It’s been quite a ride in the last 2 years for Javier Colon after being crowned the winner of NBC’s hit TV show The Voice. Some highlights include releasing the record “Come Through for You” on the Universal/Republic label, gaining millions of new fans, and touring around the world sharing the stage with artists including Maroon 5, Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw to name a few. It’s rare for an artist like Javier to experience so many facets of the music industry. He is been signed to two major labels, put out his own successful independent music, and claimed the top spot on one of the biggest television shows of our time. But what sets him apart from other artists (besides the obvious) in today’s never ending plethora of supposable talent? I recently got a chance to catch up with Javier in his new SONAR X2 home studio in Connecticut and find out what he’s been up to, and where he’s going. Continue reading “Javier Colon, Winner of NBC The Voice Using SONAR X2 for New Record”
Recreating Portal 2's “Want You Gone” with Music Creator 6 Touch [Part 1: Drum Tips]
[All customers who purchase Music Creator 6 Touch on Steam will have a Demo Project for the Portal 2 song “Want You Gone.” We suggest that you open the Demo Project and follow along to best understand the concepts explained below. Click on any of the images below for a larger view.]
One thing I’ve learned over the years, which I believe is a key component to making great music, is the art of collaboration. Sometimes creating music on your own is the way to go, but a lot of the times the genius and magic in music comes from creative minds working together. In Music Creator 6 Touch, it’s easy to collaborate with other Cakewalk users by saving your project as a “bundle.”
Recently, Cakewalk worked with the great folks over at Valve to make our Music Creator 6 Touch software available to their community, and the onslaught of new “music creators” has been nothing short of amazing and inspiring. To kick off our promotion, we thought it would be a fun experience to recreate Jonathan Coulton’s cult classic “Want You Gone” from Portal 2 all in Music Creator 6 Touch (MC6t) – but the kicker is that we had 24 hours to do it in order to make the deadline for launch. Continue reading “Recreating Portal 2's “Want You Gone” with Music Creator 6 Touch [Part 1: Drum Tips]”
International German Composer Jochen Flach Chooses SONAR X2: Interview from MusikMesse – Frankfurt
Recently and fortunately, I had the opportunity to attend MuskMesse in Frankfurt Germany where I demonstrated the powerful workflow of SONAR X2a. Similar to The NAMM Show, MusikMesse brings gear junkies like you and me into one centralized location to discover all the new products for anything-music-creation. The one constituent factor I noticed that sets MusikMesse apart from The NAMM Show is the undeniable international presence; both on the company side, and the consumer side.
I was able to discover some great new products as well as meet some great new artists. One artist that I was looking forward to meeting was composer/producer (and SONAR X2 user) Jochen Flach who is doing some great things on an international level based out of Germany. I was excited to meet Jochen after becoming a fan of his compositions as the music he is creating on SONAR X2 is nothing short of innovative and captivating.
As a member of DYNAMEDION – Germany’s leading game-audio company, he was awarded back in 2009 for the best game soundtrack (for the game ANNO 1404). In addition to usages in games, his music is being used for international promotion-campaigns for movies, TV-series, TV-shows as well as for soundtracks. You can find his tracks on numerous releases for the movie-trailer business of several major companies – all composed in SONAR.
I got a chance to sit down with Jochen in a somewhat controlled environment at MusikMesse and had a great conversation with him about music production, and why he chooses SONAR for his complex music compositions.
Download the SONAR X2 Producer trial today and find out why more and more award winning producers and musicians from around the world are switching to SONAR. The trial is fully-functional for up to 30-days and includes the award-winning Skylight User Interface and the innovative ProChannel.
SONAR X2 Feature Peek: R-MIX SONAR (Video)
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.
How Tim Wynn used SONAR X1 to Create the Music for THE DARKNESS II
SONAR X1 user Tim Wynn is the Quintessential modern day composer/producer, and a rising Hollywood name whose diverse portfolio includes feature films, television series, documentaries and video games for major clients such as ABC, Activision, Electronic Arts, Fox, Fuji, Marvel, Sony, THQ, Universal and Warner Bros.
