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Hollywood Undead Invites You To Mix-it-up

Enter the Hollywood Undead remix contest today

SONAR X1 user Hollywood Undead is one of the few modern bands that continue to sell records and play to sold out crowds around the world.  This hard working band is considered as one of the biggest and most unique rock acts in the industry today, and now with the help of Indaba, Cakewalk and Roland, they want your help in remixing two of their original songs.  That’s right folks, you could end up with actual credits on a record that is being released on A&M/Octone through this exclusive Cakewalk opportunity; and you never know where it could go from there…  You can enter this contest and win great prizes including cash, recording gear from Cakewalk and Roland, and the opportunity to be on their new remix EP.  Hollywood Undead rely on SONAR X1 and Cakewalk to keep their music original and creative, now they are reaching out to all their fellow SONAR X1 users.  If this sounds interesting to you, please visit here on the Indaba music site to learn more on how to enter. Good luck!

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Shawn Clement: On A [Quantum] Quest with Intense Music

Award winning SONAR user – composer/producer Shawn Clement is at an exciting point in his “intense” career: 

  • His credentials and track record have allowed him to open an office/SONAR studio at the heart of Paramount Pictures.
  • He just had a major successful event at The Kennedy Center in DC where his music was premiered during “A Tribute to the Wounded Warriors.”
  • On July 29th he will be hosting a score party at Paramount Pictures for his original music in “Quantum Quest, A Cassini Space Odyssey 3D.”

Little did he know, when in 1996 Shawn Clement took on a “gig,” that he would be stapling a movement to the universe’s musical bulletin-board.  “Reality TV – what’s that? Who’s going to take interest in that?” These were some of the questions flying around the conference rooms of major television networks back then.  Well it just so happens that still to this day 95% of us get sucked into the inevitable antics of The World’s Wildest… The World’s Scariest…  The World’s Most… You know, those shows that catch your eye when you’re flicking through the channels and catch a quick glimpse of a Corvette being severed in half by a semi-truck; and there it is – wham – a half hour later and you have neither moved from that channel, nor your seat for that matter. Continue reading “Shawn Clement: On A [Quantum] Quest with Intense Music”

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Cakewalk Artist Javier Colon Making His Mark on "The Voice"

A little over a month ago we featured Javier Colon on our blog the day before “The Voice” premiered.  I don’t think anyone had a doubt that he would be anything less than stellar on the show, but I don’t think anyone realized the impact he would have on viewers around the world.  If you have seen the show you know what I am talking about; Javier’s voice is undeniable, and combining that with his first-class demeanor and composure has authentically gained him millions of fans around the world.  Since the premier, Javier has been on a whirlwind ride and we have been fortunate enough to keep in touch with him even though his schedule has changed…  just a bit;) Continue reading “Cakewalk Artist Javier Colon Making His Mark on "The Voice"”

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Cakewalk's own Dan Kaplan on the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch"

SONAR has always been the “working man’s DAW.”  From inception, it was built on the foundational theory that musicians should not be held back or creatively limited.  From electronic beat-wizards to the most authentic acoustic musicians, SONAR has always been a DAW that creative musicians turn to for empowerment.

With the financial troubles of the Major Labels, a common trend is showing more and more very credible artists representing various genres who have the DNA to be on a major label, but successfully continue other career paths while keeping music on the forefront.  Between the troubled economy and the state of the recorded music industry, many people are turning to SONAR to record “major label” sounding tracks on their own to tap into the licensing market, which has enormous potential not just in terms of making money, but also with obtaining national and international exposure. Continue reading “Cakewalk's own Dan Kaplan on the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch"”

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Grammy Nominated Luigie Gonzalez on SONAR X1

Friday, May 13 – Los Angeles, CA

Luigie Gonzalez 1In the Cakewalk Artist Relations Department we have the honor of working with many producers, songwriters, mixing engineers, composers and musicians on a daily basis.  As we all know (or we should all know), the beauty of SONAR is that not only does it stand out as the premier top-notch Digital Audio Workstation, but it’s also an inspirational and creative workhorse.  Many recording artists and producers looking for a more creative environment turn to SONAR and never look back.  The ability to customize just about anything you want, combined with a complete sonic package of content, plugins, virtual synths and other instrumentation really gives SONAR its award winning edge. Continue reading “Grammy Nominated Luigie Gonzalez on SONAR X1”

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SONAR X1 User Javier Colon to Appear on NBC’s “The Voice”

Tuesday, April 26 – New York, NY

If you are making music I think you will agree with me when I say for better or for worse “What an interesting time it is for the recorded music industry.”  There are a few elements that really make it “interesting;”

  1. Music creators now have options such as SONAR X1 to create finished masters without having to pay for studios, therefore having the luxury of time to hone in on perfecting the art of making great recordings.
  2. It’s a fact that music consumption is at a record high, but at the same time the money (in dollars) flowing into the industry as a whole is at a record low.
  3. Major Labels are no longer developing artists.
  4. Labels have lost the revenue of the “full length” record due to the fact that consumers can purchase singles for next to nothing now and bypassing those “throwaway” tracks.
  5. One can click a mouse and literally “distribute” a song to thousands of people at once.

