dalemccl Posted November 26, 2023 Share Posted November 26, 2023 As someone who wants to continue using Cakewalk after the new Sonar becomes available, I am wondering about re-installation in the future in case of a new PC, hard drive crash etc. I have saved the Cakewalk download, but that appears to be just a small installer that downloads the full installation file and installs it. I am wondering if Bandlab will still have the full installation file available in the future. Has anyone heard? Is there something I can do now to have the full installation file on my system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heath Row Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 Incoming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user 905133 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 (edited) 2023-11-27 REVISION: Yesterday, I replied with with a link to the official site at https://www.cakewalk.com/sonar saying there were FAQs at the bottom of the page. Then a couple of posts came in related to what was posted there. So I wrote, "See replies below." My thinking was that maybe the FAQs were based on the early details from several months ago. My original intent in referring to the FAQs was that in case they were still accurate or if they were later revised, the link had the official statement. After that even more posts came in that seem to call into question the answers in the FAQs. So, now I don't know who to believe. I originally thought about cutting pasting the FAQs and the answers, but I was too tired. So, to put the following discussion into context, here are the FAQs (reformatted as forum text): How do I join the Cakewalk Sonar beta program? The Cakewalk Sonar beta program has limited seats at this time. To join the beta, please fill out the beta application, and we'll follow up with you soon! Is Sonar replacing Cakewalk by BandLab? Sonar builds and improves on Cakewalk by BandLab, offering advanced technology, effortless workflow, and an interface that amplifies inspiration. You can still access Cakewalk by BandLab here, but it will soon be phased out. We will continue providing community support and maintenance for Cakewalk by BandLab until both Cakewalk Next and Sonar become publicly available. Existing Cakewalk by BandLab users will be able to continue using the software after the release of Cakewalk Sonar. In the meantime, Cakewalk by BandLab continues to be available here. Will Cakewalk by BandLab be discontinued? Yes, eventually. We will continue providing community support and maintenance for Cakewalk by BandLab until Cakewalk Sonar becomes publicly available. At some point after the release of Sonar, Cakewalk by BandLab will no longer be supported. Note that existing Cakewalk by BandLab users will be able to continue using the software after the release of Cakewalk Sonar. In the meantime, Cakewalk by BandLab continues to be available here. Will Next and Sonar be free like Cakewalk by BandLab? Next and Sonar will be offered at price points designed to meet the needs of different customers. More information will be provided as we approach the launch date for these new products. What are the differences between Cakewalk Sonar, Cakewalk by BandLab and previous versions of Cakewalk SONAR? Cakewalk Sonar represents a new brand identity, introducing a significant UI refresh with high DPI display support, feature enhancements and a platform committed to ongoing feature development. The latest capabilities of Cakewalk by BandLab will carry forward into Sonar, along with a continued focus on performance and stability. While hundreds of improvements have been made since SONAR Platinum was discontinued, Cakewalk Sonar will be able to open projects created in SONAR and Cakewalk by BandLab. Will installing Cakewalk Sonar overwrite Cakewalk by BandLab? No, the two applications install to different locations on your file system, so they can coexist on your computer. JMO: To me the FAQs seem clear, unambiguous, and truthful. At the same time as a long-time user of Cakewalk / SONAR / Cakewalk, I do not want to tell others what they should believe, why I believe (opinion) the FAQs already address concerns and speculation, etc. I do not want to leave the impression that I was endorsing the reservations others later posted or stifle healthy discussion. I hope by reposting the FAQs today, I make up for having been too tired to repost them last night. BTW, I have reproduced the embedded links to the beta application and to the download for Cakewalk by Bandlab. I tend to take people at their word, including forum participants from users to staff. Happy CyberMonday Shopping!! Edited November 27, 2023 by User 905133 to rectify my lapse of judgement in simply posting a link and reference to the FAQs in my original post 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vere Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 (edited) The odd thing is they don’t really answer the question asked many times “ Will Cakewalk still be available forever” Read the info in the above link a few times and tell me if it say forever? It is sort of vague if you ask me. I personally don’t care because I have a few hundred bucks of gig money still left over earmarked for Sonar. I might even buy Next if it’s the right price. its just too cute. To answer the OP question there’s a full installer on the web site download and put in a safe place. Edited November 27, 2023 by John Vere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heath Row Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 I have read more than once where a user asked hand full of questions in one post, one of those questions was a direct question on this matter, one of the staff members replied to the post answering all questions but one, like to take a guess which one that was? it was like it never existed, no acknowledgement of it what so ever. Make of that what you will. Perhaps after Sonar and Next were up and running for a while they may severely hobble CbB but leave it available, therefore killing 2 birds with one stone? Who knows what is going to happen, pointless thinking about it really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vere Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, heath row said: Who knows what is going to happen, pointless thinking about it really. Exactly how I feel. It only seems to matter to the people who think they are being ripped off. You should see the posts on Facebook and Discord. I personally feel these are exciting times for long time users. Edited November 27, 2023 by John