I've had some trouble with Sonar latley, and I have to admit that I've downloaded some demos of other DAW's just to see what's on the other side of the fence.
But one thing thats strikes me, is that I really love the smart tool!
It's amazing how fast i am able to do the things I need with this tool. 


So if we only could get a b patch soon, with some fixes of all the strange things are happening, I would be a very happy man

I like it very much myself.

I as well, it does almost everything for me as long as you know the shortcut keys to press with it at the same time.
I rarely ever switch tools from the standard smart tool.

how dare you cheat on sonar with other demos. im telling :)

Same here...   I prefer the X1 method vs. a number of dedicated tools.   I like that in the TV I can select, move and drag with the Smart Tool...  and in the PRV I can add and edit without ever switching tools - and X2 has improved that aspect for me.
 
 

It is indeed a "smart" tool and I would dread having to go back to any previous way of working in the PRV & TV

Well done Cake for really thinking through its practical implementation 

I find the smart tool incredibly handy.  As Bristol_Jonesey said, it is well thought through.
 
I rarely choose another tool, although I do use "smart tool" + alt to bring up the scissor/split tool a lot.
 
It's just one of the many aspects of X1 and X2 that makes recording/editing so much easier, quicker and intuitive.

Another smart tool lover here. I rarely use anything else other than the mute tool for comping and some of the shape tools for envelopes. Now I'm used to it I can't imagine the pain of going back to the "Classic" way of having to change tools manually everytime I use the PRV.

I like pressing D for draw and E for erase. 

S for select works real good too.

That system works so good I haven't seen a need to change it.

Actually, I'd like to go back to the SONAR 4 implementation when the PRV tools were at their best.

There are many examples of how fast you can work when your tool isn't automatically changing states in an effort to show you how smart it is.

Here's link to a 6 part video series showing Theordore Kruger rocking SONAR 4 which he used until recently because after SONAR V4 Classic Edition, Cakewalk started improving the PRV tools in a way that slowed him down.

Here's a link to a video where you will see that he recently switched to Presonus Studio One because Cakewalk has elected to cater to the preferences of fewer and fewer customers, year on year, for the past few years. Mr. Kruger spent a few years asking why Cakewalk messed up the PRV tool, and finally, like so many of us, he went off and found alternatives.


How come there aren't any killer PRV composing videos showing how slow SONAR X is?




The folks that have applauded the devolution of SONAR do seem very happy. 

Unfortunately, there are not enough SONAR X customers to float the operation... hence the lay offs and early retirements.







Personally, I like the option of pressing S, E, and D etc. and knowing exactly what tool I'm using and having that tool stay in it's selected state no matter how casually I position the cursor. That is a classic work flow that is likely to be around for a long time.

I look forward to a time when Cakewalk management learns how to consider ideas while implementing the best ones rather than just making changes for the sake of saying that changes were made. 


A practice that seems to please less and less customers, year on year, isn't sustainable.



all the best,
mike

I love the smart tool as well. Once I learned a few key combos, it just works!

Personally, I like the option of pressing S, E, and D etc. and knowing exactly what tool I'm using and having that tool stay in it's selected state no matter how casually I position the cursor. That is a classic work flow that is likely to be around for a long time.

 
Which is why you're still using 8.5, yes?
 
I also have S1, where the same "three tool" concept is in place.  So I know, without a doubt, that I prefer the Smart Tool method because I can go back and forth between the two PRVs.  Casually positioning the cursor just doesn't seem to be an issue for me.
 
I like listening to classic rock.  I like looking at classic cars.   Yet I prefer not to use classic SONAR.