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8 Steps for Comping The Perfect Vocal Take

Comping is a term used for editing multiple instances of the same performance together into one flawless track. Cakewalk has adapted this functionality in order to bring this kind of workflow right to the fingertips of every SONAR X3 user. Within this article I am going to show you my own workflow for comping together a vocal track.

1. Create Markers for the different sections of your song. This should have been done during the actual recording. As I’ve stated in other posts, it’s really important to label your sections so that you can move from one place to another without a second thought. Fast paced environments are not very forgiving when the engineer loses their spot. It creates distractions and impedes the artist’s or group’s concentration.

2. Identify the individual sections of the song with split points so that you can understand where each section edit starts and ends. This works in tandem with Markers to help isolate the larger sections of the song. Simply expose your take lanes by using the short-cut Shift+T, expand the track height of the takes, and then click and swipe on the lower half of your audio regions to make split points.

Clicking and swiping can be viewed here Continue reading “8 Steps for Comping The Perfect Vocal Take”

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DEVELOPER NOTES – SONAR X3 QUADCURVE EQ (UI ENHANCEMENT)

Introduction

Since it first appeared in SONAR X1 Producer, the QuadCurve EQ has become my go to EQ. That’s saying something given the abundance of killer plugins in my collection (yes, like many of us, I own far too many plugins).

Maybe I’m just lazy, but I love the fact that it’s always there, ready to go on any track or bus at a moments notice. No need to wade through plugin menus – it’s already waiting patiently in the ProChannel.

And it’s no slouch either. There’s no trade-off for that convenience. The QuadCurve EQ is up there with the best of them.

But, as much as I love it, I admit I have, in the past, occasionally found myself reaching for one of the alternative plugins in my arsenal.

Why? The QuadCurve EQ user interface could be, well, a bit cramped. The small EQ plot is fine for quick adjustments, but not so great for fine-tuning. Metering is also important to me, which the QuadCurve EQ was lacking.

The good news? SONAR X3 Producer addresses these issues, and much more besides.

So what’s new?

See me!

First off, it’s easier on the eyes. The UI is cleaner, clearer, and you no longer need a magnifying glass to read the knob values!

Then there’s the EQ plot, or should that be “plots”? The small ProChannel plot is still there of course, and it’s as useful as ever, but now there’s a new secret weapon at your disposal…

…the QuadCurve EQ Zoom Window:

As you can see, it’s essentially a much larger EQ user interface which, among other benefits, provides a much finer degree of control.

I say ‘secret weapon’ because it may not be immediately obvious how to get to it Continue reading “DEVELOPER NOTES – SONAR X3 QUADCURVE EQ (UI ENHANCEMENT)”

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Save up to 33% off new SONAR X3 videos through Oct. 31st

SONAR X3 videos

Looking to expand your SONAR X3 knowledge? We’ve got you covered with three brand new video tutorials. Whether you are looking for a comprehensive look at SONAR X3 or just need in-depth knowledge on the new features, we have a solution that is right for you.

Groove3 SONAR X3 Explained Video: SONAR X3 is here with many new features and functions, and SONAR guru Eli Krantzberg takes you from beginning to end, showing how to unleash the true power of this fully featured, cutting edge DAW.

Download it today for only $35/£25/€30 (Save $5 off the regular price)


 
 
SWA SONAR X3 New Features video: In this new series of videos, SWA’s Karl Rose takes an in-depth look at SONAR X3’s new features and plugins. These complement SWA Complete SONAR X2, updating the changes and adding the new features.

Download it today for only $19.95/£14.95/€19.95 (Save 33%)


 
 
Groove3 SONAR X3’s New Features In-depth video: SONAR X3 brought many new features to Cakewalk’s flagship DAW. Do you want to really know them inside and out? SONAR guru Eli Krantzberg blitzes and sacks them all in this in-depth series dedicated to SONAR X3’s new features and functions.

Download it today for only $20/£15/€20 (Save 33%)

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SONAR X3 Users: Save 50% off Nomad Factory Plug-ins through Oct. 31st

Nomad Factory

One of the exciting new additions to SONAR X3 Studio & Producer is the Nomad Factory Blue Tubes FX.  These 19 FX recreate the vintage sound you have loved from decades ago.  If you love the Blue Tubes FX, then you need to check out their other bundle packs which are available at the Cakewalk Store for a special price through October 31st.

Nomad Factory: Analog Mastering Tools (Download) $75/£59/€69 (Save 50%)

  • Includes A.M.T Amp Leveling, A.M.T Max Warm, and A.M.T Multi Max multiband peak limiter.

Nomad Factory: Analog Signature Pack (Download)  $99/£79/€89 (Save 50%)

  • Includes the Program Equalizer EQP-4, the Limiting Amplifier LM-662, and the Studio Chanel SC-226.

Complete Bundle: Integral Studio Pack 3 (Download) $299/£239/€269 (Save 50%)

  • This bundle from Nomad Factory contains everything you might ever need to get the best out of SONAR in a professional studio environment.

Visit the Cakewalk Store to save big on other SONAR X3 Extras.

