What features does the OLD Cakewalk have that the free tier of Sonar doesn't have?

[Doug Steinschneider]

On 6/23/2025 at 1:48 PM, Bapu said:

The free version?

Yes, until now I've been sticking with Cakewalk by Bandlab. I'm now using the free tier Cakewalk Sonar. 

[Starship Krupa]

The most lamented feature that was left out of Sonar is the ability for the user to set custom colors for such things as beat and measure grid lines.

The next most is the full Theme Editor, but I understand why they deprecated that. The underpinnings of new Sonar's UI are just so different.

[sjoens]

Regardless of how a GUI is made,  it can be designed with customization in mind if the company chooses to do so.

The original X series Skylight interface was not, but it was somewhat adaptable.  The new one probably less so.  Is what it is.

[Jonathan Sasor]

18 hours ago, Pathfinder said:

OK installed it. For my work this makes no difference at all-I don't use CW plugins anymore. But I am guessing this move also means we will be forced to subscribe or move on when this "EVALUATION" is over and bye bye CbyBL!

Says Evaluation which would imply it will be going bye bye real soon. No?

Evaluation is the free tier, that does not expire.

[Misha]

7 minutes ago, Jonathan Sasor said:

Evaluation is the free tier, that does not expire.

but from Wukie's post from my other thread/question that he decided to lock... It will  still deactivate from time to time.  If for example Band Lab decides to change "something" in the software, I doubt you will have a choice of sticking to a prior version, or ability to backup/preserve particular build. Likely it's a non-issue for many, but to me it is.

Unless I am wrong...  Maybe team can clarify.

[Jonathan Sasor]

31 minutes ago, Misha said:

but from Wukie's post from my other thread/question that he decided to lock... It will  still deactivate from time to time.  If for example Band Lab decides to change "something" in the software, I doubt you will have a choice of sticking to a prior version, or ability to backup/preserve particular build. Likely it's a non-issue for many, but to me it is.

Unless I am wrong...  Maybe team can clarify.

It refreshes the license periodically in the same way that CbB does now. 

[Wookiee]

43 minutes ago, Misha said:

but from Wukie's post from my other thread/question that he decided to lock... It will  still deactivate from time to time.  If for example Band Lab decides to change "something" in the software, I doubt you will have a choice of sticking to a prior version, or ability to backup/preserve particular build. Likely it's a non-issue for many, but to me it is.

Unless I am wrong...  Maybe team can clarify.

You can't even have the common decency to spell my name right and then just to show your total ignorance you miss quote me. But we all know how you like to misslead providing misinformation, or just stir the brown sticky stuff because you have nothing better to do. Your thread got shut down because of these facts.

I did not say it would deactivate. As with CbB every 30 days activation has to be refreshed. If you are using it on a near daily basis this refreshment is transparent and happens automatically. If by chance you don't use it for more than 30 days then you will need to manually reactivate, from the help menu.

This is done to give Bandlab an idea of how many users are using the Product. Historically even S-Plat used to phone home regularly and would require reactivation if unused for 30 days.

With regard to Bandlab changing something in the software, it is their product, they can do what they like, especially when it is being given away for free. This is another example of you stirring the brown sticky stuff with your misinformation.  I don't know whether you have noticed but 99.9% producers change their product on a regular basis without discussing it with you. Think about that.

One final thought Misha, note I spelt you name correctly, no software is owned. You purchase a End User Licence Agreement. EULA, perhaps you should read it, it grants you the right to use the software for as long as the owners say you can. Yes for as long they deem you can, it actually says they can revoke your right at any time.

[John Vere]

Don’t be afraid it’s only a free Daw it won’t bite you. The best way to find out is to just install it yourself and quit worrying about it. 

The “Free Sonar “ video now has over 600 views. 

@Wookiee I can’t remember if Splat phoned home? I think they charged us like $400 For a year of free updates and when the year was up you paid more. If you chose not to pay you simply got no more updates. S1 has that same option. Then they offered a “Lifetime free updates “ just before Gibson walked away from us. 
That lifetime update deal seems to still stuck in many users heads. They will be the same ones complaining about the end of  Cakewalk. 
 

With Splat I do remember you had to use CCC like I just did last month. For that you need the server and you password. At least the final version doesn’t ever need re activation as I have always had it installed on all my music computers since 2016. 

I appreciated that Bandlab has kept the legacy products available to us they really have no financial incentive to do that. 
 

If I was keeping score about the release of Free Sonar I’d say well over 1,000 very happy people are now using it and growing every day. 
 

This is exactly what this wonderful Daw needs. Growth!