Cakewalk Sonar Goes Belly Up

[JonInc]

One less DAW in the DAW universe:

http://www.cakewalk.com/Gibson-Announcement

[Acoustica Dan]

This is sad news. Cakewalk has been around since I first started playing with synthesizers and MIDI. It's improved greatly over the years as DAW technology has evolved, and it was the DAW of choice for thousands and thousands of musicians. It's a loss for our community.

Thanks for posting the news.

Dan

[JonInc]

Hi Dan,

Yes, sad indeed. I'm dating myself here, but my introduction to MIDI was a DOS version of Cakewalk's Sequencer in the late 80s. My memory is kinda vague on this, but I'm fairly certain it came on a 5 1/4" floppy disk!

[Acoustica Dan]

I'm fairly certain the first version I used was a DOS application as well! Probably on that same 5 1/4" floppy disk. I had a MIDI adapter for my new Sound Blaster card and was able to plug a Yamaha PSR-500 keyboard into the computer and control it. That was a remarkable moment for me that had a profound impact on the direction on my life.

Dan

[tonymus]

I apologize for ruining a memorial here, but I hope that Acoustica offers a limited-time upgrade discount for Cakewalk's customers (and markets it). It would be a great way to increase the user base, allowing continued development of my favorite DAW...

[Mark Bliss]

Probably on that same 5 1/4" floppy disk.

I had that. Played with it briefly.
I found it in a box of stuff cleaning out the basement last spring. Its now in a landfill where it belongs.

The truly sad news is that its such a low growth market that its not worth it going forward.
Simple business realities.

Electric guitar sales numbers arent too encouraging either. Between the pressure created by the quality improvement of low cost producers and the marketing pressures of big box store economics, its no wonder Gibson is looking elsewhere.

[Starship Krupa]

The truly sad news is that its such a low growth market that its not worth it going forward.
Simple business realities.

Electric guitar sales numbers aren't too encouraging either. Between the pressure created by the quality improvement of low cost producers and the marketing pressures of big box store economics, its no wonder Gibson is looking elsewhere.

I don't think it's a sign of anything other than a poorly-run, overextended company's inability to keep a well-respected product viable. And if they couldn't do it, they should have spun it off rather than killing it.

Gibson under Juszkiewicz has bought up and killed other brands, like Slingerland. I've just been sitting back watching for the company's inevitable stumble and fall. What is a shame is when good, potentially viable products like Cakewalk SONAR get taken down with them.

This is also why I will never, ever, if I can avoid it, buy software on a lifetime subscription basis that presumes that the company and development will go on in perpetuity.

[JohnS]

Hi
Why Is It sad ?????

Anger would be more appropiate
I paid for lifetime Updates that only lasted less than a year.
Think of the people who have paid over £440 for Sonar Platinum and extras.
Sad does not come into it, ANGER!! .
I bet they pulled the plug and will start again somewhere else under a different name!!

[Riojazz]

Former or dormant SONAR users, take a look at the Cakewalk forum. The intellectual property that is SONAR has been transferred. There is hope.

[mixyguy2]

eh. I bought a laptop from someone who included his other software as part of the deal......including Cubase 5 and Sonar Platinum. I liked them until I tried others like Reaper and Mixcraft. I don't see going back to the others.

[mixyguy2]

Yeah I tried Sonar Platinum and Cubase. eh. Mixcraft beats both.

[Crypto]

I think there are plenty of good options on Windows - FL Studio, Reaper, Cubase, Ableton, Bitwig... just to name some I've used recently. The list goes on. The Windows ecosystem is healthy; this is just a tough pill if your daily production environment is SONAR, though even there, there's no immediate implication.

[Cryptoman]

Glad i stuck with X3e.
Also i bet those who went with the once only lifetime updates will be a bit miffed as well. Perhaps not as miffed as recent purchasers.
I bet the sonar forums are full of fun over this lol.
A shame as its a cracking daw imho.

[Pete Stobbs]

Sonar now free, renamed ‘Cakewalk by BandLab’

Windows DAW free to download with Sonar Platinum feature set :

https://www.soundonsound.com/news/sonar-now-free-renamed-cakewalk-bandlab

[mixyguy2]

Yeah but signing up/getting it is such a flaming PITA I said bite me, I have MC anyway What an effing joke