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V-Studio 700 Featured On 'Into Tomorrow' Radio Show

Cakewalk Product Specialist Seth Perlstein chats with Into Tomorrow’s Dave Graveline at the 2009 Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco, California. Into Tomorrow is a syndicated radio program featuring the latest developments in consumer electronics and technology. Over 100 AM & FM radio stations across the US, on Sirius / XM satellite radio and around the world broadcast the 3-hour show on a weekly basis. The pair discuss Cakewalk’s role in outfitting video game developers with the best tools to create music for their projects.

Being eyed by the video game industry’s top composers is Cakewalk by Roland’s flagship product in the V-Studio line of integrated software / hardware solutions, the SONAR V-Studio 700.

Winner of the 2009 MIPA Award for Best Recording Hardware and Keyboard Magazine’s prestigious Key Buy Award, the SONAR V-Studio 700 matches SONAR 8 Producer with the VS-700C multi-function control surface and the VS700R V-Studio 100 I/O audio interface which includes Roland’s Fantom VS Hardware Synthesizer.

Continue reading “V-Studio 700 Featured On 'Into Tomorrow' Radio Show”

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Altsounds.com: SONAR 8 is 'an Audio Mechanics Dream'

Chris Maguire, record producer and owner of Altsounds.com, recently re-wired his studio to run SONAR 8 Producer. After using SONAR to record various session work, Maguire published an extensive review of the new upgrade, giving major props to the DAW’s versatility and sound quality.

“SONAR 8 Producer is intuitive and makes complete sense straight out of the box but is MUCH deeper than meets the eye and holds gems for users as their skills progress.”

“There is so much packed into SONAR 8 in fact that even a seasoned user such as myself never really touches the surface of what it can do…”

“LP-64 Multiband – Excellent Multiband Compressor that will allow even novices to get mastered mixes at levels expected.”

“TL-64 Tube Leveler – Awesome for adding Tube Warmth to your mixes or two individual entities in a mix.”

Macguire also compliments SONAR’s new workflow enhancements including the improved transport controls, the audio engine optimizations (arm/disarm tracks, ability to change audio settings without restart) and the endless array of VSTs and effects  hosted in one package.

“(It’s) a mechanics toolbox worth of useful tools, fx and instruments. It’s an audio mechanics dream.”

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Complete Your Projects Quickly & Efficiently with SONAR 8

T. Michael Testi, author of ‘The RAM Review’ column at BlogCritics.org, shared his thoughts about SONAR 8 in a recent software review. For those of you who are on the fence about upgrading your DAW to the latest version of SONAR, Testi lays it all out on the line. He skillfully dissects the new tools, effects, and instruments added to latest version of SONAR. Here’s a few quotes from the article we thought you might want to read:

“Keep in mind that SONAR 8 is an incredibly complete and complex software package that is aimed at the professional and the sophisticated enthusiast who wants a product that is powerful, flexible, and very configurable.”

“With all of this, SONAR 8 is a must have upgrade. If you truly want the ultimate in DAW software, then you need SONAR 8.”

Read the full SONAR 8 Producer Software Review by T. Michael Testi of BlogCritics.org.

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Artist Impression: Shayna Zaid and the Catch on V-Studio 100

A few weeks before the launch we got to sit down in the studio with Shayna Zaid and the Catch. Their live shows have been packing crowds in NYC and colleges up and down the east coast. They’ve shared the stage with Norah Jones, Harry Connick Jr, Raul Midon and The Roots.

Their music has gone on to see much success with 8 songs licensed to “Young & the Restless”, 4 #1 singles in Shayna’s Native Malaysia, a 1/4 million Myspace plays, and Finalist in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition, among many other honors. As you can see, they know what it’s like to be a touring and recording act so we asked them for their impression of the SONAR V-Studio 100. Watch the video to see what they thought.

“Brilliant!  Finally something that encompasses everything we need to professionally go mobile.  With killer mic pre’s, an onboard SD recorder/player, an audio/midi interface and a DAW controller, the V- Studio 100 lets us create on the road – and at home.”

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News from Germany: Musikmesse 2009

It’s the first day of the Musikmesse Show in Frankfurt, Germany. It’s the world’s biggest tradeshow for musical instruments, live music and the music business.

Cakewalk is excited to share some major product news from this year’s show. Follow along on the Cakewalk Blog from April 1 to April 4, 2009 to get all the latest coverage:

The New Portable Music Production Studio: The SONAR V-Studio 100 Is Here

The second product in the SONAR V-Studio line of integrated hardware and software from Cakewalk and Roland provides a compact, feature rich, music production studio that enables musicians to create, record, produce, and perform music with or without a computer. The new SONAR V-Studio 100 integrates a USB 2.0 Audio Interface, DAW Controller, Digital Mixer, SD Recorder, and VS Production Pack for Mac & Windows!

Visit the SONAR V-studio 100 Website

See the full Press Release

Now Going Solo: The SONAR V-Studio Console (VS700C) for SONAR 8 Producer

In response to customer demand, the VS-700C V-Studio Console, the centerpiece of SONAR V-Studio 700 production system, will be made available separately as a standalone control surface for SONAR 8 Producer.

See the full Press Release

Now Shipping: New Line of Portable Cable-Based Interface Products

The new Audio Interface and three new MIDI Interfaces, announced at NAMM in January, are now available. These interfaces allow musicians of all levels to easily connect instruments to their computer via USB and are Mac and PC compatible.