…add in a few money making American Idols along with the astronomical amount of money it takes to be heard on CHR radio,  and there you have it; an industry that is really tough to figure out right now.

With all that being said, modern technology including the internet has brought one thing to the table for sure; “the truth.”  If you’ve really got something going on and the talent to back it up, cyber-authenticity kicks into high gear and recognition follows.  The internet has created an upward filtering platform where people gravitate towards the entertainment by which they really want to be engaged.  Javier Colon is absolutely a pioneer of this revolution and is about as authentic and talented as they come, which has landed him an audition on the new highly anticipated NBC television show “The Voice” airing Tuesday, April 26th.

Continue reading “SONAR X1 User Javier Colon to Appear on NBC’s “The Voice””

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There's Been a Murder (FM) on SONAR X1

Friday, April 8 – Dallas, TX

“Deep in the Heart of Texas,” a song you most likely will not hear at a Murder FM show, but it is a location where you will find the band pounding out amazing material using SONAR X1.  In terms of work ethic and sheer determination, one will rarely find a band more in tune with what it takes to be a successful organization.

Based out of Dallas, TX, Murder FM (comprised of Norman Matthew, J6, Matt X3r0, and Brandon Arpin) has been performing sold out shows from coast to coast in the The United States while sharing the stage with some other notable bands such as Korn, The Used, Dope, Sick Puppies, Cavo, Red, Domain, 69 Eyes, The Birthday Massacre and Trapt amongst others.  Lead singer/guitarist (and producer) Norman Mathew has been relentless in the past recent years setting up and maintaining the bands success.  “It’s a real balancing act nowadays,” Norman says.  “It’s a lot different than it used to be where you could just work on your music and let things fall into place.  Now it’s a matter of working on your music just as hard, but on top of that you have to be on your promotional and business game as well.  That’s why I have been so stoked on SONAR for my career because it really allows me to zoom in quickly and efficiently on my creativity.” Continue reading “There's Been a Murder (FM) on SONAR X1”

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TC, and Paul Oakenfold’s Team on SONAR X1

Thursday, February 24th – Hollywood, CA

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I had the privilege of spending some time with an X1 pro user who really exemplifies the modern day musician on all fronts.  His name is TC (born Anthony Crawford) and he is also known by some in the producing underground as “Spitfire”.  “TC,” as we will refer to him today, is employed by Paul Oakenfold as his main music producer, co-writer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist.  Working in that capacity, on a daily basis TC will mesh with artists such as B.O.B., Usher, Madonna, Lloyd and Rico Love just to name a recent few. Continue reading “TC, and Paul Oakenfold’s Team on SONAR X1”

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EMI Music Publishing US Headquarters Chooses SONAR X1, V-Studio 100 and PC Audio Labs for In-house Recording Room

New York City, NY – January 25th, 2011

Unlike the recorded music sector of the music industry, the publishing world is still thriving for those who have been able to adapt to the changes.  Known as the largest music publisher in the world, EMI Music Publishing is indeed one of those companies and still a well oiled conglomerate dead set on the success of its affiliated writers. Nestled in one of the hippest neighborhoods in New York City (The Meat Packing District), EMI Music Publishing boasts a catalogue and current roster of some of the most successful artists, songwriters and producers in the game.  A walk down the maze of halls in this 20,000sf facility may lead you to nodding heads and a quick hello to a range of diverse multi-platinum music icons such as Billy Joel, The Fray, Pink, and James Blunt to name just a few. Continue reading “EMI Music Publishing US Headquarters Chooses SONAR X1, V-Studio 100 and PC Audio Labs for In-house Recording Room”

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NAMM 2011 "Featured Artists" Special Guests Schedule

The NAMM Show 2011, January 13 – 16, Anaheim Convention Center

In addition to the following presentations, Cakewalk will have many other demonstrations at The NAMM Show.  Please visit us inside the Roland Arena [Booth# 7400].

Staff Music Creator/Producer for Paul Oakenfold

TC (A.K.A. Spitfire)
2:00pm Saturday, January 15,
SONAR Session – “Self-Contained Music Production” feat. TC aka Spitfire:
As Paul Oakenfold’s in-house writer, mixer, producer and re-mixer, TC will discuss his work being heard in clubs around the world.

TC, AKA – “Spitfire” has burst on to the LA producer’s scene with as much spark as his name.  Hand-picked by Paul Oakenfold to be his main engineer, Spitfire brings way more to the table with his writing, producing chops and musicianship.  Once being grinded through the major label system as an artist, Spitfire has found his calling armed with SONAR X1 and a V-Studio 100 where he is producing, writing and engineering musical masterpieces for such artists as Usher, B.O.B. and Leona Lewis.

Continue reading “NAMM 2011 "Featured Artists" Special Guests Schedule”