RIP Cakewalk / Sonar

[cosmicdolphin]

Yeah it's been heading that way for a while, I'm glad Sonar found a new home before it was too late

[Razor7Music]

Being a long time Cakewalk users, I've been on their forums for a very long time too, and many forum members are angry at Gibson for bailing on Sonar. It seems like to me, if Gibson hadn't purchased it from Roland, it probably would have died, or died sooner.

I'm not bitter toward Gibson. I hope they pull themselves out of their financial woes. I was faced with the decision of whether I was going to have to learn a new DAW system though--after decades of using just one. Now I don't have to -- for now.

Go Cakewalk!

[cosmicdolphin]

I was faced with the decision of whether I was going to have to learn a new DAW system though--after decades of using just one. Now I don't have to -- for now.

Yeah I'm not sure when I made the jump but it was after the Amiga ceased to be an ongoing platform and I had to ditch my beloved Music X but I remember being horrified at what a backwards step it was in terms of what it could do with midi but I started to like it around Pro Audio 9 and have used Sonar 8.5 for almost a decade.

I tried everything I could get my hands on when the Gibson thing happened but was too embedded with 8.5 to switch.

Finally with this being a bang up to date yet free Cakewalk I got the nudge I needed and I've made 4 or 5 tracks on it now so no looking back. I still contend the old pre X series is faster and visually far clearer, the way the automation works now is a pain, and they have removed loads of oft used buttons to the far too fat inspector from the track section or context menu.

And don't get me started on the per track EQ Vs the Pro Channel... the workflow is actually worse

If I could find my login from about 10 yrs ago I'd go post on the forum

[Razor7Music]

Just join Cakewalk/Sonar User Group (C/SUG) on FB. A little fresher IMO.

[jdstamper]

Hey Cosmic...

I'm on Sonar Platinum Pro, have not tried the Bandlab version yet, since I understand there's not much value added vs. Platinum.

Just to make sure I get it ... your criticism is about the newer X versions (X1, X2, X3, Platinum) compared to the older pre-X versions (ie. Sonar 8.5), is that correct?

I mean, you're not saying that Bandlab made changes to things like: automation, EQ / Pro Channel, etc ... right?

Thanks

[cosmicdolphin]

Hey Cosmic...

Just to make sure I get it ... your criticism is about the newer X versions (X1, X2, X3, Platinum) compared to the older pre-X versions (ie. Sonar 8.5), is that correct?

Correct... the X series seem to waste screen real estate, I believe it's because they had to make everything bigger for touch screen users, but then they also hid / moved a bunch of stuff off the track view into the inspector which is now huge.

Also they semi-ruined the console for me by pretty much making it so you have to open the Pro Channel to use the inbuilt EQ with any precision. Up to 8.5 you could see the frequency and Q of each band along with how many dbs of cut of or boost right there.....It was super fast for broad brush stroke EQ like hi passing a bunch of busses etc. You come to appreciate these things when you mix 100 tracks a year and it's annoying when they make such a simple thing more complicated.

A bunch of stuff is now on modifier keys like ctrl and alt that never was before... like rearranging the channel order in the console view and moving faders in quick groups.... I just don't get why.

And why doesn't the ProChannel respond to mouse wheel movements ?? Bizarre.

[Razor7Music]

Well, from another POV, I've been using Cakewalk since version 3. I didn't upgrade every version. I would wait a few years in-between. Mainly for financial reasons.

However, regardless of whether someone likes their workflow, or feels that the updates are more intuitive, I strongly feel they have added many, many useful features since X1, etc. I'm not trying to be contradictive (I really don't like when people do that to me) but there are many of us who like the improvements that have been added over the years to the version we're in now--which is Sonar Platinum (SPLAT) rebranded as Cakewalk by Bandlab (CbB).

I did the update from SPLAT to CbB and kept all of my old plug-ins (because they are going to be sold separately going forward as the main host is now free). No problems, and I was even mid-project when I did the upgrade.

I understand liking previous versions of things, but I disagree with the wasted real estate comment. CbB is a very powerful robust DAW that has many features other DAWS just don't have. Remember, people were willing to pay about $500 US for SPLAT and didn't complain.

Anyway--cheers. this is IMO.

[jdstamper]

Me, I'm kind of right in the middle, there were big changes going into the X versions and above, some I liked and some I did not.

[cosmicdolphin]

I strongly feel they have added many, many useful features since X1, etc.

I'd respectfully argue there have been 3 in the 10 yrs since 8.5

1. Much improved media browser
2. ARA integration / Region FX
3. Multidock is good once you realise it can be put on a 2nd monitor

If I could have the old look / feel / workflow with the above that would be killer..someone write Sonar 9.5 please !

I understand liking previous versions of things, but I disagree with the wasted real estate comment

You can disagree but you'd be incorrect. Let me prove it you. Take a look at the same project in both DAWs....this is a 22" display 1900x1200

Skylight track view can display 32 tracks of a 36 track projecton my monitor..the inspector is something like 2.5 times wider and the browser takes up some horizontal space even when minimised so we lose out across ways as well as vertical

https://gyazo.com/214199c14ba0d629741a91bbc81536d7

10yr old Sonar 8.5 can display 8 more tracks at a time and because the inspector is more sensibly sized we can see the whole thing in more detail horizontally

Skylight Console can display 17 channels plus the master

https://gyazo.com/68599cf54f6cb3e8fc6a5f5457f7f9f8

10yr old Sonar 8.5 can display 21 channels plus the master and tells me what my channel EQs are set at and allows me to change them without opening any other windows / Pro channel

https://gyazo.com/4f0192c426dac0c04d70abe4c1ec3e65

I rest my case !

[cosmicdolphin]

Me, I'm kind of right in the middle, there were big changes going into the X versions and above, some I liked and some I did not.

Yeah I am in the middle too. They changed the GUI for the worse IMHO