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12 Resolutions For A Year of Productive Music Making

2014 is here and it’s time to make your music New Years Resolutions. In past years we have asked users what they plan to do differently in the coming year of music making. The answer is almost always the same, “Spend more time making music and/or be more productive.”

This is a great attitude to have, but it can make for a crappy resolution. It’s such a lofty goal that it can be tough to know where to start. Try following this great list of new years resolutions to make your workflow and creation process better than ever. We have broken it out by month to make it manageable help you stick to it!

January: Deep Clean your Hard Drive

We all have the one digital directory that is completely cluttered with 6-8 months worth of disorganized music, pictures, sessions, and pdfs. Why not take January to purge your hard drive of all this unwanted material? Make folders, rename important files, condense older sessions, and then throw them on a back up. If you’re into cloud backup, then get that up and running again. Hoarding massive amounts of data that you do not need can fill up your hard drive space quicker than you would think. Besides, it makes things easier to find too.

February: Brush up on your skills

Now that you’ve given your computer a good scrub-down, it’s time to seek out some inspiration. Are there some things about your DAW and other musical applications that you haven’t quite gotten a grasp on yet? Yes? Then it’s time Continue reading “12 Resolutions For A Year of Productive Music Making”

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[Closed] Enter to win SONAR X3 Producer with Gobbler inegration

NOTE: This contest is closed and the winners have been notified.  Congrats to Brendon Foley, Darren Terry, Sanawman, and Jimmy Taylor!

Want to win a copy of SONAR X3 Producer ($500 value)? Take 2 minutes to enter our Instagram contest: http://instagram.com/p/hyduV8zEq1/

Hurry, this contest ends Wednesday, Dec. 18th 2013!

Instagram
Here’s how to enter:
1) Go to Instagram and follow both @CakewalkINC and @GobblerHQ
2) “Regram” the contest photo (just take a screenshot of it & re-post it to your feed)
3) Add “#GOBBLERSONAR” somewhere in your caption
4) You’re done! Just wait until Fri Dec 20th, when we’ll announce the 4 winners!

*Official rules*

With SONAR X3, you can use the newly integrated Gobbler module for peace-of-mind w/ auto-backups to the cloud & collaborate by sending/receiving whole sessions, all direct from the DAW!

Get free Gobbler backup & storage.

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What Customers Are Saying About SONAR X3 [User Reviews]

Cakewalk has been blessed with an extremely loyal user fan base. As a result, each new SONAR release brings a wave passionate users who line up to get their hands on the powerful new toys or feature updates they have been requesting.

But, understandably, there are also many customers who prefer to not rush into their SONAR Upgrade.  If you are reading this post you might be one who is holding out to see what people are saying on the Cakewalk Forums, Facebook, & Twitter.

Well, the SONAR X3 User Reviews are in… AND WE HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!

On Twitter

@Full_Metal_Chef – @CakewalkInc SONARX3 is amazing!!!

@SarahSchonert – Gonna settle in with the headphones soon for a night of mixing… @CakewalkInc I’m loving my SONAR X3 Producer!

@DanielLeSaux – @CakewalkInc Not sure what the Bakers did but X3b runs even smoother than X3a. Thanks guys!

@garethcoker – @CakewalkInc best thing is the save time on v.large projects is (somehow!) DRASTICALLY reduced. And yeah, it just ‘feels’ smooth.

@AudioTechnology – With every update of SONAR, Cakewalk Software stuffs in a whole bunch of new goodies. SONAR X3 is no exception.

@cdmblogs – Edit audio as fluidly as MIDI, and then some, in the DAW. http://t.co/ddqwg3LBHG

@VSTparty – New @Cakewalkinc SONAR X3 to offer unlimited MIDI and Audio tracks. A consumer DAW to rival Garage Band?

On Facebook

Chris Benner – X3[b] is already rock solid on my end… best SONAR to date!

Ben Weeks – Unlimited tracks! You kick Pro tools asssss!

Ken Quigley – VST3…Finally…Awesome!!!

Kakak Vox – SONAR X3 wow, amazing I love it.

Lane Gaffney – LOVE the new VST organization!

DeRon KU McElveen – Been a SONAR user for 8 yrs. the new software is the top of the line. No DAW can compare.

Leighton Morrell – The ProChannel has to be one of the BEST features of any DAW. Great sounds.

Gary VanderHaeghe – Just the addon’s are worth more than the update cost and are phenomenal, going from x2a producer to x3b producer was a huge improvement if you can believe that as x2 producer was already a fantastic work tool.

