cyberzip
I have a few questions for someone who has used Cubase and Sonar:

1. How is the MIDI editing in Cubase 9.5 compared to SPlat? As good as, worse or better?
2. How is working with WAV loops and can you audition/preview loops in time with the project?
3. How is the general performance and stability compared to Sonar?

Fun fact: I noticed that Cubase just received a 64 bit mixing engine in v9.5, Sonar had that since (at least) 2005... :)
 
Thanks for any input!

1. MIDI editing in Cubase is one of the main reasons I "jumped ship" earlier this year. It's really good, but you have to learn some new things and adapt to another work-flow. That said, it was easy for me to make the jump from Sonar. With the new Cubase 9.5 you can even pick up a MIDI clip and drop it into an sampler track, to create a audio loop that can be edited like any audio clip.
 
2. I do not use loops very often, but I recall you can indeed audition/preview the loops in time with the project.
 
3. For me the performance is good. Comparable with Sonar. And the program is rock-stable on my computer. But, like it's often the case, it all depends on good and stable hardware of course.
 
Hope this helps.

Wow. They took down the Steinberg sticky because a few didn't like it? 
 
For anyone thinking about Cubase... I purchased the Cubase Pro crossgrade $255 from Sweetwater Friday. Got a call from the sales rep same day. Asked me if I was aware that I purchased a crossgrade. I told him yes... from Sonar. He sent the receipts and download info the same day. I already have a eLicenser, as I was thinking about some getting software that required it, but ended up never purchasing it.
 
I installed the eLicenser and Control Center with no problems. Got the download link for Steinberg's Download Assistant. Downloaded the entire 11.5 GB Friday night... within a couple hours or so at 3MBps... with no problems. Installed and activated Saturday morning. Have my VST and VSTi menus set up. About ready to dive in with a first project.
 
Cubase Pro looks fairly easy to get into, but appears able to go quite deep if needed. Think I'll get the Streamworks Cubase 9 training to get a better handle on it. I stopped using Sonar VSTs and VSTi long ago because there's so much 3rd party stuff that's just better for what I want to do. So I was also able to install Cubase Pro with none of the extra instruments, as I just want a fully functioning DAW.
 
I'm glad Steinberg came on the forum, and the sticky was posted. Got Cubase Pro up and running within a couple days, with no problems whatsoever, and for a great crossgrade price. I'll use Sonar for the projects I had going. But plan to start delving into Cubase Pro post haste.
 
On Sonar, it's really developed into a great DAW, and is (was) working more flawlessly than ever (for me, since 2005). Hard to believe that somehow all the great work and code that went into its creation could just be dropped. But if it wasn't profitable, and couldn't get market share to keep it afloat... taking it offline for any length of time, and the uncertainty of future support, will just make it that much harder to get any market share in the future. I don't see it coming back. Would be nice for MS to fully pick it up and support it. But they either are or aren't... all the petition signing in the world won't make it so.
 
Good luck Sonar users!

35mm
I have heard people saying that the crossgrade they got from Sweetwater is not a full package. The plugins are demo versions. So that maybe something to watch out for.

That doesn't sound right.
Can someone who bought from SW confirm or deny this?  Not something that should be guessed at.

cityrat

35mm
I have heard people saying that the crossgrade they got from Sweetwater is not a full package. The plugins are demo versions. So that maybe something to watch out for.

That doesn't sound right.
Can someone who bought from SW confirm or deny this?  Not something that should be guessed at.

No, it doesn't sound right. I saw this from a post on the Steinberg forums;
"...I am wondering if this cross-grade is going to be with all instruments (VST) full version? The one what I got from Sweetwater has only trial version of all VST. To buy full versions I'll pay all together as much as regular price."

cityrat

35mm
I have heard people saying that the crossgrade they got from Sweetwater is not a full package. The plugins are demo versions. So that maybe something to watch out for.

That doesn't sound right.
Can someone who bought from SW confirm or deny this?  Not something that should be guessed at.

It looks like a strange story to me. As far as I know there is no "Limited Pro" edition. It could be that they mistake the Halion Sonic SE edition for a demo version. Halion Sonic SE 3 is not the full Halion or Halion Sonic of course. But Halion Sonic SE 3 is fully functional and you can also buy great sound packages for it (I personally like the "Dark Planet" soundset). The same goes for Groove Agent SE 4. It's fully functional, but a cut down version from the full Groove Agent 4. Do not mistake "cut down" for "limited", because you can do a LOT with those Plugins.

cityrat
That doesn't sound right.
Can someone who bought from SW confirm or deny this?  Not something that should be guessed at.

Shouldn't be. Sweetwater advertises it as the complete product.

Though I rarely do this, once in a blue moon I will have a reason to mention to someone that I'm atheist. Sometimes they'll say something along the lines of 'Oh, well you don't know what you're missing so maybe you should read the bible just to see if its for you...' And I tell them that I have read the bible and that's why I'm atheist. 

Though I rarely do this, once in a blue moon I will have a reason to mention to someone that I use Sonar. Sometimes they'll say something along the lines of 'Oh, well you don't know what you're missing so maybe you should try Cubase just to see if its for you...' And I tell them that I have used Cubase and that's why I use Sonar. 

Sonar is a dead horse so I guess I'm going to have to ride a dead horse for a while. But sooner or later I'm going to have to find a new DAW. I have no idea what that will be, but based on my experience with it, if Cubase is really be the best substitute for Sonar my days of making music might be numbered. I'll try it when the time comes. But I ain't holding out much hope.

https://www.steinberg.net...cubase/comparison.html
 
"including HALion Sonic SE, Groove Agent SE, Padshop, Retrologue and LoopMash"
 
Halion and Groove Agent come as cut down versions of the their bigger siblings, but are far from a demo state. They both have huge libraries.
 
 

"Over 5 hours of HD video tutorials "

Would love to know 
1) Where they are
2) are they organised under one user name.

JohanSebatianGremlin
Though I rarely do this, once in a blue moon I will have a reason to mention to someone that I'm atheist.

Don't worry.  We won't tell anybody. :)
 
I know what you mean about SONAR's reputation.  It was the biggest secret in the DAW industry.  The big problem was that the X1/X2 stability was really poor for many users and Cakewalk never recovered from that- although they really did make a heroic effort.  Now that we have to assess other DAWs, I am coming to the conclusion that none of them are nearly as elegant as SONAR.
 
Cubase looks OK, but feels like a 1990s program to me -- a 1990s program that runs well and has a lot of function added recently.  Functionally, it has some very strong areas (notation, chord track and probably some other really strong areas).  And it has some  significant voids -- the poor Melodyne support being the biggest one I have come across. 
 
What troubles me most about the lack of ARA support is the fact that Steinberg seems to think their own pitch and time correction code is so good that they simply don't understand why anybody would want a seamless Melodyne implementation.  I'm not sure I want to get hooked up with a company that thinks that way.  I would like to see a clear statement of direction about industry standards.