Gibson axes Cakewalk /Sonar

[whyterabbyt]

The safest DAW is Fruity Loops because it uses a simple reg key CP.

Sonar used a simple key CP.

It also has free lifetime updates.

So did Sonar.

[topaz]

I would disagree strongly and say that Steinberg, Avid, and Ableton are.

imho I would say Logic is the least safe due to Apples addiction with consumerism.

but hey WTF do I know.

The safest DAW is Fruity Loops because it uses a simple reg key CP. It also has free lifetime updates.

[Hink]

Gibson Brands announced today that it is ceasing active development and production of Cakewalk branded products. The decision was made to better align with the company’s acquisition strategy that is heavily focused on growth in the global consumer electronics audio business under the Philips brand.

one perspective

http://cdm.link/2017/11/gibson-just-kil ... k-philips/

[acoustica]

Thank you ATS for the kind words. Quite a story. I was lucky enough to witness the beginning of an era and unfortunately, the end of one.

I just heard the news that Cakewalk’s Boston HQ offices have closed. My name is Anthony Conte (currently VP for the Mixcraft DAW), and I spent 19 years at Cakewalk, including 12 years as the Vice President of Sales. For decades I worked with many of the brilliant, incredibly talented folks that now find themselves out of a job. My heart aches for the current Cakewalkers and the thousands of SONAR users across the globe. Simply put, this is the end of an era in the world of MIDI and Digital Audio recording.

While I do not know the fate of SONAR or what Gibson’s plans are for Cakewalk, I can assure all the current Cakewalkers that their future is bright. For the last six years, I have been lucky enough to have landed at a like-minded company, Acoustica, makers of Mixcraft 8, an award-winning DAW for the PC. Not coincidentally enough, Acoustica freakishly reminds me of the early days at Cakewalk. A small but growing music software company made up of great people who are passionate, innovative, hard-working, and who have all become my family.

Acoustica is committed to making Mixcraft a DAW that SONAR users will want to seriously consider adopting. I would be remiss if I did not let you know that beginning now thru Cyber Monday, Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio is on sale for only $99. If you’d like to take a look at Mixcraft, please visit Acoustica.com for more details or a free trial.

For those interested in reading about the history of Cakewalk from my perspective, please read my blog anthonyshomestudio.com

Thanks,
Anthony Conte

The body's not even cold yet...

it pretty much is and BTW that article he wrote is very interesting. His link did not work but here it is http://www.anthonyshomestudio.com/

[DMNR]

Thank you Cakewalk 3.0 for getting me started on electronic music production all those years ago. My heart goes out to the employees; holiday layoffs are the worst of typical modern corporate behavior.

I remember the snide remarks in the forum given with an air of superiority. People saying "I have Lifetime updates so I don't have to worry, you should have jumped on when you had the chance. They gave you plenty of opportunities! Your loss!" Good times. Now everyone is on equal, disappointed footing.

Plenty of red flags popped up but the questioning was always shouted down by fanboys. Hopefully the stubborn can move on to a DAW that will have the right resources behind it for the future. When I moved on post Sonar X3 I was surprised to find that plenty of the things in X3 that didn't work, that I found frustrating or required workaround upon workaround simply worked in Reaper, Cubase, Live, etc.

[masterhiggins]

I would disagree strongly and say that Steinberg, Avid, and Ableton are.

imho I would say Logic is the least safe due to Apples addiction with consumerism.

but hey WTF do I know.

The safest DAW is Fruity Loops because it uses a simple reg key CP. It also has free lifetime updates.

And yet Logic is the one of the daws with the most updates and improvements ever since emagic's acquisition.

[topaz]

You need to look at what they actually added though, and don't forget their consumer market demographic.

It's only a matter of time till they go full on consumer.

And yet Logic is the one of the daws with the most updates and improvements ever since emagic's acquisition.

[Hink]

Thank you ATS for the kind words. Quite a story. I was lucky enough to witness the beginning of an era and unfortunately, the end of one.

I just heard the news that Cakewalk’s Boston HQ offices have closed. My name is Anthony Conte (currently VP for the Mixcraft DAW), and I spent 19 years at Cakewalk, including 12 years as the Vice President of Sales. For decades I worked with many of the brilliant, incredibly talented folks that now find themselves out of a job. My heart aches for the current Cakewalkers and the thousands of SONAR users across the globe. Simply put, this is the end of an era in the world of MIDI and Digital Audio recording.

While I do not know the fate of SONAR or what Gibson’s plans are for Cakewalk, I can assure all the current Cakewalkers that their future is bright. For the last six years, I have been lucky enough to have landed at a like-minded company, Acoustica, makers of Mixcraft 8, an award-winning DAW for the PC. Not coincidentally enough, Acoustica freakishly reminds me of the early days at Cakewalk. A small but growing music software company made up of great people who are passionate, innovative, hard-working, and who have all become my family.

