Maybe they're waiting for Summer Namm. Let's hope.

im thinking were moving to another version myself, cant be sure but I wouldn't doubt it.
im happy with x2, id like to see it improved but for the most part I've had great luck with it and fail to see the show stoppers, "the problems that cause no work to get done"
but this is only me, and my success doesn't actually account for others having real issues.
but even those real issues, they don't appear to be show stoppers. but then again im not in those shoes so I don't know, that why my opinion must be taken for face value..its just my opinion.
as is your opinions. what might be an issue for others is working fine for others.
that's why its so confusing.

yet I do keep hearing some of the same gripes, good ones too.
like staff, take lanes, color customization, vst 3.
these are genuine things id like to see addressed.

I've always wanted a true vari-speed feature, too.

Teds_Studio


Free updates does not generate any revenue income.  Paid upgrades do......

True but free updates are also a way to field test fixes that will go into the next version.

Free updates/bug fixes can also stave off revenue loss from lost customers.

what might be an issue for others is working fine for others. that's why its so confusing.

Exactly, that can be a problem while trying to troubleshoot issues.
I personally feel that they are working on a patch. 
There are quite a few 'little' problems that must be addressed so maybe they're being sure to fix as many as they can to be able to offer us the best product they can.


Here's hoping anyway.


Mike 

Let me place here an example of how this can go down. It is obvious to many, including myself that X1/X2 have changed a lot of things from previous Sonar releases. MANY things. There are other software companies that do this. Microsoft is one of them that quickly comes to mind. Adobe is another. Facebook is yet another. 

Many people use Adobe Photoshop. I started on version 4. My dad started on version 1. There's been almost no gripes about bugs and weirdness in many of these versions. My dad still uses version 7. I use CS3 and CS6. Adobe still sells many newer versions, and put in nice features to make workflow better and better. But we never feel we need patches, just routine updates for things like RAW versions for new cameras and such. 

Microsoft released a few Duds, and they've NEVER lived down those bombs. Does anyone remember "Me"? We all recall Vista. They worked, but not as well as previous releases. Microsoft was quick to replace them. When Apple released Snow Leopard, it was dubbed, "Leopard: Improved". There were many instances of the underground slogan related to Windows 7. It was, "Vista: Fixed". 

I would imagine Cakewalk should  want to work out the kinks and gripes in any version before shooting for the next big bright, shiny objects. My perception of X2 is "We're not there yet, but very close!". I really would like not to have that impression of X2 when X3 is released. I don't want X3 to say to me, "Ok, let's try this again."

I'm not going to debate the challenges of Cakewalk, or the realities of how Cakewalk is structured vs. their customer-base and compare them to the bigger companies, but I am saying that, if the revenue and staff numbers are low, then the results could be that Cakewalk may have bitten off more market than they can service, and it's time to up the ante, not shrink staff. With the current workflow Cakewalk has/had for X1/X2, we can surely expect the same or less from X3.

I agree that updates do generate revenue by word of mouth and good communication. Lack of communication and updates in the presence of gripes and bugs, is a sign of being overwhelmed and uncertain.

There have been updates in June and August.

I shake my head when anyone complains about $100 per year for software some use 24-7.

I figger I use Sonar at least 50 days a year which means I will have paid about $2 a day for Sonar, Dimension Pro, Rapture, Sonitus plugs, Breverb, Audiosnap, VVocal,.....

It was stupid to lower the upgrade price for the X series. They should have increased Sonar's retail and upgrade price every year at least to keep up with inflation. They could have saved a bunch of bucs to not have to lay-off employees when most needed.  And the forum software could have been updated, and properly maintained.

And:::: they should have been releasing quick fixes monthly instead of waiting to issue a giant patch. 'Twould have been good to get some of the little bits fixed.

We had been told a number of times the software was moving to a framework structure so small updates could be installed more often.

Well, don't get me started.

I personally don't have problems with paying $100/yr for upgrades. Look at Waves. They have the WUP plan, which MANY gripe about. The issue is, otherwise, people buy up the plug-ins, and then, Waves goes under because nobody is left to purchase the existing plugs. So, in order to keep them up-to-date (ala 64-Bit), they can induce a Service Plan vs. deprecate the versions and force everyone to buy them all again. Which would tick you off more? 

In Cakewalk's case, I would rather pay $700 for Producer to get a better-tested, better deployed and more professionally accepted product. AVID has that more expensive market because they want it (well, and they were there early on in the studios). Cakewalk wants a lower-end market (my perception, anyway); the creative market. That's not to discount the engine behind Sonar. It rocks and is as professional as they come. But I would pay more for a better QA job from them and for better testing with 3rd-party products. I would pay $100 for a list of thoroughly qualified/tested hardware/software releases that Cakewalk will support, should we ask what hardware is 100% accepted by Sonar.

I would pay a maintenance subscription to get routine updates to fix small issues. I would pay as much as $10/mo for that ($120/yr), and should there be new features for the next version? What if I don't want them? I can just keep paying for my subscription and keep getting updates on the version I use. Now THAT's wisdom. Cisco Systems in the Tech World succeeded in a major way using that method. I mean, MAJOR way! Waves thrives because of it, too.

They should have risen the price to meet inflation, or be thrown into the same category as the other standard DAW makers, but not ProTools. If Cakewalk went after them before X1, they'd be competing with them, leaving others behind. They chose to stay in the moderate market, and now they must compete on price. 
Will Cakewalk take my advice? I expect them to discount me there because I'm just a single user. 

 Possibly they are waiting on MS to decide if they are going to go with the new retina scan controller technology in their improved version of 8 before releasing a patch? Gotta be on the cutting edge