John Vere

Please take the time to read the current collection of posts here that clearly explain the current situation with Cakewalk. Simple answer is Cakewalk is discontinued and you have 4 options. 1- Use Sonar FreeTier 2- buy a membership and use the full version of Sonar 3- Switch to another Daw 4- Use a legacy version of Sonar like Platinum

This video explains how to download and install the Free Version

In the end these questions are answered by a volunteer user who will take the time to research and create a comprehensive chart. That has always been the strong point of this user forum. Staff provided what they can but don’t really have time. My personal view is if you feel strongly that the chart is of importance to the community then you should be the volunteer. In the end it is a very simple process to try out the free tier version and if you run into a missing feature you can then make the decision to either buy a membership or move on and see if there’s better value in switching over to another Daw. Everyone has totally different needs and only that person can decide what path to take.

I think when I went to make the beginner tutorial for how to use VST instruments the first version was 30 minutes long because I attempted to demonstrate all 6 ways you could do this. I redid it later and decided to only describe the Add Track and the Drag and drop. I find those the easiest to teach. It cut the time down to 12 minutes. Ultimately the overall fastest way to a complete track with all the goodie’s is to use a Track Template.

Agree. I am forever selecting the solo or mute instead of the Record button. You sort of get used to the graphics after a week or so but some of these conversations are reminders of how I felt at first. And I have to keep switching colour schemes if I want a White PVR.

It’s not a paid product really. It is only an included part of an existing service And it always on sale. $49-$79 and at most $99.

I wonder why people keep asking these same questions when it much easier to just try it for your self?

Thanks. I guess you guys fixed that as originally it was the one that didn’t work. I think?

I just Googled Cakewalk Command Centre and looked for the one with the 2024 date. It is version 1.1.8 It’s not the one on the legacy site. There’s lots of info here on the forum too. I found it quickly on the Product Release information.

Possibly related. I have 4 interfaces but I mostly use my Motu M4 because I really like the monitoring setup. This issue doesn’t happen with my other interfaces. If I have been using other apps or the internet there will be an issue with recording audio. On playback it is a subtle warble or distortion sort of like you are describing. My workaround is simply restarting the computer before I settle down to only using my Daw and recording. So try that. Totally rebooting first and only open Sonar.

Normally that would be a typical marketing strategy but so far it’s been pretty quiet out there. It’s seems like there’s no budget for advertising.

I love your ( cheap) comment. That pretty much describes the situation.

Interesting! The only software that I use that crashes is Sonar and Vegas. They are also the only software I use that use DX plugins! Interesting for sure.

I used Cakewalk in a similar way a year ago so I totally sympathize. But I also think that you are taking a big risk using free software at a gig. You will have no guarantee of dependability. I am a huge believer in making sure that nothing can go wrong at a gig and that there is always a backup plan. The difference between a pro and an amateur. Your best option is to purchase the annual membership. Then the internet will not be involved and potential time outs. Bottom line is the membership version is designed for professionals. The free version is for hobbyists. And I noticed that they have updated some stuff for the playlist in the latest release. There’s also a possibility that they may decide to make the playlist a Golden Crown feature for members only.

If this actually works I would be amazed. If you can cheat the system come back in September and let us know. I think the activation timer count down aspect was added to the last version. the required version. They knew what they were doing they are smart people. So being off line will make no difference. The timer is built into your copy locally. @Noel Borthwick, @Jonathan Sasor could you please confirm this so we can kill this misinformation posted by Mr King. Thank you.