work on it.
I doubt it, I'm sure they've been busy.
 
Myself I'm guessing an X3 release in Oct/ November...

robert_e_bone
And your issues are?
 
Bob Bone

Off the top of my head...
 
1. Sonar doesn't retain velocity settings in PRV; specifically, it doesn't retain the fact the I've disabled it. 
2. The PRV frequently opens zoomed way out for no reason.
3. If I try to set Snap to 1 sample, it sets it to 1600. I have to type "01" to get one sample.
4. Peak markers in TV only partially display until I wiggle my mouse around.
5. Tracks are periodically left out when exporting - even though they're highlighted.
6. X2 crashes more than any other version of I've used. I've had days when it's crashed 10 or more times.

X3 soonish....

benjaminfrog

robert_e_bone
And your issues are?
 
Bob Bone

Off the top of my head...
 
1. Sonar doesn't retain velocity settings in PRV; specifically, it doesn't retain the fact the I've disabled it. 
2. The PRV frequently opens zoomed way out for no reason.
3. If I try to set Snap to 1 sample, it sets it to 1600. I have to type "01" to get one sample.
4. Peak markers in TV only partially display until I wiggle my mouse around.
5. Tracks are periodically left out when exporting - even though they're highlighted.
6. X2 crashes more than any other version of I've used. I've had days when it's crashed 10 or more times.

1-3 could have something to do with the snaps function "last touched" turn it off.
2? set it up and save it in screentsets, it saves zoomed settings.
4-wiggle my mouse.....next.
5 haven't seen this happen yet.
6 the crashing, if its crashing 10 times a day, it could be something other than sonar.
a soundcard, a plug in, hard drive, ram.
 
don't get me wrong, ive had sonar crash just because of sonar before but typically continuous crashes are something other.
 
I do agree though, a little communication from the cakers would be nice.
and the lack of an update (yes even one) is a little concerning.
I cant say im not able to go about my day though and be very productive.
im not being held back by show stoppers, annoyed ? why yes I am.
there are several little quirks about x2 that gets on my nerves.
 
sorry man, not here to crash the party,
we do share some mutual feelings on the issue.
 

jimusic

Studious
You are far from alone in feeling abandoned by Roland/Cakewalk.  It is the main reason many have recently switched to competing software, and why many more are on the verge of doing the same.

I'm one of the '99' as well. My Q7 just arrived last night, and I'm just about to unwrap it.
 
Am I done with Sonar?
 
As stated in another post - 'No'...but...while I'm waiting for Sonar to grace us with one of their well kept secrets, be it an update, upgrade, new version, bankruptcy, whatever, I'll be working with, learning, & getting very used to a competitors DAW.
 
Now...the longer Cake takes - it only stands to reason - the more comfortable I'll be getting 'over there', and may not necessarily want to come back.
 
Ask me then if I'm done with Sonar. I may be. Who knows? - time will tell.
 
In the meantime, I, and it looks like a number of others will be wading into different waters - different ripples - different waves - and a whole new, different temperature. 

As the old saying goes, "the grass is always greener on the other side".  I think Sonar X2 is an amazing program.  I've done a complete 180 degree turn, when X1 first appeared I hated the new interface, and the program was unusable it was so buggy, as everyone knows.  But X2 fixed a lot of the problems that should have been fixed in beta.  I began looking at Cubase 6.5, then 7, and also Digital Performer for Windows.  When it comes to a DAW with notation, there are just not that many choices.   I am finding X2 very stable, audio and MIDI all work as expected and many of the bugs I find are definitely not show-stoppers, many are graphics-based, for example, when a MIDI sequence has tempo changes, the waveform does not display correctly; audio is fine, it's the graphics.  Same with staff view, playback is great, but notation errors exist. 
 
I just got done testing DP 8.04 for Windows over the past week.  It is extremely unstable, very buggy and I had to remove it from my machine.  It would not record audio, even though I am using a MOTU 2408 mk3 interface with the most up-to-date drivers.  MIDI playback was horrible also; missing notes, notes being triggered that were not even on the same port or channel of any track I created and notes were not being ended properly, very long release times even though I put no cc commands in for release time.  I am also using a MOTU MIDI Express XT MIDI interface with the most up-to-date drivers.  I was on the phone with MOTU for about an hour, we tried everything but we could not get it to record audio or play back MIDI without major errors.  I got off the phone, uninstalled it and shipped the program back to Sweetwater for a refund. 
 
I agree that the Cakewalk company image is not positive.  They keep releasing new versions and not fixing bugs that they know about.  It's one thing for software to have bugs, all software does.  It's an entirely different issue when a company knows about specific bugs and does nothing to fix them.  That disappoints me because it shows contempt for their customers and shows that craftsmanship is taking a back seat to profits.  I want to see X2b as much as anyone.  I have reported at least 7 unique bugs in X2a to CW.  Will they fix any of them?  Maybe, but then again, maybe not.  I really wanted to move to Digital Performer, the interface is really nice and the program is very logical and not difficult to learn but it is unusable on my DAW, which has 16GB RAM, 2 fast 7200 rpm hard drives, a fast i7 multi-core processor and is dedicated solely to music production.
Since I cannot stand the GUI of Cubase 7, that's out of the question. 
 
Like all of us human beings, software is not perfect and probably never will be.  But when a company knows there are issues and won't fix them, and won't communicate with its user base in a forthright way, well, that's not good karma for them.  And if Roland decides to stop selling Sonar, we all lose.
 
JG
www.jerrygerber.com
 
 

ampfixer
I'm now using S1 producer 30% of the time. If it ever becomes 50/50 I'm gone. In my mind, X2 is the one I want, but the lack of forward momentum is discouraging. I started out buying only Cakewalk and Roland hardware/software but now I'm focused on generic products that will work with everything. Too many obsolete Roland products on the shelf.

Uncanny.  That totally states where I'm at, including using Studio One Pro about a third of the time!  I was a solid Roland buyer for a decade or more but they seem to have lost their energy, drive and market leadership.

FWIW, I was talking to Brandon at Gear Fest last weekend and he said there would be something released yet
This year. Of course he could not say what it was (x2b or x3).
He also said there are some very cool things in the works between sonar and Roland.
Sonar/cakewalk is alive and healthy.

So if you feel you've been wronged by the lack of communication or a fix and feel the need to jump ship, then you gotta do what you Gotta do.
Keep in mind that they are still feeling the effects of a corporate change.
Anyone that is in the business world that has been thru this knows that it is NOT just business as usual after that.
It takes time for things to settle out.
This translates into what we are seeing right now.
Be patient folks. Good things will come.

Release a patch, Bakers or I will be migrating to Reaper and eventually CuBase. I'll still use X2 because there are many things I like about it but the bugs are too much to bear for advanced use.
 
I know you guys read these threads. Don't let me (us) down.