Cakewalk by BandLab is getting incredible

Piing

Piing

Axe-Master
I have been using Cakewalk since it was a simple MIDI sequencer for MS-DOS, developed by Twelve Tones System, that came in a floppy disk.

It has lived dark moments, the worst one when it was acquired by Gibson and they completely abandoned the development.

Now that it is totally free, thanks to a billionaire from Singapore, it is being constantly updated, and the development team is listening to the suggestions from the users.

This current level of product development by BandLab reminds me of Fractal Audio. I think that FAS products, updates and customer service are so great because the owner is not just a businessman or a board of investment, but a music lover with the aim of creating the best thing, without any compromise.

https://blog.bandlab.com/cakewalk-by-bandlabs-biggest-release-ever/
 
Same here-Since the 80's. I stuck with it all the was and still have all my upgrade backups. But you are so right, Bandlab has done so much with it.
It is once again a great daw.
Many believe they must jump on the bandlab online stuff. Nope, sure don't have to. Although the last Sonar Platinum Version always ran fine for me, when Gibson closed production down It was a sad day for many of us.and I am very midi oriented, except for vocals and my guitars.
Just another reason I do not like Gibson.
Anyway, Yes, Sonar is alive and well, ripple edit and so many other great things. I love it!
 
yeky83 said:
How are they making money btw, what's the catch?
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Cakewalk is just a cakewalk for the business volume of Kuok's family

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuok_Khoon_Hong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kuok

At his Instagram he describes humself as "Occasional Musician, Occasional CEO ".

He also owns a music store: https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/pu...erience-has-slowly-petered-out-over-years-one

Statement from Meng Ru Kuok:

http://forum.cakewalk.com/Cakewalk-...Windows-now-Updated-Dec-11-2018-m3743935.aspx

Meng's Announcement (2018.04)

Hi Everyone,

Today is the day! Let’s dive straight in with a TL:DR version:
  • Today we’re launching Cakewalk by BandLab – a free, streamlined version of SONAR Platinum
  • There is only one version, with full authentication and the advanced feature set for free
  • Cakewalk by BandLab is available via BandLab Assistant for Windows (sign in with your BandLab account)
  • No matter what plug-ins or bundles you’ve bought in the past – anything that worked with SONAR before will work with Cakewalk by BandLab and should integrate seamlessly.
  • This is just the beginning, we have an aggressive feature roadmap ahead
Firstly, thank you to everybody here for your incredible support in the last month (and a bit!).
As you might have guessed, it’s been a busy few weeks for us at BandLab. On top of maintaining the steady flow of feature releases that we consistently do on BandLab every week, the whole team has been working tirelessly to pull together the new flagship, streamlined version of SONAR so that we could get it to you ASAP.

We have an aggressive vision here at BandLab – and that is a world in which there are no barriers, physical, geographical or technical to the making and sharing of music. For the millions of creators already on BandLab in more than 180 countries around the world – this vision continues to develop every time we push a new release.

For the professional musicians who use our platform, access to a complete toolset is a key part of this vision and this release is one of our biggest yet. The big news is a business model change that is only possible because of our ecosystem – we’re releasing the entire feature set of SONAR Platinum (sans certain 3rd party plugins and content) in its new form of Cakewalk by BandLab completely free.

We want anyone to have access to the highest level of professional music production tools in the same way that we empower musicians to make and share their music around the world with BandLab’s creation, collaboration and social tools.

Cakewalk by BandLab has all the premium features of SONAR Platinum that you know and love but we’ve also added some small new features for now: you now have the ability to replace Track Templates and enjoy a theme-capable Piano Roll View (easier on the eyes for those late nights). These are just two quick additions – there’s a lot more coming based on your feedback and I’m confident you’ll be excited about what’s on the horizon.

Existing Platinum users: all previously purchased third party bundles, plug-ins and instruments already installed on your system should automatically integrate with Cakewalk by BandLab. If you have all your third party products and plug-ins previously downloaded from the Command Center, everything should work seamlessly.

