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Cakewalk's Portable Recording Solution for Guitarists & Singer-Songwriters

Every year at this time, Cakewalk travels to Frankfurt, Germany to attend Europe’s largest music trade show event, Musikmesse. This year, we are pleased to launch the V-Studio 20 from the show floor.

As the third product in the V-Studio line of integrated hardware and software by Cakewalk and Roland, the V-Studio 20 is an affordable, all-in-one option for recording musicians. The V-Studio 20 is designed for guitarists and singer-songwriters who want a simple way to make music on the computer with professional results. The V-Studio 20 lets users easily plug in a guitar or microphone and record their tracks to the computer with legendary BOSS effects.


Introducing: V-Studio 20 for Guitarists & Singer-Songwriters

With the V-Studio 20, you can:

– Connect your instrument to the V-Studio 20 hardware
– Dial up the perfect guitar or vocal tone using genuine BOSS effects
– Choose a backing track, hit record, and play your part
– Use the V-Studio 20 as a control surface for mixing and playback
– Master a song and then burn a CD or share your mp3 online

Click on over to our V-Studio Products page for more information on this exciting new product.

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New SONAR Update Enhances AudioSnap Functionality

audiosnapWe’ve just announced another free update for SONAR 8.5 Producer and SONAR 8.5 Studio. The SONAR 8.5.3 update focuses on AudioSnap 2.0, providing usability enhancements, optimizations, and overall improved stability for performing complex audio timing tasks.

In conjunction with this release, we’ve created four new video tutorials on some of the key features in found in AudioSnap including aligning audio to midi, changing project tempo, groove matching and sound restoration.

Watch the AudioSnap 2.0 videos to take full advantage of this innovative technology.

Registered SONAR 8.5 Producer, SONAR 8.5 Studio, and V-Studio 700 customers can download the FREE SONAR 8.5.3 Update today.

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Cakewalk Announces New SONAR 8.5.2 Update

S85screenToday, Cakewalk announces a free update for SONAR 8.5 Producer and SONAR 8.5 Studio! Registered SONAR 8.5 Producer, SONAR 8.5 Studio, and V-Studio 700 customers can download the 8.5.2 update* for free.

The SONAR 8.5.2 update offers over 100 usability enhancements, plug-in/component optimizations, and new features. These enhancements also address various performance issues across the entire application. All of these new and exciting features found in the SONAR 8.5.2 update are a direct result of active dialog with our users. Cakewalk’s delivery of timely product updates is an extension of Cakewalk’s commitment in providing the very best in product support for our customers.

* The 8.5.2 Update for Windows XP, Vista, and, Windows 7 (32-bit & 64-bit) versions of SONAR 8.5 is available as a free download to all registered SONAR 8.5 and V-Studio 700 customers at: www.cakewalk.com

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The Musician's Digital Audio Workstation: SONAR 8.5

seth_kelloggIf you saw our ads for Guitar Tracks Pro 4, then you already know that 3 out of 4 Cakewalk employees are guitar players.  In fact, many Cakewalk employees are also full-time musicians, using Cakewalk products to record, mix and master their own projects.

When it came time to design the new features in SONAR 8.5, we focused on what we felt would be the absolute best enhancements to help us all be more creative and produce better sounding music. We added new beat creation and arrangement tools, a new drum instrument loaded with stellar sounding kits, enhanced audio quantizing, new multi-stage effects plug-ins, and much more.

To honor the new and improved version of SONAR,  we’ve added the Created by Musicians page to Cakewalk.com to share with you our own musical talents and favorite features in SONAR 8.5.

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Composing & Arranging with SONAR 8.5

The new version of Cakewalk’s digital audio workstation, SONAR 8.5, includes a wealth of features designed to help composers create the best possible productions.

