I like it the way it is.
Will cakewalk still offer a yearly renewal  ?
 
 

Anderton

RD9
....
1) If CW has a new product or is changing the method of delivery (price, timing, etc) then articulate this clearly; be clear about what is being offered. 
 
2) If CW wants our opinion on a product or method of delivering it then articulate this clearly.
 
This is not the first time CW marketing tactics have created chaos with incomplete or unclear announcements...  From what I can see, though, you are doing your best to combat this and have always been an advocate for the customers so please accept my thanks.

I know what you're saying, but note the way this was rolled out...a specific offer to a specific group of people, who were asked not to post it on the forum. It was probably naive to think it wouldn't get posted, but it was, and unleashed a flurry of speculation (most of which is spectacularly wrong, but...it sure gives a great idea of what people have as their prioritized "wish lists," as opposed to just feature requests!).
 

Craig,
As we all know "honesty is the best policy" and this is really at the heart of what I have been suggesting; Clarity in what is being offered, what the cost is and who is eligible.  
 
This is likely to be my last post in this Forum since my membership runs out soon.  I wish CW the best and would like to thank all the Forum members for their assistance and advice.
 
Cheers
 
 

Just wanna say a big Thanks! to Joey for getting the email straightened out.
You rock!

letyourlightshine

Jim Kalinowski
Free lifetime membership for everyone?  That would be big.
 
The code-posted-on-git-hub is an interesting thought.   If you think there are some bugs in SONAR now, wait until the masses get their hands on it.

so you want to keep sonar from other people?thats strange.
i don't get how more users creates more bugs

Hmm... are you unfamiliar with git-hub? It's the standard repository for open source code. Which doesn't mean more users, it means more coders, as anyone who wants to can have a crack at it and post their work for consideration by the community (I'm not an expert, but I have the impression that's more or less how it goes). I don't think there's any reason to think Cakewalk is planning to release SONAR code as open-source, but if it were to happen, yes, there would quite likely be a proliferation of bugs. 

I found my Cleverbridge receipt. I bought through Cakewalk for 99.83 instead of using the cheaper JRR price.
 
I'll keep watching for an email. If I don't get one I'll pay the $149 and be happy about it. I did get an email for discount tires and a lawyer in my area... lol!
 
Sorry if it seems like I was whining about a good deal. I'll keep watching.... and still $149 is a good deal, just not the best deal.
 
It's all good.
Julien
 
 

First try at buying the lifetime membership ended up in an unsuccessful collision: Cleverbridge reported my credit card had been declined, but credit card company said the transaction had been approved. Waited a few days, tried again with success. My product page now shows membership to infinity. I anticipated continuing Platinum updates next year by paying a discounted $99 next January anyway. Easy decision to pay now (amounts to early action on buying 2017 like planned) and get all remaining years included as well. And now the May update is finally out (in "early look" mode), soothing any fears that the big announcement might throw a wrench into the schedule of monthly updates. I could have waited a couple of weeks to see the rest of the announcements, but Cakewalk's history of delivering high value over the past year gave me enough confidence to jump in now. Will be interesting to learn what else is coming up.
 
Note to Cakewalk: I apologize for posting part of my notification email content in this thread. I didn't see the confidentiality request until third reading, in part because it was way down at the bottom (had to scroll twice) and in small print, and the "for your eyes only" above was easy to take as applying to the link. Perhaps a different design might reduce the rate of errors if future communications go this route.

RD9

Anderton

RD9
....
1) If CW has a new product or is changing the method of delivery (price, timing, etc) then articulate this clearly; be clear about what is being offered. 

2) If CW wants our opinion on a product or method of delivering it then articulate this clearly.
 
This is not the first time CW marketing tactics have created chaos with incomplete or unclear announcements...  From what I can see, though, you are doing your best to combat this and have always been an advocate for the customers so please accept my thanks.

