Cakewalk have a bite of Apple with Sonar OSX Alpha
I’m having one of those deja-vu, glitch-in-the-Matrix moments where I sure we’ve been here before. Maybe it’s because Sonar OSX is something that always seems to be just about to happen. It’s been a few years since the Cakewalk instruments such as Z3TA+ were ported to OSX so it’s been a while since their staunch Windows only barriers came down. So to me this doesn’t feel much like news, but apparently it is and it’s massive so if someone would kindly poke me with a stick I’ll tell you all about it – ouch!
Cakewalk have announced Sonar OSX Alpha and are offering it to the Apple-based music making community for free. That’s a double whammy for the loyal Window users who will already feel betrayed at the inclusion of Apple and are now finding the monthly membership plan a bit hard to stomach. However, it’s a great way to measure interest and get valuable feedback on a complex piece of software that’s still a work in progress. I’m uncertain whether the word “Alpha” denotes the state of the project, as in it’s an “alpha” version or whether it’s just the working name for the software – who knows?
I think Cakewalk are aware of how a subscription is not to everyone’s taste and so have also announced that anyone buying or upgrading to Sonar Platinum until the 31st August will get free updates for life. Existing owners can purchase the free updates (!) for $199 minus whatever you’ve paid so far on this years Platinum membership. They are calling it “#SONAR4LIFE” which feels very trendy and Apple-esque. What happens after that is anyone’s guess.
Sonar OSX Alpha
It will run the built-in plugins, the Skylight interface and the ProChannel customizable channel strip. It’s pegged for release in the autumn and if you’re interested you should sign up on the website.
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