Cakewalk Sonar X3

[AROSSA [Cakewalk]]

The "self-important twits" are forum members such as yourself that use the forum as a social life replacement and don't get that its just software. They get personally insulted whenever they hear negative things about Sonar and take on a high school boys club mentality. There are still some grownups on the forum that can be quite helpful but they are in the minority these days. There used to be quite a lot of actual professional on the Cakewalk forum but these days it's mostly hobbyists. Luckily the Cubase forum is more professional and therefore far more useful.

The Cakewalk community is great. They are passionate and let us know what they like and don't like. We've heard our share of criticisms from time to time, just like most DAWS actually. I think this speaks more about yourself that you continually post on a DAW that you don't use anymore. I believe there is a Cubase thread right below this one that might be more up your alley.

[vintagevibe]

I thought about upgrading my X2 but I can't get back on the Cakewalk train any more. Sonar 8.5 was great. 8 was a nightmare. X1 was a nightmare. X2 was constant little things that were broken and destroyed my work flow. All reports are that X3 is stable but then X4 is all too likely to be the next nightmare.
Add that to the fact that Sonar will never have usable notation and I've just had it with that company. I've been with Cakewalk since 1992 and they finally drove me away. I boot up X2 and the now line disappears, I get crashes, tools don't work correctly... I boot up Cubase 7 and it just works. Cubase has has many updates since 7.0. Sonar X2 was abandoned. I need a company that stands behind their product.

You said: "All reports are that X3 is stable but then X4 is all too likely to be the next nightmare."

I guess since you can't criticize X3, you'll just take jabs at a product that hasn't even been released and won't be for a long time. Nice.

8 was unstable. 8.5 was great. X1 was unstable, X2 has many problems that were never fixed. X3 seems to be good. I'm just going by history.

[AROSSA [Cakewalk]]

I thought about upgrading my X2 but I can't get back on the Cakewalk train any more. Sonar 8.5 was great. 8 was a nightmare. X1 was a nightmare. X2 was constant little things that were broken and destroyed my work flow. All reports are that X3 is stable but then X4 is all too likely to be the next nightmare.
Add that to the fact that Sonar will never have usable notation and I've just had it with that company. I've been with Cakewalk since 1992 and they finally drove me away. I boot up X2 and the now line disappears, I get crashes, tools don't work correctly... I boot up Cubase 7 and it just works. Cubase has has many updates since 7.0. Sonar X2 was abandoned. I need a company that stands behind their product.

You said: "All reports are that X3 is stable but then X4 is all too likely to be the next nightmare."

I guess since you can't criticize X3, you'll just take jabs at a product that hasn't even been released and won't be for a long time. Nice.

8 was unstable. 8.5 was great. X1 was unstable, X2 has many problems that were never fixed. X3 seems to be good. I'm just going by history.

I believe the thread is regarding SONAR X3. So maybe might be good to evaluate the current product and not past or future versions of it. I'm sure they intended nature of this thread topic is to get people's opinions on SONAR X3.

You are entitled to your opinion of course but thrashing something that doesn't even exist (like X4) sort of makes me not want to read any further. Just saying...

[Spiritos]

I might go out on a limb here but as a happy and relatively new Sonar X2 user I was wondering if it is even possible to say a DAW is stable or not?

I mean I realise I'm fairly new to the game but I've read tons of fora where one particular DAW works flawless on one's machine and is crashing all the time on someone else's. Now I'm not talking about known issues but about the core of a DAW itself.

So in general terms, how does one actually assess a DAW's stability? Is it the average of all users or what?

[vintagevibe]

The "self-important twits" are forum members such as yourself that use the forum as a social life replacement and don't get that its just software. They get personally insulted whenever they hear negative things about Sonar and take on a high school boys club mentality. There are still some grownups on the forum that can be quite helpful but they are in the minority these days. There used to be quite a lot of actual professional on the Cakewalk forum but these days it's mostly hobbyists. Luckily the Cubase forum is more professional and therefore far more useful.

The Cakewalk community is great. They are passionate and let us know what they like and don't like. We've heard our share of criticisms from time to time, just like most DAWS actually. I think this speaks more about yourself that you continually post on a DAW that you don't use anymore. I believe there is a Cubase thread right below this one that might be more up your alley.

First I still use Sonar X2 so I have a stake in this and therefor post on it. Secondly I have been on the Cakewalk forum since it was a news group in the '90s. I suspect that is far longer than you have worked for Cakewalk so I do have historical perspective and I stand my my statments. Please read through this post:
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Changing-the- ... 00361.aspx

[CTStump]

I believe the thread is regarding SONAR X3. So maybe might be good to evaluate the current product and not past or future versions of it. I'm sure they intended nature of this thread topic is to get people's opinions on SONAR X3.

