raisindot
The problem is, if you switch to something else, what happens to all the legacy projects you created in Sonar? Can any of these other programs convert them? 

Why not use SONAR for the legacy projects and use new DAW when creating new projects?
Other programs can not read SONAR projects.
 
Best way to export a song is to export audio and MIDI tracks so that they all start from the project start.
Then all the effects must be added manually to the new program. Most effects can store settings to files so it's possible to recall presets.
 
 

will Harrison accept waves plugin is it a full daw
 

Taurean Mixing

kennywtelejazz

Taurean Mixing

panup
I'm in the same situation as space_cowboy with an exception that I still run SONAR in Windows 7 and thus Microsoft's updates will most likely not prevent me from running SONAR as long as I want to.
 
However, I have to look for alternatives if development and maintenance is freezed. No need to do anything in a hurry but if SONAR 10.2017 is the last version in 2019 or 2020, I will look for alternatives.
 
Reaper - tested in 2014; I didn't like it at all.
S1 - tested in 2015. At that time SONAR won 6-0.
ProTools - I used it in early 2000's and have still no reason to go back to the past.
Cubase - was my alternative for SONAR in 2005. I went to SONAR because it worked and Cubase was unstable. Maybe, maybe.
 
 

Any thoughts on Samplitude? 
I have tested in the past myself, seemed like a viable alt.

IMHO, Samplitude is very good . I'm also a Samp user ..Pro X 2 . The learning curve can be a little tough .
As far as the DAW itself goes and the included plugs and tools ...it is a top shelf DAW
 
all the best,
 
Kenny

Cool, thanks for your opinion Kenny. That's pretty much what I thought of it. I'd start learning it then just come right back to Sonar, it just always won me over, so I let Samp sit on the back burner.
You know to this day, I don't think there is another DAW that allows the options in metering like Sonar does. It's often overlooked and indispensable.

 
I have gone back and forth between using SONAR and Samplitude for years ....
 
Kraznets u tube channel is probably the best place to learn Samplitude 
 
Kenny
 

I've only used two music programs - Cakewalk since about 1990 and Dr T's KCS for the Atari.
This thread is helping me decide what else to switch to if it comes to that. I know I can use Cakewalk for awhile, but it would be good to learn another program.

I thought maybe Cubase, which is one of the "industry leaders" but I'm not seeing a demo version available.  Probably try Reaper or Studio One.

I had Reaper for a while but found it, well, kind of geeky and FAR too full of parameters for this, parameters for that - a huge Christmas tree of stuck-on baubles; you might as while write the code yourself.
I've had Studio One for long time and got well into it, but parked it a while back because it really doesn't cater for MIDI so well as Sonar.  In fact, when it was first written the designers seemed to be of the opinion MIDI was a dying thing so hardly bothered with it all - there's no facility like Sonar's Instrument Definitions for using external MIDI hardware, for example.  It's screens are cramped compared with Sonar's and text is small.
 
My guess is that Sonar will continue, albeit with a small team behind it operating with very low overheads, kind of boutique-like.
 

Interesting that no one has mentioned ABLETON yet :D
 

And i do imagine IF Cakewalk Sonar is truly gone ( though I sincerely hold out for good news, SONAR user since early 90s DOS days and depressed over this ) then other DAWs like Ableton and Studio One Pro etc might be offering Cakewalk users some very enticing crossgrade offers?
 
BTW - I had a similar thing back when CALIGARI TRUESPACE went .. Had invested since beginning too .. 
 
 

Since I've used Wabelab for mastering for years, it makes sense that I go to Cubase, but this is no small decision. CW is the only DAW software I've ever owned. I think I'll keep using it until the wheels fall off. Maybe good news will come by then and make the decision easier--less difficult.

I've dabbled with Ableton, ever so briefly, and I didn't get on with it at all.

ableton live looks ugly