It's not just be able to run a program. The problem is the lack of support, the lack of updates, incompatibilities with new hardware/software standards (MIDI implementation is about to change, I've heard somewhere).
 
You can probably use Sonar for a long, long time. But someday, even still working, it'll look old, dated, plugins that don't install or don't run 100%, new technology that don't fit...
 
I bought Sonar, because I was looking for a regularly updated good software. Without updates for a long period, even working, it will shrink, weakens...
 
It's sad, VERY sad (I was a 'Cakewalk for DOS' user), but if it is indeed dead, we have to move on.

The way I see it, continuing to use SONAR is definitely a valid choice. It depends on what type of user you are:
 
Group 1
If you're happy with your system's performance now, and don't plan any significant upgrades, hardware, plug-in or otherwise, you should be fine.  Image your system drive, back up everything, keep your machine off the internets and you can be happy for a long time.
 
Group 2
If you like occasional/frequent upgrades to your hardware (computing or audio interface, etc.) and trying new plugs or new features on existing plugs (Melodyne, Vocalign, etc.) you might be in trouble.
 
The problem for the second group of users is you don't know when SONAR will break, and you may have no warning at all.  You can always go back to a previous drive image, but then that effectively puts you back in group 1.
 
Most of the Cakewalk developers are gone, the ones who agreed to stay through the shutdown are looking for work, and Gibson may go under at any time.  So there may be no one to give you an activation code when/if the servers go down.  There will certainly be no one to fix SONAR related problems with drivers/operating system upgrades.  Something could break at any time or never.  
 
I plan to keep SONAR on my system for a long time, but I don't plan to do any new projects with it.  If it weren't so onerous to port projects from one DAW to another I would port everything and consider freeing up disk space by uninstalling SONAR, but I don't see a way of doing that efficiently.
 
Maybe another option is a dedicated SONAR DAW.  Keep one older machine off the net with SONAR installed and have another machine for whatever other DAW you want to work with.  Then you can be in both groups at the same time :)
 
 

I was recording for many years with hardware as a hobbyist (audio and MIDI, beginning with a 8-track tape recorder). 7 years ago I began to try out some music software on a PC and 2014 I started with Sonar X3 Studio (upgraded later to Platinum Lifetime).

Some weeks ago I had purchased Samplitude Pro X3 Suite. A real good deal for 149 EUR, because it included SpectraLayers Pro and Sound Forge Pro. Actually I was more interested in the 2 latter ones, 'cos I thought I never would really work with Samplitude, I was convinced of Sonar.

Then I had read about the Cakewalk stuff on the Magix forum and I thought it was a joke! There was a link to the Cakewalk site and I was shocked it was true. Till today I feel deep frustration!
The only thing I am glad about is that I always backed up my tracks for any project as audio (also the one's produced with VSTi's), since I was used to from the old hardware times.

Instead of making music, I have spent now a lot of time in reading the Sonar Forum, checking which VST(i)s I still can use in another DAW (happy, most of them), reorganizing them and comparing other DAWs to Sonar. Yeah, you could also work with them and they have sometimes advantages, but many things are not so clear structured like in Sonar (e.g. Export Audio or the own plug-in layouts).

I think I will still do a lot of my music in Sonar, even when I inspect Samplitude Pro X more deeply now. It is a absolutely recommendable DAW (includes DDP export, very good guitar amplifiers, lot of usable instruments and FX). I have also a good impression of Reaper, but the others DAWs on the market do not convince me at all.

Matron Landslide
You can get the crossgrade to Studio One Pro for $149 until the end of the year.

 
Hmmm. A $1,397.95 program for $149.00??? Could this be another Cakewalk in the works? Just sayin'...
 
Edit: Oops! I quoted the wrong email. This was supposed to be quoting the one about Samplitude. Sorry!

Kamm Schreiner

Matron Landslide
You can get the crossgrade to Studio One Pro for $149 until the end of the year.

 
Hmmm. A $1,397.95 program for $149.00??? Could this be another Cakewalk in the works? Just sayin'...

 
But can Studio One import .bun or .cwp do you know? Apologies if anyone has already answered this - I couldn't find it on the previous 41 pages - but maybe I've got Gibson Complaint Fatigue Syndrome!
I'm still using Sonar 8 Prof on an off-line XP machine and wondering what I am going to do when the hard disc crashes and I have to re-install it.
 
Alternatively, if I move to another DAW like Studio One, does anyone know if I can import my midi and audio tracks with the clip envelopes in place? 

Alkan

Kamm Schreiner

Matron Landslide
You can get the crossgrade to Studio One Pro for $149 until the end of the year.

 
Hmmm. A $1,397.95 program for $149.00??? Could this be another Cakewalk in the works? Just sayin'...

 
But can Studio One import .bun or .cwp do you know? Apologies if anyone has already answered this - I couldn't find it on the previous 41 pages - but maybe I've got Gibson Complaint Fatigue Syndrome!
I'm still using Sonar 8 Prof on an off-line XP machine and wondering what I am going to do when the hard disc crashes and I have to re-install it.
 
Alternatively, if I move to another DAW like Studio One, does anyone know if I can import my midi and audio tracks with the clip envelopes in place? 

 
No Studio One cannot import .bun or .cwp because they are Cakewalk file formats.
 
This might help:
 
https://www.youtube.com/w...ue=4&v=88CpQFRCM9E

karhide

Alkan

Kamm Schreiner

Matron Landslide
You can get the crossgrade to Studio One Pro for $149 until the end of the year.

 
Hmmm. A $1,397.95 program for $149.00??? Could this be another Cakewalk in the works? Just sayin'...

 
But can Studio One import .bun or .cwp do you know? Apologies if anyone has already answered this - I couldn't find it on the previous 41 pages - but maybe I've got Gibson Complaint Fatigue Syndrome!
I'm still using Sonar 8 Prof on an off-line XP machine and wondering what I am going to do when the hard disc crashes and I have to re-install it.
 
Alternatively, if I move to another DAW like Studio One, does anyone know if I can import my midi and audio tracks with the clip envelopes in place? 

 
No Studio One cannot import .bun or .cwp because they are Cakewalk file formats.
 
This might help:
 

Thanks Karhide
 
The problem is that, ideally, I don't want to import 'processed' audio and midi, I want some way of carrying the clip volume, PAN and Aux envelopes into the new DAW - but maybe there is no way of doing this I suppose I would have to take screenshots of the tracks, strip out the automation in Sonar, save the tracks as .MID and .WAV files and try and duplicate the automation in Studio One after I have imported the tracks. Seems a lot of work.
 
Maybe I'll just hang on to Sonar 8 and hope nothing goes wrong! I wonder if Studio One works offline under XP? 

I am shocked.  I have been with Cakewalk for over twenty years.  2.0 was my first version.  I'm not sure what to think or do.  Any thoughts out there on Cubase vs Studio One?  I know both are offer special Sonar cross grade offers.    

If it is an intensive program with midi and audio - I would go with Cubase.  Probably a steep learning curve.  But really so was Platinum - it is just that we got use it to incrementally.
 
Also Cubase can read OMF files.  So I would save the Sonar files as OMFS right away, and then be able to load them into Cubase.

rharris99
Any thoughts out there on Cubase vs Studio One?  I know both are offer special Sonar cross grade offers.   

See the software area in this forum. Post there for help on other DAWs.