I’ve done some more checking.

Cakewalk announced an end to 64 bit DAW on Jan 20 2005 during Sonar 4 Lifetime with a free preview available.

On 7 September 2005 Sonar 5 was released fully 64 bit.

Reaper released as freeware December 2005 see Reaper Wikipedia

Sorry I’m doing this on my phone and it’s a pain to grab links and paste them

the_user_formally_known_as_glennbo

ivanh3Having said that, due to other projects I have also maintained a Pro Tools subscription, and I also keep Reaper on my machine. I can honestly do just about anything I need (YMMV) with Reaper, but PT is more ubiquitous and easier to collaborate online. I also prefer the signal routing on PT even more so than Sonar and Reaper. In any case, I wish everyone luck in finding a new DAW. There are good ones out there.

Could you give an example of what kind of routing you can do in PT that you can't do in REAPER, or is it just easier to get there in PT?  I have both Sonar and REAPER and am just curious.

I route my drum tracks to two busses so that each buss has an identical mix. I put a gentle compressor (small ratio, high threshold depending on the style of the drummer) on the second mix and slowly bring the volume up until the drums "open" up. On Pro Tools, I can easily just assign the track to multiple busses. On Sonar and Reaper, I have to use sends. I can achieve the exact same effect, but with Pro Tools it is much easier to do. 

ivanh3

the_user_formally_known_as_glennbo

ivanh3Having said that, due to other projects I have also maintained a Pro Tools subscription, and I also keep Reaper on my machine. I can honestly do just about anything I need (YMMV) with Reaper, but PT is more ubiquitous and easier to collaborate online. I also prefer the signal routing on PT even more so than Sonar and Reaper. In any case, I wish everyone luck in finding a new DAW. There are good ones out there.

Could you give an example of what kind of routing you can do in PT that you can't do in REAPER, or is it just easier to get there in PT?  I have both Sonar and REAPER and am just curious.

I route my drum tracks to two busses so that each buss has an identical mix. I put a gentle compressor (small ratio, high threshold depending on the style of the drummer) on the second mix and slowly bring the volume up until the drums "open" up. On Pro Tools, I can easily just assign the track to multiple busses. On Sonar and Reaper, I have to use sends. I can achieve the exact same effect, but with Pro Tools it is much easier to do. 

Cool. Thanks for that info.
 
I use the built-in parallel compression with Waves DBX160 for a similar reason, but on multiple channels for kick, snare, Etc.

I've used Sonar since X1 came out and been very happy with it.  Recently purchased the latest version from one of the big retailers.  I don't want to return it.  Figure I'll keep using it until it stops working but I called them to let them know it's shutting down since they're still offering it for sale on their website.  Got nice platitudes about passing the information up the chain but I'd bet they still have it for sale next week.  I did notice that Sweetwater has made it unavailable on it's website.  For price and features I don't think there's a better DAW out there.  Sorry to see it go.

mudgel
I’ve done some more checking.

Cakewalk announced an end to 64 bit DAW on Jan 20 2005 during Sonar 4 Lifetime with a free preview available.

On 7 September 2005 Sonar 5 was released fully 64 bit.

Reaper released as freeware December 2005 see Reaper Wikipedia

Sorry I’m doing this on my phone and it’s a pain to grab links and paste them

I'm pretty sure earlier in the thread we determined that,
 
Sonar was both 64-bit internal and had a 64-bit executable in 2005.
REAPER was 64-bit internal, but not 64-bit executable until a bit later.
 
That and REAPER can be purchased today, and Sonar cannot, so it's all a wash!!!    ;)

I already own Cubase and I also have the product from Presonus, "Studio One 3.5".
But neither these other audio workstations have the transparency of Sonar nor, for example, the ability to export DSD files. But DSD files are not the only qualities that I do not want to give up on Sonar.
 
English is not my language, I'm from Switzerland, but I'll still miss the people of Cakewalk. I understand that Sonar developers are not average employees, they do not deserve to be shot down that way.
 
I wish a new Sonar "Platinum" under the Christmas Tree, but with the same people in the background as before, with the same great users of this great audio workstation. Social security should be at the center of our interest for such great people who have been with us for so long in our musical life.
 
Many thanks to all employees of Cakewalk and all here in the forum.

Maybe sometime they will return their development in the field. Hope is dying last.

I am extremely surprised nobody has extended a qualifying offer to purchase Cakewalk, or at least SONAR.

This is very sad to hear! So I hope they don't do what Voyetra did.  I had DOP and used it side by side with Cakewalk.  When I purchased a new computer, I went to install DOP and Voyetra took down the servers.  Voyetra needed an end user to register the serial number whenever you did a new install.  Well, I had useless software that I wasn't able to use it and that was that!  At some point, servers will be taken down, whether they fail and need to be replaced or just phased out because it costs money to run them.  I see that cakewalk said they will not take them down but my guess is at some point they will take them down.  Will Cakewalk offer an open source code so that we can continue to use it as is?  I asked Voyetra that question and they said no because they owned the software. The other sad issue is the many people who need to find jobs.  I guess we just need to stay tuned and see what will happen!
 

tonyzub999
The more I think about this the angrier I get. Not just about the Sonar decision, but how it was handled. They offered a sale on the annual membership up through the end of October. That's just a few weeks ago. They had to know at that time that they were going to be doing this. And yet they screw their customers anyway. If I don't get a refund or at least a partial refund I'm going on a crusade to let everybody know to never buy any Gibson products and I just might sell my Les Paul also. There is a sense of right and wrong and how you treat your customers. Enticing your loyal customers to purchase an annual membership renewal on a product they knew they would no longer be developing is unethical and maybe illegal. The promise was to get monthly updates, which we will not get.

 
I agree!  This decision wasn't just made overnight.  I bought the lifetime update and paid $200.00.  Had I known this was going to happen, I would have held off.  Does anyone know when Gibson purchased Cakewalk?  I can't do anything since it was last year but if anyone purchased updates after Gibson bought Cakewalk, reach out to the Attorney General's office.  Years ago, there was a dept store called Bradley's. They were like a Kohl's. They sold clothing, electronics, etc.  They sold gift cards way before Christmas time and up until Christmas Eve.  They filed Chapter 11 and closed the day after Christmas.  The attorney general's office would not allow the chapter 11 to go through until Bradley's refunded every gift card they sold during the holidays.  I hope the people that work there find other jobs.  I have a Les Paul too and was thinking about buying a Gibson acoustic, but I refuse to give them any more of my hard earned money!