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Cool Videos About Vocal Editing With SONAR

Hey Everyone! We’ve been getting a lot of questions recently about using SONAR for vocal tracks. We thought it would be cool to assemble together a few of the demo videos that have been released over the years, showing different ways to edit and mix vocals with SONAR Producer. If you have a video tutorial of your own, don’t be afraid to share it!

Advanced Vocal Editing Techniques with V-Vocal

Basic V-Vocal Editing

Using AudioSnap to correct vocal timing

DJ Johnny Juice on using the VC-64 on vocals

For more information on SONAR, visit the SONAR product page.

For more videos, check us out on DailyMotion and YouTube.

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Live From Mix Nashville 2009: First Stop, The Legendary Sun Studio

Hello, Hello from Memphis and Nashville!

I used to be in Nashville and Memphis from time to time in my past life of a touring musician, but I really forgot how amazing this region of the country is; especially in terms of music. The trip started out early yesterday (3am) when I left my apartment for Newark Airport and then magically found myself in Memphis 5 hours later. I’m not too much of a plane-sleeper but I knew I needed some ZZZ’s for what was going to be a very busy day in “The South”. I met up with Cakewalk’s PR head Steve Thomas at his hotel and we both found it funny that we have more face-to-face business meetings in random cities than we do in the Cakewalk Headquarters. The afternoon rolled in and we headed over to Sun Studio in Memphis.

If you are not familiar with Sun Studio, it’s one of the most famous studios in the United States and has turned out some of the biggest hits in our time some including tracks from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, BB King, Roy Orbison and U2 to name a few. You might be wondering at this point why we would be visiting Sun Studio on a business trip and I can proudly tell you it’s because Sun Studio is powered by SONAR and as of yesterday, the new V-Studio 700 is at the helm. I had never been to the studio before and Steve has always mentioned how great of a vibe it has… and he wasn’t kidding.

First of all, head engineer James Lott is such a great guy and it was a pleasure to meet him finally. When he brought me into the studio, the combination of the room itself along with the gear and the memorabilia on the walls gave me an overwhelming sense of music history. I can totally understand why people still love to record in this room as it’s one of those places that triggers creative inspiration. Between the way the natural light hits the room, the décor (including authentic and rare photos of Elvis and other iconic artists) and the materials from which the studio was built, there is something very unique and inviting about this studio that I have never seen or felt before. The VS-700 looks great in the room and I’m looking forward to hearing all the tracks in the future that will be recorded on this system.

Continue reading “Live From Mix Nashville 2009: First Stop, The Legendary Sun Studio”

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Musicians Behind "Guilty'' (project demo in SONAR 8) Release New Album

On Purpose, the sizzling 4th album from Unified Tribe (nominee for ‘Best Live Band’, American Black Music Awards) and leader / front man Magic Mendez (winner, ‘Best Neo Soul Performer- Male’, American Black Music Awards) is a soulful R&B explosion. The new release showcases exquisitely-produced tracks recorded in SONAR.

The group’s new single, ‘Guilty,’ is the featured track in SONAR 8’s project demo. ‘Back and Forth’ (Funktional Family album) and ‘Do You Wanna Come’ (On Purpose album – Rap version) were also featured in past SONAR versions.

Mendez describes the group’s latest album, as “a rhythmic power play that delivers major musical mojo.”

“Its songs fuse jazz, blues, pop and soul, and range from sultry slow jams to blazing dance tracks. Def melodies, rich harmonies and themes from challenges to enchantment make ‘On Purpose’ a musical and emotional joyride that bridges genres and generations.”

The album was recorded at Magic Muzik Studios in Las Vegas, mixed by Rick Camp at Reeltyme Productions — Rick is also the live sound engineer for Chris Brown —  and mastered by Ron McMaster at Capital Records in Los Angeles.

Unified Tribe (www.unifiedtribe.net) was nominated in 2007 for “Best Live Band” and is described by Richard Searling, DJ of Smooth Radio 100.4FM UK: “Getting a one class album together is one thing, making a second to take the breath away is rare, but to succeed with a third awesome soul set is just unheard of these days… but check this, Unified Tribe have the hat-trick, blessed with the gritty aura of a Will Downing or David Porter take… it’s most definitely hip and heavy, its the real deal… right on now, Unified Tribe, keepin the faith alive in 2009.”

Unified Tribe represents R&B, heart and soul – and they do it “On Purpose.”

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Altsounds.com: SONAR 8 is 'an Audio Mechanics Dream'

Chris Maguire, record producer and owner of Altsounds.com, recently re-wired his studio to run SONAR 8 Producer. After using SONAR to record various session work, Maguire published an extensive review of the new upgrade, giving major props to the DAW’s versatility and sound quality.

“SONAR 8 Producer is intuitive and makes complete sense straight out of the box but is MUCH deeper than meets the eye and holds gems for users as their skills progress.”

