To all the diligent folks behind the development of Sonar.... For all the hard work, time and focu that you gave us...Thank you.

OK, It's been about a day now and I still can't believe this. Surely Cakewalk can't just die. I hope so much that someone rescues it. If not, then I hope something really good comes out of it. Like the bakers get together and develop a brand new, amazing DAW. Either way, Gibson will curl up into a ball and die and hopefully rot away with no one putting any flowers on its grave. I always hated Gibson with a passion since I was a kid. I might have known they would screw up my favorite DAW.

What to say,....

First, commiserations and very best wishes to all at Cakewalk. And thanks for building the best Windows DAW, even if it somehow never got the recognition it deserved.

Also commiserations to all who rely on Sonar for their living. I’m sure you can do without the hassle and expense of having to change DAW.

As many probably have noticed, my personal journey with Sonar has gradually wound up over the last year or so having used it for many years. Not because I don’t like Sonar or prefer another DAW, I simply do not like the way Windows has been going since Win8. The only PC we have was the Sonar one, everything else being Apple for some time - and then the PC got increasingly unreliable so the question became “new PC and Win10.... or Mac and Logic?” Apple won that one for all kinds of reasons, none connected with Sonar..

I really hoped the “Sonar for Mac” thing would materialise as a capable DAW. When it didn’t I wasn’t entirely surprised - a new product in that market has to be 100% right from the off to stand a chance, especially if it comes from an established company. So not surprised, but disappointed.

The “lifetime updates” thing did make a few faint warning bells sound - often that kind of thing is done by a company which needs to raise capital very quickly and is willing to forego future sales in exchange for the capital. There can be many reasons for that, not all of them good or reassuring ones.

It was Craig Anderton’s departure from Gibson which got the sirens wailing.

So I’m not entirely surprised at what’s happened, though I’d much prefer it hadn’t. No company is guaranteed succcess or even survival, but that’s no consolation for those on the sharp end as employees or customers.

Thanks also to all the people who’ve made this forum what it is. A rare oasis of (mostly) sanity, tolerance, knowledge and sense and with probably the highest signal to noise ratio of any forum of its kind. I’ve learned a lot from you over the years, so thanks everyone.

Any chance of Roland taking Cakewalk back?
 
I just wish some light at the end of the tunnel for Cakewalk Music Software, since I just migrated to computer-based music production recently and I think Sonar has opened  a new horizon to me as a music producer.
 
Thanks to the tools provided by Sonar I've been thinking more and more about involving myself into the idea of producing stuff, as well as singing and writing songs.
 
Although we will continue to have access to our products via C3 and such, I would love to see Sonar remaining in development and allowing us to develop our ideas as well.
 
I'm in hopes that Cakewalk Music Software get forwarded to awesome hands, or at least they find some way to regain independence.
 
For some reason, though, I wish Roland could take it back...
 
 

Scott Reams

Matron Landslide

dopderbeck
 
I'm a lawyer.  I think there could be a basis for a class action.  

I'm a Psychiatrist. I think there could be a good chance you're delusional.

 
I wouldn't be sure about that. If it could be shown that Gibson knew it would be shutting down Cakewalk before it instituted it's lifetime updates policy, there would be excellent cause for a lawsuit.
 

I'm a gardener I'm going to miss the entertainment value of this forum

Ron2112
 
 
Yeesh.  You should have read the whole thread.  Sounds like monthly subscribers are getting converted into "lifetime" accounts, with full functionality unlocked.
 
Cakewalk is apparently doing the right thing.  You guys panicking is not helping things at all.  Never seen more misinformation spread as I have in the last couple days.

Can you please link the post in this thread where you've gotten that information? I have read the entire thread and I must have missed that one.

Johnbee58
It would be very nice if just once companies and corporations would consult the CUSTOMERS in addition to the stockholders before making decisions like this.
 
John B.

I just think, surely there is still a bunch of customers who would pay money for sonar, even if cakewalk was cut back to one staff member, it just seems like such a waste to completely kill the product......and surely its worth selling

I was waiting for this week-end to once again renew my subscription and start receiving Updates. I was hoping there would be a version of Platinum on Sale for the Black Friday week-end. However, seeing that Gibson is closing down their Cakewalk operations what would be the point of me paying for another year subscription. 
I would like to receive all of the current updates. Will I have the ability to get this last years updates, or would Gibson be so kind to allow a long time user like myself to get it for a reasonable price, or for Free? 
I am truly disappointed, having invested in Updates since Cakewalk began all those years ago, I believe it would be a good will gesture to allow users like myself to have all of the current Updates...sorry to see you go.
dmc  

Johnbee58
I was seriously considering upgrading my X3 to Professional, but in lieu of this, I think I'll upgrade my Reason 7.1 to Reason 10.  They allow third party plugins now and they have a much better mixer anyway.
 
John B.

at least this happened before you upgraded.......I was weighing up a year ago whether I should spend "all" my money on studio one, pro tools, reason or just get a mac with garage band etc......I chose sonar, and spent so much money on sonar.........anyway, I have a copy of studio one 3 artist which came with my presonous mixer and sound card

The stereo interleave and phase buttons being removed from track view was laughable.  Long standing bugs never being fixed in exchange for more and more bloatware.  Staff view?  What's that?  

Maybe if the developers listened to the user base, or at least people who used the program professionally, they might have created something viable instead of putting Sonar into a tailspin that began with X1 and pretty much stating with that version that this program was no longer geared towards professionals and instead geared toward hobbyists.  

The developers have no one to blame but themselves for where this all ended up.  Next time bakers (or whatever company you get your next job with) try listening to your user base instead of thinking you know what's best, especially when it's clear none of the programmers use this program in a professional manner and therefore have no clue what professional users want.  

Anyway, thanks for the hints here  -  I hit up audio deluxe and got the Studio one / Notion bundle for like $189 with the black friday coupon.  I'll spend the next two days learning it and moving work over.  

Actually thanks to Cakewalk for getting me to do what I should have done the minute they released that laughable X1 version.