Whether you’re composing hip-hop, rock, heavy metal or classical music, SONAR 8.5 offers all the tools you need with these fun and exciting new features. Check out the videos to see the Matrix View, Step Sequencer, Arpeggiator & Session Drummer in action:

Matrix View

Step Sequencer 2.0

Continue reading “Composing & Arranging with SONAR 8.5”

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Cakewalk Launches Holiday Gift Guide for Musicians

GiftGuideIt’s that time of the year again! Time to show family and friends just how much they mean to you with a gift from the heart. This year, you don’t have to go far to find the perfect present for the music lover in your life. We’ve created our own Holiday Gift Guide to make the process of gift shopping much easier.

Visit Cakewalk.com today to see our list of recommended products for singer-songwriters, DJs, record collectors and Guitar Hero fanatics. Plus, reward yourself with a treat and check out our Holiday upgrade bundles for existing Cakewalk customers.

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MIX Magazine Films Exclusive SONAR 8.5 Videos

MIXMix Magazine caught up with Cakewalk’s Brandon Ryan to shoot three exclusive videos – demoing the new version of Cakewalk’s flagship DAW, SONAR 8.5.

The first video displays SONAR’s sheer power hosting Shawn Clement’s remix of Cori Yarckin’s “Everything You Said” with 140 tracks, 50 plug-ins and a high-res 800 MB AVI video file – all running simultaneously on a PC AudioLabs Intel Core i7 desktop machine. The second video focuses on the new compositional features added to SONAR 8.5 Producer such as the Matrix view, the VX-64 vocal processor plug-in, the powerful arpeggiator and the time-stretching tool, AudioSnap 2.0. Lastly, Brandon gives a brief overview of the new percussion instruments, Session Drummer 3 and the PX-64 percussion strip.

Watch these videos now on the MIX TV page!

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SONAR 8.5: The Fine Print

borthwick2Cakewalk’s CTO Noel Borthwick has been hard at work creating this microscopic view of SONAR 8.5 for those of you who have expressed an interest in learning more about the internals of the new features. Throughout this post, Noel will uncover the new version from an engineering perspective. However, before we get started on the fine print, let’s  first clarify some facts and myths about SONAR 8.5.

What’s in a name?”

What’s in a name? That which we call SONAR 9 by any other name would sound as sweet.” I guess Juliet was misinformed, based on the wild speculation and reaction to our announcement of SONAR 8.5. To ease the anxiety for the next release I will let you in on a secret – the next product release will be called: SONAR 1C21B83D-EDCE-41b7-BBEF-31F912E88B1D. We think that a 128 bit version number will dispel all ambiguity the next time around.

FACT:
• The .5 release name for a major product reflects a change in our internal nomenclature for naming products, a business decision that was made after careful deliberation.
• Going forward this more accurately reflects our strategy of shipping products with high value for customers, while simultaneously planning for certain types of features whose depth may require a longer timeframe to develop and integrate.
• The 8.5 name is also indicative of the fact that 8.5 is available as an downloadable upgrade. i.e. unlike earlier versions it can upgrade an existing SONAR 8 install.
• Don’t be confused by the .5 in the name. 8.5 IS the next version of SONAR – It installs as a brand new version and lives alongside your existing SONAR 8 version just like any prior full release of SONAR.
• You can also simultaneously use 8.5 or an earlier 8.0 version just like any earlier full release of SONAR.
• If you purchased SONAR 8.5 as a downloadable upgrade, you must have SONAR 8 installed prior to installing SONAR 8.5. To reduce download size, the package doesn’t include all the content that you already have in your SONAR 8 install.
• You can also purchase a full set of 8.5 DVD’s even if you bought the download from our web store.
• If you bought the retail version of 8.5 from a store you already have the full 8.5 DVD set with all the content.
• There is no difference between an 8.0 install upgraded to 8.5 and a full retail 8.5 box install
• The depth of the new features and enhancements in 8.5 actually exceed what went into SONAR 8 coming from SONAR 7.

FICTION:
• The main SONAR 9 release was postponed and SONAR 8.5 is a patch or hotfix. Wrong – our maintenance releases are for compatibility and improvements only with the occasional bonus feature thrown in. We never add full blown features.
• A new version of SONAR is around the corner and 8.5 is an interim release. Wrong – We’re good, but not THAT good to be able to deliver a full new product just after shipping this one. Thanks for the compliment though!