With several globally successful franchises already to his credit ranging from blockbuster video games such as Command & Conquer, Dungeon Siege, GUN, The Punisher, Red Faction, The Simpsons and Warhawk to adding to the sound of the hit television series Supernatural, Tim Wynn is gaining international recognition as a leader in a new generation of highly talented and versatile composers. His recent releases include Fox Digital’s debut release, the comedy-horror web series Wolfpack of Reseda; the world’s first 3D television series Tokyo Control; the hit drama series Lucky Seven for Fuji TV, and 2K’s The Darkness II, the action-horror video game based on the best-selling Top Cow comics.
The Darkness II is the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2007 release The Darkness. Inspired by the popular comic book series produced by Top Cow Productions, Inc., The Darkness II is an intense first person shooter that puts you in the role of Jackie Estacado, don of a New York crime family and wielder of an ancient force of chaos known as The Darkness. Continue reading “How Tim Wynn used SONAR X1 to Create the Music for THE DARKNESS II”
Shawn Clement nominated for "Best Score" at eWorld Music Awards; How He Used SONAR X1
Congratulations to Shawn Clement whose score for Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey has been nominated for “Best Score” at the 2012 eWorld Music Awards held at Paramount Picture Studios. The score was written and produced in SONAR X1 and then recorded with the San Francisco Philharmonic Orchestra at George Lucas’ legendary Skywalker Ranch.
The 2012 eWorld Music Awards is a revolutionary music awards show that celebrates cutting edge artists on the world’s biggest platform – the Internet. The awards were created to promote and support the amazing work, technology and diversity in today’s vibrant independent music world. It’s the only event of its kind celebrating truly independent music. The eWorld Music Awards honor those groundbreaking forces who’ve been influencing this movement, and iconic individuals for their unique contributions to the art of music. This year’s 2012 eWorld Music Awards will be the 4th annual awards show, and will air live from Paramount Studios in Hollywood on Saturday, June 16th 2012. Live music performances and celebrity appearances will highlight this star-studded Red Carpet event.
CW AR: How did you get yourself in the space to create music for this show and what was the technical process for pulling it all together?
SC: With any project, you first have to understand the film. Meaning, really know the story, characters and what role the score is going to play. Every production has its specific needs. Say for instance when I created the Wounded Warrior’s Hymn, this was a live performance, so what I needed to do was realize a “mock-up” version of the music so that others could hear where I was going with it. For example, I would send my “demo” off to Jon Anderson so that he could put together what he was singing on it. Keep in mind that the “demo” needed to sound as much like the real thing as possible so that anyone involved could really believe in it. Beyond that, all the tracks in SONAR would then get broken down and sent out to my orchestrator so that it could finally be realized in written music form for the orchestra to play. We had 106 players with a 247 piece choir, and Jon Anderson singing on 2 of the movements.
From TV to Film to Video Games, Clement has used SONAR to work in a wide variety of genres and styles and has built a vast resume of over 200 credits. He began his professional career helping to originate and develop the musical foundation for the voyeuristic world of reality TV, but years before the phenomena saturated the air waves. By stamping his musical presence on shows like Most Amazing Videos and World’s Wildest Police Videos, he began paving the way for other composers to follow suit.
In the new-age of reality, his music which is always created in SONAR (now SONAR X1) has been featured on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance as well as other major television shows. One previous noteworthy score that will forever be engraved in television history was the highly-acclaimed cult series classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in which he also supplied original songs as well as the score. His songs in that series were fan-favorites and helped expand the fan base for the show. Other credits include Women, a series on Showtime, The Savage Dragon, an animated series for Universal, A Rock and a Hard Place (Showtime) and One Way Out (Arrow Entertainment.)
In addition to music for major television shows, Clement is always busy using SONAR to score music for Films as well; some including:
– We Married Margo: (released by New Line and winner of the Audience Favorite Award at the HBO/U.S. Comedy & Arts Festal.) Cast included Kevin Bacon, Cindy Crawford an Tom Arnold,
– Last Chance: (winner of Best Original Drama at World Fest.)
– Bad Girls from Valley High: released by Universal (produced by Sid and Johnathan Sheinberg) with a cast that included Julie Benz, Christopher Lloyd, Johnthan Brandis and Janet Leigh.