Unfortunately, by pointing out the off-topic replies will only create "come on" responses. I realize being connected with the product would be hard to hold back with what may seem unreasonable criticism this is a relatively open 3rd party forum.

whether someone is using your product(or current version) is irrelevant as perceived notions will win the day.

Defending it can only complicate it further in my humble opinion.

[AROSSA [Cakewalk]]

I believe the thread is regarding SONAR X3. So maybe might be good to evaluate the current product and not past or future versions of it. I'm sure they intended nature of this thread topic is to get people's opinions on SONAR X3.

Unfortunately, by pointing out the off-topic replies will only create "come on" responses. I realize being connected with the product would be hard to hold back with what may seem unreasonable criticism this is a relatively open 3rd party forum.

whether someone is using your product(or current version) is irrelevant as perceived notions will win the day.

Defending it can only complicate it further in my humble opinion.

You are probably correct. We are trying to keep a pulse on the community outside of our own forum. I was just trying to point out the absurdity of some of the posts (like using X4 as an example). It unfortunate that perceived notions win the day and not the actual facts.

[urock]

I might go out on a limb here but as a happy and relatively new Sonar X2 user I was wondering if it is even possible to say a DAW is stable or not?

I mean I realise I'm fairly new to the game but I've read tons of fora where one particular DAW works flawless on one's machine and is crashing all the time on someone else's. Now I'm not talking about known issues but about the core of a DAW itself.

An entirely rationale and reasoned observation. Unfortunately, that's often not the case with forum chatter.

So in general terms, how does one actually assess a DAW's stability? Is it the average of all users or what?

By whoever decides the post the most and loudest in a particular forum. Just review this thread and see it in action. You can also review Cubase and Logic threads here and see the same thing. It happens in every forum where there is not heavy-handed moderation.

So, my very unhelpful answer is that you have to use it yourself and see if works on your computer with your workflow.

[dsan@mail.com]

I might go out on a limb here but as a happy and relatively new Sonar X2 user I was wondering if it is even possible to say a DAW is stable or not?

I mean I realise I'm fairly new to the game but I've read tons of fora where one particular DAW works flawless on one's machine and is crashing all the time on someone else's. Now I'm not talking about known issues but about the core of a DAW itself.

So in general terms, how does one actually assess a DAW's stability? Is it the average of all users or what?

Likewise I find this an interesting subject as well. How is it on one's machine the DAW works perfectly but on another it won't work at all?

What I find most interesting is how the frustration levels immediately set in and the automatic assumption there is something wrong with the program and developers.

Could it be the problem may lie within my methods or hardware?

All too often though, rather than trying to determine the root of fault, the user says, well we all know what they say.

Personally, I do not seem to have the issues many report. It may be, and most likely is, I do not use the software in the same manner as those with problems.

However, I tend to think it has to do with installation methods. When I just immediately install a download I too am riddled with many of the issues; when I first unblock the download and then install I do not have these issues.

Lucky, I doubt; otherwise I would have won the lottery by now

Happy Musiking!
dsan

[progtronic]

...We've heard our share of criticisms from time to time, just like most DAWS actually. I think this speaks more about yourself that you continually post on a DAW that you don't use anymore.

Previous users (like myself) tend do this, to help others make informed decisions.. and hopefully not make the same mistakes.

[asdfrewq]

You are probably correct. We are trying to keep a pulse on the community outside of our own forum. I was just trying to point out the absurdity of some of the posts (like using X4 as an example). It unfortunate that perceived notions win the day and not the actual facts.

The way the X2 to X3 update was handled was terrible, I purchased X2 less than 2 weeks before X3 came out and because I did not purchase retail box (I bought through your online store) I had to pay for the X3 upgrade... I was quite surprised to find out that you value your customers more or less depending on who they purchase from.

[AROSSA [Cakewalk]]

You are probably correct. We are trying to keep a pulse on the community outside of our own forum. I was just trying to point out the absurdity of some of the posts (like using X4 as an example). It unfortunate that perceived notions win the day and not the actual facts.

The way the X2 to X3 update was handled was terrible, I purchased X2 less than 2 weeks before X3 came out and because I did not purchase retail box (I bought through your online store) I had to pay for the X3 upgrade... I was quite surprised to find out that you value your customers more or less depending on who they purchase from.

What version did you upgrade from and what price did you pay?

