Thanks for the updates Noel. I'm not leaving.  
 
Your silence about what is happening is actually reassuring to me that something is  happening. I would not expect anybody in your position to comment at this point as plans or hopefully deals are being made. 
 
As it is I have a good backup plan for splat and if all else fails I'm back to x3e. I can't understand those who blew hundreds of dollars just because they were panicking. 

Cactus Music
I can't understand those who blew hundreds of dollars just because they were panicking. 

Panicking?

People moved to other DAWs because they read this:
http://www.cakewalk.com

...and were given decent offers for other DAWs.
A dwindling customer base is becoming ever smaller and the staff are no longer around.

I don't see any panicking, maybe a little anger that can't be directed anywhere useful.

If the change on the activation mechanism does get released this month for all the products (not just Sonar, there is Z3TA and Rapture Pro etc to consider) then I fear there will be more anger.

As Noel no longer works for Cakewalk I'm not sure how any of this is reassuring, unless you feel it is safe in the hands of Gibson considering its current situation

Even if Cakewalk got "saved" I doubt it will be made to compete against other major DAWs, it will probably be more bargain bucket app. The dream of it being a major player is certainly over.

I don't look at it as panicking. This happening got me to explore other options for a DAW.
Finding out there are strengths and weaknesses in them all. In each I got some instruments to use. Even
if they are locked to their respected hosts. I can also use that DAW to record the part and export or if I really
like the VSTi buy it.  Tracktion seems to be the exception here as I believe the VSTi are unlocked.
 
I do hope Cakewalk makes a comeback and being free of Gibson takes up Overture offer on a proper staff view :)
 

marledI will use Sonar Platinum in any case, without regard what will happen in the future. Marcel

I'm doing that too. Unlike the others, having done the lifetime for Platinum and using Sonar since Twelve Tone days over 20 years ago, I'll say again what the core concern is. I know folks running Cakewalk 8.5 and earlier on older Windows 7 and XP machines, some not connected to the Internet for safety. For them, it runs, it's all they need. Updating to Windows 10 and Sonar Platinum was to have the latest and best and I only have one main PC and a mirrored laptop. The concern is Windows 10 update. It's brutal. I've had to uninstall "Creators Update" twice (well - actually - not uninstall, I had to use my (thank God) latest version of Acronis to restore a working version, as I encountered scores of problems. It just takes a few lines of code that prevents Sonar from opening in the future versions of Windows 10 (since supposedly there is no 11 and beyond anymore). Major updates like that really in some way ARE a new version update. Win 10 after Creators is different enough from the first release to have been Win 11 or even 12. Like Apples's IOS 11 - they are public beta testing garbage.

The update scheme forces them on you unless you disconnect the internet (or disable Update constantly on each reboot (not when you go to sleep luckily, which is what I mainly do) and manually update just those for security (until they fixed the damned Creators Update). Given the subscription models here, given the power of Go Fund Me, and so much more, the one main thing should be keeping a group together, be it the five star programmers there, even if they all work from home (even if just part time) to make sure Sonar keeps opening after you do an install of a Windows 10 update. That's it. Don't care if Sonar puts out one piece of new software. I can't imagine feature updates I'll need in the next decade. I buy every VST imaginable (spending embarrassing money) that will ultimately do everything I need. I'd be happy to pay $50 - $100 a year as a core supporter (call us that then) who just wants Sonar to keep opening projects new and old for the next 5-10 years. Or 20 years (I'll be too old to care then). There always is the chance it could be picked up by another company.
 

sharke
... If you watch any course in the production techniques of modern genres, you're going to see a lot of layering and parallel processing. A lot of stuff is divided into frequency bands and processed separately. Examples would include things like isolating the mids of a bass track and saturating them. Or compressing just the highs of an unruly synth patch. Or splitting something out into mid/side and compressing just the sides.Splitting the signal in an fx chain like this has infinite creative possibilities, and modern producers are exploiting these possibilities in their productions. 
 
Of course none of this is impossible with Sonar. You can use aux tracks or buses. There are 3rd party plugins which offer separate left/right, mid/side or band processing. However, Bitwig (and I believe Ableton) has this functionality hard baked into their fx chains and it's a piece of cake to set up. 
...

 
Indeed, and those are not the only apps that do it natively. Studio One has Extended FX Chains, Tracktion's Waveform has its Modular Mix Environment, FL Studio has Patcher. I don't know about other DAWs but of course you can use Blue Cat's Patchwork or similar (DDMF's Metaplugin, Imageline's Minihost Modular beta) to sub-host and do whatever you want...
 
