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Sad.

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

I started out doing MIDI on a 386DX, and bought a cheap sequencer/audio program, Power Tracks Pro (Band-in-a-Box people).

Once I learned a lot more about MIDI, I bought Cakewalk Pro Audio, and my "MIDI computer", a Pentium III, is stiil useful, stopping at Cakewalk Pro Audio 6.

Meanwhile, I have gone through two "audio computers", and have upgraded Sonar through that time, usually skipping a generation or two, and the second audio computer was because of the constraints of the first, with newer Sonar demands. I still have both, btw, and the older is still useful if I wanted.

I have tried "Lite" versions of other DAWS, but none came close to the ease and familiarity of Cakewalk products, for MIDI. None seemed to have quite the editing capability, and faster workflow of the Cakewalk family (for MIDI) but that may just be my unfamiliarity, and frustration with others' methods. I tried a "Lite" version of Cubase back when, mainly because I was intrigued by VST, and the Cakewalk versions at the time didn't really run them (DX, DXi, etc.).

So, I just stuck with Cakewalk/Sonar, and it WAS mainly because of the extensive MIDI capabilities that I believe others lack, and the familiar workflow. I have learned to manipulate MIDI's intricities fairly deeply, and it's because of Cakewalk products.

I don't know why Gibson has to go and murder Cakewalk? I suppose there was more competition, at lower prices (or free), and less MIDI interest? I have noticed Cakewalk prices lowering, relatively. I also noticed them doing separate "packages", with features aimed here, or there, and at lower prices than a regular ol' full version...which obviously siphoned off those customers, and probably wasn't as profitable as they thought they might be?

It's a shame to bury Cakewalk, and I am not pleased with Gibson for doing so. (I didn't even know they bought them until now, frankly.)

Anyway, I'll just keep using what I have that works for what I want, until things crash, unrecoverably.

Kapt.Krunch(n)

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audiokid Mon, 12/18/2017 - 16:21

Kurt Foster, post: 454581, member: 7836 wrote: well i won't use it so i kept out of it. i fear my days of producing are pretty much over for a number of reasons. i've been sell off all my stuff this past year. it's all almost gone.

I feel you on that. Done that more than once and it sucks no matter what the reasons are. Glad you are here hanging with us.

Kapt.Krunch Tue, 12/19/2017 - 04:09

Kapt.Krunch, post: 454555, member: 27145 wrote:

I have learned to manipulate MIDI's intricities fairly deeply, and it's because of Cakewalk products.

Kapt.Krunch(n)

I should have added that THIS forum has always been a big help in learning MIDI and audio.

While the rest of the popular music world was busy making music sound compressed, even, robotic and lifeless...and undynamic and absolutely perfect in sound production...I was using Cakewalk's CAL routines, and VSTi multi-triggers, etc., to try to make backing tracks (mainly drums, keyboards and whatever else I programmed in, or recorded via MIDI and fixed the sloppy playing) , sound more real, amidst the vocals and guitars. THEY were trying to mechanize real music. I was trying make mechanized music sound more real.

Add trumpet "blats" or sax "farts" at the proper places, and apply vibrato to horns at what seems natural. Make a snare drum (actually, many times more than one, triggered simultaneously) , sound like he's not hitting every single hit in the same spot, at the same velocity. The Cakewalk products' capabilities (like CAL routines) made those easier. The "Thin Data" CAL is invaluable, to clean up oversaturated CC data, and help prevent MIDI choke.

I still do most of my MIDI composition on that old P-III, with Cakewalk 6. It works...why change? I transfer whatever tracks to the 'samples' computer, and sync that up....find sounds. And/or, run to keyboards, drum machine, etc.

When I record audio to the audio computer, a barebones final "composition" MIDI files is in that, and once any audio is recorded, the rest of everything gets synced to that. Change sounds, tweak, whatever. The Cakewalk stuff made that all easier.

Not quite sure I could find all that workflow in other stuff...but may soon need to consider that.

