SONAR X2 first look

[contrary]

I stepped off at 8.5 ( which wasn't too bad other than v-vocal never working right and deleting a few VST instruments and never recognizing them again --- I didn't have allot of crashing)


I got allot of upgrade offers since then , but I can't keep up with all the new permientations they offer now ; It seem like they are going after folks who are just getting started and don't already have allot of comps or reverbs ... I just got tired of the every year pay-up and when they expanded the scheme I just started learning how to use Orion and reaper better !!!!


It would seem that the reputation of letting long standing bugs go ignored is catching up . New Gui's and an all new learning curve probably did cost them ... I'm not sure that I'll ever go back now ..

[KevWestBeats]

I wonder if this version will be 20-40% better

Is that how much higher the price is since Sonar 8.5? (I skipped x1)

Or is that the amount of extra bundled plugins?

And really, they just added convolution reverb in Sonar 8 or 8.5 and it has Sonitus and a couple older reverbs. Why did they add another third party reverb in X2? This company doesn't seem to know how to develop its own product because, aside from totally reskining the GUI (but not actually re-developing contents- the track view, notation view, piano roll or event list views- apparently) , it's always some third party addon they're showing off in new versions and a couple "should've been there already" features (like VST integration, again, back during version 7, & more recently, plugin swapping, that they sold as a freakin paid-for addon).

Actually, I think I'm getting more bitter the more I think about my history with Sonar.

man you sound like me lol. The only reason I am even considering x2 is because I was thinking about upgrading to X1 producer anyway. I was gonna do it in October so I might as well get X2 and the new plugs but I would really love to see more bug fixes and let them sit on a version for 3 or 4 years. I am okay with that if it works really really well. They can take that time inbetween after getting it flawless to sell Pro Channel stuff. But don't repackage the program with more plug ins and tell me its a new version. That said every company has issues here and there so at this point I might as well keep what I know or jump on Pro Tools. Plus a Sonar upgrade is like $600 cheaper than a new Pro Tools license

[Gonga]

It could just be that everybody always hates whatever DAW they're using, because the bar for stability and performance in the industry in general is quite low.

Or, it could be that SONAR truly sucks.

Either way, complaining is warranted, though not likely to change anything.

[hibidy]

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[hibidy]

I'd explain the 20-40%, but then it wouldn't be a "supreese" (insert DAF pic here, couldn't find one I liked)

[KevWestBeats]

It could just be that everybody always hates whatever DAW they're using, because the bar for stability and performance in the industry in general is quite low.

Or, it could be that SONAR truly sucks.

Either way, complaining is warranted, though not likely to change anything.

Reason was the first music making program/DAW whatever that I really learned and its always been super stable and I am spoiled by it and still love it. I like Live a lot. I like Sonar but I would love it if it was more stable and less buggy.

[Arglebargle]

it's so bizarre, Sonar never used to glitch out during playback for me for like 7 years, but ever since I ditched it for Reaper, any time I load up an old Sonar project and try to play it, the audio randomly glitches. Software can't feel spite can it?

also, projects that used to load fine now give a BSOD. what is this I don't even

[Jace-BeOS]

it's so bizarre, Sonar never used to glitch out during playback for me for like 7 years, but ever since I ditched it for Reaper, any time I load up an old Sonar project and try to play it, the audio randomly glitches. Software can't feel spite can it?

also, projects that used to load fine now give a BSOD. what is this I don't even

My experience exactly (computer sat in storage a year or so, while I used a MacBook Pro on the go). I blame my PC components for being incompatible and defective but it was almost fine before storage and it was in a bag, foam and sealed box, in a controlled environment, so I think it should have been ok. Instead, I find plugins are freezing Sonar 8.5 (but not 6 or 7, installed on a spare machine to troubleshoot old project files). That's in 32-bit. When I moved to use the same plugin with the 64-bit bridge, it froze the whole machine. Really? 2012, Vista still can't stop an app or hardware device from dominating the CPU? Meh.

The plugin? Echomania by Interruptor. Yes I looked for help on his forum. No response. I gave up. Shame too because that song is one of my best and now I'll have to render the track to audio on the older Sonar backup machine to preserve the effect or try to figure out how to replicate it in another plug (as if).

I know I shouldn't have upgraded Sonar between projects but I was trapped in the "hope it's better in the upgrade" game. No more.

