With the First-class Upgrade promotion happening in June, it’s a good time to review the amazing value you get with SONAR X1 Producer. Whether you are upgrading or looking for a new digital audio workstation (DAW), SONAR X1 Producer gives you hundreds of dollars in exclusive features, instruments, and effects that only Cakewalk can offer musicians, producers, and engineers.
Let’s start with a quick video which goes through all the SONAR X1 Producer exclusives:
Now let’s take a look at some of the exclusive features in-depth to see what makes SONAR X1 Producer so special.
The heart and soul of SONAR’s mixing console is the critically-acclaimed ProChannel. This revolutionary new feature allows you to build custom channel strips from legendary hardware and combine them to create the ultimate classic console emulation. Craft a super hybrid mixing console where each component is precisely what you need and each control is familiar and close at hand. The ProChannel includes 4 versatile modules:
- PC4K S-Type Bus Compressor adds punch and ‘glues’ a mix bus together, imparting the radio-ready sound made famous by classic, large-format consoles
- PC4K U-Type Compressor employs classic FET design with ultra-fast attack and analog-style warmth
- ProChannel Gloss EQ injects the smooth beauty of an analog EQ directly into SONAR’s mixing console
- ProChannel Tube Saturation adds warmth and character to sterile tracks with two types of flexible Tube Saturation built-in to every ProChannel strip
Here’s a quick Get Started video to get you up to speed on the ProChannel:
You also have the option of expanding ProChannel when you buy SONAR X1 Producer Expanded or SONAR X1 Production Suite (which includes SONAR X1 Producer Expanded). One of the new features in SONAR X1 Producer Expanded is ProChannel modularity. That means you can add new modules like the Concrete Limiter, PC2A T-Type Leveling Amplifier, and more directly to your ProChannel. To get you started, we include the Softube Saturation Knob free with SONAR X1 Producer Expanded. Visit our ProChannel module page to get a list of all the available modules.
Now let’s talk about virtual instruments. It would be great if we could have almost any physical instrument available at our disposal whenever a music project called for it – saxes, strings, guitars, basses, even cinematic effects. Unfortunately, that’s not realistic for most musicians which is why Dimension Pro is such a breakthrough. With Dimension Pro, you get a critically acclaimed synthesizer that combines real instruments with advanced synthesis giving you endless sound possibilities. It features over 1500 production-ready presets that span a wide range of sounds. Dimension Pro opens up your creative pallet in ways you didn’t think were possible. And if 1500 presets aren’t enough, we offer a wide range of expansion packs that cover almost any genre imaginable.
Piano seems to be a staple of classical and modern music – and everything in between. Sometimes you just need a great sounding piano with superb playability. That’s why we have included the TruePianos Amber virtual instrument. TruePianos uses physical modeling to create a piano that is light on resources and heavy on expression, playability and believable sound.
Here’s a quick video that explains it even better than words can:
Most music today requires percussion – specifically drums. Much like having every physical instrument in your studio is unrealistic, having a drum set or multiple drum sets is probably not a likely scenario for most musicians. That’s why we have included Session Drummer 3 – your personal drummer. When combined with the Step Sequencer 2.0 (included in SONAR X1), you can build simple or complex drum parts for almost any style of music. Session Drummer 3 includes hundreds of patterns ranging from vintage rock to electronica and 20 complete drum kits including genuine Roland® 707, 808, and 909 kits. Content providers include Ocean Way Studios, Steven Slate, Sonic Reality, and Groove Monkee.
No studio would be complete without high-quality mixing and mastering effects. SONAR X1 Producer includes over 50 audio and MIDI effects plus the built-in ProChannel modules mentioned before. While some DAWs may play the numbers game when it comes to effects, we are focused on quality. That’s why we have included a suite of exclusive professional-grade effects that are only available in SONAR X1 Producer.
Channel strip effects are essential to any good mix, which is why we have included three of the most commonly used ones. The VX-64 Vocal Strip is your go-to effect for getting radio-ready vocals that shine in the mix. Use it on one vocal track or mix multiple vocals and harmonies to take your mix from “demo-quality” to “pro” instantly. We have also included the PX-64 Percussion Strip, which is perfect for scultping your drums and other percussive instruments. One of the biggest headaches in mixing is having your drums fit well in the mix but with the PX-64, you can handle this task easily. The PX-64 is so versatile that it can even be used on bass tracks, which means your entire rhythm section will sound tight. Finally, we have includes a jack-of-all-trades channel strip, the VC-64 Channel Strip. This can be used on almost any source material and even works well for mastering. And all three channel strips are 64-bit, for even better mixing quality.
Check out the PX-64 Get Started video:
For all the guitarists out there, we have included Guitar Rig 4 LE. This professional effect and amp modeling software provides authentic sound and responsive playability. When you can’t get the sound of a real amp, you can still get high-quality guitar sounds by plugging into your audio interface and calling up Guitar Rig 4 LE.
To round out the suite of effects, SONAR X1 Producer also includes two high-quality linear phase mastering plug-ins. The LP-64 EQ gives your final mix an edge by adding a professional sheen – without compromising the overall character of your music. You also get the LP-64 Multiband Compressor, which allows you to get dynamic mixes – again with no compromise to the overall sound. Both effects are 64-bit, ensuring you get the best sound quality when mastering.
These are just some of the SONAR X1 Producer exclusives – for a complete list, please check out the comparison chart. SONAR X1 Producer includes almost everything in SONAR X1 Essential and Studio, and represents the flagship DAW in the Cakewalk line. It’s widely accepted as the premiere DAW on the Windows PC platform. New to all versions of SONAR X1 is the Skylight User Interface. Precisely suited for today’s music production, SONAR X1’s unparalleled user interface design speeds up workflow and provides a clean and modern creation environment. Skylight introduces a next generation workspace and ushers in a new level of simplicity by providing an intelligent interface that moves beyond contemporary, single-window design and layout clutter.
Watch the Skylight User Interface Get Started video:
From June 1st to June 30th, we are offering a First-class upgrade promotion. When you purchase or upgrade to SONAR X1 Studio, you will get SONAR X1 Producer for free. When you purchase or upgrade to SONAR X1 Producer, you will also get everything in SONAR X1 Production Suite.
Learn more about SONAR X1 Producer by visiting the product page.
Visit the SONAR U page on CakeTV for more videos including Get Started, Go Deeper, and Master Class channels.