“There is so much packed into SONAR 8 in fact that even a seasoned user such as myself never really touches the surface of what it can do…”

“LP-64 Multiband – Excellent Multiband Compressor that will allow even novices to get mastered mixes at levels expected.”

“TL-64 Tube Leveler – Awesome for adding Tube Warmth to your mixes or two individual entities in a mix.”

Macguire also compliments SONAR’s new workflow enhancements including the improved transport controls, the audio engine optimizations (arm/disarm tracks, ability to change audio settings without restart) and the endless array of VSTs and effects  hosted in one package.

“(It’s) a mechanics toolbox worth of useful tools, fx and instruments. It’s an audio mechanics dream.”

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From The Studio, To The Moon!

SONAR users, Tim Tully and Kathy Marty, make learning fun for the whole family with Universe Productions’ DVDs on outer space.  

Journey through the galaxy from your seat on the sofa with The Universe, a wondrous video tour through space.  Experience over 200 amazing astronomical phenomena as seen through the lenses of the Hubble, SOHO, TRACE, and other NASA orbital telescopes.  Watch Saturn change seasons, stars being born and see galaxies from the dawn of time, complemented by an amazing surround sound music score and narration.

Also released by Universe Productions is a DVD just for kids (ages 4-9) about the wonders of space. With The Astropuppies In Space: An Amazing Adventure for Young Astronauts, blast off on an incredible adventure from the moon to the sun and out to the planets. Join the Astropuppies on their quest to meet real astronauts on an exciting Space Shuttle launch, as they visit the remarkable International Space Station, and go on an amazing space walk.

Read reviews for these titles and pick up a copy at Amazon.com.

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Day 2: The Future Producers of Hip-Hop Battle It Out

Live From One Stop Shop Music Producers Conference Phoenix, Arizona, Day 2 (May 9th… 1am overlooking Phoenix city lights from a Jetblue red-eye to NYC)

Hope everyone had a Happy Mother’s Day! Day 2 technically starts at 12:00am from yesterday so I will pick it up from there. We found ourselves at Club PHX with Sha Money and many of the talented producers and artists who attended One Stop Shop. I have to admit, I had no idea that Phoenix was such an after-hours kind of town. The club was packed and as always when hanging with a bunch of musicians after midnight, the conversations flowed candidly about gear, projects and the state of the music industry.  Everyone I spoke with agreed that no matter how much turmoil the music industry is facing, it’s an amazing time for musicians who want to take control of their own music (and future) by empowering themselves with tools such as Cakewalk. As you will read later, this proved to be true from the OSS Beat Battle.

My wakeup call rang early. Seth Perlstein and I caffeinated up and prepared for what was to going to be a very busy day. The second day of the “V-100 Challenge” brought new talent early and with fury as MC’s jumped on the Cakewalk mic like it was nothing. I was amazed with some of these cats when I asked them if they wanted to hear the beat first…  or warm up… or something…  nope – these dudes would just step up to the mic and throw lyrics like they had been there all night practicing. Today we had some MC’s representing Boston, Phoenix, Florida, Dallas, Queens, Brooklyn and even Mississippi.  I’m glad I’m not the one deciding on who is walking away with SONAR 8 Producer. Thanks to all the cats that participated and please check Youtube this week for a V-100 video montage.

In between the action of the rap battles, we were pretty psyched to connect with some great producers in the game who stopped by to say hello and get a 1 on 1 taste of the new V-700, that is creating quite a buzz in the Hip Hop world. Neither Seth nor I had ever met Pete Rock and it was a pleasure to connect with him as well as Don Cannon, Just Blaze and Drumma Boy.  Throughout the day there were some pretty heavy panels going on as well.  Sway moderated a panel I caught in the afternoon with RZA, Just Blaze, Pete Rock, Steve Lobel, and many other pioneers in the game.  It was interesting to hear these guys comment on modern production and the state of the music industry.

Later on in the afternoon, we were approached by Microsoft Technical Evangelist, Arif Gursel, along with Sha Money who offered us an opportunity to demonstrate the V-700 right before dinner in front of all the conference goers.  It was a bit of work breaking down our booth and setting back up on stage but it was well worth it.  Seth Perlstein took the stage and did a great job going through some of the main features of the controller, interface, phantom synth and also fielded some questions from the crowd.

In the evening, I interviewed Lee Bannon who has been using SONAR and Project 5 on his recent project with Talib Kweli. Then we checked out the finals of the beat battle and it was crystal clear to me that we are in the middle of a music revolution.  Basically, any undiscovered producer could submit beats for this competition and it was ridiculous how crazy-good the final four contestants were.  Some of these new age producers are really thinking outside the box, that is outside the box with how they are constructing the beats, and the sounds were very refreshing to say the least.

Thanks again to Sha Money and I definitely recommend this conference to any up and coming Hip Hop producer for two main reasons:

1) It’s a great place to easily network with some name brand guys because the vibe is “we’re all in this together”.

