Introducing the new SONAR: New lineup, new features, plus membership

[sounddesigner]

There has been some bloat but not nearly as much as other stuff. I don't care about the style dials, LANDR or the synths that they updated but you can't deny there have been vast improvements and features in the past year. Melodyne 4, Patch Points, Synth Recording, Upsampling on playback, Clip exporting, Drum replacer, vocal sync, the new midi engine... not to mention the bug fixes that we get every single month. Plus, some of what they've already announced for spring like the new UI themes, library and mastering update all look very promising.

I acknowledged there was some good new functionality added in my post as well. I just don't see as much as you, e.g. you mentioned Melodyne 4, drum replacer and vocal sync well all are pretty much equivalent to just more plugins to me, much of wich I will never use. And there has been plenty of other effects and content added over the last year that neither I nor you mentioned wich was plenty bloat. The actual substantative features added that I care about aren't that much. I'm not saying their was no good features and functionality added and I made this clear in my last post when I stated that I was very happy with some. But stuff like melodyne 4 are things that I do not really care for and can get that from a third-party when needed, might not be the same level of integration but still easily useable. Naturally what sways one person to upgrade doesn't necessarily sway another, from my perspective I need to see a little more before I reach for my wallet again (Such as various improvements to the Engine itself).

Cakewalk are doing better than what they use to do under Roland far as giving better upgrades but I'm not yet completely satisfied and my purchased upgrade cycle ends this June.

EDITED

[xphen0m]

So I decided to renew my subscription for a year. It's $99 today at AudioDeluxe for Platinum.

I'm hoping the next year bring some goodies that I find useful. There are things that I like Sonar, but I still prefer Cubase. I would still like to see some new MIDI tools, like for instance a dedicated Legato function within Sonar and maybe even accessible from the PRV. The CAL script is pretty hit-or-miss a lot of times in terms of how well it does this. The quantize window has something for this, but it's not very "dynamic", for lack of a better term. Like, I don't think it handles chord legato very well, from what I remember.

[poonna]

I have been hoping to see updates to the Matrix View, to at least on par with Project 5. Ability to record directly into Matrix cells will sway me to upgrade. But so far there doesn't seem to be anyone interested except me.

[EnGee]

I have been hoping to see updates to the Matrix View, to at least on par with Project 5. Ability to record directly into Matrix cells will sway me to upgrade. But so far there doesn't seem to be anyone interested except me.

There are users who are interested in Matrix, Step sequencer and other Midi-Composition workflow enhancements, but I don't think they stayed waiting.

I have moved from Sonar about two years ago. So yes maybe you are the only one who still have a hope about it

[incubus]

I have been hoping to see updates to the Matrix View, to at least on par with Project 5. Ability to record directly into Matrix cells will sway me to upgrade. But so far there doesn't seem to be anyone interested except me.

There are users who are interested in Matrix, Step sequencer and other Midi-Composition workflow enhancements, but I don't think they stayed waiting.

I have moved from Sonar about two years ago. So yes maybe you are the only one who still have a hope about it

The thing that bugs me (no pun intended) is that they introduce a feature, then don't go the full mile to fix/improve it. REALLY frustrating.

Frankly, sonar is tops in features. But they didn't baby things along to get a mature product from the pulpit they preached

[EnGee]

It is targeted mainly now towards bands (like rock bands) and/or mixing/mastering engineers. It is the same as Studio One direction. Both are very good at that, but for me I found Ableton Live or Bitwig is better in both workflow and midi features. So that I left them both (Sonar and S1).

If I have a band with a real drummer, guitarist, ...etc. maybe I would feel the opposite. But for electronic, computer based music, I prefer Bitwig (or Live).

Maybe in the future if Cakewalk invest in Project 5 development, I would be interested. Anyway, who was the main developer(s) for Project 5? If they are still in cakewalk, then maybe there is a hope.

[Mystic]

I'm personally hoping for a complete revamp of midi. Cubase still dominates the market in midi editing and I would love to see Cakewalk design something that works as well.

They do need to spend some time with the core features but a lot of them aren't broken.

[cryophonik]

I have been hoping to see updates to the Matrix View, to at least on par with Project 5. Ability to record directly into Matrix cells will sway me to upgrade. But so far there doesn't seem to be anyone interested except me.

There are users who are interested in Matrix, Step sequencer and other Midi-Composition workflow enhancements, but I don't think they stayed waiting.