Vere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney Earl Goodroe Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 Hi! At the risk of being pounded on this topic once more! Some of us are on fixed income and have to watch every penny very closely. That being said, I will buy into Sonar if they offer a bare to the bones version at an unbelievably low price. I already own almost every plugin that the bakers have offered since Pro Audio 9! It would be senseless to make me buy a new version containing all those plugs. Those plugins are pretty old by todays standards. Maybe offer upgrades or updates of Sonars plugs and I may consider. I know they offered several different versions at different prices before and they are leaning towards that mindset. I, also am upset about the vagueness of the answers concerning the eventual killing off of CbB. They do need to go ahead tell us, outright that they will keep it available or not. Perhaps to unruffle some feathers they could offer CbB for a very, very low price for those of us who have been invested in Cakewalk for so many years. I would be willing, as .many others I'm sure, to bite at that. For now, more crickets on whether or not CbB survives. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeringAmps Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 <I’ll probably regret this> 1 hour ago, Sidney Earl Goodroe said: upset about the vagueness From a “marketing” standpoint this is on a par with the Gibson shutdown (thanks again Henry) What I fear most, is the loss of user base; day after day after day. Am I confident that it will all sort itself out? Yep, but at what cost? (again in terms of user base) IF this thing is ready, roll it out. IF NOT, this will become a classic case of “stepping in pooh”, and NOT coming out “smelling like a rose”. </ I’ll probably regret this> t 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoisp Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 It probably will not work after 12months or something anyway, few windows updates and then boom becuase they are not supporting the free version and it will not be available for download So once it stops working, that is it..... you will then have to take your pick of what software you get regarding one off costs or monthly plan etc the whole industry is going this way due to plugin support etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney Earl Goodroe Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 If we still are battling with numerous bugs in CbB it is going to be hard for them to sell us Sonar for pay when the bugs are still there!!! That may be what the holdup is all about! I just don't like the suspicious behavior of not being completely up front with their potential buyers and user base! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user 905133 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 (edited) 14 hours ago, dalemccl said: I have saved the Cakewalk download, but that appears to be just a small installer that downloads the full installation file and installs it. Just addressing this ^^^^ point about the size of the download linked installer. I remember reading (probably an official post) that the download link lets the installer decide what updates to be installed depending on what the user has / doesn't have. I remember there was also an explanation of how to get the webpage to download the full installer. I do not remember what those steps involved, but as I recall they worked. Not sure if that's still the case today. Edited November 27, 2023 by User 905133 edits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Wichrowski Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 14 hours ago, User 905133 said: 2023-11-27 REVISION: Yesterday, I replied with with a link to the official site at https://www.cakewalk.com/sonar saying there were FAQs at the bottom of the page. Then a couple of posts came in related to what was posted there. So I wrote, "See replies below." My thinking was that maybe the FAQs were based on the early details from several months ago. My original intent in referring to the FAQs was that in case they were still accurate or if they were later revised, the link had the official statement. After that even more posts came in that seem to call into question the answers in the FAQs. So, now I don't know who to believe. I originally thought about cutting pasting the FAQs and the answers, but I was too tired. So, to put the following discussion into context, here are the FAQs (reformatted as forum text): How do I join the Cakewalk Sonar beta program? The Cakewalk Sonar beta program has limited seats at this time. To join the beta, please fill out the beta application, and we'll follow up with you soon! Is Sonar replacing Cakewalk by BandLab? Sonar builds and improves on Cakewalk by BandLab, offering advanced technology, effortless workflow, and an interface that amplifies inspiration. You can still access Cakewalk by BandLab here, but it will soon be phased out. We will continue providing community support and maintenance for Cakewalk by BandLab until both Cakewalk Next and Sonar become publicly available. Existing Cakewalk by BandLab users will be able to continue using the software after the release of Cakewalk Sonar. In the meantime, Cakewalk by BandLab continues to be available here. Will Cakewalk by BandLab be discontinued? Yes, eventually. We will continue providing community support and maintenance for Cakewalk by BandLab until Cakewalk Sonar becomes publicly available. At some point after the release of Sonar, Cakewalk by BandLab will no longer be supported. Note that existing Cakewalk by BandLab users will be able to continue using the software after the release of Cakewalk Sonar. In the meantime, Cakewalk by BandLab continues to be available here. Will Next and Sonar be free like Cakewalk by BandLab? Next and Sonar will be offered at price points designed to meet the needs of different customers. More information will be provided as we approach the launch date for these new products. What are the differences between Cakewalk Sonar, Cakewalk by BandLab and previous versions of Cakewalk SONAR? Cakewalk Sonar represents a new brand identity, introducing a significant UI refresh with high DPI display support, feature enhancements and a platform committed to ongoing feature development. The latest capabilities of Cakewalk by BandLab will carry forward into Sonar, along with a continued focus on performance and stability. While hundreds of improvements have been made since SONAR Platinum was discontinued, Cakewalk