2) It’s a great place to get your work out there if you really have an amazing talent.

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Summer 2009: Boost Your Sound Library At The Serious-Sounds Network

Cakewalk has teamed up with The Serious-Sounds Network to bring you a summer of endless sound-sculpting possibilities!

Over the next three months (May, June, July) we will be giving away free copies of Z3TA+ and Rapture, along with Craig Anderton’s New Electronic Guitars Expansion Pack. At the end of each month Cakewalk and Serious-Sounds will draw two lucky winners at random.

Serious-Sounds.net is a massive members-only community for music producers providing tutorials, help, and advice on the world of music production and more- all available for free!

TO BE ELIGIBLE to win the contest all you have to do is either log in or register at Serious-Sounds.net(registration is quick, free & easy) and answer a few simple questions located in the exclusive competition thread. Then simply email your answers along with your member username & number to the address provided within.

PLEASE REMEMBER: You must be a registered member at Serious-Sounds.net to view content on The Serious-Sounds Network. If you’re not already signed up, then register today!

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The Future of Hip-Hop At One Stop Shop

A big WHAT IS UP from Phoenix, AZ !!!

I have to say there’s a common thread of goodness here in Phoenix AZ this weekend; Sha Money (and staff), amazing weather, and great people all pooled together for one reason – the spirit and the state of Hip Hop and creating music.

My co-worker and Cakewalk Product Specialist Seth Perlstein and I rolled into town yesterday and we hit the ground running preparing our Cakewalk booth and demonstration area.  On a lighter note, we showed up at 7:30am and were well prepared for the day but there was one problem…  we failed to realize that we were on “Hip Hop time” and what was supposed to be a 10am start turned into a noon-time launch.  It’s all good? I utilized the time tapping into the wealth of SONAR knowledge that Seth has to offer.  That guy has more SONAR tricks than a magician has rabbits – thanks Seth!

What a great day we have had so far showing people the new V-Studio 100 as well as the V-Studio 700 and SONAR.  I’m getting a great response from artists who are digging the fact that you can throw the V-100 in your suitcase with a laptop and make a record when you land.

A few of our many friends and fans that have stopped by to say hello so far today include Che Vicious who is working on the new Dr. Dre record, Grammy winning producing team Play N Skillz, Q-tip, and Sha Money, but I think the show stealer was Che Vicious’s 6 year old son who logged about an hour of studio time with Seth, and then busted out a monstrous pose with the V-100 (I think we found a new spokesman).

On the plane ride into Phoenix I was thinking about ways to get people engaged with the new V-100.  So instead of just telling everyone how good the mic pre’s are I decided to trigger a way for them to hear it for themselves by having a weekend long contest called the “V-100 Challenge”.

Any willing, rap-battling street soldier can walk up to our booth and throw down a verse over a beat we created in SONAR.  When the weekend is over, we’ll (Cakewalk) take a listen back to all the tracks. The flow-fighter with the most convincing rap will have a shiny new copy of SONAR 8 Producer to make great music with.  So far, it’s been a blast and I think it’s going to be a tough decision.  We have heard some crazy talent step up to mic with representation from Hawaii all the way to Phili!

We were fortunate enough to get an invite to the conference party tonight at club PHX which should be a great time. A sincere Happy Mother’s Day to all from everyone at Cakewalk, and thanks for reading.

Jimmy Landry
Cakewalk Artist Relations

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'Making Electronic Music' Gets A Whole New Meaning

We came across this video on Youtube posted by BD594 in Toronto, Canada and thought we’d pass it along. It’s a fantastic representation of how difficult creating music with the computer once was.

Although, there are times when you’d rather throw the computer out the window than lay down one more track, using software has become much easier than making the old hardware sing.

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Keyboard Magazine Recognizes SONAR V-Studio 700 With 'KeyBuy' Award

Pick up the latest issue of Keyboard Magazine at your local newstand to see Craig Anderton’s exclusive review on the SONAR V-Studio 700 system. Five whole pages are dedicated to a product walkthrough complete with numbered images, a ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ chart, a ‘what you need to know’ guide, and information on the new SONAR 8.3 update.

Here’s a few quotes from the article:

“I like to mix, not just click, and I’ve been using motorized fader boxes with SONAR for years, but this custom controller is orders of magnitude better”

“Buying similar components separately would cost the same or likely more, and they wouldn’t form this well-oiled a machine right out of the box… V-Studio 700 is way better than it should be for the price” – Craig Anderton

Also, Keyboard Magazine presented SONAR V-Studio 700 with a “KeyBuy’ Award for outstanding musical instruments and music technology products. According to Keyboard, a product music meet the following criteria to win such recognition:

1) It represents a genuine technological breakthrough
2) At press time, it’s the best product in its class
3) It offers bang-for-buck that’s better than what anyone would expect

Thank You Keyboard Magazine for the honors!