So far I have been stressing the coolness of running Sonar on a 64-bit version of Windows. While it is true that the advantages for doing so are many, it is also obvious from the below, that 64-bit Sonar may not be the solution for everyone.

To make this post short and straight to the point, let me simply quote the part of the Sonar 64-bit FAQ from the Cakewalk's web site where they list the features of Sonar that the 64-bit edition does not support:

• ReWire support for 32-bit clients like Project 5 V2, Reason 2, and Fruity Loops
• 32-bit DirectX plug-ins
• DreamStation DXi2
• VSTi MIDI Output
• MPEX time/pitch stretching. A 64-bit library is not available for the MPEX time/pitch stretching algorithm, so this feature is not supported in SONAR x64. SONAR's internal time/pitch stretching will be used instead. You can also use any AudioSnap features, such as Slip-Stretching as an alternative.
• Microsoft has yet to provide x64 codecs for the following formats, so they are not yet supported:
  • MP3 import
  • Windows Media Video import/export
• Apple has yet to release QuickTime for Windows x64, so QuickTime import/export is not yet supported. Note: MPG 1 movie files can be imported.

So, if any of these issues are a concern to you as a musician or a recording engineer, you may want to wait just a bit before plunging into the 64-bit world of Sonar.

The Sonar 64-bit FAQ mentioned above also provides a number of suggestions for the best hardware considerations. and configurations.