– Finale: (released by Image)
– Virus X (released by Lions Gate)
– Play On (Sports Drama)
– Beyond the Mat (Sports Drama)
The polls are closed now, but we wish Shawn all the best at the event and hope that he brings home another award to add to his “ASCAP Most Performed Underscore Award” (alongside the other prestigious awards he has collected along the route of his musical voyage.)
Currently, Clement is busy using SONAR X1 working on music for the RAY BRADBURY Documentary, Live Forever: A Ray Bradbury Odyssey. For more information on Shawn Clement and to hear the music he creates in SONAR X1, visit www.clemistry.com.
Right now is the time to visit Cakewalk.com and participate in the “First Class Upgrade” program. From June 1st to June 30th, when you buy or upgrade to SONAR X1 Producer, Cakewalk will automatically bump you up to the flagship version, SONAR X1 Production Suite. In addition, Cakewalk is offering other great upgrades as well.
EMI Publishing and SONAR X1: Some Recent Sessions in the Project Studio
Why are Major Publishing Companies such as EMI seeing such great success with project studios? Because with modern technology, top talent and a good set of ears, a demo may turn into a master at any given time.
Over a year ago I had the pleasure of setting up a studio at the EMI building in the meat packing district of NYC after they chose SONAR X1 for their project studio. Since then, according to Creative VP EMI Jake Ottmann “the room has been a tremendous success” with an array of well known and developing artists from all over the world engaging in music creation.
The EMI project studio facility was primarily created for the roster of EMI artists who found themselves temporarily working in New York City. “When you’re a hit songwriter, you are traveling quite a bit and find yourself in different cities at different times,” stated Jake Ottmann. “We built this room up for top-notch artists and songwriters that are in town and need a great place to relax and write music. It’s been an awesome experience since its inception and we have seen some great success. SONAR X1 and the PC Audio Labs machine which are both the heart of the room have been rock solid for these artists and writers.”
Some of the recent artists who have been working in the audio lounge include Jay Trill, Lana Del Rey, Mathew Koma, and The Glory Days.
“Sometimes it’s a few hours here and there with the X1 room just for basic writing, and other times it’s a full on technical writing/producing session that could end up on a master, just like a recent session that went down with an affiliated artist/writer/producer who was working out of here last month.”
~Jake Ottmann (VP Creative, EMI Publishing)
When putting this writing room together, EMI made a calculated decision to go with SONAR X1 and a V-Studio 100 all powered by a tailored PC Audio Labs machine. “We were looking for a solution that covered all,” explained Richard Reuss who is head of the technical team for EMI. “We wanted something that covered it all delivered in one box. We didn’t want to get into purchasing plug-ins from one company, and then synths from another; we decided on SONAR X1 Producer not only for everything it comes with, but also for the way the workflow exists in the program.” “Our writers are very unique and diverse,” added Jake Ottmann. “SONAR X1 is not only a cutting edge recording tool, but also an amazing writing tool as well, and that was very important to us in our decision; not to mention the fact that the stock plug-ins, synths and drum modules are just as good as, if not better than anything else on the market. It’s been working so well for us that our in-house audio team has been using it for post-house related projects as well – we’re pretty psyched to get this much mileage out of the system.”
Although EMI Music Publishing has a huge facility for office space, it was obvious to the staffers that there was not going to be a lot of square footage allocated to this music room. “I think one of the selling points for us was the fact that we don’t have a ton of room in this spot [the room itself], so having the Pro Channel on every track to get a big console sound without the console is huge for us,” explained Richard Reuss who has been a longtime SONAR user.
SONAR X1 continues to be the choice for leading creative institutions such as EMI Publishing. It’s also the go-to D.A.W. for many creative producers, songwriters and artists who want to be inspired by their system. Right now, you can get a great deal with the SONAR X1 First Class Upgrade promotion that will help you to create radio-ready tracks.
Mixing and Mastering a Song Using only the Z3TA+ Effects Engine in SONAR
One of the great aspects about SONAR X1 is that it’s a very diverse D.A.W. There are so many different ways to create music and it’s great for people who like to experiment with sounds and develop unique sonic pallets. One of the main reasons why many pro users choose SONAR is because there are a lot of veiled jewels and tools that help musicians to sculpt a unique and individualized sound.