Acoustica is committed to making Mixcraft a DAW that SONAR users will want to seriously consider adopting. I would be remiss if I did not let you know that beginning now thru Cyber Monday, Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio is on sale for only $99. If you’d like to take a look at Mixcraft, please visit Acoustica.com for more details or a free trial.

For those interested in reading about the history of Cakewalk from my perspective, please read my blog anthonyshomestudio.com

Thanks,
Anthony Conte

The body's not even cold yet...

it pretty much is and BTW that article he wrote is very interesting. His link did not work but here it is http://www.anthonyshomestudio.com/

were you in Boston/Cambridge back in the late 90's? I worked in a small music store at Davis Sq in Somerville (Action Music), the guys from Cakewalk use to come in the store to see what interesting used stuff we got in. I didn't even own a computer then but I had contemplated going in that direction, I was so clueless and they answered many of my questions. Wondering if you were one of them though I dont remember names, I do remember selling one guy a Tech 21 Trademark amp. They were indeed pretty cool guys.

FWIW I went on from there to MARs Music in Natick where though I'm a guitar player I was in pro-audio/recording (hd recording was pretty much my specialty)/keyboards/dj, I learned more there. I can picture the cakewalk rep but cant remember his name, I remember the debut of Sonar and training on it. Then as MARs looked bleak I moved to Daddy's Junky Music where from the same rep I started with Cakewalk Home Studio.

We didn't sell Cakewalk at Action Music so to my knowledge I didn't meet the rep until MARs

[GaryG]

I would disagree strongly and say that Steinberg, Avid, and Ableton are.

imho I would say Logic is the least safe due to Apples addiction with consumerism.

but hey WTF do I know.

The safest DAW is Fruity Loops because it uses a simple reg key CP. It also has free lifetime updates.

Nothing's certain obviously but I reckon Reaper could be one of the safer bets; I gather it's a real labour of love (may be not the right expression...) and as the creator has already made his millions elsewhere, no commercial pressure maybe?

As well as that it's a simple keyfile authorisation and supports portable installs (so no installers to rely on).

[robotmonkey]

The safest DAW is Fruity Loops because it uses a simple reg key CP.

Sonar used a simple key CP.

It also has free lifetime updates.

So did Sonar.

Omg, that means Fruity Loops will be next.

[robotmonkey]

I think now is time for Microsoft to buy Cakewalk. Then they can compete with Apple also on DAWs.

Maybe add a touch friendly gui, a wobble and raiser synths and some one knob instant plugins. Make it more EDM friendly, you know. Then replace Windows sound recorder with it. It would then sell tons of Windows 10 licenses, Surface Pros and recently announced MS branded laptops.

[rod_zero]

I wouldn't say Avid is one of the safest developers, in fact they have been in financial problems over the last few years.

Steinberg and Ableton seem the more solid to me.

[SJ_Digriz]

I think now is time for Microsoft to buy Cakewalk. Then they can compete with Apple also on DAWs.

Maybe add a touch friendly gui, a wobble and raiser synths and some one knob instant plugins. Make it more EDM friendly, you know. Then replace Windows sound recorder with it. It would then sell tons of Windows 10 licenses, Surface Pros and recently announced MS branded laptops.

Not sure if I should or

[JohnMS]

Haha, I just got Sonar Home Studio to try it out, as a Black Friday Deal via Plugin Boutique. As an avid Windows (10) user, it sure looked too good to not try out.

I don't think that Gibson axing Cakewalk Sonar really had too much to do with a low user base. Far from it, it has been known for several years Gibson has been suffering under very bad management, very bad quality management, and very bad everything else. Serious guitar aficionados and players have been making a wide circle around Gibson (and, for the most part, Fender, too).

On top of it all, Gibson is burdened by a stonking 500 million US dollars of debt. The loans will run out in about 7 - 8 months, and Gibson needs to refinance it, or will go bankrupt.

It appears the company currently doesn't know its mouth from its posterior, and is making all sorts of bad decisions piling up on top of the fallout of previous bad choices, perhaps in the hope it can somehow sex up its books for investors, in a bid to refinance debt.

What strikes me as very odd here is that no third party seems to have shown interest in buying Cakewalk, it seems. Did Gibson even try to sell the business? I wonder.

[fmr]

I think now is time for Microsoft to buy Cakewalk. Then they can compete with Apple also on DAWs.

Maybe add a touch friendly gui, a wobble and raiser synths and some one knob instant plugins. Make it more EDM friendly, you know. Then replace Windows sound recorder with it. It would then sell tons of Windows 10 licenses, Surface Pros and recently announced MS branded laptops.

That would be a great movement