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Cakewalk Pro User Spotlight: Hollywood Undead

Hollywood UndeadFresh off a sold-out tour in Europe, Hollywood Undead (A&M / Octone Records) is tearing up the music scene with their latest album, ‘Desperate Measures’. Charlie Scene, Da Kurlzz, Deuce, Funny Man, J-Dog and Johnny 3 Tears started performing in 2005. Their first album, Swan Songs, hit #22 on the Billboard 200 in it’s first week, selling 21,000 copies. Their songs can be heard in today’s hottest video games including Madden NFL 09, UFC 2009; Undisputed, Rock Band 2 and Velvet Assasin.

Cakewalk’s Jimmy Landry met up with group in Sacramento, California to talk about recording on the road with the V-Studio 100.

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Artist Appearances at NAMM 2010

NAMMVisit with Cakewalk at The NAMM Show 2010 from January 14 through January 17 in Anaheim, California! Stop by our new booth location (Hall A, #6700) to see live demonstrations on SONAR 8.5, the V-Studio 100 and the V-Studio 700. Be sure to grab an official Cakewalk Passport then take a short tour of our booth, to win a free t-shirt and be eligible to win a V-Studio 100!

Also, Cakewalk will be hosting a series of special artist presentations and performances throughout the show. Our confirmed artist appearances (dates and times) are as follows:

Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010
2:00-2:45 Justin Lassen
4:00-4:45 Javier Colon

Friday, Jan. 15, 2010
11:00-11:45 Steven Slate
1:00-1:45 Cori Yarckin
3:00-3:45 Casey McPherson of Alpha Rev
4:00-4:45 Norman Matthew
5:00-5:45 Justin Lassen

Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010
11:00-11:45 Norman Matthew
12:00-12:45 Steven Slate
1:05-1:45 The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
2:00-2:45 Shifty and the Big Shots
3:00-3:45 Cori Yarckin
4:00-4:45 Javier Colon

Visit our Special Event page for more information: http://www.cakewalk.com/events/namm2010/

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AudioMidi.com Likes the Sound of the V-Studio 100

audiomidiAudioMIDI.com’s Dee Davis gave the V-Studio 100 a workout recently and came away very pleased with the results.

Dee hooked up the VS-100 to a PC running Windows XP Professional, with 4 GB RAM and two 1 TB Hard drives, all powered by an AMD Phenom X4 Quad processor. After installing SONAR 8.5, Dee pulled up some recent SONAR-produced projects and found them to sound terrific , “perfect” in fact.

After checking out projects in higher sample rates and getting positive results, Dee recorded some vocals using the mic pres and was also “pleasantly surprised with the sound quality.” But the true test came when s/he recorded his/her Musicman StingRay Bass with the VS-100. Initially skeptical — “I am very hard of audio interfaces, as I feel they never truly get the real tone” — Dee was delighted when the resulting sound turned out to be “the best I have ever heard on any recording system!” S/he also went on to highlight the VS-100’s Windows 7 compatibility, solid control surface functions and use in Mackie Control Function Mode.

“Ultimately, I found the V-Studio 100 an excellent device to work with,” she concluded. “The sound quality was great! The mixer and effects were solid and very easy to use.” Finally, she noted that “This compact unit will serve many of your needs with just one purchase. With the included software, you have everything you need to start recording right away.”

You can read the full review on AudioMIDI.com

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Music Radar's 12 Ways to Get More Out of SONAR 8.5

SONAR 8.5Make your New Year’s resolution one that you can be proud of. Dare to be more adventurous as a music-maker in 2010 with Music Radar’s 12 Ways to Get More Out of SONAR 8.5. With this guide, you’ll be able to manipulate SONAR’s tools for composing, editing and mastering your projects in ways you never thought possible.

Did you know that you can assign SONAR’s virtual instruments, such as Session Drummer 3, as well as project views, like the Matrix view, to your favorite controller? Trigger pre-loaded sounds and patterns from your controller with these tools and you’ll have a musical mash-up like no other. Does your vocal track need a little work? Use V-Vocal to create multi-part harmonies and AudioSnap to tweak the timing for a more realistic performance.