Similar to the Beatscape Content articles that were posted, I decided to dive into another one of my favorite hidden treasures of SONAR of which some people may not be aware; the pristine and fat FX engine of Z3TA+ that can be used as a standard VST effects unit.
When I first started using SONAR I loved the fact that it came with so many great VST plugins. It wasn’t until 6 months into using the program when someone pointed out to me that you could use the Z3TA+ synth as an actual VST effect anywhere you use regular plugins – on clips, in bins, on busses… etc. After dragging Z3TA+ onto a track I was instantly surprised at what I heard. Continue reading “Mixing and Mastering a Song Using only the Z3TA+ Effects Engine in SONAR”
Congrats to SONAR User Bobbi "Funkee Boy" Tammaro who Hit the Billboard Charts from his Home Studio
Congratulations to Bobbi Tammaro (aka “Funkee Boy”) who is seeing some great Billboard charting success with his new self-produced/mixed full-length album titled “Philosoulphy” which was created entirely in SONAR. The album is also currently the #1 most selling Smooth Jazz CD in the world on CDBABY.COM. Bobbi has an interesting SONAR story and is also a great example of the sign of the times in the modern day music industry.
For a long time, Bobbi was that guy behind the scenes; the guy that created, as well as put together great music for other major artists such as Tadros, Tenderoni and Leila. Exclusively using SONAR, he also found his way to mainstream song-placement success on shows such as Continue reading “Congrats to SONAR User Bobbi "Funkee Boy" Tammaro who Hit the Billboard Charts from his Home Studio”
Create Unique Percussion Beats with the Beatscape Factory Content In SONAR X1: Part 2; ProChannel
In Part 1 of this blog series, I highlighted the basic information to get the Beatscape content going in SONAR X1 Producer without using the Beatscape program. If you read that post and starting working a bit with the Beatscape content you probably found out that there’s some really good samples in there from which to draw. In this post, I will dive into a few tips and techniques and focus in on The ProChannel to show how fast and easy it is to create a more tailored sound with Beatscape content (and any other sample based content for that matter.)
For me and my style of music production, it’s all about layers and a multi-dimensional vibe. I started out like a lot of folks, on 2” tape and followed a lot of rules, but in this new digital era I rely more on my ear than I do on following fundamentals. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s more important now than ever to understand the fundamental concepts of recording and producing music, but it’s also just as important to rely on what you are hearing in relation to what you are going for. Sometimes I will start out with something that sounds quirky or not pleasing to the ear; a person in the room will look at me like I have two heads, and then within minutes they don’t even recognize what I started with.
I like to blend multiple elements together to create a “part.” In this video example by simply using the Beatscape content and The ProChannel, I will take 8 samples that sound cluttered together, and then shape them into one interesting loop that will sound more professional than where it began.
1.) I started with the basics by finding 3 kicks I liked, and 3 snares [snare and claps] I liked and shaped both using the ProChannel so that they worked well together as a groove. As you will notice, working with the ProChannel is lightning fast in terms of a workflow; everything is right there so there’s no inserting plugins or switching back and forth between screens and menus.
2.) I then arranged the snares and claps using the Smart Tool so that they created a unified part.
3.) Next, I added top loops to add depth and dimension to the groove. As you will hear, when these loops are first pulled into the mix they are very prominent and overbearing. Again using the ProChannel I was able to quickly sculpt these top loops to add character to the groove as a whole. Using the Smart Tool once again, I copied over one of the loops and reversed it to set up a dramatic effect.
4.) Finally, using the ProChannel I called up a mastering Preset which instantly added thickness, volume and control over the whole new loop.
In this video you will see and hear not only how great the Beatscape content is, but also how powerful the ProChannel is in terms of sound, workflow, speed and ease of use. There’s a solid reason behind the fact that SONAR X1 is buzzing in the music industry. There’s no other DAW on the market that covers the territory of SONAR X1 Producer. If you are serious about music creation and production, go to our Dealer Finder here and pick up an investment in yourself and your future; The SONAR X1 Production Suite.