jmmatt1

The buses are used to manage extensive cascading 'echo tracks' (left/right pairs and 1-6 overlapping echos). I could have used less tracks/buses for sure, but its very easy to just add tracks and buses. I don't know if there is an upper limit. Or if this caused the problems. Not everything is playing at once, of course. The large number of tracks/busses is just 'ease of use'. And to keep things separated for mixing/automation/soloing, etc.

I've had major issues (in this version) with buses no longer sending output to upstream buses. The audio just 'stops'....while other tracks/buses continue to work fine (no muting or anything, buses just 'stop working'). Bouncing Cakewak usually helps but sometimes I have to do a full reboot. In one case I had to create a new stereo bus and reroute tracks to it. This made finishing my final cakewalk project very difficult, but I got through it. This is a massive song file with 300+ tracks and 70+ buses. So maybe I pushed it too hard? I also just did a full uninstall/clean install a few weeks ago. Somehow, Sonar Platinum still continues to run everything I've created in the Bandlab version! My thanks to the awesome developers for 30 years of great times using Cakewalk. I hope this 'free' version stays around.

Wow - I think that new Mixer view looks REALLY cool! Looks 'cleaner' and more streamlined to me. As soon as (if ever) a perpetual license is offered - I'm back In. For now, it's off to ProTools, Cubase, Luna and Bitwig.

Protools Perpetual license FREE ( with purchase of their new Mbox Studio interface)....seems pretty interesting! I would be happy to pay a reasonable 'unlock fee' to have the (now) monthly CbB Authentication requirement removed. That's money Bandlab could pick up easily if they were so inclined. I wouldn't use the other Banlab features for sure. Holding steady for now with CbB, Platinum and Cubase Pro (still learning). I recently loaded the new version of Cakewalk Command Center (to validate my Platinum install). Amazing how well that worked. My hats off to the great developers at Cakewalk!

I don't think the 'Nag Screen' and the 'Authentication requirement' are the same thing at all! I think the reply from one of the Dev's was misunderstood. When CbB was the (only) product they offered, there was little likelihood of it being 'turned off'. Now that a new version is available (by subscription), there is a greater risk of the company shutting down the old. That is, users could 'switch' to NuSonar - so Bandlab technically would NOT be leaving users 'stranded'. But it could force some users into needing to subscribe in order to retain access to their data. To me, this is a 'hostage negotiation tactic' of sorts. Whether they will actually do that or not is a bit moot - the fact remains they COULD do that. Do you really want all of your work/intellectual property/creations/songs at the mercy of the whim of a corporation seeking profits? I do not. I would like to see the Authentication Leash removed. I would even pay for that. I will never create new projects in CbB...and certainly wouldn't recommend that to anyone (when other options exist). I appreciate that Bandlab has decided not to 'shut off' CbB...but it obviously still makes some users (besides myself) nervous. I would like to be able to run an isolated computer with CbB....say in 20 years from now. Will it still work? Probably not....but my Sonar Platinum will still be running....just as I have programs running on a 40+ year old Apple here. Is it really too much too ask? Perhaps it is. I don't expect Bandlab to remove the Authentication requirement. But I think that is a different thing than the 'nag screen' that was referenced in other posts. It would be nice if someone in a position of authority would clarify this. I'm on the brink of just uninstalling CbB (despite it being my favorite DAW). I just can't risk my work being in the control of someone else, let alone a profit seeking company who cares not to provide any transparency.

I agree CbB is very good (my favorite DAW hands down). I'm just concerned I'll be using it for some projects and then it will go dark...with a need to 'subscribe'. I read the recent postings. And things are certainly sounding more postive recently! I never used Platinum that much (I was too pissed off at Gibson, LOL). I tried to convert to Cubase Pro and nearly gave up recording all together. CbB 'saved' me, so to speak...and I am grateful for that and all the great work the Devs have done. I just have personal issues with the licensing and phone-home authentication hook. What exactly were the major issues with Platinum? It seems to run my CbB projects just fine. And please - what 'nag screen' is being removed from where? Thanks all