These tips and more can be found in hard-copy. Pick up Computer Music Magazine (January 2010) for a complete guide to the creatively-charged, SONAR 8.5.

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Preparing for The NAMM Show 2010

NAMMThere are just two weeks left until The NAMM Show 2010! Join us at the colossal Anaheim Convention Center in our brand new booth (#6700) to see live product demonstrations of SONAR 8.5, the V-Studio 100 and the V-Studio 700 by Cakewalk’s own technical service representatives. Thinking of upgrading your studio? Swing by our booth to see the latest innovations for music production including Intel’s brand new Core i7 processor-powered computers. We’ll also welcome a slew of  talented musicians – Javier Colon, Cori Yarckin, Justin Lassen, Norman Matthew and Steven Slate – who will be performing at our booth throughout the weekend.

See our official NAMM page as we get closer to opening day to learn more about these artist appearances and special events.

Join NAMM to purchase a show badge today!

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Cakewalk's Top 5 Live Performances of 2009

HOB BostonWith the return of U2, Madonna and AC/DC to the stage, 2009 was another successful year for performance venues nationwide. The Cakewalk staff had a busy year as well, attending all sorts of concerts and festivals. Continuing on our quest to name our favorites of 2009, here are our choices for the ‘Top 5 Live Performances’. You can see our picks for the Top 5 Singles of 2009 in a previous post.

Anthony Conte: Ben Folds with the Boston Pops, Aimee Mann, Pete Yorn, Matthew Sweet, Cake

Carl Jacobson: Oneal Armstrong @ The Middle East (Boston, MA), DJ Z-Trip & Chuck D at the Shepherd Fairy Exhibit Party @ ICA (Boston, MA), The Pat Martino Trio feat. Tony Monaco @ Scullers (Boston, MA), Kokayi @ CMJ Showcase (NY, NY), Some traditional Appalachian band from West Virginia on the streets in the Mission District of San Francisco in September 2009

Keith Albright: Third Day, Casting Crowns, and Natalie Grant @ SoulFest (Gunstock Mountain, NH), Michael W. Smith, Todd Agnew

Tara Zanett: Journey (and Heart!), No Doubt, AC/DC

Steve Cox: Stevie Wonder at the 25th Anniversary Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Concert @ Madison Square Garden (NY, NY)

Josh Langberg: DJ Hell @ Resolute Warehouse (Brooklyn, NY), Skinny Puppy @ the Palladium (Worcester, MA), Raster-Noton, Alva Noto & Byetone @ Make It New (Middlesex Lounge – Cambridge, MA), Nitzer Ebb @ the Paradise (Boston, MA), Xanopticon @ The Armory (Somerville, MA)

Continue reading “Cakewalk's Top 5 Live Performances of 2009”

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Cakewalk's Top 5 Singles of 2009

kings of leonMore than half of Cakewalk’s employees are musicians, many of which record and perform on the side. They’ve come to Cakewalk from different musical backgrounds, sharing their experiences and tricks of the trade as they go. It’s no surprise that those behind the scenes at Cakewalk have a wide range of musical tastes from electronica to hip hop, punk to country.

We thought we’d share with you our choices for the ‘Top 5 of 2009’. In no particular order, here are our picks for the ‘Top 5 Singles’  released this year:

Anthony Conte (VP of Sales): Fireflies – Owl City, Meet Me At The Equinox – Death Cab for Cutie, I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris – Morrissey, Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys) – Jay-Z, 1901 – Phoenix

Carl Jacobson (VP of Marketing): 1901 – Phoenix, Ancestor’s Call – Huun-Huur Tu / Carmen Rizzo, Scars (Featuring Kelis) – Basement Jaxx, Scumbag Blues – Them Crooked Vultures, Money (Feat. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge & Z-Trip) – N.A.S.A.