People who are downloading Cakewalk by BandLab or experiencing SONAR Platinum’s features for the first time (not relevant to many people in this forum, but still including it to cover all bases!): we have removed certain 3rd party plug-ins and content that we felt were unnecessary and/or not feasible to be released in this first version. Updates will come and more features and content will be available in the core pack. For now, check out the Sounds tab on BandLab Assistant - there are thousands of loops available there - just drag and drop. ;-)

For anyone concerned that downloading Cakewalk by BandLab via BandLab Assistant might mess with your system or existing software – we’ve put a lot of effort into making sure that it doesn’t affect previous SONAR installations - Cakewalk by BandLab and previous versions of SONAR can run on the same machine with no issues. That said, there will be no more updates released for legacy SONAR products. As always, keep in mind that if you make changes to your operating system, this could affect performance of any legacy products as updates won’t happen in the future.

Many thanks to everyone who has already signed up for a BandLab account. As mentioned before, it will be necessary for tagging other purchases you have made in the past - for example, the next iteration of Rapture will not be released for free when it is ready unless you are an existing owner and eligible for a crossgrade. Having your obsolete Cakewalk ID linked to your BandLab Account ensures that we can verify your previous purchases, and any future upgrade or cross grade opportunities are available to you. For those who haven’t signed up yet, you’ll also need a BandLab account to install and authenticate Cakewalk, as well as to receive future updates and new releases.

On a side note, we’ve also been busy organising some Cakewalk swag (featuring new and vintage looks) to celebrate the launch and offer something fun for some of you lifetime Cakewalk fans. We’ve souped up our Tip Jar and released an early version of our upcoming Rewards feature, and you’ll visit this page once your install has started. A reissued version of Noel’s famous Cakewalk mug is there as well as some other swag - I'll add the link in a second, we're just updating some photos! There is no obligation to send a tip.

I want to thank all of you for your support, your encouragement, your feedback and suggestions. We are constantly humbled by the passion and wealth of knowledge among the Cakewalk community. We are so proud to be able to continue development of SONAR’s core feature set as Cakewalk by BandLab and are committed to investing in this excellent product - we will continue to innovate to ship new and improved features as we do with all the products we develop.

We hope that you, the dedicated core of long-term SONAR users, will be able to keep creating music with your preferred workflow for decades to come – and that a whole new generation of music creators, artists and producers will be introduced to this fantastic professional music software.

I hope you’re as excited about the future as we are. Please jump in and explore Cakewalk by BandLab – for existing SPLAT users, you’ll find it very comfortable and I hope we’ve alleviated some of your worst nightmares. For those of you that never could justify spending on an upgrade – welcome to the real deal :) In the coming days and weeks, there’s much more I will share and I’m sure you’ll discover some of the other things you can do with BandLab Assistant and maybe try out BandLab too, if you haven’t already!Happy downloading and music making! Long Live Cakewalk!

With love,

Meng

p.s I meant it when I said we were baking something special up for you!

p.p.s RIP the runner up names of TDFKAS, BONAR, LabraDAWr and BADASS
 
Hi Piing,
Yes it’s a good tool however I share @yeky83 s concern about a valid business model. What’s funding it and why? How long will it be funded for? Will users spend 2 years using it (and therefore tying themselves to the technology) only to find there is suddenly a massive charge for the next update? ...I used to use cakewalk until Gibson destroyed it, then moved to Cubase, where a solid business model exists which ain’t exactly cheap, but I know how and why the developers are getting paid!
Thanks
Pauly
 
pauly said:
Hi Piing,
Yes it’s a good tool however I share @yeky83 s concern about a valid business model. What’s funding it and why? How long will it be funded for? Will users spend 2 years using it (and therefore tying themselves to the technology) only to find there is suddenly a massive charge for the next update? ...I used to use cakewalk until Gibson destroyed it, then moved to Cubase, where a solid business model exists which ain’t exactly cheap, but I know how and why the developers are getting paid!
Thanks
Pauly
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You could apply your logic to ANY company. Where does it state that Presonus or Steinberg can NEVER triple their prices?
But the guy with the $$$ in Bandlab wants to push his "global Bandlab" to be a place for collaborating ideas from anywhere in the world. I do not bother at all with the bandlab idea, I just am happy that I can continue to use a product I have supported for decades -free or for a price.
Maybe it's ego, who know. But his investment to get Sonar Cakewalk was not astronomical, nobody wanted to buy it.
Not "everyone" has an ulterior motive.
@yeky83 Why does there have to be a "catch".
 
