Agreed that emulations aren't all that, but as Craig A said, this really was a work in progress, not a destiny of emulation. So, the idea was to make it native. Moot point now.

With that said, here's a few ways to view emulation. Software DSPs are intense. In order for your machine to perform the amount of DSP work that your projects probably will need, it needs to work as fast as it possibly can. But imagine trying to translate Windows software to Mac OS, like German to English at near-zero latency. Imagine having to make a VST plug-in work in AAX mode for PT with Bit-Bridging of sorts. Emulations are always taxing to a system, requiring more CPU and perhaps RAM because every process has to be translated. There's an additional layer of abstraction between the OS and the software. Any time that happens, there's a bottleneck in performance, and not much of a way to get around that.

ProTools had to use external DSP hardware modules for the encoding/decoding of the audio in earlier days, and still use this to handle incredibly large sessions. No way to emulate that. Even no native system could handle that much. Sonar couldn't really deal with AAX plug-ins because, for one, there's not really a need to, but even if it could, there has to be a translation. That translation slows things down. Bit-bridging from 32-Bit plug-ins to 64-Bit slows things down or intensifies CPU usage to try and keep up.

So, emulation does slow things down. You can buy a fast enough machine, but it will never out-perform the Windows Native environment. You can work, but on smaller sessions.

C Hudson
Anyhow, this is all for naught as Sonar on Mac is dead. Gibson did not give them the resources to do it right.

Given the low potential return on investment, the present instability of the Apple desktop market, Logic Pro X selling for $199, and the amount of resources and time required, IMHO (most definitely not speaking for Cakewalk or Gibson) I see no way Cakewalk could have made a convincing pitch to Gibson for the resources needed to pull this off. 

brconflict
Agreed that emulations aren't all that, but as Craig A said, this really was a work in progress, not a destiny of emulation. So, the idea was to make it native. Moot point now.

Hey Brian, 
My point was, if this is how they planned on making it "Native" they were doomed before they began. You don't start building a car motor with the muffler tip, you start with the block. crank, pistons , valve train etc. 
If the plan was to "convert" the code and then start fixing it, You end up with unoptimized, bolt on code that would only ever run at a percentage of efficiency of the native code. Wrong model. 
Obviously if they planned on building from the ground up, why convert the code? There are other DAWs on Mac, so the proof of concept has already been proven.
In can be done, just not by Cakewalk.

Anderton
 
.. the present instability of the Apple desktop market,  

 You keep mentioning this, but where are you pulling your data from? PC sales growth has once again shrunk and Mac has for the first time since 2001 shown decline. Thats hardly cause to label something unstable. 
If that is the case the PC/Windows market has been unstable for the last 10 years.
 
As far as the Gibson pitch, I agree. That is a very hard sell. However, we would need to know how many people use Macs for audio creation as a possible market. Of which Cakewalk has 0% of that market. Then factor how much they might sway over. Mostly it would be a long game sell though similar to how Greg started Cakewalk . New users over a longer period. 
Just my 2 cents...

Anderton
Show of hands: How many have actually downloaded and tried the Mac version? I sure like it more than GarageBand...

Yes... I have it running here. I'm not sure what I'll use it for S I prefer windows and already have my Platinum setup quite happy there.

I was hoping it would be a way of g tying my hardcore Mac user friend's to consider what Sonar could do for them.

Well, they can still get a little of the idea and bootcamp as do to run the real thing. For me I have a seamless system running win8.1 under bootcamp. Sonar loves it!

brconflict
I downloaded and tried it, but it wouldn't run on my Mac. It errors out as damaged or incomplete.

I had that problem as well...

Contact Lance (bakers) for a simple fix...

dantarbill

Sir Les
Yes but, I was contemplating a LES PAUL Guitar in house one day.
And I got the Omega , so no worries there!
Are you reasoning it out?.....Lordy lord....Cash Cow....Lies and liars....Not withstanding much ...And where is Truth?.
If it be, as is....And it is as I see it, and I do not think I Put error into my Builds...Yet they do err much.
 How is it?.
Again Truths have funny ways of saying, or causing...If Lies be with it....then, it will never be completely stable, or bugless, or updated to its full potential....Because of that Error instilled into it by word, hexi, or other...Put to keep it being paid for.
Now, Tech is always updating...and things pass away in time to a new thingy dingy...standard...or such.
And here hear in the Word of communications......Some tease me with >>>>in other words<<<<Hate what is, is.....
Enough Proof is witnessed as of....
And I do not find it worth the Words on the Box so far....Works with Windows....to my understandings Properly...as of yet...But then, I put the PC down for a while.
I know a OS will run the x99 other than...MS OS>
And so...if No sonar ever did work out properly as was noted....From my perspective of what You cannot see here....Is my word of my truth, you do not have, or know.
So how can you,.....Understand....If I have words that Prove ;.....Money is a lie....and if it is put in front or behind or over....or for.....It does not work in Terms of Principles!
I Know I read it somewhere , Once upon a time.....It taints it everything when put into the mix......Eh?...or was it uttered in the wind holding that mercy back for a while in time with Grace over put?
Ah.
 
Cheers

I thought people had finally quit taking those kinda drugs back in the 70's.
 
(Do you share?)

 
THE WORD ...I give you everything....In terms means sharing...caring is in the intent to make Good all..or very Good use there of for the greater good of Life....
 
Now how is it, opposed?...Anti?...and or being polluted by...Buy and sell...?
 
