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Vocal Month: Picking the right Vocal Microphone Part I

Having a go-to microphone is always a great policy to have, but understanding the way specific microphones sound and perform is an even greater depth of knowledge every engineer or aspiring engineer should understand. To a trained ear – different microphones sound drastically different in character, response, and tone. The best way to start understanding these differences is easier thank you think. Start comparing microphones – and get nerdy about it!

Here’s our own Cakewalk microphone shootout displaying 5 different microphones on Ingrid Gerdes.

Continue reading “Vocal Month: Picking the right Vocal Microphone Part I”

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SONAR X3: Producing Drum Samples (Video Series)

In the midst of recording a whole record it’s always a good idea to take some samples of the drum set so that you can replace and reinforce the drums later on in mixing. Here is an 11-part video series that shows you how to apply some basic EQ, Compression, and Editing techniques to get your drum samples to sound pro within SONAR X3.

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Microphone Tips: What is a Polar Pattern?

The Polar Pattern of a microphone determines how the microphone perceives sound 360 degrees around the capsule and ultimately helps engineers decide on a microphone’s use and application. Some microphones have multiple polar patterns while others are designed for one specific pattern. Understanding the sound of any microphone is very important, especially when harnessing that knowledge on a session that has a multi-mic’d instrument.

How to read these patterns

These graphs are read from the top down. 0 degrees is the front of the microphone and Continue reading “Microphone Tips: What is a Polar Pattern?”

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First Time DAW Users: 5 Things You Need To Know

As seen in the December ’13 issue of Regional Musician

Purchasing your first recording program is an exciting new chapter in your musical career. Now you can record your band practices and start making demos of all your songs in the comfort of your home. However, sometimes during the initial setup of your DAW, you will run into a few issues that could potentially be frustrating. Fear not, by following the right steps and optimizing your studio set-up, you will be well on your way to recording your music.

This article is meant to offer guidance on some terms and subjects that could be a bit foggy when starting out. Following these tips will help make your transition to a DAW much better and help you focus on what’s most important – making music.

1. First Things First

a. Terms you should know

Make sure you are using the correct driver mode for your audio interface or sound card. Some of these words may seem foreign to you if you are just starting out, so:

Driver Mode – When referring to digital audio we use the term “driver mode” to talk about a setting within your DAW that allows recording hardware to communicate with your computer. Continue reading “First Time DAW Users: 5 Things You Need To Know”

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SONAR X2 makes the grade at USC Thornton School of Music

Professor Chris Sampson, founding director of the Popular Music program at the USC Thornton School of Music, recently wrote an article for the Roland Music Education blog explaining why he prefers to teach with SONAR X2.

“As a professor of songwriting, I teach in both a classroom setting and privately, and a little over a year ago, I incorporated SONAR X2 into my instruction with great results.”

This is a screenshot from an actual private lesson

Professor Sampson cites SONAR X2’s Skylight User Interface, Smart Tool, ProChannel, included virtual instruments, overall workflow, and the sound quality of SONAR’s 64-bit audio engine as powerful enhancements to his teaching process.

“With these assignments, it is very important to me that the tracks sound great and authentic to the style I’m presenting, because the students’ enthusiasm can be seriously eroded if the track does not sound good. This is where the sound quality of SONAR X2’s 64-bit audio engine really shines.”

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The professor also gave us ‘extra credit’ for our own commitment to teaching aspiring musicians.

“In addition to the educational benefits of SONAR itself, there’s an abundance of training resources available at SONAR University. The videos there make it easy to understand the concepts behind every phase of the recording process, and the various tips I’ve picked up from The Cakewalk Blog have been invaluable as well. Both are great resources for students to build their own skills independently.”

Read the full article on the Roland Music Education blog.

Or download the SONAR X2 Producer Free Trial and see why SONAR X2 is getting high marks in the classroom and the studio.

 

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Get Started with SONAR X2's Inspector and Loop Construction View

CakeTV

Two new SONAR X2 videos added to CakeTV
We have posted two brand new videos on CakeTV that show you how to get started with the Inspector and the Loop Construction View.