Stratman68 said:
Why does there have to be a "catch".
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There's always a catch. That's why they coined the caveat that when the product you use is free, you are the product. It might still be a mutually beneficial arrangement, or maybe the developer wants to bask in the glory and worship of his grateful users, but there has to be something he gets out of this. The Universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest.
 
Muad'zin said:
There's always a catch. That's why they coined the caveat that when the product you use is free, you are the product. It might still be a mutually beneficial arrangement, or maybe the developer wants to bask in the glory and worship of his grateful users, but there has to be something he gets out of this. The Universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest.
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The obvious would be to build it up into something great, free, and put most other products out of business. Then charge for it.

I'm too cynical after watching shit like this happen over the years.
 
spagthorpe said:
The obvious would be to build it up into something great, free, and put most other products out of business. Then charge for it.

I'm too cynical after watching shit like this happen over the years.
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Ahh the cynical USA. Of course. Yes the guy has an ego and wants his bandlab site to be "THE PLACE to COLLABORATE". He sells add ons also.
You guys keep right on with your glass half empty BS. unbelievable, the OP posts about a free product that use to be one of the top daws and original midi DAW, but the mighty USA must pin a derogatory spin on it.
Par for the course. I have to wonder who the Mac users are in this thread?
 
Stratman68 said:
Ahh the cynical USA. Of course. Yes the guy has an ego and wants his bandlab site to be "THE PLACE to COLLABORATE". He sells add ons also.
You guys keep right on with your glass half empty BS. unbelievable, the OP posts about a free product that use to be one of the top daws and original midi DAW, but the mighty USA must pin a derogatory spin on it.
Par for the course. I have to wonder who the Mac users are in this thread?
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Quoted for posterity.
 
Stratman68 said:
So disagreeing is now cause for ignoring? uh, OK......
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Unfortunately that is the case these days.

Disagreement is healthy and promotes growth (among the open minded) . However, the old adage of “its not what you say but how you say it” also applies. Disagree with the position...but don’t attack the person, or culture, for having a different view.
 
Project Mayhem said:
Unfortunately that is the case these days.

Disagreement is healthy and promotes growth (among the open minded) . However, the old adage of “its not what you say but how you say it” also applies. Disagree with the position...but don’t attack the person, or culture, for having a different view.
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You are correct about the tone, I assume you mean mine in this case. But it is very frustrating when the point of the "others" posts are purely confrontational. Assuming they KNOW that it's a scam without trying to dig deeper. Always looking for the worst in people. How wonderful.
 
Stratman68 said:
You are correct about the tone, I assume you mean mine in this case. But it is very frustrating when the point of the "others" posts are purely confrontational. Assuming they KNOW that it's a scam without trying to dig deeper. Always looking for the worst in people. How wonderful.
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Who said anything about a scam? Who looked for the worst in people? I mean, your posts certainly come across as confrontational and as assuming the worst in other forum members, but I don't see it from others' posts. People need to make a living, and businesses need a business plan. Asking how they're making money doesn't mean I'm accusing them of scamming or expecting the worst in them.
 
yeky83 said:
Who said anything about a scam? Who looked for the worst in people? I mean, your posts certainly come across as confrontational and as assuming the worst in other forum members, but I don't see it from others' posts. People need to make a living, and businesses need a business plan. Asking how they're making money doesn't mean I'm accusing them of scamming or expecting the worst in them.
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Are you kidding? For starters, try post #9, post#8. Why did you assume my post was directed at you? But, You did state what's the catch? Jeeez. So who is attacking who here? read the thread before you accuse someone of something. Unbelievable pal. Scam or catch?
 
From our POV it can be argued its you who is confrontational. All we're saying is there is no such thing as a free lunch and you're bringing in 'The Mighty USA has to make a spin' angle. You seem to assume that this guy is only doing it for the good of the community. That is perfectly fine. Why attack us when we say what is the catch? Because in our experience, you have yours, but ours is valid too, has taught us that there is always a catch.
 
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