I know what you're saying, but note the way this was rolled out...a specific offer to a specific group of people, who were asked not to post it on the forum. It was probably naive to think it wouldn't get posted, but it was, and unleashed a flurry of speculation (most of which is spectacularly wrong, but...it sure gives a great idea of what people have as their prioritized "wish lists," as opposed to just feature requests!).
 

Craig,
As we all know "honesty is the best policy" and this is really at the heart of what I have been suggesting; Clarity in what is being offered, what the cost is and who is eligible.  
 
This is likely to be my last post in this Forum since my membership runs out soon.  I wish CW the best and would like to thank all the Forum members for their assistance and advice.
 
Cheers
 
 

Honesty is indeed the best policy. Cakewalk is a reputable company that has always engaged with customers directly, and more importantly, listened to the customer base. We've been in business for almost 30 years.
 
There was a subset of customers that renewed this year (and given us additional money) and have been some of our biggest supporters. We thought it was important to share part of this news with them first, as a sign of respect, ahead of the biggest announcement on June 1st. In the letter, many of the questions that have come up have been answered via the FAQ. Other points have been clarified by the Cakewalk Marketing group. The internet being the internet, of course this news gets spread and others begin to speculate. Additionally, people start dissecting every word to find a hidden meaning where there is not. 
 
Customers who have not renewed this year or ever upgraded to Platinum will also get a very nice offer to participate. We aren't going to be strip down SONAR Platinum either for them. The discounted price that is being discussed today is only for customers who already paid for a renewal this year. I have always believed in being honest with customers and doing right by them. I thought it was a nice sign of respect to let them know in advance and explain the situation. In reading the email, it is pretty clear what's going on if one decides not to decode every word. 
 
Excerpt from the email:
 

• No more paying for future upgrades, updates, fixes or renewals
• Continue to enjoy our Rolling Updates
• Pay only for optional add-ons and content

Clearly stated, you will not have to pay for any future updates for SONAR. Everything we put into SONAR, you receive. You continue to get the rolling updates, only they don't expire after a year. That also means you never have to pay for bug fixes (a long time gripe). You will only pay for optional stuff that we release that is not part of SONAR. We do that today as well. Z3TA+ 2, CA-2A, Rapture Pro, Videos, Expansion Packs, Third party products are all available as add-ons and for purchase separately. It was important to distinguish that so people don't think they get everything Cakewalk releases. Since we started this new model of rolling updates last year, there have always been the naysayers who had their reservations. I always thought actions speak loudest and we have been very active in delivering updates and the past 18 months. I believe we have been true to our word. 
 
Finally, this is certainly a bold move for SONAR. People speculate about this direction and the reasons. Simply put, we needed to do something bold and different. The DAW market has operated much in the same way for decades. Last year we took a step to change that by getting away from the annual upgrades and go to an agile delivery model. There was a lot of debate about it and sometimes when you do something first, you take more slack. Now we are upping the ante because we believe this is the future. There is precedent for this already in our industry from another company. 
 
Hopefully June 1st, we can fill in the rest of the story. All of which is very positive for current SONAR customers as well as those who are new to SONAR. 
 
 
 

Good morning 
One question. Is there a core difference between the now plat, pro, artist. Or just a difference of added features like a difference in car packages?

musicjohnnie
Good morning 
One question. Is there a core difference between the now plat, pro, artist. Or just a difference of added features like a difference in car packages?

http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Versions#features
 
How future features will be distributed amongst the versions, remains to be seen. I don't think CW will tell us everything they have planned, but odds are good it will be more or less in line with the current model. At least for a while. 

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]
...
Hopefully June 1st, we can fill in the rest of the story. All of which is very positive for current SONAR customers as well as those who are new to SONAR. 

Andrew, please rest assured that many of us have considerable faith in CW at this point, based on how things have been handled so far, for a long time and with very few exceptions... so while some of us may indulge in speculation - it's human nature, I'm sure you knew it would happen - and while there are certainly those who seem determined to find the dark conspiracy hidden in everything... a lot of us are just excited to see what's coming down the pipeline!