SONAR X2 first look

[hibidy]

Mutools, but it's not multiprocessor.

Hosts, they are SO much fun!!!!!!!

[hibidy]

edit

[Brandon Ryan]

You know, I thought the ProChannel was pretty useful when it first came out. A compressor, EQ, and saturation on every channel, right at your fingertips.

Now you have a whole bunch of different plugins to choose from, add, rearrange, and package into FX chains. You can also buy additional plugins.

Is it just me, or is this starting to sound more and more like the VST effect bin that we already had?

Indeed it is an "FX bin" of sorts - but a VASTLY more useful, flexible and ergonomic one. I see it as a kind of extreme evolution of the FX bin.

At this point, now that FX Chains are supported in the ProChannel, I'm mixing pretty much 100% within the ProChannel and not using FX bins at all.

[Brandon Ryan]

Ok, does anyone else look at this and want to gouge their eyeball out??????

Looks fabulous to me

Biased of course but I agree. Total gear pr0n.

[Brandon Ryan]

I know you know that already. You are a very happy Sonar user

But I'd like to be

Wish there was some way I could help make that happen. Let me know if there is.

[ShawnG]

[quote="hibidy"][quote="trimph1"][img]https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos- ... 9285_n.jpg[/img]

[/quote]

Ok, does anyone else look at this and want to gouge their eyeball out??????[/quote]

I think it's just there to try to look impressive, the only place I ever view the prochannel is in the inspector, my mixer is just the reg channel strips. love the new upgrades to the prochannel and R-mix looks interesting.

[chrisby]

Wish there was some way I could help make that happen. Let me know if there is.

Hi Brandon,

I wonder if you could confirm (or confirm it's wrong) something I read in the Sonar forum... a user there stated they he'd received an email from CW stating that if he upgraded to the "production suite" now he would qualify for the free X2 upgrade but also for whatever the early adapter freebie is going to be thrown in as well. I'd be upgrading from X1 Expanded but if what he claimed is correct I'm pretty sure I'd go that route and order now. If you don't know for sure no biggie, just thought It'd be worth checking.... Thx

[lfm]

You know, I thought the ProChannel was pretty useful when it first came out. A compressor, EQ, and saturation on every channel, right at your fingertips.

Now you have a whole bunch of different plugins to choose from, add, rearrange, and package into FX chains. You can also buy additional plugins.

Is it just me, or is this starting to sound more and more like the VST effect bin that we already had?

Exactly how I feel about it.

We have the VST standard and they try to create something else, that locks you in as a user.

Don't be fooled that you get new options - you're locked in to use only in Sonar.

You buy more stuff for Sonar only - and you are less likely to switch daw - that is the trick. When Cakewalk says JUMP - you have to jump or just see your investment gone if changing daw. Buy corresponding plugs all over again as ordinary VSTs.

So it's nice they have Studio version - without that bling-bling-channel. If they improved staff view something I might update my 8.5 to X2.

[Gonga]

Exactly. Because of the bugginess of X1 and the putting of basic features into advanced, expensive versions, and the lack of resale potential, I have for the first time (in many years of using Pro Audio) considered moving away from SONAR. SONAR does compete well against other DAWs though overall, so I haven't moved. But I intend to stop getting the upper-end version and stick with Studio. I've moved to iZotope stuff, which I prefer to channel strips anyway. I just hope they stop putting basic stuff like editing features and drag and drop only in the Producer's version. That could make me switch back to Cubase or another DAW.

X2 has very little of value to me, except the editing features like effects tracks (whatever they're called). I hope they don't expect me to upgrade to Producer for what really are incremental additions. If so, I will wait until next year. I finally have SONAR acting stable with the D version. I just wish I could have midi learn on effects without having to go through steps to call them "instruments" and that SONAR would stop stealing keystrokes from vsts (I can't turn key bindings off no matter what settings I use).

[ShawnG]

lots of complaints here on the lack of resellability of cakewalk stuff. It's worth pointing out the rather obvious reason they have this policy... the copy protection, or actually the lack therof. it's just a serial. no dongle, no internet connection requirement, no arcane C/R system, or required hardware. If cakewalk goes belly up, your serial will work just like it did before. you know, all the things that people on KVR bitch up a storm about on every other host/VST. of course the serial will work fine if you unload all your stuff to someone on the marketplace and decide to keep using it as well. it's a two edged sword. I have a large investment in cakewalk software, so I understand, but cakewalk doesn't get enough props for having the attitude towards copy protection that they do.