Sonar will be able to open projects created in SONAR and Cakewalk by BandLab. Will installing Cakewalk Sonar overwrite Cakewalk by BandLab? No, the two applications install to different locations on your file system, so they can coexist on your computer. JMO: To me the FAQs seem clear, unambiguous, and truthful. At the same time as a long-time user of Cakewalk / SONAR / Cakewalk, I do not want to tell others what they should believe, why I believe (opinion) the FAQs already address concerns and speculation, etc. I do not want to leave the impression that I was endorsing the reservations others later posted or stifle healthy discussion. I hope by reposting the FAQs today, I make up for having been too tired to repost them last night. BTW, I have reproduced the embedded links to the beta application and to the download for Cakewalk by Bandlab. I tend to take people at their word, including forum participants from users to staff. Happy CyberMonday Shopping!! Thank you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettelus Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 2 hours ago, DeeringAmps said: What I fear most, is the loss of user base; day after day after day. Am I confident that it will all sort itself out? Yep, but at what cost? (again in terms of user base) A simple statistic is that roughly 7% of the world population is born/dies in 5 years, so the number of new users that onboarded with CbB has some "number" associated with it. I have worked with a few folks who fall into this exact category, so have advised them on how to safeguard their work going forward. I even went so far as to refer one to the original post I had made regarding this a few months ago and they came back with "I found some of those replies arrogant." I found the use of the word "arrogant" truly stunning from a new user, and even though I defended one of the people in question, that was a one-off situation out of courtesy and will not happen again. I have simply advised people not to get excited for now, safeguard your work, wait for what really happens, then adjust accordingly. Many people are also not jacked into the internet (i.e., pandemic onboardees), so there is another subset that won't even know about this until they think to re-open a project in a couple years. I hope when they do that they are not met with an unpleasant surprise. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Walton Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 6 hours ago, whoisp said: It probably will not work after 12months or something anyway, few windows updates and then boom becuase they are not supporting the free version and it will not be available for download So once it stops working, that is it..... you will then have to take your pick of what software you get regarding one off costs or monthly plan etc the whole industry is going this way due to plugin support etc There are 10 year old versions of Cakewalk that people still use....Windows breaking stuff usually isn't the problem historically. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Kelley Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 The natives are restless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney Earl Goodroe Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 I still have Pro Audio 9, Sonar 8, and Platinum on my desktop and they run fine! Not that I use them regularly. I have had clients come back years later to remix or edit projects and they have worked fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vere Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 Man I hate to even repeat this one again because these threads just won’t go away. But the big difference between the Bandlab Cakewalk and all the older versions is the on line activation. Actually Splat is kind of the same, it won’t time out like CbB but if the server dies you are out of luck with a new computer instal. So they have 100% control of the software and who can use it. Why do you think they made it so the latest update will be the only version that will stay activated. They are smart people. They are in business. They are managing this business in a business like manner which we should all support because this helps secure the future of the DAW we have chosen to stay with. If Next is an example of what they can accomplish then this is heading in a very good direction . The more I work with it the more excellent designing I find. They have streamlined the UI to now have possible the best beginners DAW ever made. Looking forward to finding some of these improvements in Sonar. Like the lyrics track and stem separation. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heath Row Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 3 hours ago, Terry Kelley said: The natives are restless. Man the Ramparts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Anderton Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 On 11/27/2023 at 4:36 PM, John Vere said: They are managing this business in a business like manner which we should all support because this helps secure the future of the DAW we have chosen to stay with. +1. If you use something that makes your life easier, encourages productivity, and is fun to use, I think whoever produced that product should be rewarded in some way. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalemccl Posted November 29, 2023 Author Share Posted November 29, 2023 (edited) I am the original poster. I'm sorry, I seemed to have unintentionally ignited a lively discussion. But I haven't seen an answer to my question about obtaining the full Cakewalk installation file instead of just the small installer, which is all that is available on the Bandlab website. I watched a couple older youtube videos about installing Cakewalk by Bandlab, and in their screenshots they showed a choice of installing via Bandlab Assistant or what appeared to be a download a file to install the full program. That choice is no longer there. The small installer is all that is available to download, as far as I can find.. I am concerned that if I ever need to re-install, and all I have saved is the small installer file, and if Bandlab no longer makes the full program available to the small installer, I will be out of luck. I am sure others would be in the same boat. So, does anyone know how to get the latest full version to be able to install later regardless of what Bandlab decides to do in the future? Edited November 29, 2023 by dalemccl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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