violaplayer
Hi,
OK, it might be futile, but there is a petition with the idea that potentially could benefit everyone, incl Microsoft. 
Microsoft. Please rescue Cakewalk and Sonar out of Gibson.
 

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/microsoft-please-rescue-cakewalk-and-sonar-out-of

 
It costs nothing to sign this and it could be of a great consequence to us...
 
(sorry, the system doesn't seem to let me post any hyperlinks. I should be grateful if anybody would repost the link, thanks) 
 

I've signed the petition and would like to encourage others reading this thread to do the same. 864 signatures out of 1000 required, so it's getting close. Who knows?

Andrzej Salm
This is some ****ty news... I learned about it just two days ago on Avid forums (sic!) where I was researching for my new audio interface.
Over 20 years with Cakewalk as my only DAW. At mid 40s I feel I'm getting too old to learn a new DAW from scratch. Being a hobbyist not a professional, I plan on using Sonar for as long as possible and when it gets killed for good by a Windows update I will simply sign myself out of the music world altogether.
RIP Cakewalk. F*ck Gibson.
 

 
Mid '40s?? I'm 57 and quite prepared to learn a new DAW. How different can it be? You either want to record music or you don't.

Andrzej Salm
This is some ****ty news... I learned about it just two days ago on Avid forums (sic!) where I was researching for my new audio interface.

 
The way this all was handled seems extraordinarily inept - even for Gibson.
 

Over 20 years with Cakewalk as my only DAW. At mid 40s I feel I'm getting too old to learn a new DAW from scratch. Being a hobbyist not a professional, I plan on using Sonar for as long as possible and when it gets killed for good by a Windows update I will simply sign myself out of the music world altogether.
RIP Cakewalk. F*ck Gibson.

I built myself a new little computer just for SONAR. Like you I'm a hobbyist in the Music arena. The new computer as you can see in my "signature" is a Windows 7 Professional 64-bit micro-workstation. It's a little underpowered, so I'll have to keep the real time work simple. But that would be all I could do anyway!

Windows 7 pretty much only gets Security Updates now - but I still mostly keep the system offline. The only time it goes online is to update VST packages (new purchases). Then it gets a FULL System Anti-virus sweep. Once I'm happy with the updates, I also do a full System Image in case I do need to roll back.

I'm not letting any Windows update stop me from making Music - and you shouldn't either. Keep using SONAR as long as you can. If for some reason you reach a point you can't - there are Open-Source and otherwise inexpensive alternatives. Really, the only reason to need something like ProTools is if you are a Music Professional. I used the "Studio" or "Artist" or "Home" version of Cakewalk products for years. I upgraded to SONAR Platinum when they offered a "Loyalty" discount. I'd still be using X3 Studio, otherwise.
 
Gibson be damned - don't let them take your music away. Let your disgust and dismay at Gibson run it's course, and perhaps vow to never spend money on one of their products again, but don't drop Music. If you have to - go back to 4 Track Tape system (LOL - just kidding... maybe).
 
Persevere and persist - Music was meant to be played, so play it! 

Andrzej Salm
At mid 40s I feel I'm getting too old to learn a new DAW from scratch. Being a hobbyist not a professional, I plan on using Sonar for as long as possible and when it gets killed for good by a Windows update I will simply sign myself out of the music world altogether.

Well I'm a Really Old Guy, and over the years, have reviewed every major DAW and needed to learn it. What you'll experience is that at first, everything will be crazy and unfamiliar. But then you'll find that doing the basics - record, mix, cut, paste, copy - is something you can figure out quickly, so you can get back to making music. Over time, you'll pick up the little things. When there's something you don't know how to do (or something you want to do), search the help files or documentation.
 
The fact that you've learned SONAR means you already know how DAWs work. They're not really that different at their cores. You just have to get past that initial "WTF is happening here?!!??!!??!" and then you'll be fine. You may even find it inspiring to try something new!

johne53

violaplayer
OK, it might be futile, but there is a petition with the idea that potentially could benefit everyone, incl Microsoft. 
Microsoft. Please rescue Cakewalk and Sonar out of Gibson.
 

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/microsoft-please-rescue-cakewalk-and-sonar-out-of

Maybe it'd complicate the petition but I wonder why it's solely aimed at Microsoft? In the past, SSL have been strong sponsors of 3rd party DAW's - as has the SAE Institute (School of Audio Engineering).

Thanks for your response. I totally agree that there might be some other companies/institutions that could save our favorite DAW and our comunity. However, I think that the petition's author(s) are correct to aim at one company per petition. A petition addressed to many companies really does not inspire any one company to respond. That's the way I feel.
Also, let's keep in mind that Sonar doesn't just need to be sponsored but firstly taken over from Gibson's accountants who currently seem to want to write it off without offering it for sale. A larger company might be more interested in buying a brand and with a community of users and actually have the pockets to get it done.
 

I am gutted to hear this and feel sorry for all the guys whose jobs are now in jeopardy at Cakewalk. But also angry that my supposed 'lifetime subscription' is now defunct! I never expected it to last my lifetime but slightly longer than a few months!! I am upgrading my studio pc this year and as I've been a Cakewalk user for over 20 years do not really want to change DAWs but see no alternative. Will the tied in subscriptions to melodyne, xln audio, etc still be valid? I really hope either a music or software company comes in to save this terrific company!!

I have to say that I feel ripped off.  I just bought the Sonar Platinum package last year and I also purchased the "special promotion" of "Free Upgrades for Life".  Now they're ending the platform?
 
So I basically gave money for the "free upgrades for life" for nothing.  

Ripped off!

Happy New year everyone.

I have been a user of Cakewalk, from Cakewalk 3.0 to Sonar Platinum for more about 20 years. And I have written many books for cakewalk's softwares. In these days, I determined to use other sequencers to teach my teachers. But I always feel that Sonar is the best sequncer for MIDI arranging, especially for orchestration. I love the multitrack MIDI editing function of sonar. 
I pray any other company can meet the cakewalk team, Although they are chinese or japanese or others.
Thank you, dear Cakewalk family.

disdisley
i've only just found out 
why was we not informed ????
who will refund my purchases for plug ins and so on i've brought over the last month ?
and now i can not upgrade 
this is criminal scamming 

It is not really a consolation for the immense loss for all of us, but I successfully claimed refund for the last year of rolling updates I had purchased in Sept. this year.
They returned to me the full price for that subscription.
Nevertheless my thoughts and feelings are with "The Bakers", who have lost their place, and most possibly their earnings, and must watch how Cakewalk with all its excellent products will "become older" now every day until being so outdated that it will be an item for an IT-museum. How I wish for them that another company would be interested.
Not for Gibsons sake. Only for the sake of The Bakers and their tremendous work.