Bobby Cox – X3 is brilliant. So far, for me, very stable. This update [X3b] is a nice bonus to help fix some little bugs. Much appreciated.

On the Forums

X3 is wonderfully smooth and stable so far on my rig, definitely feels like the dev team finally got some time to sweep out the corners and do all the itty-bitty fine-tuning. – …wicked 

Though I have not purchased X3 yet (Next Monday I Hope), I want to thank The Bakers for adding the Spectrum Analyzer to the already wonderful Quad EQ… Something I’ve wanted for a long time. – Keni

I applaud Cakewalk for releasing a great product in X3, their willingness to support it with patches, and the very obvious renewed commitment to being responsive to users. – neirbod

We have a really solid product that really has had some blood, sweat, tears as well as users who have made great suggestions. – Danny Danzi

I have used Cubase and PT a lot, as well as Studio One and Reaper, but only for work, when I have to. SONAR is the DAW I recommend to people, and the one I use by choice. – jb101

X3 without a doubt is solid and my fav version of SONAR. – djjhart

I keep being amazed by Melodyne (and the ARA integration). I hummed a bass line (and my humnming is iffy at best!!), dropped it into a track with Cakewalk SI bass, and it all worked beautifully. – 3dmus

In all my versions of cakewalk products from PA9 to X3 I’ve never had a single feature change the way I work like “comping mode”. It’s like working on tape machine in a futuristic fantasy world.  In the past I used to have a very long handed way of punching in but now it’s crazy how fast I can work. […] I’m already more than pleased with where the software has gone with this version. – wmb

I feel like whether anyone else has formally recognized it loudly or not: Cakewalk have come through BIG TIME with this release. – groove

 

Music Radar

#3 / 10 – Smoothness: “OK, we’ll admit that this one is bit subjective, but we aren’t the only ones who’ve noticed it. Users on forums across the net have been reporting the same thing: SONAR X3 is smooth.”

#10 / 10 – Comping:  “The new Comping function refines the idea to near-perfection.”

Read more

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SONAR X3 Feature Spotlight: Melodyne Essential with ARA integration

Addictive Drums

One of the most talked about features in SONAR X3 has been the new ARA integration. Every version of SONAR X3 now includes ARA Integration which allows you to use Melodyne as if it were part of SONAR X3. In addition, SONAR X3 Studio and Producer also include Melodyne Essential (retail value $99).

While including Melodyne Essential is a huge upgrade in terms of pitch correction, it’s the ARA integration that really takes it over the top. The main benefit of ARA is that it allows SONAR to integrate with plug-ins that can edit and analyze audio, such as Melodyne. ARA greatly improves the workflow when using plugins like Melodyne that do MIDI analysis and pitch and timing correction. Compatible plug-ins can exchange information about the project’s timeline data, including audio clips, tempo, pitch, rhythm and much more, which allows them to behave as if the plug-in was part of SONAR.

In a recent article on CreateDigitalMusic.com, industry expert Peter Kirn stated the obvious: “there’s no other way to say this: Celemony’s Melodyne line of products is just better than any other offering out there.” Kirn later went on to proclaim, “Cakewalk has done more with the SDK for ARA than any other host so far.”

Read the ARA integration article on CreateDigitalMusic.com

Developer Notes: SONAR X3 ARA Integration

SONAR X3 Tip: Easy Audio to MIDI Conversion

SONAR X3 Tip: Make your vocal thicker with Melodyne

SONAR X3 Tip: Drum Replacement with ARA and Addictive Drums

Upgrade to SONAR X3 Producer (includes Melodyne Essential)

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Javier Colon, Winner of NBC The Voice Using SONAR X2 for New Record

It’s been quite a ride in the last 2 years for Javier Colon after being crowned the winner of NBC’s hit TV show The Voice.  Some highlights include releasing the record “Come Through for You” on the Universal/Republic label, gaining millions of new fans, and touring around the world sharing the stage with artists including Maroon 5, Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw to name a few.  It’s rare for an artist like Javier to experience so many facets of the music industry.  He is been signed to two major labels, put out his own successful independent music, and claimed the top spot on one of the biggest television shows of our time.  But what sets him apart from other artists (besides the obvious) in today’s never ending plethora of supposable talent?  I recently got a chance to catch up with Javier in his new SONAR X2 home studio in Connecticut and find out what he’s been up to, and where he’s going. Continue reading “Javier Colon, Winner of NBC The Voice Using SONAR X2 for New Record”

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Music Creator 6 Touch now available for download on Steam

Music Creator 6 Touch on SteamIf there is anything the Cakewalk crew likes as much as music, it’s computer technology.  So, as you might imagine, we have more than our fair share of hardcore PC gamers.

