Sonar now has a free tier again....

[Examigan]

Only one Arranger track in the free version? So does it combine all the tracks you might have into that one Arranger track?

I see the implementation of arranger track as a playlist of regions in timeline, not particular tracks.
- It's been the same in Cubase, StudioOne and Cakewalk/Sonar

So yes, I assume you can have any number of tracks going as that version allows.

I just meant right now it shows all the separate tracks in the Arranger view, but the free one only has one? I use the Arranger view a lot so that’s a problem. Might be time to switch to another since I’m not going to use a subscription.

[clintmartin]

I don’t use the arranger track anyway. Not sure what it’s even for to be honest. My stuff is all audio tracks for the most part. I just record edit, mix and master. ARA implementation is excellent in Sonar and I do like Melodyne for all kinds of things.

[telecharge]

There's an update for Cakewalk Sonar. I wasn't prompted for it when I started Sonar, but it should be on the Quick Start Screen under Product Updates. If not, try Help > Check for Updates

Release notes here: https://cakewalk-web-assets-for-desktop ... ntId=sonar

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

I continue to get message that cbb will stop been activated after 1 august..what will happen after that?
Don't want to change anything for now,in the middle of a project...
Will try the free tier first,then may upgrade,if old cbb is useless after 1 august.
Dis somebody try free tier and cbb side by side,is free tier usable for pro session...?

[clintmartin]

Free tier works great here.
Old cbb sessions open fine as well.
You’ll have to check and see for yourself if you’ll miss what the paid version provides. I’m guessing most people won’t.

[Examigan]

I just tried to save my project and it says I need to have a membership plan.

It says Saving is not possible unless you refresh activation. When I try that, it pops up the screen again where it tells you the advantages of membership.

EDIT: I just noticed an update was available, and after installing that, it let me save the project I had loaded.

[Danilo Villanova]

pretty nice free DAW! So the sampler track type thing is not usable in free tier?

[Teksonik]

CWBL.png

So why should we bother with the new free version when there is at least an even chance that you'll take it away from us at some point because your bottom line is suffering?

As someone who paid for the original Sonar from version 5 and updates all the way to Sonar X2 I feel like it would have been fair to allow long time customers to keep the old CWbBL with the caveat that there will be no more maintenance updates and of course no new features.

There is ZERO chance that I'll ever rent software and even less of a chance I'll ever rent a DAW so if the plan was to generate more revenue it has failed spectacularly here.

*Rant Mode Off*

[Saffran]

Cakewalk by Bandlab is super stable. Bugs are popping up in Sonar free tier.
Release CbB "as is" software without need for the repeating activation. Why is the repeating activation so important for a free software? Have it something to do with the company being Chinese?
And yes, if they dump CbB now Sonar FT could easily follow down the line.

[flugel45]

Cakewalk by Bandlab is super stable. Bugs are popping up in Sonar free tier....

But that would mean that Sonar-New (same as Sonar-Free with extra features) should have the same bugs, right?... Yet I'm not seeing a large number of bug reports in the Sonar-New forum.

So either the Sonar-Free bug reports are exagerrated, or mostly user-error, or there's more of a difference beween Sonar-Free and Sonar-New than we know...

[electro]

And what was the advantage of Sonar over other DAWS?

[telecharge]

And what was the advantage of Sonar over other DAWS?

I would say value -- you got a lot of features, instruments, and FX for the money.

It was also familiar and trusted by many for having been around so long.

[jens]

or there's more of a difference beween Sonar-Free and Sonar-New than we know...

There is absolutely no diference between both at all since codewise there is only one. Certain features are either locked or unlocked, depending on your account.

[lfm]

And what was the advantage of Sonar over other DAWS?

A couple of things I find useful
- proper sysex handler, option to send on playback automatically or record on track
- grouping of controls of various types, not only same type like faders
- to me gui is very readable and appealing(Sonar Artist last updated feb 2016)
- fair amount of custom colors, texts, backgrounds and such
- good visible caption on clips, easy to see
- just clicking on time display toggles between all types, samples, hours, beats etc
- markers are anchored in time or beats as you please
- really low cpu usage playing video, you don't even notice it's there
- what you record as midi is sent back the same on playback(StudioOne does not)
- good loop recording options, if to mute or not etc
- still very stable on windows 11

from the top of my head.

[jens]

And what was the advantage of Sonar over other DAWS?

What's the advantage of any DAW over others? They all have their individual feature-set which overlaps between 80-90% with most others. And every single one has this feature which that DAW lacks and that feature which this DAW lacks.

No DAW has any spectacular feature which no other DAW has.

Sonar clearly has several features though which only few others have, such as (in the case of Sonar)
multitouch-support and mixer-snapshots. Other DAWs have other features which most others lack.


What was your question again?