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.
Like many of you, we’re all fired up about the release of SONAR X2. And we’re pretty sure you’d like to know more about the core features, behaviours, and other day-to-day workflow operations that we’ve changed in X2 from X1 and older versions of SONAR.
Below is a layout of those changes as well as a down and dirty, off the cuff, low production value video which demonstrates these changes in depth which is available for immediate viewing on YouTube (and also right from the player below).
Continue reading “Video: SONAR X2 – Transitioning From SONAR X1 (and earlier)”
SONAR X2 Producer users rejoice. Now you can get awesome guitar tones and effects from clean and spanky to crushing metal with the new TH2 PRODUCER amp modeling plugin by Overloud! 
Continue reading “New In SONAR X2 Producer: Scorching tones and killer effects with TH2 PRODUCER from OVERLOUD”
I finally had the chance to record and mix a full production in SONAR X2 Producer last week and one of my favorite new features is BREVERB SONAR. I knew it was going to be good, but I didn’t know HOW good. I found that out immediately when I sent the lead vocal track though to a bus with BREVERB SONAR and it was instant gratification.
Check out this video to see BREVERB SONAR in action on a vocal track:
Continue reading “SONAR X2 Feature Peek: Why BREVERB SONAR Will Become Your New Go-to Reverb”
SONAR X2 Essential and Studio users rejoice. Now you can get awesome guitar tones from clean and spanky to crushing metal with the new TH2 SONAR amp modeling plugin by Overloud! Continue reading “New in SONAR X2 Essential and Studio: Scorching guitar tones with TH2 SONAR from OVERLOUD”
I will never forget witnessing a demonstration of R-MIX software for the first time. Fast-forward a bit, and I will also never forget being in a meeting where I discovered that R-MIX was going to be incorporated into SONAR X2 Producer. Music production light-bulbs started going off in my head imagining what I was going to be able to do with multiple instances of R-MIX inside SONAR (see video below.)
What is R-MIX?
Technically speaking it is an audio manipulation plugin that is powered by Roland’s newly developed V-Remastering technology in conjunction with VariPhrase — lets you see the components of a stereo mix as color-coded clouds of energy and harmonic matter as the track plays. Speaking as a musician, the only way I can describe it is by calling it “visual sound,” and it is truly impressive as well as creative.
Like many of you, we’re all fired up about SONAR X2. And we’re pretty sure you’d like to know more about what makes it so delicious. So, take a closer look at the newly refined, ever smarter, SONAR X2.
FX Chains are an answer to a long standing feature request; to have FX bin presets, or a way to recall an FX bin on an existing track in SONAR. In SONAR X1 Producer we introduced FX Chains, which are essentially an FX bin, or group of FX, saved as a preset.
In SONAR X1 Producer Expanded we upped the ante and upgraded the feature to version 2.0 which added assignable controls and a custom user interface to FX Chains. Later on in the free X1d update we added a Mod Matrix to FX Chains allowing up to four parameters to be mapped to a single control on an FX Chain, which I wrote about in an earlier blog post.
In X2 we’re including FX Chains in SONAR X2 Essential and Studio, as well as Producer. But In SONAR X2 Producer we’ve taken FX Chains one step further having added them to the Producer exclusive feature, the ProChannel.
Continue reading “SONAR X2 Feature Peek: ProChannel FX Chains”
FREE SONAR X2 Webinar – September 5th (2pm Eastern / 11am Pacific)
Please join Brandon Ryan and Seth Perlstein of Cakewalk for the fourth installment of CakeTV Live, Cakewalk’s entirely live, bi-monthly webcast. This installment will take a close look at the new features and enhancements in SONAR X2 while focusing on recording, mixing and production of guitars, keyboards, and more. See how X2 will effect your workflow and get a head start on understanding all the new capabilities.
CakeTV Live is just that – entirely live. Ask questions in real-time and join in the chat with hundreds of other viewers from around the globe as Brandon and Seth discuss and demonstrate valuable tips and techniques.
Watch previous CakeTV Live webcasts:
Episode 1: SONAR X1 Music Production
Episode 2: SONAR X1 Music Production “Aike”
Episode 3: Larger than life drums in SONAR X1
New features in SONAR X2 Producer include:
Visit the official SONAR X2 Preview page for more information
It’s been nearly 2 years since we launched SONAR X1 and the long anticipated SONAR X2 is almost here. If you are a Cakewalk user who is wondering what your price will be for this monster upgrade, have a look at the tables below. We also have a special offer for early adopters, which we will let you know about once we start taking orders.
Please note: All Euro and GBP pricing are VAT inclusive.
| SONAR X2 Producer Upgrades: | USD | Euro € | GBP £ |
| From SONAR X1 Producer Expanded or Production Suite | $99 | € 99 | £79 |
| From SONAR X1 Producer | $119 | € 119 | £99 |
| From SONAR 1-2 XL or any SONAR Producer | $199 | € 199 | £159 |
| From SONAR 1-2 or any SONAR Studio | $299 | € 299 | £239 |
| For any other registered Cakewalk customer | $399 | € 399 | £319 |
| SONAR X2 Studio Upgrades: | USD | Euro € | GBP £ |
| From any version of SONAR (except LE) | $99 | € 99 | £79 |
| For any other registered Cakewalk customer | $149 | € 149 | £119 |
| SONAR X2 Essential Upgrades: | USD | Euro € | GBP £ |
| From SONAR Home Studio or any SONAR (except LE) | $59 | € 59 | £49 |
| For any other registered Cakewalk customer | $79 | € 79 | £65 |
What’s a snap grid?
One of the most useful features of a DAW is the snap grid. When enabled, a snap grid locks all movement to a defined value. The value can be absolute (e.g. seconds) or musical (e.g. quarter notes) and some programs optionally show grid lines that reflect at least some portion of the grid.
The whole thing makes moving a clip by a beat or a MIDI event by a 64th note much much easier than trying to “eyeball it”. Snap grids are vitally important to almost every DAW user. In most cases, a user relies on the snap grid regularly throughout every session.
But not all snap grids are created equal. Some only offer the most basic snap options and functionality. Some don’t display their state or give the user easy access to the settings. And many are pretty dumb when it comes to anticipating what the user needs from moment to moment.
Considering the importance and near constant use of a snap grid in music production, we thought this was an area where SONAR could increase its level of intelligence and truly shine. Let SONAR think about snap so you don’t have to. Continue reading “SONAR X2 Feature Peek: Smart Grid”