I too thought learning a new DAW would be a huge lift (after 30 years on Cakewalk)...but as others have said, once you understand 'how to do things' (in Cakewalk or whichever DAW), it's mostly just a matter of looking up different keystrokes and maybe a slightly different workflow. I was finally starting to make good progress on my recording backlog with CbB and had no intention of moving. Ever. Now, I find investigating new DAW's to be sort of a new interest. But it's a distraction to the end goal: 'getting my music to done'. I agree with the above posts that suggest our small segment of "Old-timers against Subscriptions" (OTAS) is likely irrelevant to them. But they could still do the right thing - and turn off the 'digital leash' to Singapore! Then we would know we could keep CbB running forever on an isolated box if we wanted to. All of this has really just been an unnecessary distraction/stress to the fragile creative process IMO. And for that, I do not want to give any of my dwindling funds to this company. But I do think CbB was a really great DAW...that I know inside and out. I just cannot sign up for another monthly bill. Nor can I be worried that my DAW may be yanked away at any time from some foreign land. So I really have no choice but to move to a different DAW now. I guess that is what Bandlab really meant by 'the Democratization of Music'? Hold loyal customers hostage? OK, got it.

Thank you - that is very helpful information! I suspected that was the case but it's good to verify things. I read later in a different post that CbB may be sticking around and not getting shut off? So maybe I will just leave it there for now. CbB is a really great product - I just thought it was going to be shut down so figured I'd remove it (since Platinum still works well for me). Thanks again

Has anyone uninstalled Cakewalk by Bandlab in a manner that does not impact prior installations, such as Sonar Platinum? I tried searching around for this but didn't find what I was looking for. I would like to revert to my perpetual licensed version since everything I've done in CbB seems to work fine in Platinum. I don't want to impact/ruin the Platinum install, however, i.e. due to shared files, etc. Others may be looking into this as well due to the recent announcement of Subscription only. Thanks for any information that can be shared.

So that's how it ends? What ever happened to Bandlabs 'Democratization of Music' - the original BS about why Cakewalk was Free? ALL LIES Platinum still works fine...so Bandlab - feel free to pull the plug on the excellent free version of 'Cakewalk by Bandlab' at any time now (sorry to those users who do not have Platinum). Many would have just payed to be released from this 'hostage' type approach. Has anyone else tried LUNA? It's seems like an excellent new DAW that is now truly 'free' - without a leash to Singapore. And by a company not as crooked as a dogs hind leg. Bye Felecia

I am on the latest Cakwalk by Bandlab and after some initial troubles, things have been very stable for me. I did a complete uninstall/reinstall as well when the final final update was released. I have been banging on this thing very hard every day for months now and have only crashed or had any issues twice. Both of those times were back to back when using the Export Audio Task Queue....that problem ended up resolving itself and I now have 50+ tasks that run very smoothly to create all the different versions and formats of my song. Oddly, as I was loging in to post here, Cakewalk notified me that I only had 7 days left before my Cakewalk authentication expired. No way that was 6 months! And then i logged in and it took me to a dead link? Um, whatever. It seems to be happy now. I still like this version a lot and its been very productive for me. I would happily pay just to have a permanent unlock code for THIS version! I guess that's what we will get with the new Sonar (sort of)...although to be clear, if we are paying, there should be no 'log in every 6 months nonsense'. And of course, a subscription model is out of the question for myself and many others. I passed on all the holiday sales and crossgrade offers to see what comes of Sonar in the new year. I'd prefer to stay on this DAW for the remaninder of my time but am also prepared to pivot if necessary. Platinum still loads all my old projects as well so I feel like I'm in a pretty good spot in terms of access to legacy files. I still read that some are having issues here and there with this version. I just wanted to share that it's been just about perfect for me. I hope they get all the rest of the remaining issues and troubles for users worked out. Like many, I have 30 years and countless thousands of hours wrapped up in Cakewalk so I'm really hoping for a soft landing on this. Good luck to all and I hope we get good news soon!

I completed a project with 168 tracks and same number of plugins with the prior version and it was rock solid. Now I'm having issues with tiny projects and with certain Asio drivers in this latest release. Nothing else changed...only Cakewalk. Disappointed in this 'final' release...