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Life as a Cakewalker and new Get Started video

by Seth Perlstein

Every day that I work on a SONAR video is a good day. However, while it’s a lot of fun to create demonstration videos about a product that I’m deeply passionate about, it’s also a ton of work.

A perfect example of this is the Drum Production Master Class video that I recently created. In case you haven’t seen it it’s a five-part series of videos that goes over writing, arranging, and mixing drums in SONAR.

Despite being roughly forty-five minutes in length and covering a wealth of topics, the Master Class was originally supposed to be a simple Step Sequencer video. Being that the Step Sequencer involves so many other features in SONAR, things quickly ballooned and the video grew to unexpected proportions.

Screen capturing, editing, and doing voice over for that amount of material was a monumental task, though I didn’t realize it would be as such when I started. Thankfully the video turned out well and has received a warm reception from viewers.

Really, though, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve created three categories of SONAR-based videos that we plan to enhance our library with.

* SONAR: Get Started – an introductory, basic overview of a feature, group of features, or plugin
* SONAR: Go Deeper – an in-depth, hands-on demonstration of a specific feature or plugin
* SONAR: Master Class – a comprehensive tutorial of a group of related features within a larger workflow

For example, for those who want to learn about the very basics of the PX-64 Percussion Strip plugin but don’t want to sit through an entire Master Class, I’ve created a Get Started: PX-64 Percussion Strip video.

And there’s so much more to come.

Next week we’ll release Go Deeper videos on PX-64 Percussion Strip and Drum Replacement with AudioSnap 2.0, and we have a laundry list of topics to cover in the coming weeks and months. If I’ve learned anything from making the Master Class video it’s that there’s plenty of fun, and hard work, ahead.

Stay tuned.

SP Headshot No CaptionSeth Perlstein is a Product Specialist for Cakewalk, Inc. He is also a bi-pedal humanoid residing on Planet Earth, a small, blue planet in the far reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy.

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Comic Book Heroes record “Drive On” for ESPN’s telecast of their NASCAR Nationwide season using SONAR 8.5

Last year we introduced you to Comic Book Heroes (CBH), a SONAR using artist with a pretty unique angle. While still in High School, CBH had accomplished more than many bands twice their age and on bigger labels. The guitar-driven rock quartet is manned by Steve Kowalski (bass, vocals), Collin MacGregor (drums), Ned Goldman (vocals, guitar), and Steve (Koz) Kosciusko (guitar, vocals). All are friends for years and come from musical families. They bonded over a love of music and formed the band when they were the ripe old age of 11, and have been steadily leaving their impression on the music business ever since. In 2009 the band found themselves on the Disney Top 15 charts ahead of Nickelback, The Fray, David Cook and many other well known artists with their single “Catch Me If You Can”; and they haven’t stopped making waves since.

“SONAR enables us to work through music on our own terms” stated Ned Goldman back stage at the Bitter End in NYC where the band was playing a show and accepting the 2010 Abe Olman Scholarship Award, by the Songwriters Hall of Fame which is awarded annually to five up-and-coming songwriters who have exhibited a standard of excellence and deserve to be recognized. Collin MacGregor commented, “The thing we find killer about SONAR is that it actually serves as a writing tool. It inspires the musical mind with everything that comes with it – you can do it all right inside SONAR if you want. We are on the road quite often, so to be able to fire up our laptops and start cutting realistic drums in a hotel room is huge.”

Most recently, Comic Book Heroes recorded one of their new songs “Drive On” for ESPN’s telecast of their 2010 NASCAR Nationwide season using SONAR and a V-Studio 700 at The Fusebox (Manhattan Ctr.) in NYC. We let our cameras roll and caught some great footage. Check it out and also be sure to be on the lookout for a new record from the band later this year.

For more information visit http://www.myspace.com/cbhmusic .

SONAR 8.5 gives you everything you need to start making professional recordings in any genre.  For more detailed information on SONAR please visit here.

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SONAR: Master Class on Drum Productions

SONAR 8.5 includes world-class tools, instruments, and effects that will allow you to achieve amazing drum tracks. We have put together a SONAR: Master Class video series that shows off these amazing features. This Master Class explores writing, arranging and mixing drums in SONAR. Spotlighted are production techniques and workflow using Session Drummer 3, Step Sequencer 2.0, and PX-64 Percussion Strip.

Watch the videos here.

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The AristoTrax on SONAR

The setting is your typical California day; the type you see on TV all the time.  The sun, the cars, the people and the sand leading to the famous Santa Monica Boulevard which is filled with a plethora of interesting characters.  Just another typical day?  Really?  Not for R1CKONE; actually there is no such thing as a “typical day” for R1CKONE.  On this California day, a Wednesday, R1CKONE starts off as he usually does with a trip out of Santa Monica to one of the many studios he works out of to engage in what he does best, make beats and produce music.  Today he happens to be working with credit-worthy producer Alex Cantrall where he will proceed to walk into a studio, again, and shock everyone with what he calls his “Hit Box Mobile”.  Now you might ask, “what the H&!! is a Hit Box Mobile?”  His production partner Lance Jones who is part of the AristoTrax with R1CKONE will tell you: “These are boxes [computers] I built for me and R1CKONE, and they are basically packed in with the best software and hardware utilizing SONAR 8.5 and Intel Core i7 technology at the helm.  We can take these anywhere and plug them into any studio and it’s off to the races.  As music creators, SONAR really gives us an edge when we work with other producers and artists.  The workflow is ridiculous and it has the tools in the box which allow us to take our music away from the norm.” (See video for more on the Hit Box Mobile.)

