burgerproduction
Well, today is the last day of the Samplitude deal. I downloaded the demo and have been playing about with it.
I'm sorry to report that I really don't like it very much. It does not sit well on a laptop screen. Might work better on a split screen, but on the laptop it feels crowded. I loved Sonar for it's ability to drag the screen around to fit tasks. Either I'm missing something or Samplitude just doesn't have that. A stupid example is, when you open a VST instrument, there is no minimise button on the window, so you have to close it and reopen it everytime you want to see the instrument panel. This can quickly get annoying especially with mutiple effects and synths.
Most importantly, it didn't recognise Trilogy or BFD. These are old plugins, but they are far superior to the instruments included with Samplitude. Updating to BFD3 is not an option (no upgrade deals anymore from BFD1) and I'm putting off an upgrade of Trilogy till I can justify it, so that was a deal breaker for me.
Spectral Layers etc.. seems very similar to the Ozone tools I already own. Even Cool Edit Pro can do a lot of what Spectral Layers does. It's a great bundle, but, on reflection, I just can't justify buying everything for the sake of a few tools.
Finally, I checked out all the demos of the instruments included and haven't heard anything better than what's on Rapture or Dimensions, and certainly not better than the Kontakt packs I've already bought.
So, despite the amazing financial discount. I'll be passing on this deal too. 
I really wanted to get excited about Samplitude, but I just couldn't. 

There are lots of ways to change the window layouts. You can move things around, dock them or have them as tabs. You can save different layouts too.
 
When you say it didn't recognize your plugins, what do you mean exactly? Have you added all your VST folders and scanned them? I have loads of old and new VSTs and they all scan and show up and work just fine.

riojazz
I liked the Samplitude demo well enough to purchase the deal on the Pro Suite.
 
They processed my order and sent an email with serial numbers but the number is a P2 number, which I understand to be for Samplitude P2 (not the current P3).  I assume there will be some process for them to verify my SONAR ownership and then they will send me the P3 number.  It's a weekend, so I'm waiting. 
 
Does this sound right to those who did purchase the crossgrade at $149?
 

P2 is the correct number. Are you getting an error when you enter it?

Ye

35mm
 
There are lots of ways to change the window layouts. You can move things around, dock them or have them as tabs. You can save different layouts too.
 
When you say it didn't recognize your plugins, what do you mean exactly? Have you added all your VST folders and scanned them? I have loads of old and new VSTs and they all scan and show up and work just fine.

I did move some windows around etc. but the minimize thing was really annoying and the overall space felt tight with that bottom window. I work on a laptop and having a huge VST window open was never a problem with Sonar; you just minimized it and maximized it when needed. With Samplitude, I didn't see a minimize tab top right. Maybe there is a way...but first impressions were that there wasn't one. Also on Sonar, the ease of pulling windows up, down, left right, was so easy.
 
Regarding plugins: This is a problem with 32bit plugins in a 64bit install. I've read on Presonus forums of people who've had similar problems (didn't check out Samplitude forums as they seem to be wholey populated with ex-Sonar people :)  It is solvable with JBridge, but when JBridge popped up in my Samplitude scan it didn't find BFDv1 or Trilogy. Reaper and Cubase had no such problem.
 
Ultimately, a DAW is like a car. They all do more or less the same thing, but it's a very personal choice. You either like it or you don't. I found Samplitude (like other Magix products) a bit Windows XP in feel. Slightly clunky design etc.. I'm sure it does everything right, but I wasn't blown away. I also was less than impressed with the synths. Nothing that I haven't already got. Many felt like bundled sounds that you get with Kontakt etc.
 
So, although the deal is an amazing price slash, I feel like a lot of us are considering buying it just because of the low price.

Well another deadline date arrives today and been playing around with the Samplitude demo - determined to like it.
 
I too am a little suspicious of the price based on the upgrade prices asked for Vegas Pro when they took it over. I have had some good experience with their support staff though getting all the old Sonic Foundry stuff authorised on Windows 10. Shame that the plug-ins are not unlocked.
 
I just got Samplitude to freeze - Midi editor open on a Session Drums clip and then clicking on an internal synth midi clip...
 
Gets great reviews in Sound On Sound.
 
Decisions, decisions...
 
M

35mm

riojazz
I liked the Samplitude demo well enough to purchase the deal on the Pro Suite.
 
They processed my order and sent an email with serial numbers but the number is a P2 number, which I understand to be for Samplitude P2 (not the current P3).  I assume there will be some process for them to verify my SONAR ownership and then they will send me the P3 number.  It's a weekend, so I'm waiting. 
 
Does this sound right to those who did purchase the crossgrade at $149?
 

P2 is the correct number. Are you getting an error when you enter it?

The registration windows immediately aborts no matter what I try.  Yes, my number starts with P2.  In some comment on the Magix forum I read about a P3 number. 
 
I only received the one number for Samplitude from their email.  I downloaded the Pro X3 Suite from the same link in that email.  The only thing I can think of is that I still have the demo version on the PC, but I ran the setup for the full Suite version and that's what I'm unable to register.  I'm only able to get past that window by staying in trial mode. 
 
User Scook just said the crossgrade offer is not SONAR specific.  But I have received nothing asking for proof of ownership of any other DAW.  Thanks.
 