EDIT: When am I going to stop doing kvr posts on iPhone? And why does autocorrect spontaneously stop working in kvr posting boxes?

[Jace-BeOS]

I stepped off at 8.5 ( which wasn't too bad other than v-vocal never working right and deleting a few VST instruments and never recognizing them again --- I didn't have allot of crashing)

V-vocal. Yeah. What a piece of junk. It always crashed on me. Yet, I go to the Cakewalk forums and nobody has a problem with it. "It's just you, buddy." Uh huh. Right. How does that actually work out? One user said I should bounce my v-vocal clips to plain audio because "it's not intended to be used live." Some other dude said "Really? I have six v-vocal clips in my track right now with no problem!"

I can't be bothered to figure out why the same software works differently from computer to computer, so scratch one big feature Cakewalk used as upgrade bait. Only one minor update to V-vocal since its initial release. It added audio to MIDI but didn't solve the crashing.

Then there's the event list. PURE ARCHAIC Win 3.x API GARBAGE.

[wetdentist]

i see people complain about every DAW . . . Live, Cubase, Sonar, Pro Tools, etc. but not FL Studio. i guess FL Studio is the only worthwhile DAW out there, plus they get #1 DAW on internet pols. i prefer Sonar X1, as i've said before. but i guess i'm wrong;)

[juffi]

I think the answer "i have no problems on my system" doesnt help anyone . On the other hand there are too many systems in the world to be considered. Everyone has a different pc.

I had some strange behaviour with v-vocal clips, when i undo a created clip and did a redo.

When i worked with Sonar X1d, i had 6 (different) crashes within 4 weeks. What helped on my system was to deactivate all asio inputs and outputs in sonar, that i dont need. for example my emu-1820m has 32 asio inputs and outputs, i need one input for microphone only, headphones and monitor , but not spdif, adat and so on. I fear that sonar doesnt like so many routings.

[meldavid]

Automation lanes and R-Mix are cool.

What I would like to see most is a lane designated for keyswitches, so that you can easily see at a glance what articulations the MIDI notes are triggering. This would be really useful for VSL and Kontakt instruments.

Or even being able to assign articulation info onto the MIDI note itself. eg. Right-click a MIDI note and select from a a menu of articulations available from the instrument loaded.

[hibidy]

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[KevWestBeats]

I stepped off at 8.5 ( which wasn't too bad other than v-vocal never working right and deleting a few VST instruments and never recognizing them again --- I didn't have allot of crashing)

V-vocal. Yeah. What a piece of junk. It always crashed on me. Yet, I go to the Cakewalk forums and nobody has a problem with it. "It's just you, buddy." Uh huh. Right. How does that actually work out? One user said I should bounce my v-vocal clips to plain audio because "it's not intended to be used live." Some other dude said "Really? I have six v-vocal clips in my track right now with no problem!"

I can't be bothered to figure out why the same software works differently from computer to computer, so scratch one big feature Cakewalk used as upgrade bait. Only one minor update to V-vocal since its initial release. It added audio to MIDI but didn't solve the crashing.

Then there's the event list. PURE ARCHAIC Win 3.x API GARBAGE.

+1 it would be different if it were just you but lots of people have this issue. Look at their forums its 95% why don't this thing work posts. No other developer forum that I go to is like this. Its usually praise threads but for some reason Cakewalk doesn't seem to see the trend. I had an issue that I was discussing on their forums recently and I named off 4 or 5 DAWs that did not have this issue and how the issue only happens when I use Sonar and people still wanted to blame my computer. My computer kicks ass its not my computer or they blame my audio interface and tell me to buy a new one. Yeah I'll replace the interface I spent $500 on 6 months ago for a DAW that costs $200 makes a ton of sense right lol

[sagetone]

Looking at the quick list of features on their website, the ability to export to XML is interesting, for working with notation programs. I'm a Studio X1 user, very pleased with Sonar, but don't like their marketing model that I have to buy all of their instruments in the Pro version. The only thing that Studio lacks for me right now is the pow-r dithering. I have all of the VSTi's and effects that I need. So..... another Sonar coming out, and I have to decide again, do I want to keep going with them, not fully getting what I want, or is it time to look at the no-bloat Reaper?

PS - Curious to know what "Smart Grid" is, though.