See the full Press Release

SONAR REAC Recording System Driver Gets New Updates

The Roland Ethernet Audio Communication (REAC) Driver Version 1.1 for SONAR REAC Recording System provides Vista x64 support and compatibility with SONAR 8 Producer. The driver update also provides monitoring support through SONAR V-Studio 700’s VS-700R I/O.

See the full Press Release

New Rapture 1.2 Update

Free download for registered customers includes new Envelope Generator and Tempo features, Vista x64 support, and many usability enhancements. The free Rapture 1.2 Update will be available to registered Rapture customers ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­late April, 2009 at www.cakewalk.com.

See the full Press Release

Cakewalk® Expands Worldwide Distribution

New distribution arrangements extend the company’s reach in Asia, Australia, Latin America, the Middle East, South America, and other regions worldwide.

See the full Press Release

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Cakewalk Prepares for Musikmesse 2009

Cakewalk is preparing for Musikmesse 2009 – Live for the Music! starting Wednesday April 1, 2009 in Frankfurt, Germany. As suspected, we have some huge announcements that are once again going to shake up the music industry. In addition, we are pleased to announce that SONAR 8 has been nominated for a MIPA (Musikmesse International Press Award) in the Recording Software category and SONAR V-Studio 700 has been nominated in the Recording Hardware category!

Cakewalk will be exhibiting at:
Edirol Booth, Hall: 5.1 Walkway: B Stand: 65
Ludwig-Erhard_Anlage 1, 60327 Frankfurt
April 1 – 4, 2009
More info on this year’s show!

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Synthesizer Expert Adds V-Studio 700 to Studio

Dutch Synthesist and Composer Michel Von Osenbruggen recently reviewed SONAR VStudio 700 in his blog after adding the system to his existing workstation in the Netherlands. Running on SONAR and a Tascam US2400 console, Osenbruggen compliments the system’s compatibility with his studio and comments on the VStudio 700’s flexible control. With transport, jog shuttle and T-Bar controls, Osenbruggen can produce his music without the hassle of switching between mouse and keyboard.  He states that he has more room to work, as SONAR VStudio 700 fits comfortably on his desk and features easily-assignable tracks and faders. To read Osenbruggen’s review in full, please visit the Synth.nl blog.

A former software developer and engineer, Michel Von Osenbruggen discovered his knack for music production via his interest of sound production through data communication.  He started producing his own music in the early 1990’s and later signed a record deal with electronic music record label Groove Unlimited. In October 2008, Osenbruggen released a project on CD, AtmoSphere, which takes its listeners on a musical journey through the layers of atmosphere between earth and space.  You can listen to more of his music here.

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Learn SONAR Online with Berklee College of Music

Learn SONAR online with Berklee’s renowned faculty from anywhere in the world! Enroll with BerkleeMusic by March 16th and get exclusive access to student-only offers, including deep educational discounts on SONAR software, and $100 off any online course or program.

Visit BerkleeMusic.com for Information on Online Courses and Certificate programs.

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Artist Impression: Justin Lassen on V-Studio 700

Cakewalk caught up with Darkly composer Justin Lassen at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA. Lassen was one of many who stopped by the Cakewalk booth to get a glimpse of the new SONAR V-Studio 700 system in action. When asked what he thought about the new VStudio 700 system, this was his reply:

For over ten years, Justin Lassen has remixed, composed and produced music for video games, TV, film and commercial projects. In fact, Cakewalk featured one of Lassen’s works in SONAR 8!

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The Fine Print II: Updates Released for Cakewalk's SONAR Platform

Here’s an excerpt from Cakewalk CTO Noel Borthwick’s report on the new features that exist in Cakewalk’s SONAR 8.3 and SONAR V-Studio 700 1.1 updates.  To view the entire discussion, Visit the Cakewalk Forums.

We’re happy to see so many of you enjoying SONAR 8.3. I know some of you enjoy the trivia that goes into a release so here is the unabridged version of what went into SONAR 8.3 aka “the making of SONAR 8.3” aka the 8.3 fine print. If details aren’t what you like wading through, just go ahead and enjoy using the product and skip this – what you don’t know wont hurt you 🙂

Disclaimer: This text is not an official Cakewalk endorsement of any features in 8.3 and has not been officially proof checked for accuracy, so I reserve the right to edit the content at will. The sole purpose is to provide more detail on the depth of some of the features in 8.3 that some of you have requested and to hopefully answer some common questions.

8.3 was a particularly intense point release for us and everyone involved spent a lot of long hours and effort to make this happen. Special thanks go out to our beta testers on this who spent long hours trying out all the new risky stuff. Posts from beta testers and Cakewalk engineers going into the wee hours of the morning attest to some of the dedication in this cycle.

As most who have been our customers awhile may know, the typical Cakewalk product lifecycle goes somewhat like this:
– We work on a major release
– Post release we typically do a quick minor point release to address any immediate or urgent issues that might arise
– We then hibernate a bit and do a major point release that makes some feature improvements and addresses any old or new issues that are common customer complaints.
– The cycle repeats

This time around when it was time to do our point release we wanted to continue working on the optimization theme we started in S8, but also revisit some common complaints and workflow issues with some of our existing features that needed some TLC. So we identified the following broad areas that we needed to work on in 8.3:

1. External Insert Improvements
2. Optimization and multi-core enhancements
3. VS-700 updates
4. New/Enhanced Features
5. Bug fixes
6. New content

Read Noel’s Fine Print In Full at Cakewalk.com