EDIT: Solved. For some reason, it worked the third time.
 

It is not a crossgrade, don't expect a request for proof of anything from MAGIX. The sale is available to anyone.
 

I understand, thank you.  Then I wonder why I can't activate my registration.  I have a ticket with Magix Support.
 
The only way I can use the program is by the trial mode on the registration screen.  I cannot make the P2 password work with any combination of radio buttons.
 
SOLVED. It finally worked.
 

burgerproduction
Well, today is the last day of the Samplitude deal. I downloaded the demo and have been playing about with it.
I'm sorry to report that I really don't like it very much. It does not sit well on a laptop screen. Might work better on a split screen, but on the laptop it feels crowded. I loved Sonar for it's ability to drag the screen around to fit tasks. Either I'm missing something or Samplitude just doesn't have that. A stupid example is, when you open a VST instrument, there is no minimise button on the window, so you have to close it and reopen it everytime you want to see the instrument panel. This can quickly get annoying especially with mutiple effects and synths.
Most importantly, it didn't recognise Trilogy or BFD. These are old plugins, but they are far superior to the instruments included with Samplitude. Updating to BFD3 is not an option (no upgrade deals anymore from BFD1) and I'm putting off an upgrade of Trilogy till I can justify it, so that was a deal breaker for me.
Spectral Layers etc.. seems very similar to the Ozone tools I already own. Even Cool Edit Pro can do a lot of what Spectral Layers does. It's a great bundle, but, on reflection, I just can't justify buying everything for the sake of a few tools.
Finally, I checked out all the demos of the instruments included and haven't heard anything better than what's on Rapture or Dimensions, and certainly not better than the Kontakt packs I've already bought.
So, despite the amazing financial discount. I'll be passing on this deal too. 
I really wanted to get excited about Samplitude, but I just couldn't. 

Open up your mind and forget how to think sonar. Learn Samplitude one by one and then decide whether it is right for you or not. Have a video how to use Samplitude Pro x on youtube. You can find out what you want to do. Hope you'll try it again.

burgerproduction
Ye

35mm
 
There are lots of ways to change the window layouts. You can move things around, dock them or have them as tabs. You can save different layouts too.
 
When you say it didn't recognize your plugins, what do you mean exactly? Have you added all your VST folders and scanned them? I have loads of old and new VSTs and they all scan and show up and work just fine.

I did move some windows around etc. but the minimize thing was really annoying and the overall space felt tight with that bottom window. I work on a laptop and having a huge VST window open was never a problem with Sonar; you just minimized it and maximized it when needed. With Samplitude, I didn't see a minimize tab top right. Maybe there is a way...but first impressions were that there wasn't one. Also on Sonar, the ease of pulling windows up, down, left right, was so easy.
 
Regarding plugins: This is a problem with 32bit plugins in a 64bit install. I've read on Presonus forums of people who've had similar problems (didn't check out Samplitude forums as they seem to be wholey populated with ex-Sonar people :)  It is solvable with JBridge, but when JBridge popped up in my Samplitude scan it didn't find BFDv1 or Trilogy. Reaper and Cubase had no such problem.
 
Ultimately, a DAW is like a car. They all do more or less the same thing, but it's a very personal choice. You either like it or you don't. I found Samplitude (like other Magix products) a bit Windows XP in feel. Slightly clunky design etc.. I'm sure it does everything right, but I wasn't blown away. I also was less than impressed with the synths. Nothing that I haven't already got. Many felt like bundled sounds that you get with Kontakt etc.
 
So, although the deal is an amazing price slash, I feel like a lot of us are considering buying it just because of the low price.

You don't need to mess about with jbridge. Samplitude supports both 32 and 64bit VSTs.
 
I hear you with the "not like Sonar" issue, but the best advice is to forget about looking for another Sonar because you won't find one. Whatever DAW you decide to get will be different and have its own quirks. And it does take time to get used to a new DAW once you have got used to the Sonar way.
 
As far as I know, you can't minimize VST windows in Samplitude. You also can't in Studio One and others. I personally never minimised them in Sonar. I just open and close them as needed. You might have to change your workflow to get around that issue. In Samplitude, there may be a keyboard shortcut for hiding/showing the VST window as there seem to be shortcuts for virtually everything. It would be worth asking at the forum.
 
By 'bottom window', do you mean the section with the transport or the tabbed sections above that? The transport can be moved or docked to where ever you want it or hidden. The section above that with the tabs can be hidden simply by double-clicking on the active tab or using the minus sign. That whole section can also be moved, docked, undocked etc. You can also grab any one of the tabs and just move that tab to where ever you want it. For example, the midi/score editor is in that section. I decided I didn't like it there, so I moved it to the main timeline window so now the timeline and midi/score editor are both tabs in the main window and I have saved that as my main layout. The windows are actually very configurable, more so than Sonar. It does take a bit of getting used to but I am sure you will find you can make it the way you want it. The whole software is actually very configurable.

Mus 
I just got Samplitude to freeze - Midi editor open on a Session Drums clip and then clicking on an internal synth midi clip...

I haven't got Samplitude to crash at all yet I don't think. I've found it to be a lot more stable than Sonar so far. I haven't tried using Session drums in it though.