One feature stands out (and there are more.... the fun part being all the gifts Sonar is handing out to their customers) TAKE LANES.... It's so handy to select a part you are gonna record and then play that part severall times. When you stop all the takes are available on their own track. You listen and then decide wich one you will keep... Really really handy and it's done to perfection.

Thank you for your answers (and sorry my crappy english)! Well, the thing is that I don't want to pay for all those LE-versions (TH2, Breverb) 'cos I don't need them. It seems to me that Sonar is turning to some kinda LE/demo-software commercial that comes with a really good DAW. I wanna pay for full versions and that's why I've bought Amplitube 3 and ValhallaRoom reverb. I'd like to see Cakewalk Sonar X3 that stands for its own: no third party software (old versions, "upgrade to version X: only 150 euros/dollars for Cakewalk customers"), no LE-versions of any kind, no demo versions, etc. I decided not to upgrade, at least not yet. Just sold my other PODxt Live (yeah, I had two of them) and bought Superior Drummer 2.3 w/ Custom & Vintage SDX. Don't get me wrong: Sonar is still my favourite DAW, but I don't want to put my money on those yesterdays third party software versions I don't need.

CW has often offered third party plugins going back to Sonar 1 XL. Some have been light versions some not. But in any case I wouldn't view these two plugins as something you are paying for. View them as really nice free versions for X2. They add value without an extra expense to you. Who knows you may really like them enough to opt for the full versions. 

Good point, John. I wanna tell you my bad upgrade experience: Well, I bought Sonar 7 Producer back in May/June 2008 and liked that Dimension LE so much that I decided to buy full version. So I bought it (about 200 euros) and three(?) months later Sonar 8 comes out WITH Dimension Pro! Have to say that I felt little bit cheated for spending hundreds of euros to Sonar 7 AND Dimension Pro.

They did almost the same with the PC4K stuff and the Concrete Limiter : i bought them at full price, and now there is a -50% offer.
It seems it is better to wait before buying any extra stuff...

Timing is everything when buying something. Another way to look at it and the way I tend to see such things is two fold. First you had 7 months using it that others didn't. Second and most important at the time you were willing to buy it at that price. It held that high of value to you at that time. Latter when it was given out free that didn't devalue it as an item. It was and remains a fine sample player worth every penny you paid for it.

I bought Rapture too before it was given out free. I don't regret it. One last thing to consider is that I think its a good thing to support a company like CW and if sometimes we buy something that later is free who does it really hurt? I think it doesn't hurt anyone as long as you can afford it. 

Its support your DAW maker kind of thing.  

But I know it can seem to be bad timing on one's part just the same. C'est la vie. 

J4R10


Good point, John. I wanna tell you my bad upgrade experience: Well, I bought Sonar 7 Producer back in May/June 2008 and liked that Dimension LE so much that I decided to buy full version. So I bought it (about 200 euros) and three(?) months later Sonar 8 comes out WITH Dimension Pro! Have to say that I felt little bit cheated for spending hundreds of euros to Sonar 7 AND Dimension Pro.

Unfortunately this sort of thing happens all the time and as Jon rightly says, it's all about the timing on your part (which you couldn't foresee naturally)

But you did have use of the software for the 3 months - don't for get this aspect.

I too bought Rapture back in the summer, only to see it being part of X2.

And, I don't think the full version of DP was 200 dollars - though keener memories than mine might prove me wrong.

C'est la vie, mais sous les fourches caudines du marketing, my dear.

Dimension Pro (Upgrade from LE): 162 euros (it seems that quoting/preview doesn't work with Firefox)