Reaper, by virtue of each track having up to 64 audio channels and a built-in routing matrix, has the ability to set up crazy complex stuff but it's not as nicely dressed up - unless you use the awesome FX Rack script which basically recreates Blue Cat's Patchwork environment on top of Reaper's FX chain structure. This is cool because it avoids sub-hosting, and allows the full range of plugins that Reaper supports (most sub-hosts don't). I've tested it and like most things Reaper, it takes a bit of setup and figuring out, but once you're past that it's deep, flexible and stable. 
 
Sonar's FX Chains, while quite cool, were not quite there somehow, I always hoped they would get some parallel/multiband/modular love but it didn't happen. 

Keni

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]

CakeAlexSHere
).

Yes you are indeed claiming a lot based on unsubstantiated anonymous information which is not even fully correct. Its not worth speculating what could or couldn't have happened since that's all would be - armchair speculation. The fact is it did happen - there were issues and situations that triggered this event. Some that could have been changed and some that couldn't.  All I can say and hope for is that I am hoping that will be a positive outcome for the users and the product in the future.

Thanks Noel!

We are (I am) very sad at these events for sure. I for one continue to use Sonar and plan to do so as long as possible. You and the other Bakers created an amazing piece of work and though it all a wonderful community.

I hope the new year was good to you and the team outside of this and hope as you say, something happens to brighten all our futures.

I will continue to maintain positive thoughts for all of us and dream of a newly empowered Sonar to emerge!

Long Live Cakewalk Sonar!!!

...

InstrEd

julianochrisway
Returning to the future of Sonar. Thank you Noel for confirming what I posted. But what worries us is that Gibson will continue with Cakewalk. I sincerely prefer that they sell Cake to some really responsible company that is willing to change the scenario. It is for example I teach music production and Sonar is the Daw that all my students use. Now I need to upgrade and I'm going to add FL Studio as well. I will continue to use Sonar and hope that this problem is fully resolved.

You might want to contact Acoustica. They have an Educational program and might cut you a good deal now.
Also they have this:
https://www.acoustica.com/edu/

I really love Sonar and have used Cakewalk since the time of Pro Audio. But I have a music production school, and the students are worried. Most of them love Sonar but the concern is that I need to keep staff always using the tools that are standing out in this industry, students always want things current and up to date. Unfortunately I have an obligation to already teach a new Daw they can not expect a huge company like Gibson to solve their pending for loyalty otherwise I will start losing students if my competitors offer current products to them, so I am thinking of FL Studio because currently is the winner of all the polls that I came across and every day more users. FL is very different from Sonar, I do not want any Daw to remember Sonar. I want one that is innovative and that really stands out for me to provide student safety. I am very well paid by my students to keep them updated.

About Acustica: I took a look at Mixcraft and am giving a chance to this DAW, it seemed to me a super intuitive daw, but I have not done a big sweep of plug-ins, the price has also attracted and really the package they are offering to music schools is something I would like Cakewalk to bring back if I simply copied the idea. The price fits in the pocket!
They are also offering migration to Sonar users (everyone wants a slice of that cake)

As for me, personally speaking I'll be waiting for the outcome of Gibson's problem, which Noel said was exactly what I thought was happening. And by no means will I be abandoning my Sonar Platinum, everything is working very well and I'm working on an album with Sonar and it's getting incredible. I will still continue to use in class normally, especially for students who are willing to wait and do not want any immediate migration. But it's important that this issue be resolved at least until April 2018. Competitors are not giving up and are fighting over former Sonar users. This way you will lose a good part of the customers.

Like I've said else where, Why pay money for a DAW like Mixcraft when you might already have Sonar x3e or even earlier versions that are paid for? Mixcaft to me is a nice DAW that reminds me of older versions of Sonar. Give them 5 years and they might catch up. 
 
 

I agree with Cactus. I'm using 8.5 Studio and it's fantastic (for me, of course). I feel no need to buy a new DAW. I did buy Reaper in 2015, and used it until the heinous news about Sonar broke. but then I decided to get my 8.5 Producer working again, since it would be the latest Sonar version I had. It had all the same problems that led me to go to Reaper. So I installed 8.5 Studio. Perfect. I don't know why Studio works and Producer doesn't doesn't. But I can work twice as fast in it than in Reaper. So, unless another DAW is clearly superior to Sonar, why not wait and see what happens? I can see making one purchase, taking advantage of a deal, but buying 2, 3 or more as some people are doing? it just seems like a waste of money. I don't buy something because it's on sale. I but it because I need it. But then, it's your money. And don't forget the time it will take to learn new software, which may turn out to be not as good. Remember, you can use Sonar almost indefinitely if you're careful.