So let’s cut to the chase shall we? There are several classes of new features in SONAR 8.5. I will try and focus on the pieces that are not covered in our marketing copy since by now you are already familiar with most of that.
You can read more about SONAR 8.5’s big features here if you are still catching up.

Disclaimer: The information below may be subject to errors and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of 8.5 features. It may be edited from time to time. You have been warned – nauseatingly geeky details follow. Stop reading now if this is objectionable to you 🙂

Continue reading “SONAR 8.5: The Fine Print”

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The Next Version of SONAR… Is Here!

S8_Producer_3D_boxFor the past month,  we’ve been ‘tweeting’ about the new features found in the next version of SONAR. Well, the wait is finally over! Cakewalk today announces a feature packed upgrade for SONAR Producer and SONAR Studio.

SONAR 8.5 continues to innovate with new capabilities including enhanced beat creation and arrangement tools,  a new drum instrument loaded with stellar kits and patterns, an enhanced audio timing toolset, new multi-stage effect plug-ins for drums, percussion sounds and vocal tracks, engine optimizations and stability improvements, and many additional workflow and technological advances -notably Windows 7 compatibility.

Plus… for the first time ever… We’re offering it as a download!

New Features & Workflow Enhancements:

·  Matrix View—simple and flexible cell-based, non-linear audio and MIDI arranging with live triggering capability.
·  Step Sequencer 2.0—the most powerful step sequencing capability in any DAW.
·  Integrated Arpeggiator—trigger arpeggiations on MIDI or instrument tracks with in-depth control over all arp parameters. Includes hundreds of presets.
·  Session Drummer 3—latest version of Cakewalk’s virtual instrument for easy and fast creation of drum tracks with a new UI, stellar sounding kits and patterns from top sound designers and drummers, more.
·  AudioSnap 2.0—updated audio quantizing and time shifting technology with new look and refinements to all the core controls, significantly improving workflow, plus improved offline rendering.
·  Media Browser—a new hub for content access in SONAR; supports multiple formats to preview and import your loops, grooves, and MIDI patterns; features presets to grab content from your favorite locations.
·  PX-64 Percussion Strip—seven-stage processor designed specifically for use with drums and percussion.
·  VX-64 Vocal Strip—seven-stage processor optimized for shaping and sculpting vocal tracks.
·  Windows 7 Support—tested, ready, and recommended for use.
·  Engine optimizations and stability improvements for recording audio, and while looping.
·  “Hotswap” audio and MIDI devices, including control surfaces, without restarting SONAR. 
·  VST plug-in compatibility improvements. 
·  Native REX Loop support featured in Track View, Media Browser, and Matrix View. 
·  BitBridge XR—run 32-bit plug-ins in 64-bit environments, with memory access now extended up to 128 GB RAM.

Read the SONAR 8.5 press release here
Visit the SONAR 8.5 web pages for exclusive specs, images and more

Here’s the first SONAR 8.5 feature video on Session Drummer 3 to get your creative juices flowing:

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Cakewalk's V-Studio 100 Gets New Snow Leopard Drivers

Mac-Snow-LeopardToday, Cakewalk continues Mac compatibility with the release of new Snow Leopard Mac Operating System (version 10.6) device drivers for the V-Studio 100 portable music production system. The new Snow Leopard drivers are also available for the UA-1G audio interface and UM-1G, UM-2G, UM-3G MIDI interfaces. More hardware drivers will be announced soon.

Cakewalk’s Vice President of Products & Marketing Michael Hoover states:

“Mac users are loyal, and very much looking forward to the new version of their OS. In turn, Cakewalk is loyal to its Mac customers, and supporting them means staying ahead of the development curve and anticipating customer’s needs. These new drivers are just the first step in our planned support for Snow Leopard and our Mac-based consumers.”

To download the drivers for your hardware, please visit our website. Click here for more information on Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100  and Audio / MIDI Interfaces