About that cakewalk email that should be in your inboxes right now

[Alex Westner]

Despite the other comments in this thread, I have been nothing but professional and I have not been at all snarky. I posted a meme to try to add some levity.

[Numanoid]

We're owning up to these mistakes and we're trying to right the ship, to set us on a clear and focused direction, and rebuild relationships with customers.

Still, here you are ... being all professional.

That is what is expected from a dev

This goes to show that mods need to be more alert in guiding a thread, when the dev is participating.

There seems to be that some users have some old beef, that they can't get rid off, and can't stop riding. Better that they take that up by PM with the dev.

[pwal]

I was being completely honest with everyone. I wasn't at Cakewalk when this project started, but that's exactly how it went down - it started and ended as a Codeweavers project.

After I joined the company, I was not in favor of this project, because it was never going to be a great solution long-term, and there just isn't enough business out there to justify the cost for us to "do it right".

it does make me wonder who on earth - in a technology company - thought it was a good idea

[telecharge]

Personally, I don't have a problem with Cakewalk trying different things. That's what successful companies do, and everyone makes mistakes.

No matter what Cakewalk (or any developer) does there will always be cheerleaders/apologists versus haters/pessimists. Most of us are somewhere in the middle.

My problem with Cakewalk has been poor customer service, poor communication, and lack of transparency with their customers. They say they're working on that, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Time will tell.

[chk071]

We're owning up to these mistakes and we're trying to right the ship, to set us on a clear and focused direction, and rebuild relationships with customers.

Still, here you are ... being all professional.

That is what is expected from a dev

Damn those professional devs, i hate them!

[1wob2many]

It's more than just having a different opinion. Those few are the same two or three who gleefully wait for any CW thread to start so they can jump in and out-shout everyone else with their bashing.

Totally ironic to call anyone a "Sock Puppet" when they are the voice of venom on everything CW here. Juvenile and tiresome.

Spot on.

Except that the person calling Craig Anderton "the Gibson sock puppet" doesn't understand the term sock puppet. Craig Anderton makes it clear who he is and who he works for, therefore to call him "the Gibson sock pocket" is nonsense.

[Numanoid]

Craig Anderton is also a bit of a genius at sound design, so needs to be treated with more respect IMO than being labeled a sock puppet.

[Jace-BeOS]

Despite the other comments in this thread, I have been nothing but professional and I have not been at all snarky. I posted a meme to try to add some levity.

My perception is that you've been professional but your taking of offense to Cakewalk criticisms is unhelpful. Levity is risky in a subject that some people take very seriously. Some people want to see employees of the companies they're critiquing take things seriously; levity can appear as marginalization or dismissal.

[Jace-BeOS]

Craig Anderton is also a bit of a genius at sound design, so needs to be treated with more respect IMO than being labeled a sock puppet.

Genius might explain bad behavior, but doesn't excuse it. People often get the respect they earn with their behavior. I've witnessed enough dismissive treatment of Cakewalk customers to have a poor feeling about him and Cakewalk support in general (one of the times I did some reading up on a customer dissed here on kvr by a Cakewalk rep and found that the customer was mistreated over on the Cakewalk forum by Cakewalk and other customers).

Though "sock puppet" is indeed not an appropriate term in this case.

[DMNR]

Craig Anderton is also a bit of a genius at sound design, so needs to be treated with more respect IMO than being labeled a sock puppet.

Genius might explain bad behavior, but doesn't excuse it. People often get the respect they earn with their behavior. I've witnessed enough dismissive treatment of Cakewalk customers to have a poor feeling about him and Cakewalk support in general (one of the times I did some reading up on a customer dissed here on kvr by a Cakewalk rep and found that the customer was mistreated over on the Cakewalk forum by Cakewalk and other customers).

Though "sock puppet" is indeed not an appropriate term in this case.

The comment that I thought was hilarious was the fact that the alpha was 'barely three months late' because 'it was promised in the fall and technically, fall ends on December 21st.' Not quite keeping in the spirit of the original announcement in my opinion. At first I thought that comment was satire but I saw it pop up as a defense of the alpha on a second occasion.

I think if ripple editing was implemented in the rolling update at the same time as this announcement it would have smoothed over some of the reaction. People seem very eager for ripple editing.

[Numanoid]

Craig Anderton is also a bit of a genius at sound design, so needs to be treated with more respect IMO than being labeled a sock puppet.