Keith Albright (Software Engineer): Heaven Is The Face – Steven Curtis Chapman, Until The Whole World Hears – Casting Crowns, He Is – Mark Schultz, Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming – Sting, Magnificent – U2

Tara Zanett (Event Coordinator): Love Story – Taylor Swift, That’s Not My Name – Ting Tings, Already Gone – Kelly Clarkson, Use Somebody – Kings of Leon, I Know You Want Me – Pitbull

Matt Koelsch (MI Accounts Manager – Worldwide): Use Somebody – Kings of Leon, Kids – MGMT, 1901 – Phoenix, Sleepyhead – Passion Pit, Hometown Glory – Adele

Dave Malaguti (QA Engineer): Zero – Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nothing to Worry About – Peter Bjorn and John, The Wanting Comes in Waves – The Decemberists, While You Wait for the Others – Grizzly Bear, Oh No – Andrew Bird

Continue reading “Cakewalk's Top 5 Singles of 2009”

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SONAR Is A Conventional DAW, Packing An Arsenal of Options

stepsequencerIn keeping with tradition, says Create Digital Music’s Peter Kirn, SONAR looks like the average Windows software with lots of buttons, knobs and menus. However, with its latest version, SONAR employs a vast array of features that allow the user (whether expert or beginner) to customize the way they create music on the computer – making it easier for them to record and produce music on their own terms.

Calling SONAR, the DAW of More, Kirn takes a microscopic look at these new features, instruments, support and usability enhancements added to the program with the SONAR 8.5.2 update.

Continue reading “SONAR Is A Conventional DAW, Packing An Arsenal of Options”

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Last Minute Shopping? Grab a Cakewalk Gift Card!

MC5_GiftCardAttention Last Minute Shoppers: Cakewalk’s Download Gift Card are perfect last minute gifts or stocking stuffers for the up-and-coming rock star and guitar hero in your life! Simply, purchase a Download Gift Card from the Cakewalk e-store. Print it out or email it to your favorite musician.

Geared for novice recording musicians, these products make creating music on the PC more fun! Just point and click and you’re making music. Music Creator 5 guides you through the initial set-up, making it easy for you to plug in your instrument or microphone and immediately start recording. Get professional sounding results using Music Creator’s powerful tools, instruments and effects. Can’t play bass, drums, piano, or violin? Let Cakewalk’s Studio Instruments be your band! It has a full suite of instruments for you to play with and includes hundreds of pre-recorded patterns (played by ace session musicians) so you can build sections for your songs, practice, or just have fun jamming along!

Stop by the Cakewalk e-store to purchase a Cakewalk Download Gift Card. There’s no better gift than sharing the love of music this holiday season.

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Cakewalk's V-Studio 100 Tops 'Sound Guys' Holiday Wishlist

V-Studio 100The Ask A Sound Guy bloggers, Ben and Sanjay, were first introduced to Cakewalk’s V-Studio series last winter at the NAMM Show. The smaller of the two units, the V-Studio 100, impressed them so much that they included the unit in their 2009 Holiday Wishlist.

When they later got hold of a unit to review, they put the portable music studio through its paces. Ben began by recording vocals and electric guitar remotely using the V-Studio 100’s built-in XLR inputs (with phantom power). “The preamps were exactly what you would be looking for in an interface like this,” he exclaimed. “They’re quiet, transparent, and boost the signal accordingly.”

To track the project live, Ben used the V-Studio 100’s on-board EQ and Compression. And to edit and mix the project, Ben integrated the V-Studio 100 with his own DAW. “I set it up to be used inside Logic and Live, and it worked well both times. The 100mm touch-sensitive motorized fader was a really nice feature to have. It’s probably more of a personal thing, but I enjoy seeing a fader move when its reading back automation inside my DAW of choice.”

Lastly, in hopes of pushing the envelope of the V-Studio 100, Ben recorded a full band (drums, bass, guitar and vocals) in a rehearsal space situation. He placed “two mics on the drums, a SM57 on the guitar cab, condenser on the bass cab, and vocals directly into the V-Studio.” Although it was live and “sloppy rock and roll,” Ben reported that the band was pleased with the final recording.

In all, Ben recommends the V-Studio 100 to producers, engineers and musicians on a budget, looking for an “all in one” solution for music production.

Visit Ask A Sound Guy to read the full review.