When the Cakewalk gamers found out that Steam (the enormous video game platform by Valve) was opening up to offer other computer software, we became hell-bent on being the first major music software on board.  And that day has finally come!

We a VERY happy to announce that Music Creator 6 Touch is now available for download on Steam!

Music Creator 6 Touch is a great fit for Steam users and anybody looking to get started making music with fun, powerful, and inexpensive recording software.  Music Creator 6 Touch makes it easy to create original music with no musical experience required. Music Creator has all the tools, loops, instruments, and FX needed to create, edit, and mix music, transforming any Windows 7 or 8 computer into a music studio. Musician’s can share music with the world by burning a CD or using SoundCloud to post music on Facebook and Twitter.

Music Creator 6 Touch was previously available as a download from Cakewalk’s store for $49.99/£39.99/€49.99, and now it makes its debut on Steam. Created by Valve, makers of best-selling game franchises like Portal and Counter-Strike, Steam has more than 50 million users around the world and offers more than 2,000 titles.  And the folks at Valve could not be cooler.

They let us have a little fun recreating the song “Want you gone” from the Portal 2 video game in Music Creator for the new Music Creator 6 Touch video.  Check it out!

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Cakewalk User Records a Cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” in Space

Published on May 12, 2013 by Chris Hadfield
A revised version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity, recorded by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station.

 

Uploaded on Feb 20, 2012 by Larrivée Guitars
Additional video of Chris Hadfield visiting the Larrivée Guitar factory in Vancouver, Canada – builders of the Space Station guitar. He talks about challenges of playing in the weightless environment and recording original music in Space and also mentions using Cakewalk Software to record.

 

Follow Commander Chris Hadfield for more info:
Twitter: twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AstronautChrisHadfield
Google+: plus.google.com/+ChrisHadfield/

 

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Murder FM Finds Their Way to Revolver Magazine with SONAR X2; New Single “We the Evil” Finding International Success

The interesting and never-boring Texas-native front man of MURDER FM, Norman Matthew, will be guest appearing on the Cakewalk blog every other Monday (NorMondays) delivering music production tips, tricks and conditional evilness.  As a seasoned producer/songwriter/instrumentalist, he will be delving into his bag of production wickedness to shed some interesting light on how he approached sounds, songs and life in general;)

MURDER FM’s dark, edgy, and sleek style has been creating a buzz in the music industry domestically, and is quickly becoming a huge hit internationally.  Norman Matthew and the band have established a cult-like following, propelling two of the bands’ videos “As Beautiful as You Are” and “Machine Gun Kisses “to the Top-Ten list on Continue reading “Murder FM Finds Their Way to Revolver Magazine with SONAR X2; New Single “We the Evil” Finding International Success”

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Is Z3TA+ 2 the best synthesizer plugin in the world? Try it and decide for yourself.

Z3TA+ 2Well, ultimately that’s up to you, but there are plenty of reasons to argue that it is.

Z2TA+ ClassicFirst and foremost is the legacy of Z3TA+ Classic. Released over 10 years ago, Z3TA+ set the bar for modern analog style soft synths with unparalleled tweakability and waveshaping control. Z3TA+ was pumping out synth leads and fat basses back when EDM was know to most as simply “Techno,” and Dubstep was in it’s infancy.  It’s impossible to quantify the impact of Z3TA+ on the EDM/Synth universe, but from what our users tell us, there are likely tens of thousands of musicians still using their trusty Z3TA+ 1.5 waveshaping synthesizer in music today.

Secondly, Z3TA+ 2 includes over 1000 new sounds AND all 1,093 that ship with the original. Frankly speaking, Z3TA+ 2 is a preset goldmine. These sounds hold up against any synth on the market. Listen to Z3TA+ 2 sound examples for a taste.

But of course there is also the UI redesign and usability overhaul that came with the second version. Z3TA+ 2 now has the sleek, modern interface that is easier on the eyes and easier to navigate. Controls are more spread out, intuitively placed, and easy to access.  Plus new controls have been added to allow even more sound design possibilities.  New features for performance and playability raise the bar again for soft synths.  Plus, Z3TA+ 2 is now (at last) available for PC & Mac.

Music Radar Best VST Synth PluginsMusicRadar recently updated their list of the 39 Best VST Plugin Synths in the World Today which ranks Z3TA+ 2 at the 13 spot among some formidable competition.

Should Z3TA+ 2 be #1?  We think so. Try Z3TA+ 2 for free today and decide for yourself!