And words said would be done , for the life time of...Product, is assumed?...The Product has no life....So, it cannot be that.
And if error is in Product, or other parts not part of the CW team...and they have no say over or for, Yet that Product relies on...others, and not all work well as vst plugs or add ons, always....As noted.
Then to claim Life time Updates is...what?
 
Now showing people a working cut version of the Product on another platform....Mac Pro laptop ..kind of working.
 
Is that a update, or a down graded version?
 
See the words used in terms, do not apply over totally the conceptual term of Updates for life.
 
And if removing that development before even passing the go, and releasing something cut down....Is a backwards term of employment....They failed because they do not want to do it..not because they cannot do it...
 
Might be too labour intensive?
Might be they have no coders for?
Might be because they needed more money, and had socked the PC user beyond 4 counts of upgrade states, to Platinum...Since 1x.
And all paid to gain some working better, some not.
 
So, again...If I bring a product to market not working properly...and sell it, then promise to fix over time....Law gives a time line on returns.
 
Let those limitations run their course....No refund, no product, and no support....Means...it's life time is over for some.
 
And some have left the group of support.
 
That might mean more migrate to something else....If lies be put, or words twisted to save face...Sorry?...is it still occurring or going to occur the sale and use of bugs to employ more updates for platinum?
 
Then, words used, continued development will be established.
 
For is so is said....is it not done?...if not done....they lied about it.
 
That said...nothing Prospers Lies or liars long!
 
That truth, is always...cause and effect of Murphy's invoked spirit to raise more mayhem.
 
But, they will not tell you, if they can get away with the crime of ...such accountings.
 
That being said, it is not only with the Idol.....but the user of it, or asking for that brings in that oddity.
 
If you dig deep enough into it....corruption is in all tied to that very thing engraved ...and or of a likeness put of living above, on or below....used and made more important than the truth...If Truth said not to do...and it is done....What comes?.
 
So, yah not totally proper, not totally stable, not totally trust worthy...Not totally in any form of good standings with some, or others.
 
As, you cannot serve both....As also said by the one saying His truths about what causes sin to manifest...and sin brings in....Death...as it is said also....and so death is because of.....And you can reason or solve for it.
 
That said test it out.
 
And so, some have fun trying it that way.,...and it really proves itself as the constant....
 
Is Caesar dead?....and they tax the land...and the house...and the food....oh sickness and suffering abound there of.
 
How far back , or how deep  you want to go seeking reason for error, to right the wrong, and put the Righteousness into all living?....
Lies only expose the Truth eventually...for the truth corrects it...not the other way around...although it is this way only for a short while learning.
 
Once you and others solve the problems of the world by word of Truths given us....The universe awaits the Birth of Edens into it by Trustworthy and True acts of pure intent.
 
Principles....I did give back to the lord some of, and some more, and some others..in likeness...So he could make more also.
And it was given, not sold, or bought...I found..I grew, I touched, I studied...I gave some to all, and all in some gave back some friendship....And then...I did as the Lord asked I do...Give onto He who made all...So he gets it back without sin done.
 
Now that is a bit of a tease...to try to understand....What is this Sir referring to?....LIFE!
You know he makes the good ones better, and puts them in Eden eventually!
 
Cheers!
 P.S I said in a post of ...I do not blame CW...And now you know why!
 

I may be completely wrong about this, but I don't think what Cakewalk was doing on the Mac port was, strictly speaking, emulation, at least not entirely. To my mind an emulator is a virtual machine along the lines of VMWare or HyperV or even Android emulators. I suspect a good deal of the core functionality in Sonar on Mac is running completely native, with OS calls (UI, devices, etc) going through the code weaver layer, and for many types of those calls I wouldn't be surprised to see minimal overhead.
 
To some this may be splitting hairs, but to me that's a great place to start to establish a presence on a new OS. A code base represents far more than just how it interacts with an OS, and one as mature as Sonar represents years of learning what works and what doesn't. Smart software companies almost never start from scratch for a new platform unless they absolutely have to, and in that case the return on investment really has to be spectacular. 

Anderton
Given the low potential return on investment, the present instability of the Apple desktop market, Logic Pro X selling for $199

I've thought all along that's the big hurdle, fly in the ointment, whatever you want to call the obstacle. Competing with Logic on price for an equivalently comprehensive, stable and refined DAW package probably can't be done. Competing with Logic in terms of quality I reckon can be done, but it would almost certainly mean releasing a solid, very well-specced DAW with a bunch of excellent plugins thrown in. Full native Mac Sonar Platinum basically. To be followed by a period of years getting the investment back before profit would be in sight, if ever.
I was pleased at the Sonar4Mac announcement, but also rather surprised.

I've a few thoughts on the Apple desktop uncertainty you've mentioned a few times now, but I'll save them for later, or maybe never. Need to think and read a bit.

Out of curiosity, do you have any idea as to the DAW market share occupied by commercial studios versus home/project/amateur/musicians recording their own stuff side of the market?

Anderton
Show of hands: How many have actually downloaded and tried the Mac version? I sure like it more than GarageBand...

Seems to work fine on my old MacBook Pro with built-in audio - I have yet to try it with the "old" Focusrite that I use for my secondary machine.
 
It will be useful to finally access old Cakewalk projects - especially a few projects saved as cakewalk bundle files. I can't thank Cakewalk enough for that.
 
As for actually using it to create new music, it seems counterintuitive to me to invest time and energy on a product which has no future.