Anyway, 'progress' marches on, I guess. And, thanks for all the help from in here!(y)

Kapt.Krunch

DonnyThompson Tue, 12/19/2017 - 04:43

Yup. Gibson is shutting the lights off on Sonar. That's not to say that you still can't use it if you have it... it'll still work - right up until the time that it won't because of something - like a new Windows update that possibly changes your system just enough so that it won't work ...
I have a good friend who purchased a Roland control surface/interface, designed specifically to work with Sonar. After a recent Windows update, his system no longer recognizes the hardware. He called Sonar/Roland, who informed him that they had sold Sonar to Gibson, and that if he needed a patch/firmware update, he would have to call Gibson. So, he called, and of course, Gibson told him that Roland HW wasn't their responsibility, that he needed to call Roland for that. So, he called Roland again, and they informed him that they had no plans to support Roland HW for Sonar any longer. So now, he's got a controller - designed specifically by Roland for Sonar, that he can no longer use.
This is just an early casualty report, I think... and I have no doubt we will see more issues happening, as there is no more further system support. We'll have to wait and see... but I don't think things are gonna get any better for our fellow Sonar users...

Bartie Boy Wed, 01/10/2018 - 22:29

It is amazing how many Sonar users (I included as couldnt resist the ProX3 Suite $149 deal) have used the shutdown to change DAWs when in reality you could keep Sonar going for at least a couple of years or longer on a dedicated non updatable PC and a few are sticking with it.
It is also a lesson in business for other companies when they just shut it down.
Apparently Cakewalk have been losing money as a company since the Roland takeover.
It seems for Gibson the closure saves them money and while there is a transition it is indicative CW could very well be sold off. That is not confirmed.
Some have suggested it might be for a tax write off.

The announcement and any comments since by CW transition team is tight lipped.
One thing is for sure. With the goodwill it has lost if it is sold it will be for peanuts.

DonnyThompson Fri, 01/12/2018 - 04:45

I think Gibson has been taking hits for several years now, regardless of their acquisition of Sonar.
They've recorded losses in their guitar division for more than just a few years now; whether this is because there are many other quality guitars available now at half the price that Gibson charges, or, that Gibson's quality has declined but their prices have gone up...
And, closing their Nashville plant was just another indicator of the trouble they are in.
I personally know 4 veteran guitar players who have wanted to add a new Paul or SG to their Arsenal's, and each one of them has said that the ones they checked out were NOT built with the same quality as those from years past... Neck heavy, wacked intonation, sharp edged frets, noisy pots and switches, and a general feeling that they were playing guitars of much lower quality and sloppy workmanship than Gibson has a past reputation for.
So yeah, maybe dumping Sonar will help ease the overall weakening of the company...but they need to get back to producing products that are worth the insanely high money they are expecting to get for their guitars.
IMO, of course.

pcrecord Fri, 01/12/2018 - 04:58

Big businesses inverstors need to stop making decision by looking at the numbers alone.
Lowering the quality of their guitars and keeping the high prices to make more money isn't a winner plan...
It's so hard to make money in the music industry today, guitar players aren't going to throw big bucks unless it's worth it.
I have a Epiphone Les Paul custom on which I changed the pickups for genuine Gibson's. Everyone who tried it loved it.
It stays in tune and has a good tone, Cost 1K instead of 3K !!

dvdhawk Fri, 01/12/2018 - 09:27

Hopefully there weren't too many of you users who had just bought into the "Lifetime Upgrades", like my friend did shortly before Gibson pulled the plug.

As I understand it, Gibson has decided not to attend Winter NAMM this year, which is surely a break in tradition. Maybe they just want to avoid the backlash, (and maybe aren't all that proud of their new guitars). Who knows?

moonbaby Fri, 01/12/2018 - 15:59

Per Donny: "And, closing their Nashville plant was just another indicator of the trouble they are in. "
To be clear, they closed their Memphis Custom Shop facility, stating that the lease was up and that they were going to move it. While this may be the truth, I think that they are just digging a bigger hole...the Gibbies I saw in my local GC the other day all look like over-priced plastic-coated toys, no wonder they don't move 'em like they used to.

Bartie Boy Mon, 01/15/2018 - 06:35

There support gave me a refund as I bought Sonar Pro a week before. If I'd bought the Platinum on a Monthly plan I would of got it for $40. Anyone paying monthly owns it with no further payment needed.
The Lifetimes deal was a couple years ago for $99 or included if you bought it then.
Yeah the quality drop of Gibson guitars is legendary nowadays!
Hopefully they can bust into the Consumer electronic market and dig themselves out.
Perhaps their poor sales was the source of "Is the Guitar dead" article in the NYT.