Wow Lee - this may be the best post in internet history.  
THANKS,
AB
 

Leee
There is something beautiful here among all the sadness, anger, and disbelief.  And that is the amount of sadness, anger and disbelief that this news has generated.  People are comparing it to losing a loved one or getting a divorce.
The very fact that a piece of software can stir up so many intense emotions says a lot about that software!
We're literally seeing the classic Seven Stages of Grief being played out right in this very thread! 
It's a true testament of the love and devotion Sonar users have for this software, and a credit to the people who created and maintained it.   Thank you Cakewalk for all the great years of audio production.  We hope to see you again, some how or some way.  We'll keep the home fires burning. 

just read Cakewalk is ceased by Gibson, so no more development for Sonar and related products, which are dead. As a Platinum registered owner and a Cakewalk customer since year 1995 , I want to give my solidarity to the Cakewalk workers/engineers, which maybe  (hope not) will lose their work; hope they may go on in their Sonar work under another brand, and mainly I want to to tell: Gibson SHAME!!

PS : No more will buy a Gibson axe .......SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TerraSin
Cakewalk needs to be sold, not closed. Closing down for any amount of time is a death sentence.

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT

burgerproduction
I've already contacted Microsoft via the Surface page on Facebook asking them to seriously consider saving a brand which stood by Microsoft through thick and thin while others fled to the trendy Mac. Surface would be the perfect companion piece to Sonar. Microsoft should SERIOUSLY consider a buyout, lifetime subscriptions and all. Let's face it, they've got the money to do it.

Yes indeed, good idea anyway.

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
Thanks folks, sincerely we are as sad about this as you are. As mentioned in the announcement please rest assured that your software will continue to work and the servers are still active. This is very new so we'll publish a FAQ as we gather more information. 

Suggestion that I think all here will appreciate and mostly agree with based on what I see posted on the forum. Of course, aim to have another company, Behringer or whoever, buy and continue development. This actually could be sort of an opportunity. Many of us with you for decades as I have been (since it was just early MIDI) appreciate the many new features and of course audio power included. That said, 10,000 free plug-ins from Blue Tubes etc aren't essential, nor is further development of Rapture or other synths. Right now, the synths included in Platinum could create any song from classical to hip hop without any other musical software.

What we've always pined for is good stability, and improvements in ability to install, re-install, re-authorize in new machines. The Command Center is really an example of that kind of progress. In other words a scaled down Sonar that only updates bug fixes plus further portability and in ease of use and upgrading enhancements, with the only advancements being easier to use edit features, audio engine / quality improvements (if that's even possible, well, when 128 bit comes along, I guess). Those things I would happily as someone who's also bought the lifetime free subscription last year pay $100 per year on an added subscription to maintain.

I don't think I'm alone. The smaller workforce that's required to do all of that should be affordable with that scaled down operations and some / all working from home. Should this work and even become a mere bundling option to Behringer to get them to help it survive, would also possibly work. I am very happy to support the idea of a slower changing, stable, every more simple and quick to use, or relocate or reinstall product that is updated with any new major change in Windows, to accept new audio formats, even VST 4 if that happens, to newer and better (though already great) OMF format etc.. Many here would too. This can actually work.

Note: When I say "scaled down" I mean development. Keep the extras you already have, maybe a few software companies not directly affiliated with Sonar (the way Sonitus is, thank God, great products) won't be paid to license free effects. Most have a batch of VST effects we go to aside from Sonar and there is enough freeware to round that out if you don't want to spend one penny more. As great as the new limiter is, honestly, there are at least four others I reach for first. It's alright if you will never offer another and just bundle that. The already included synths and samples in their current form will never not be useful and never need to be updated.

Except maybe for new VST format, compatibility with Windows 2019 revision, etc.. Many upgrades in the past had stacks of new effects and synths, what is there now is more than enough. Improvements in CPU / RAM use and efficiency, speed, etc., and compatibility as time goes on and audio engine improvements could be done with a lot less folks, financed by this obviously very concerned base of users who don't want to relearn a new DAW or pray Microsoft bundle it in software which in its own way could lead to a future demise. If they do, great, still keep a smaller backbone going to say no matter what, at least the basic stuff I describe will survive.

Mark D.
What we've always pined for is good stability, and improvements in ability to install, re-install, re-authorize in new machines. The Command Center is really an example of that kind of progress. In other words a scaled down Sonar that only updates bug fixes plus further portability and in ease of use and upgrading enhancements, with the only advancements being easier to use edit features, audio engine / quality improvements (if that's even possible, well, when 128 bit comes along, I guess). Those things I would happily as someone who's also bought the lifetime free subscription last year pay $100 per year on an added subscription to maintain.

I don't think I'm alone.

You are not. I suggested putting sonar platinum on reverb.com for $99 "as is." That would be enough to keep some developers on retainer to tweak the program, do bug fixes, etc. Every year, I would see having the updated version available for $99 again. I felt this would keep the program alive, the company in existence, and make it easy to build back the brand at a later date if desired. Of course, it was ignored. But I still think it was a good idea.

Just wanted to wish the best to all who worked on SPLAT. It was a pleasure using it lately.  Such huge improvement over 8.53 and all the X series.  Been using Sonar since early 2000's (Home Studio)  and loved the latest version so much.   Going to keep using it for now and then export all projects and audio for backup to another Daw just in case the servers go down or cease operation.  SPLAT does everything I need and I went down that rabbit hole in the 90's up to home studio learning emagic notator, Creamware T-dat, Magix Samplitude, Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools, Live, and just about anything you could think of.  Found I was learning instead of creating.  Settled on Sonar and was so happy to just create instead of learn again.  Anyways a big thank you to all on this Forum as well.  I learned a lot from you.

Craig that is a good idea and I wish they would have done that.  It would at least address concerns of it suddenly not working anymore.  Doing this for a year or two would have been a nice gesture.  I usually assume the best in people, but the more I think about how all of this went down, the more I feel that there was malicious intent by Gibson.  Having the sales on membership only a month or two before they shut down Cakewalk is just inexcusable.  I think they are in real danger of a class-action lawsuit.

So sad that I don't know what to say except life goes on I guess...