 

Continue reading “The AristoTrax on SONAR”

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Intel Superstars Competition powered by OurStage.com

Cakewalk, Intel, and Ourstage.com have partnered up to launch the Intel Superstars Competition powered by OurStage.com. Beginning July 1, 2010 aspiring rock, pop and country artists are invited to upload their best original song in the Intel Superstars Competition of their genre. The Top 5 artists from each of the three competitions will receive prize packages including personal computers based on Intel® Core™ Processor technology with Cakewalk recording solutions including SONAR Producer.

Learn more about this competition

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Converting and Recording MIDI into Audio

cakewalk_tips-sm1MIDI files function like sheet music. Sheet music contains all the information an instrumentalist needs to make music. If the instrumentalist does not play what’s written on the sheet music, you hear nothing. Like sheet music, MIDI does not transmit audio signals (digital or analog). Meaning, if you were to plug your MIDI cable into a loudspeaker or audio device, you wouldn’t hear anything.

Therefore, you need to convert a MIDI file into an audio file in order to hear what it really sounds like. There are several ways you can playback MIDI in Cakewalk and several ways you can convert or record MIDI to audio. Follow the link to Cakewalk’s support pages for more information.

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Jon Lee: Capitalist Turned Composer

profile picSo how does one of the top television-scoring professionals in the business get to where he is today? 

If you’re Jon Lee, first you run a hedge fund for 15 or 20 years…

Huh?

You’ll have to forgive Jon for not taking a more traditional route to the top of the film and television-scoring business. He found his true calling a bit later in life than most. But that hasn’t stopped him from making quite a name for himself in the field.

Although Jon started out in finance, it became a job he ended up “totally hating.” During his last few years in the business, he decided to do something about it and began pursuing his avocation: learning to play music. He took piano lessons, which eventually led him to composing. With the music bug firmly in his system, he soon enrolled at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where he studied with many well-established composers.

Jon got his Graduate Certificate in Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television, marking the formal end of his career in finance, and set out to land some initial gigs. He soon connected with fellow USC alum Timothy Michael Wynn, a hardcore SONAR user who co-founded the music production company Sonic Fuel. Jon went to work with Tim and his partner Chris Lennertz for about a year, “’til they kicked me out and said ‘go get a career,’” as Jon jokingly recalls.

Continue reading “Jon Lee: Capitalist Turned Composer”

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Northeastern University Recognizes Young Composers

northeasternuniversityFor a 7th year, the Music Technology program at Northeastern University held an electronic music composition contest for high school composers. Students from across the Northeast US compete to receive a cash reward, music production software including Cakewalk’s SONAR Producer and the opportunity to perform their work at a public concert held on the university’s campus in Boston. Along with recognizing local talent, this contest gives Northeastern a great way to promote their Music Tech program, which educates students on the techniques of MIDI sequencing, sound design, audio for video, digital audio mixing and mastering, and the latest methods of delivering music over the Internet.

Congratulations to this year’s budding composers:

Kanki Suzuki
Class of 2012
Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Composition: Rainy Day

Michelle Garcia
Class of 2011
Bay Shore High School, Bay Shore, NY
Composition: Ambient Snow Fall

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How to Record and Playback Audio in Cakewalk Software

cakewalk_tips-sm1Recording your music on the computer is an adventure. There are thousands of different tools you can choose from, all with their own perks and obstacles. Recording your vocals, guitar, keys and drums is a process that takes time to learn in order to do it well.

Before you attempt to record, make sure you have all the equipment you need to connect your instrument of choice to the computer’s soundcard (such as cables, preamps, interfaces, speakers) as well as enable both for recording and playback. In this tutorial, learn how to use Cakewalk’s software to setup a track for recording and playback. Remember, pressing F1 while inside of the program will open the help guide.

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Borthwicks' Acoustic Jazz Album Heats Up the 'HotBox'

OneOfUsIn December, we announced the release of Ramona Borthwick’s new acoustic jazz album, One of Us, which was entirely edited and mixed in SONAR. Cakewalk CTO Noel Borthwick was at the helm of this project, cataloging the entire process on his blog. Earlier this week, we learned that One of Us was featured in the May issue of DownBeat Magazine, one of the oldest and most prestigious jazz publications available to date.

Featured in a popular column called “HotBox”, One of Us was up against fierce players in the jazz world. Each month, 4 CD’s are picked and reviewed in “Hotbox” by some of the toughest critics in the industry.  Earning, 3.5 out of 5 stars, the Ramona Borthwick quintet is glowing in the success of their new album. Pick up a copy of DownBeat to read the reviews and more today. Catch a glimpse inside the production process of Ramona Borthwick’s One of Us here.