The SONAR X2 Inspector will save you valuable time when working on your projects. Access critical data from your project with the touch of a mouse and speed up your workflow.

The Loop Construction View has been given a facelift in SONAR X2 and allows you to edit and customize your loops so they sound fresh and exciting. If you are working with loops, this is a great video to watch to get the basics down.

Plus we have over 20 Get Started videos on the SONAR U channel with more to come!

See what’s new in SONAR X2
Try SONAR X2 Producer for free

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4 features of SONAR X2 that make the musician’s life easier (New Videos)

With all the powerful features of SONAR X2, it’s almost impossible for someone to know every single angle of the program.  Even some of the simpler features have some not-so-obvious aspects that can make the musician’s life easier and more musically inventive.  This is why we have created detailed videos for SONAR users to delve into without needing a manual.

This week we have posted four great new videos that are sure to give you some new insight on X2 features and workflow:

The QuadCurve EQ has now proven itself in the industry to be one of the most musical AND surgical instruments around.  With four different modes, it’s easy to carve out and sculpt perfect and professional mixes with ease.

[My favorite QuadCurve feature: The slope – cutting off low frequencies dead-off is essential for getting great vocals to really pop out of the mix without sitting too far in front. You can also greatly clean up your low-end by getting rid of competing frequencies utilizing the slope on guitars, bass and kick drum.] Continue reading “4 features of SONAR X2 that make the musician’s life easier (New Videos)”

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There's always more to learn about SONAR with new videos from Cakewalk

SONAR X2 is hands-down the most powerful and comprehensive DAW we have ever made. With each new version of SONAR we aim to simplify workflow and make music production more efficient.  Each upgrade also comes with brand new tools and enhancements that compliment SONAR’s core technology.  SONAR X2 is no exception. See what’s new in SONAR X2.

Your creative possibilities are endless with a professional level solution like SONAR X2.  But for new users, and even some seasoned SONAR pros, all this power can make your brain hurt a little.  Users often ask us questions like “what does R-MIX SONAR do?” “how does the Console Emulator effect my mix?” and “why is TH2 Producer better than the guitar amp sim that I already have?”  We hear you loud and clear and want to make sure you know how to take full advantage of the tools SONAR X2 has to offer. As a result, Cakewalk is more committed than ever to providing SONAR users with the best learning resources available. Check out the 3 learning resources below with SONAR knowledge for every skill level Continue reading “There's always more to learn about SONAR with new videos from Cakewalk”

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Get Started with SONAR X2 – Watch Free Tutorial Videos Now On Cake TV

CakeTV

Explore SONAR X2’s Skylight User Interface
SONAR X2 takes its award winning Skylight interface to a new level. Learn the basics of Skylight and get up and running quickly with a brand-new CakeTV video series. The first four videos in the series show Skylight’s fundamental features including – workflow with audio and MIDI clips, zooming and navigation, Screensets, and customizing Skylight’s versatile workspace. Watch them now on CakeTV.

Get Started: Skylight
Learn how to arrange Skylight’s workspace in SONAR X2, from docking windows in the MultiDock to rearranging the positions of the Inspector, Browser, and much more.

Get Started: Screensets
Learn how to use SONAR X2’s Screensets, which are ‘presets’ that remember the position, size, and state of every window, plugin, and synth.

Get Started: Zoom & Navigation
Learn how the various ways to zoom and navigate in SONAR X2 like Timeline Zoom.

Get Started: Audio & MIDI Clips
Learn how to work with SONAR X2’s clips, from applying fades, creating Groove Clips, time-stretching, and much more.

Learn more about SONAR X2 and try it for free

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SONAR X2 Producer: A Must See Video Playlist

Learn why SONAR X2 Producer is Cakewalk’s most popular upgrade ever. This playlist is packed with all the best SONAR X2 Producer videos in case you may have missed one. See what’s new in SONAR X2, try it for FREE, take a deeper look at the workflow enhancements and flagship features, then finish up by watching the entire 1h 29min CakeTV Live webinar! Just skip to the the next video if you have seen one before.

Visit the SONAR X2 webpages for more info.
Try SONAR X2 Producer for FREE.