[Trakstar]

I have sonar expanded pro suite with all the pro channels apart from softube, now if someone buys sonar x1 they get a free x2 upgrade which comes with all the expanded pro stuff for free as they are combining them all in to one package with X2, I wrote to cakewalk about it asking how much they will charge me for an upgrade for something I already own apart from a few extras such as the breverb and Rmix and console module for pro channel. They said they would get back to me, I really want this update because they have addressed nearly all what everyone asked for and put it all in one X2 package, but its left people like me probably paying through the nose whose been with cakewalk for years and have all their stuff. its a proper kick in the teeth for loyalty points when you have to pay for an upgrade fee twice over and then they give it away free to sell more products, this really sucks i want a free upgrade too, Ive spent lots on all the expanded and prochannel FX and watched as many sales after went by and if I had waited but 1-2 weeks or similar I would save tons, just as this example, anyone else know what Im saying???

[Jace-BeOS]

Loyalty to customers? What's that?

[lfm]

They said they would get back to me, I really want this update because they have addressed nearly all what everyone asked for and put it all in one X2 package, but its left people like me probably paying through the nose whose been with cakewalk for years and have all their stuff. its a proper kick in the teeth for loyalty points when you have to pay for an upgrade fee twice over and then they give it away free to sell more products, this really sucks i want a free upgrade too, Ive spent lots on all the expanded and prochannel FX and watched as many sales after went by and if I had waited but 1-2 weeks or similar I would save tons, just as this example, anyone else know what Im saying???

Cakewalk has sometimes painted themselves into a corner with separate products, addons that suddenly are included in standard Sonar package.

Thinking of Dimension and Rapture etc.

I'm sure it's meant to attract new customer, but often is contraproductive when it comes to customers that already bought the separate fullprice products - and they pay again kindof for the same product - and it's no extra value at all.

It was part of reasons never going for Producer version - I had Dimension already. And there were the usuall mistakes by Cake with installs - those that had DP before had to register again with a new license, or it would stop working - something like that.

[Gonga]

lots of complaints here on the lack of resellability of cakewalk stuff. It's worth pointing out the rather obvious reason they have this policy... the copy protection, or actually the lack therof. it's just a serial. no dongle, no internet connection requirement, no arcane C/R system, or required hardware. If cakewalk goes belly up, your serial will work just like it did before. you know, all the things that people on KVR bitch up a storm about on every other host/VST. of course the serial will work fine if you unload all your stuff to someone on the marketplace and decide to keep using it as well. it's a two edged sword. I have a large investment in cakewalk software, so I understand, but cakewalk doesn't get enough props for having the attitude towards copy protection that they do.

Fair enuf!

I do wish they would offer a single download for patches. To reinstall had me going for weeks. Found out that I had a patch that needed to be uninstalled (complicated process required calling Cake) before I could install the final d version. Too complicated! I realize it's a big program, but there must be a better way that's not so confusing (such as an explanation of how to reinstall right there on the download page!) Ever wonder why there are no directions, just tons of patches to download, half of which you shouldn't be installing?

[ShawnG]

[quote="Trakstar"]I have sonar expanded pro suite with all the pro channels apart from softube, now if someone buys sonar x1 they get a free x2 upgrade which comes with all the expanded pro stuff for free as they are combining them all in to one package with X2, I wrote to cakewalk about it asking how much they will charge me for an upgrade for something I already own apart from a few extras such as the breverb and Rmix and console module for pro channel. They said they would get back to me, I really want this update because they have addressed nearly all what everyone asked for and put it all in one X2 package, but its left people like me probably paying through the nose whose been with cakewalk for years and have all their stuff. its a proper kick in the teeth for loyalty points when you have to pay for an upgrade fee twice over and then they give it away free to sell more products, this really sucks i want a free upgrade too, Ive spent lots on all the expanded and prochannel FX and watched as many sales after went by and if I had waited but 1-2 weeks or similar I would save tons, just as this example, anyone else know what Im saying???[/quote]

[url]http://blog.cakewalk.com/sonar-x2-sneak ... #more-9358[/url]

upgrade from producer expanded is 20 bucks cheaper than upgrade from producer without expanded. they aren't including any of the separate pay prochannel modules in X2 as far as I'm aware, just what was in the expanded upgrade itself.