They should not have been selling a product when they knew they were shutting down, not very nice, for the trusting consumer anyway.
Out of principle I stopped using Sonar, I am back using Audacity until I get the cash to buy a supported and updated piece of software from what I hope now will not be a company that will rip me off.
I purchased 10/28/17 they state they shut down 11/17/17 I received no notice they where done.
Updates and Support are two of the main features in purchasing the software which I had paid for and cannot use less than one month after I had purchased the software. Sonar made no notice direct to me the customer, I found out from a friend that also uses Sonar and he had been to a reseller’s website and saw that they were no longer selling Sonar software. That is when he went to the Sonar website and saw they had closed the business and had told me, otherwise I would not have known until I visited the web sites home page.
I think what they did was illegal, it sure is unethical. Probably not enough people got burned by Gibson for anyone to bother to do any kind of class action suit. I don’t have the time or money to chase these monkeys.
- 1. No more updates
From the CalkWalk website here is what they state about Sonar updates that were to be included in the price but will no longer be provided since the company has been closed.
“SONAR now boasts a powerful new line up designed to meet the needs of any musician, regardless of skill level or budget. You always get the latest and greatest version no matter when you make your purchase. In addition, ****enjoy 12 months of rolling updates***** and keep everything you received - forever.”
Also on the same web page is a matrix of Core Features of the different versions of Sonar software and for Sonar Pro the version I purchased the second Core Feature in the list “Updated” shows that *****Sonar Pro would be updated on a Monthly basis. *****
According to the Sonar web sites main page they are no longer releasing updates.
“Today we say Thank You to all of our users past and present, for helping make Cakewalk a staple in the world of digital audio for 30 years. Gibson Brands has officially announced the end of active development of Cakewalk branded products, but our site and servers will remain active for those who have made our products a part of their workflow. This change will not affect the performance of current or legacy versions of SONAR in any way. While *****we are no longer releasing updates*****, the ways you can access your products will remain the same. For users with a rent-to-own plan, your payments have been automatically discontinued and we have unlocked SONAR so you can continue using the software without interruption.“
From CakeWalks knowledgebase FAQ web page there will be no updates.
“I purchased SONAR within the last year, what happens with updates?If you have purchased within the last year, you own the product outright. *****We will no longer be able to offer monthly updates******, but you will still be able to utilize the version of SONAR you own.”
- 2. Support has been stripped and is very limited to what would be expected if the company were still in business.
According to the Sonar web sites main page moving forward there will be limited staff, and how long will that staff be available.
“Moving forward, *****a small transition team will remain active to help****** and our Knowledge Base and User Forum will also remain intact for those in need of technical assistance. Please visit the following links for more information:”
From CakeWalks knowledgebase FAQ web page they state that there will only be limited support.
“What type of support should we expect moving forward?*******Technical support is available on a limited basis for members******* with an active SONAR membership. We encourage legacy users to utilize our Knowledge Base and User Forum for help with older versions.”
- Lets add insult to injury