At Cakewalk, we are fortunate and proud to have some great cutting edge professional artists who rely on SONAR daily to write, record, and deliver world-class tracks. We are constantly getting feedback from many users to improve our software, so in our recent pole we decided to ask some artists to tell us about their Platinum upgrade experience in their own words:
iLan Bluestone:
International Electronic Producer/DJ
London, UK
Anjunabeats
[Currently touring internationally and working on new tracks]
“Upgrading to Platinum was a big deal for me. I basically transitioned from SONAR 8.5 and was toggling back and forth between that and X3. Platinum really put me over the edge to move forward. Once I was over the initial learning curve which was actually enjoyable, the system became more like a writing partner. The tools and workflow are like no other – and there are so many options to approach music in different ways, so getting creative ideas flowing is the best thing about Platinum. This is what really keeps my custom sound always on the cutting edge.”
Javier Colon:
Winner of NBC The Voice
Recording Artist: Concord Music Group
[Currently touring and finishing a Holiday EP while also gearing up for a new full-length record 2016]
“I went from SONAR X2 to Platinum and the new features have been a Godsend for me. When I have a system that works well I usually just stick with it until I am forced to upgrade. The difference between X2 and Platinum for me personally meant discovering new ways to make my demos sound way better and more pro. I often have to send demos from my home studio to my label (Concord Music Group), and since getting onto Platinum, a lot of my tracks sound really polished. For me and my style of music, the combination of the comping tool and VocalSync meant the difference of actually using some vocals for my new record that I cut on my own – could have never done that with X2.”
Sean Murray:
Composer of Music for Film, TV and Video Games
Los Angeles, CA
[Currently working on a new film and new video game both TBA shortly]
“I upgraded from X3 to Platinum right when it came out. I usually stay behind new releases but had heard that Platinum was the most stable release to date – and it certainly is in my book. It’s rock solid and super snappy (the only way I can really explain it). The features included in Platinum are hands-down better than any release Cakewalk has had in the past. There are so many ways to explore music creation and that is what keeps my productions sounding fresh. I find myself using things like Strum Session 2 and Addictive Drums 2 a lot. The upgrades to the ProChannel have been really useful as well. And I absolutely love getting the updates now – I look forward to it every month.”
Murray Daigle
Producer/Songwriter/Mixer/Musician
MDS Recording, Toronto
[Just finished writing and delivering the main theme song for the Pan ParaPan Am Games]
“I went from SONAR X3 to Platinum and I was a bit reluctant at first since I’m constantly in the trenches every day with people counting on me to deliver music to labels, artists, publishers etc. This was by far the smoothest transition I’ve had with upgrading my SONAR rig. Whatever the code-kings did, this version of the program has been absolutely rock-solid. The biggest thing for me by far has been VocalSync. With the style of music I write and produce, I have to have big vocals to stay in the game. VocalSync gives me so many options on how I place vocals in mixes. I can quickly embellish a lead vocal track by tightening another to it, and then processing it in a whole different way for different effects in the mix. Time really is money for me, and the tools in Platinum have never been more creative or professional in any prior SONAR release.”
Yogi Lonich
Producer/Songwriter/Musician/Solo Artist/Live and Session Guitarist
(Has worked with): Shakira, DJ Zedd, Koshi Inaba, Chris Cornell, Buckcherry, Wallflowers, Fuel, Melissa Etheridge, Five For Fighting, Meredith Brooks
Los Angeles, CA
[Currently working on music for various forms of media and performing live with various artists]
“I upgraded not too long ago from SONAR X3 to Platinum and have noticed a big difference in the program. First of all, it’s much quicker and seems to be way more efficient than X3. To some, that might not mean much, but for what I do it’s important. Besides playing guitar for some great artists and doing my own music (you can read more about that here http://yogimusic.com/bio/ =), I write a lot of music for commercials and libraries through agencies – this is where time is a factor and Platinum is really efficient. The ability to totally customize the program to my workflow gives me the ability to deliver more music, and better quality music in way less time. The upgrade to Addictive Drums 2 is worth it alone not to mention all the other new features and tools.”
Click here to upgrade to SONAR Platinum, and start creating your own artist success story.
Vivek Maddala’s story is one that certainly does not lack one single ounce of excitement. From being a successful [modern-day] composer of music for film and TV, to his recent build out of a new state-of-the-art home studio, Vivek has continued to deliver world-class music on his own terms. He has always been on the vanguard of hip new projects, but now with the new studio, the sky is the limit for this seasoned – yet still young Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist/producer.
One thing is certainly clear. Ibiza is a very creative island in terms of music. Besides the infamous “foam parties” and club-scene, there are locals here that write, record, promote, produce, live and breathe electronic music on a world-class level. Bringing all these creative people together yearly is a festival known as the International Music Summit, where professionals and music fans converge from all over the world to celebrate and discuss the industry.
Bobbi “Funkee Boy” Tamarro will tell you first hand that success doesn’t come easy. As an international recording artist, songwriter and producer, he’s amassed an impressive amount of credits throughout his music career including chart hits across multiple music genres. Besides several top Billboard chart hits including his presence as a Top 5 Smooth Jazz artist, he has also penned licensing deals on television networks such as ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, SHOWTIME, and VH1 to name a few.
Recently with all his sales and charting success, Tamarro has respectfully turned down approaching major labels in the recent past as he has simply cracked the code as an indie artist competing in the big leagues. Bobbi tells us, “the number one thing is to do things right the first time, and be prepared to ‘invest’ and financially support your record. As an independent artist your record has to look, sound, and feel every bit as good as any major artist in your genre.”
Paul Wertico is internationally known as “one of the most versatile and musical drummers in music today.” As a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 to 2001, he won seven Grammy Awards and several gold records, and toured the world dozens of times. He has also won many other awards, including being named a Chicago Tribune 2004 “Chicagoan of the Year,” being a recipient of a 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cape Breton International Drum Festival, and winning an Independent Music Award for “Best Live Performance Album” in 2014. Paul is an active drum clinician and session musician, and is currently a member of the Larry Coryell Power Trio, as well as Wertico Cain & Gray. There’s no such thing as spare time for Paul, so he is also an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts.
There is a new breed of DJ’s emerging, and U.K. native iLan Bluestone is leading the pack. This new insurgence is fueled more by raw talent rather than the button-pushing antics for which some DJ’s have been scrutinized. Musicianship, song-structure, production, arrangement and mixing are now all part of the game with these super-DJ’s who have the skills to bring it all together. 
These words of wisdom seem to have a lot of weight behind them considering iLan’s sonic-trajectory in the last 18 months. On