I have moved from Sonar about two years ago. So yes maybe you are the only one who still have a hope about it

I've been interested in seeing these and other related improvements as well, particularly for the step sequencer and PRV. The problem is, Cakewalk created the "Features and Ideas" forum so that they can shove everybody's suggestions under the rug and keep them off the main forum. It's too bad, because that forum is full of great suggestions for improving Sonar, but it seems that Cakewalk doesn't even look at it or, if they are, they're just ignoring the suggestions.

[xphen0m]

I'm personally hoping for a complete revamp of midi. Cubase still dominates the market in midi editing and I would love to see Cakewalk design something that works as well.

They do need to spend some time with the core features but a lot of them aren't broken.

Good to see that I'm not the only one that feels this way. Anytime I brought this up in the past, I get a bunch of responses basically saying that a lot of that stuff can be done with CAL scripts. But that's the problem. The CAL scripts don't always work very well and are very limited in what they do. While I absolutely love Cubase, it has it's things that need to be recitified (like only "technically" six insert slots? two of them are post-fader so that's why I say technically). These are the things that are right in Sonar. But my problem is that Sonar's MIDI needs a revamp to catch up to Cubase.

[Kalamata Kid]

I'm personally hoping for a complete revamp of midi. Cubase still dominates the market in midi editing and I would love to see Cakewalk design something that works as well.

They do need to spend some time with the core features but a lot of them aren't broken.

Good to see that I'm not the only one that feels this way. Anytime I brought this up in the past, I get a bunch of responses basically saying that a lot of that stuff can be done with CAL scripts. But that's the problem. The CAL scripts don't always work very well and are very limited in what they do. While I absolutely love Cubase, it has it's things that need to be recitified (like only "technically" six insert slots? two of them are post-fader so that's why I say technically). These are the things that are right in Sonar. But my problem is that Sonar's MIDI needs a revamp to catch up to Cubase.

Perhaps midi in a modular environment.
MFX and VST midi fx friendly.
CAL or similar scripting.
Multi-touch capable.

[LawrenceF]

CAL or similar scripting.

I've not used Sonar but have heard about CAL but I can't say I've seen people passing scripts around. Do a lot of people use it?

[deastman]

These days I use Sonar primarily when I'm scoring to video. Ableton is a joke in that respect, and I'm not sure if Bitwig even offers video support. I also use it when I'm going for a more linear, multitrack recording sort of workflow. I still wouldn't consider anything else for proper arranging, mixing, and mastering of a conventional song with comped vocals, guitar, lots of hardware synth tracks, etc. But when it comes to a more casual, experimental, playful workflow, I'm much more inclined to turn to one of those other programs.

[Kalamata Kid]

CAL or similar scripting.

I've not used Sonar but have heard about CAL but I can't say I've seen people passing scripts around. Do a lot of people use it?

I would not know where to start on scripting but hope others would.
Years ago I did use some CAL midi effects. I do like how Cubase
does the Logical Editor, Transformer, Input Transformer
Midi Menu Functions and MFX and propriety midi FX. All bases are
covered.

I would use Cubase for that midi capability but it lacks in other
areas where Sonar does not. Sonar is the only DAW that has
all my feature requirements though some not up to par. Unfortunately
I am having a hard time with the workflow.

[EnGee]

I've been interested in seeing these and other related improvements as well, particularly for the step sequencer and PRV. The problem is, Cakewalk created the "Features and Ideas" forum so that they can shove everybody's suggestions under the rug and keep them off the main forum. It's too bad, because that forum is full of great suggestions for improving Sonar, but it seems that Cakewalk doesn't even look at it or, if they are, they're just ignoring the suggestions.

To be honest, I'd choose Sonar 7 or 8.5 over the current Sonar! At least I like the GUI more than the X generations. Anyway, What improvements in Midi since then?! IMO it was better that time! At least the overdub recording was a clean one track and not with a new take created every time you overdub recording something!!
It might be too late for Cakewalk now, because IMO Bitwig and Ableton got it right. It is a pleasure for me to make music in Bitwig using the VST instruments and effects. The workflow is great. It is just pity that Cakewalk doesn't care anymore about that direction, and focus on 'Pro Tools' way instead of enhancing the Matrix, Step Sequencer, Midi overdub recording ...etc.

[incubus]

haha! Ignored!

Well, have to say that the sentiment is the same.......we "want" with there being no real "x"

same as it ever was...........same as it ever was.....................