[asdfrewq]

You are probably correct. We are trying to keep a pulse on the community outside of our own forum. I was just trying to point out the absurdity of some of the posts (like using X4 as an example). It unfortunate that perceived notions win the day and not the actual facts.

The way the X2 to X3 update was handled was terrible, I purchased X2 less than 2 weeks before X3 came out and because I did not purchase retail box (I bought through your online store) I had to pay for the X3 upgrade... I was quite surprised to find out that you value your customers more or less depending on who they purchase from.

What version did you upgrade from and what price did you pay?

I upgraded from Home 6 to X2 Studio on 9/16/2013 and paid $49.00
Then a few days later X3 was announced and I contacted support they said if I had purchased a box at a retailer it would be a free upgrade to X3 Studio but because I purchased through the online cakewalk store it would cost $99.00 (I talked him down to $49.00) we did the transaction on 10/2/2013.

I was surprised when someone told me about the free upgrade for retail purchasers, it really did not make sense after what I had been told.

So now I have a worthless copy of X2 that I got to use for 2 weeks.

[AROSSA [Cakewalk]]

You are probably correct. We are trying to keep a pulse on the community outside of our own forum. I was just trying to point out the absurdity of some of the posts (like using X4 as an example). It unfortunate that perceived notions win the day and not the actual facts.

The way the X2 to X3 update was handled was terrible, I purchased X2 less than 2 weeks before X3 came out and because I did not purchase retail box (I bought through your online store) I had to pay for the X3 upgrade... I was quite surprised to find out that you value your customers more or less depending on who they purchase from.

What version did you upgrade from and what price did you pay?

I upgraded from Home 6 to X2 Studio on 9/16/2013 and paid $49.00
Then a few days later X3 was announced and I contacted support they said if I had purchased a box at a retailer it would be a free upgrade to X3 Studio but because I purchased through the online cakewalk store it would cost $99.00 (I talked him down to $49.00) we did the transaction on 10/2/2013.

I was surprised when someone told me about the free upgrade for retail purchasers, it really did not make sense after what I had been told.

So now I have a worthless copy of X2 that I got to use for 2 weeks.

Not exactly. The reason retail boxes are getting free upgrades is because they paid full price in September.

We ran a special from our Cakewalk Store which is why you got it for $49. Had you waited, and just upgraded to X3 Studio, it would have cost you $149.

If you upgrade from SONAR X2 Studio to SONAR X3 Studio, you will pay $99. Add the $49 you paid already and that's $148. So basically the same price difference. Hope that explanation makes sense.

[asdfrewq]

You are probably correct. We are trying to keep a pulse on the community outside of our own forum. I was just trying to point out the absurdity of some of the posts (like using X4 as an example). It unfortunate that perceived notions win the day and not the actual facts.

The way the X2 to X3 update was handled was terrible, I purchased X2 less than 2 weeks before X3 came out and because I did not purchase retail box (I bought through your online store) I had to pay for the X3 upgrade... I was quite surprised to find out that you value your customers more or less depending on who they purchase from.

What version did you upgrade from and what price did you pay?

I upgraded from Home 6 to X2 Studio on 9/16/2013 and paid $49.00
Then a few days later X3 was announced and I contacted support they said if I had purchased a box at a retailer it would be a free upgrade to X3 Studio but because I purchased through the online cakewalk store it would cost $99.00 (I talked him down to $49.00) we did the transaction on 10/2/2013.

I was surprised when someone told me about the free upgrade for retail purchasers, it really did not make sense after what I had been told.

So now I have a worthless copy of X2 that I got to use for 2 weeks.

Not exactly. The reason retail boxes are getting free upgrades is because they paid full price in September.

We ran a special from our Cakewalk Store which is why you got it for $49. Had you waited, and just upgraded to X3 Studio, it would have cost you $149.

If you upgrade from SONAR X2 Studio to SONAR X3 Studio, you will pay $99. Add the $49 you paid already and that's $148. So basically the same price difference. Hope that explanation makes sense.

I suppose so however I now feel like Cakewalk is not so great after the whole experience. I have been using it since Pro Audio 7 so I am not going to change DAWs any time soon...

My general concern (and unease regarding CW products) is if you have a sale on an end of life product 2 weeks before you announce its replacement it would be nice to let potential customers know that the product has reached end of life and will no longer get updates. I thought I was purchasing a product for a few years of use only to find out the bugfix version (X3) would cost more.

I appreciate you taking time on a public forum to address my concerns, and CW has not lost a customer (kind of locked in after all these years) but the upgrade was a PITA and I had to spend tons of time on the phone and emailing support to get the discounted upgrade price. So it's difficult not to chime in on a CW/Sonar thread and voice my concerns...