Genius might explain bad behavior, but doesn't excuse it. People often get the respect they earn with their behavior. I've witnessed enough dismissive treatment of Cakewalk customers to have a poor feeling about him and Cakewalk support in general (one of the times I did some reading up on a customer dissed here on kvr by a Cakewalk rep and found that the customer was mistreated over on the Cakewalk forum by Cakewalk and other customers).

That is of course not acceptable. And as the market these days is firmly in the hands of the buyer, it is a receipt for bankruptcy.

But many devs go from hobbyist to pro, and need to learn seller skills and proper customer handling in the process. I am hoping that is the case of Anderton et al, and that they are better at such duties today.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

For Cakewalk, we're better off sticking to our strengths. And I understand our first priority is to now rebuild the trust we lost along the way.

If you're looking to rebuild some trust I'd seriously reconsider the "simplified" pricing structure that will leave many customers behind. Here's my situation: longtime Sonar user, was disappointed with the first few X series releases (particularly the UI and some long-standing bugs), and left for another DAW. I keep an eye on Sonar in the hopes that the UI elements will become smaller or scalable some day, thus fixing my biggest gripe with the X series. Or maybe there will be a killer feature I can't live without.

However, if I can't upgrade my Sonar X2, then I'll never upgrade. So I'm a longtime customer (my first Sonar license was version 1 my last was X2), and a potential future customer. That one particular change will ensure I never buy another Sonar version again.

If you guys want to improve customer relations, I'd suggest you reconsider that move. You should be trying to find out why I'm not upgrading, and looking to address that. Not eliminate my upgrade options entirely.

[CTStump]

For Cakewalk, we're better off sticking to our strengths. And I understand our first priority is to now rebuild the trust we lost along the way.

If you're looking to rebuild some trust I'd seriously reconsider the "simplified" pricing structure that will leave many customers behind. Here's my situation: longtime Sonar user, was disappointed with the first few X series releases (particularly the UI and some long-standing bugs), and left for another DAW. I keep an eye on Sonar in the hopes that the UI elements will become smaller or scalable some day, thus fixing my biggest gripe with the X series. Or maybe there will be a killer feature I can't live without.

However, if I can't upgrade my Sonar X2, then I'll never upgrade. So I'm a longtime customer (my first Sonar license was version 1 my last was X2), and a potential future customer. That one particular change will ensure I never buy another Sonar version again.

If you guys want to improve customer relations, I'd suggest you reconsider that move. You should be trying to find out why I'm not upgrading, and looking to address that. Not eliminate my upgrade options entirely.

When the X series was released there was an exodus(including myself) but the message then was as that was a complete rewrite it was time to move on and except that Sonar was in no way going back which was fine. Of course they also lost any loyalty they had with some their steady customers. At the time the forum was flooded with dissatisfaction and the word then was the new customers would take care of that loss which may or may not have happened. Kind of a slap in the face but I guess I needed that reality check along with other User's.

I stopped waiting for any GUI change and moved on myself. It really doesn't bother me that I have lost that discount(as of May 1) as there is really nothing I want out of the "New" Sonar. Those dissatisfied with the Mac port did not have as much skin in the game as us "Loyal old pre-X Sonar" customers and they can rest easy if they purchased a lifetime license that is all they are out, get a PC and use their license. That was the chance that they themselves have taken.

As I stated I still use pretty much everything I bought except any Sonars below 8.5 and some of the old effects along with Project 5.2.

[machinesworking]

For Cakewalk, we're better off sticking to our strengths. And I understand our first priority is to now rebuild the trust we lost along the way.

Personally I bought Rapture Pro and Z3ta+ 2 expecting them to work. Partially I bought Rapture Pro thinking it was going to get some stability on Mac due to Cakewalks new interest in the OSX platform, I was wrong. There were serious issues with both for quite some time. I also see no development of either and in many ways consider them the same as Alchemy, dead end products. Regain my trust by doing something with these products, especially Z3ta+ 2, it's a great concept that badly needs a refresh.

[Grizzellda]

I wan't a piano roll that is as beautiful as MuLab or Fruity Loops...but for Heaven's sake keep that "snap to scale" feature!!!

Also, more fresh modern code for ol' SONAR...in fact, just freshen it up, period.

AND PLEASE...Z3ta+ version 3!