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Feature Spotlight: Gobbler Cloud Saving & Sharing in SONAR X3

Addictive Drums

Artists have been able to collaborate by emailing song ideas back and forth for some time now. But in this age of cloud storage and sharing, collaboration is easier than ever before. Now SONAR X3 users can share, backup, store, and save their work right from the Control Bar using Gobbler. Email projects without having to quit SONAR, or even switch on Gobbler’s auto-backup feature so that projects save in the background. Gobbler is easy to use and does not require any additional installation thanks to the deep integration that SONAR X3 brings to the table. SONAR X3, SONAR X3 Studio, and SONAR X3 Producer users all have the ability to take advantage of this incredible tool.

Upgrade today for as low as $49

 

Developer Notes: Gobbler Integration
In a recent blog post, developer Jamie O’Connell goes in depth about Gobbler’s integration and explains each part of this brand new feature and how handy it is to have it right in your DAW.

Read the developer’s notes here

 

[OFFER EXTENDED] Bonus 20GB of Gobbler storage free with SONAR X3
Buy any version of SONAR X3 before December 31, 2013 and get a bonus 20GB of Gobbler storage for 6 months.  All SONAR X3 customers qualify for a free Gobbler account with 5GB of storage to use as long as they like. Early adopters will receive a code that will entitle the user to a free 6-month 20GB boost (total 25GB for 6 months).  No credit card required. Learn more.

 

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Feature Spotlight: XLN Audio Addictive Drums in SONAR X3 Producer

Addictive Drums

SONAR X3 Producer now includes XLN Audio’s critically-acclaimed Addictive Drums. Some customers have have asked whether this is a cut down version of Addictive Drums and are shocked to hear that this is in fact the full version (retail price $149). We often hear from customers that one of the most difficult aspects of recording is getting great drums sounds. These problems are now a thing of the past thanks to Addictive Drums – now included in the SONAR X3 Producer upgrade.

Addictive Drums is one of the most powerful and popular drum programs in the world and can be heard on countless hit songs and albums. The unique architecture, fast loading times and flexibility makes it the first choice for many musicians and music producers. Three pristine drum kits, 100+ producer presets and thousands of MIDI rhythms are included. Load a complete drum kit with mixer settings and insert effects – with one click!

Learn more about Addictive Drums in SONAR X3 Producer

Tip: Setting up your Addictive Drums
Addictive Drums is the brand new drum synth available in SONAR X3 Producer. The sounds, fast load times, internal mixing, and abundant groove clips makes this possibly the only drum synth you’ll need to use from now on. There are a couple ways to insert this new synth into SONAR X3 Producer. The first way is to insert Addictive Drums as a simple instrument track.

Learn how to setup Addictive Drums

Tip: Drum replacement with ARA and Addictive Drums
Within SONAR X3 converting Audio to MIDI has never been easier thanks to our deep ARA integration. This opens up many doorways for users to convert their mono audio tracks to MIDI. One great use case for this is replacing drums or adding samples to your drum tracks to enhance their sound.

Learn how to replace drums with ARA integration and Addictive Drums

XLN Audio

Now available on the Cakewalk Store, choose from nine unique Addictive Drums ADpaks from XLN Audio starting at $49. Each ADpak includes a variety of real kit pieces meticulously recorded from real drum sets with iconic sound. Plus dozens of mix ready Producer presets and MIDI patterns to add to Addictive Drums (included with SONAR X3 Producer).

Shop now

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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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SONAR X3 Quicktip: Make Your Voice Thicker (Studio & Producer)

Vocal production can lead to many different types of processing. Sometimes subtle enhancements to your vocals can make all the difference in the final mix.

SONAR X3 Studio and Producer introduces Melodyne Essential as a fully integrated and pitch correction editor.  This easy to use software allows users to access their Melodyne right from the Multi-Dock without needing to perform any special tricks within the software.

One great way to process vocals is to add low end to them without using EQ. Thickening up a vocal can be a tricky task but now with the use of Melodyne you can take advantage of it’s pitch correction abilities.

With the deep integration of ARA technology simply do the following to edit pitch:

  • Insert a vocal track that needs some help in the lower register.

  • Highlight the desired audio region

  • Go to Region FX and highlight Melodyne

  • Melodyne will appear in the Multi-Dock

Minimize the Melodyne Editor for now and do the following in the Track View

  • Highlight your audio track and right-click on the Track Pane

  • Select [Clone] and make sure to enter 2 in the selection for “repetitions”

This will load two tracks with the same Melodyne region enabled.

  • Open up the first region within Melodyne

  • Go to Edit > Select All or simply hit CTRL+A

  • Within Melodyne use the magnifying glass tool to zoom in on one specific blob

  • Within Melodyne go to Edit > Pitch Grid and select No Snap

  • Using the “Main Tool” click and drag the entire selected track down every so slightly

  • Do the same with the second cloned track but in the opposite direction

  • Now pan both tracks somewhat out in width and mix them underneath your main vocal track

  • Apply a Low Pass Filter to both and any other processing you want to experiment with, here I added some saturation to both tracks

The goal here is to create a parallel thickness underneath your track so that your vocal becomes more present in the lower and punchier frequencies.

Try it out, and experiment with more parallel DSP effects and you’ll start down a route of unlimited effects.

Learn more about SONAR X3 here.