...but let's be honest, it's nowhere near enough. I think the patience is wearing thin even in those who have "blind" loyalty. The temptation to hurl one's self overboard and try ones chances on another ship grows stronger and stronger... 
 
Gotta say, that because I have the time & that money isn't a issue, I've done just that!
 
Spent a week looking, reading, checking out & investigating & I like what I've seen.
 
So I bit the bullet and went for the full version of Q7.
 
Where I bought it, sold 3 copies yesterday, 2 the day before , 2 the day before that, etc.
In fact I think his stock is depleted now. 
 
Seems there moving off the shelf pretty fast. I'm betting that some of those sales are inevitably from here. 
 
Good for him - even better for Steinberg.
 
Might not bode so well for Cake though.
 
I'm not bailing on Sonar by any means, especially since I've invested so much into it, but I am only human.
 
Therefore my eyes have indeed given into the temptation of that 'pretty new thing' at the end of the bar, after the current Mrs. 'stormed off to the washroom in a torrential b*tchfest' - without apology, explanation or any suitable reasoning - just complete silence, and now just continually ignoring me - unfair, and hardly attractive.
 
I like Jim Roseberry's idea of using different tools across different platforms - 'by committee' as said.
 
I does seem that no one DAW has it all - not yet and maybe not ever.
 
I too am looking forward to a fresh start though, as mentioned here by an other. 

I think it will force Cakewalk to really up their game - big time. They have produced excellent products for years and I still believe that they will produce something stellar at some point - hopefully soon.
The lack of maintenance fixes is dreadful though and its what finally tipped me over to the dark side :) One patch since Sept 2012 is no where near good enough.
Looking at C7.0.5. its not just a maintenance release - there are new features too. Its brilliant. Come on cakewalk - get it together!!

Zo
I'm amazed to see how people compare Daw , specially according to upadtes and fixes !! lol for real i'm amazed !!!
 
a lot of updates indicates 2 things :
 
1) Good maintenance
2) a lot of bugs
 
OR
 
1) alot of bugs
2) Slow maintenance ....

 
https://www.steinberg.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=181&t=43780

In my opinion, a lot of updates indicates:
     1) Dedication to resolving issues
     2) Product improvement
     3) Respect for customers and two-way communication
For six months now, Sonar X2a still has a lot of bugs, and its maintenance is not just slow, it's non-existent.  Also non-existent is any communication whatsoever from Cakewalk/Roland about the product's status.
 
The X series is a great direction, but it needs a lot of work.  The UI enhancements are wonderful, yet with the other hand they taketh away.  Does anybody find it incredible that X2a Preferences STILL has full color customization, yet barely 10% (less?) actually work??  Not a dealbreaker in itself, but what an amateur move across two major versions.
 
It's not just about colors, of course.  I run into new bugs regularly.  The bug reporter has been a black hole...never a word back (how about, "thanks for taking the time to report that; it is in our list to be fixed; here's the bug # and a link").  I've stopped reporting bugs, based on zero feedback.
 
I wouldn't be here if I didn't want Cakewalk to pull through this funk (the bad kind of funk ).  But being kept in the dark by the company I've supported for 12 years is a dealbreaker.

I can't help but be reminded of how Apple very quickly came out with those numerous TV ads with John Hodgeman in a suit representing the troubled Windows Vista and that other younger guy, much more casually dressed, representing the newer Macs.
 
Where they say, "I'm a Mac & I'm a PC".
 
And while Microsoft was scrambling to bail on Vista [as an admitted failure], and do their best to get Windows 7 out, all the while just counting all the lost sales going to Mac instead.
 
I can't imagine being behind the 8 ball and having the pressure of getting something out quickly to secure some of those sales before they go elsewhere, and yet having to make sure that it's going to be something worth contending with.
 
The dichotomy of "Let's take our time & make this really good this time, since much of our customer base are clearly pissed, & yet "HEY, WE'RE LOSING SALES TO OUR COMPETITORS NOT BY THE MONTH, NOT BY THE WEEK, NOT BY THE DAY, BUT BY THE HOUR NOW!!" 
 
"We better hurry up!"
 
Oh the pressure of it all!  

zakufan

JRR blowout is selling cubase 6(Free upgrade to 7) and Halion 4 bundle for $343

$343?  Is there some discount code required?  The price I see listed is $449 (probably still not a bad price for the bundle).

dmbaer,
 
If you find the Cubase 6 + Halion bundle it says 449...add it to the cart, you get a discount 
of 67.35

Total Price = $381.65

Studious
Does anybody find it incredible that X2a Preferences STILL has full color customization, yet barely 10% (less?) actually work??  

Or that you can't copy automation on busses in any useful way....

cclarry
dmbaer,
 
If you find the Cubase 6 + Halion bundle it says 449...add it to the cart, you get a discount 
of 67.35

Total Price = $381.65

Thanks.  I poked around a bit and found two or three vendors selling the bundle for $369 (including an advertised free upgrade to v7).  I must say, this is a tempting opportunity.  I wasn't even considering jumping into these waters, but at this price ... Hmm!!!!

dmbaer

cclarry
dmbaer,
 
If you find the Cubase 6 + Halion bundle it says 449...add it to the cart, you get a discount 
of 67.35

Total Price = $381.65

Thanks.  I poked around a bit and found two or three vendors selling the bundle for $369 (including an advertised free upgrade to v7).  I must say, this is a tempting opportunity.  I wasn't even considering jumping into these waters, but at this price ... Hmm!!!!

It's well worth the money.  I use it.  It's feature set is vastly "above" X2 ( I shall again suffer the WRATH OF THE CAKE-ITES )

Peace!

Studious

Zo
I'm amazed to see how people compare Daw , specially according to upadtes and fixes !! lol for real i'm amazed !!!
 
a lot of updates indicates 2 things :
 
1) Good maintenance
2) a lot of bugs
 
OR
 
1) alot of bugs
2) Slow maintenance ....

 
https://www.steinberg.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=181&t=43780

In my opinion, a lot of updates indicates:
     1) Dedication to resolving issues
     2) Product improvement
     3) Respect for customers and two-way communication
For six months now, Sonar X2a still has a lot of bugs, and its maintenance is not just slow, it's non-existent.  Also non-existent is any communication whatsoever from Cakewalk/Roland about the product's status.
 
The X series is a great direction, but it needs a lot of work.  The UI enhancements are wonderful, yet with the other hand they taketh away.  Does anybody find it incredible that X2a Preferences STILL has full color customization, yet barely 10% (less?) actually work??  Not a dealbreaker in itself, but what an amateur move across two major versions.
 
It's not just about colors, of course.  I run into new bugs regularly.  The bug reporter has been a black hole...never a word back (how about, "thanks for taking the time to report that; it is in our list to be fixed; here's the bug # and a link").  I've stopped reporting bugs, based on zero feedback.
 
I wouldn't be here if I didn't want Cakewalk to pull through this funk (the bad kind of funk ).  But being kept in the dark by the company I've supported for 12 years is a dealbreaker.

12 years ? so you know that this funky wait is only happening with this release ...and all the relase were damn quik upadted ...including X1