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Sonic State Gets First Look at A-PRO Series

Sonic State was first on the scene at the NAMM Show this weekend to get an exclusive look at the new USB Keyboard Controllers. Brandon Ryan demos the 49-key controller, the A-500 PRO, along side SONAR 8.5’s Session Drummer 3 virtual instrument.

Whether you’re using SONAR, Logic, Ableton Live, Cubase, Digital Performer, Garage Band, or Pro Tools, these keyboards and the included Production Plus Pack instruments are Mac and PC compatible. If you’re using SONAR, exclusive Active Controller Technology keeps you in the flow and focused on your music. If you’re using another DAW, the keyboards ship with a variety of built-in control maps designed to get you using the A-PRO as a control surface quickly.

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New Products Announced At The NAMM Show 2010

NAMMThe 2010 NAMM Show is off to an exciting start as Cakewalk announces several new products to our line of fully-integrated software and hardware solutions for music creation and recording! Click the links below to learn how these products can benefit your music production needs:

New Line of Keyboard Controllers
Cakewalk introduces the new A-PRO Series, USB MIDI Controllers for Mac and PC. The A-300 Pro (32-key), A-500 Pro (49-key) and A-800 Pro (61-key) are brand new keyboard controllers developed in conjunction with Roland. The A-PRO series focuses on intuitive real-time performance and ergonomic playability, making it a must-have controller for soft-synths in a live or studio setting.  This new line gives musicians the best of both worlds: Cakewalk’s legendary ease of use and Roland’s world-class engineering and keyboard expertise.

FA-66 Firewire Audio Interface
Cakewalk introduces the FA-66, a compact and portable 6-in/6-out FireWire 400/800 audio interface designed for mobile recording and performance professionals.  This unit has two XLR/TRS combo inputs with phantom powered mic preamps, with one offering Hi-Z for recording electric guitar or bass, plus two RCA inputs — all with zero latency direct monitoring. The FA-66 package includes Cakewalk’s Production Plus Pack, featuring SONAR 8.5 LE recording software (Windows only) and 3 high quality virtual instruments for Mac & PC: Rapture LE, Cakewalk SoundCenter, and Studio Instruments Drums. The FA-66 is a must have for a wide range of applications, from recording guitar or vocals in mobile or studio settings to connecting a mixer to a computer.

New Mobile Studio Canvas
Cakewalk’s Mobile Studio Canvas for Mac and PC, and standalone performance is the first of its kind in the Cakewalk hardware family. Capable of producing over 1,000 sounds, the Mobile Studio Canvas includes the Roland SD-50 Sound Module, redesigned GM (General MIDI) 2, and Roland’s Solo Tones sounds. Fitted with a USB memory drive, the studio canvas can playback MP3, WAV, AIFF, and MIDI files without a computer. It’s a 2-in/2-out audio interface as well as a 1×1 MIDI interface that ships with SONAR 8.5 LE recording software (for Windows only), perfect for musicians looking for a multi-purpose sound source and/or playback device.

Visit the Cakewalk website to view our NAMM Press Releases

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TUAW.com, the Unofficial Apple Weblog, Explores the Versatility of V-Studio 100

Mac+VS100_v1Josh Carr, a reporter for the unofficial Apple weblog, TUAW.com, is slowly migrating from his analog mixer to the world of digital audio workstations. In studio, Josh uses Logic Pro for his music production needs. During the past two weeks, he has managed to learn the ins and outs of the V-Studio 100 as a DAW Controller and SD Recorder. In his review, Josh comments on how versatile the unit really is:

“When you toss in the SD card of your choosing, you’re able to record individual tracks for later synchronization… set it up at your latest show and record it for critiquing or a low budget live album… you can even toss an already-produced track from your computer onto the SD Card and use if for live playback… if you’re a one man band like me.”

Keeping the holiday season in mind, Josh recommends the V-Studio 100 as a great gift for the musician making the jump from analog mixer to DAW controller and for someone setting up a home studio on a budget.

Read Josh’s full review of Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 at TUAW.com

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An Affordable Alternative for Mobile Recording

VS-100-Multiple_Screenshots_Black_BGRecording your music, whether on the road or in studio, can be a costly venture. Expenses for instruments, equipment, session time and sound engineers can land you in serious debt. Many of today’s musicians take the DIY approach, either hiring friends in the biz or building their own home studios, to save time, money and resources.

Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 is a perfect companion for the ‘new age’ musician. An all in one portable music studio, the V-Studio 100 is a high quality audio and MIDI interface, DAW controller, digital mixer and SD Recorder. You can take the unit to a live gig, plug in your instruments, and record the entire show with an SD card. With it’s on-board effects (Reverb, EQ, Compression), the V-Studio 100 doubles as a digital mixer during your live performance. Prefer to record in your home studio? The V-Studio 100 is also Mackie-control friendly, compatible with both Mac and PC DAWs.

As described in the latest issue of Tape Op, the V-Studio 100 is a “very cost-effective package for recording.” The reviewer, Alan Tubbs, goes on to say, “I’m sure you could rig up a similar system out of various components, but it wouldn’t be as compact and would most likely cost more.”

Pick up the latest issue of Tape Op magazine to learn how Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 can save you more than just a few dollars.

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Recording Magazine Features USB Interfaces in Gift Guide

Recording Magazine, Dec 09 COVERIn a few days, Recording Magazine will release their annual ‘Holiday Gift Guide’ (December 2009) with 30+ reviews on today’s most desirable audio products. Cakewalk is honored to have made the list with our new line of affordable USB Interfaces.

Compact and versatile, these Audio & MIDI interfaces are perfect for those just starting out with home recording and those looking for another piece to add to their gig bag. Priced just under $100, these items feature a variety of I/O options, included software bundles and are Snow Leopard & Windows 7 ready!

Pick up Recording Magazine at your local bookstore (US only) or visit online at RecordingMag.com

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How Windows 7 Will Effect Your Music Production?

borthwick2Cakewalk Chief Technical Officer Noel Borthwick, a noted expert on Windows platforms, covers crucial topics around the introduction of Windows 7, such as compatibility with Cakewalk products, issues in upgrading from Windows XP and related points of interest for PC users.

For an in-depth look at Windows 7 and how it might affect your use of Cakewalk products, check out Noel’s Q & A below. Also, see Peter Kirn’s article at Create Digital Music for more  insightful tips on Windows 7.

Continue reading “How Windows 7 Will Effect Your Music Production?”

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Mac Expert Recommends V-Studio 100, Loves Sound Quality

VS100-front-blackFormer MacWorld Editor at Large Jim Dalrymple has followed Apple and it’s myriad of products for decades. As a writer and seasoned guitar player, Dalrymple tracks the latest developments in music creation and recording products on his blog, ‘The Loop’. A few weeks ago, Dalrymple  got his ‘hands on’ the V-Studio 100; plugging in his Guitar and taking it for a spin. Visit The Loop to read his review.

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Blog Critics Calls The V-Studio 100 A One Stop Shop!

VS-100-Front-Top-ReflectionThere was a time when building a studio meant that you needed a lot of space and a lot of equipment. Today, depending on your needs, there are plenty of ways to create a working music studio without exhausting space and money. T. Michael Testi explains that with the V-Studio 100, you can record, edit, mix and master your tracks with one space-saving device. Not only it is expandable but the V-Studio 100 is flexible, integrating nicely with all major DAWs on Mac and PC.

“Through the Mackie Control Support you can use (the V-Studio 100 with) other DAW software to handle the load. When you are in Active Controller Technology (ACT) mode you will have more advanced control with the SONAR software. All you have to do is press the ACT button and you will be able to control the parameters of plug-ins that support the ACT function.”

Continue reading “Blog Critics Calls The V-Studio 100 A One Stop Shop!”

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Cakewalk's V-Studio 100 Gets New Snow Leopard Drivers

Mac-Snow-LeopardToday, Cakewalk continues Mac compatibility with the release of new Snow Leopard Mac Operating System (version 10.6) device drivers for the V-Studio 100 portable music production system. The new Snow Leopard drivers are also available for the UA-1G audio interface and UM-1G, UM-2G, UM-3G MIDI interfaces. More hardware drivers will be announced soon.

Cakewalk’s Vice President of Products & Marketing Michael Hoover states:

“Mac users are loyal, and very much looking forward to the new version of their OS. In turn, Cakewalk is loyal to its Mac customers, and supporting them means staying ahead of the development curve and anticipating customer’s needs. These new drivers are just the first step in our planned support for Snow Leopard and our Mac-based consumers.”

To download the drivers for your hardware, please visit our website. Click here for more information on Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100  and Audio / MIDI Interfaces

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Cakewalk's V-Studio 100 Is All That & More!

CakewalkVS100What’s sleek, compact, and all that and a bag of chips? According to The Gadgeteer.com’s David Flowers, it’s Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100!

In his latest review, David takes the V-Studio 100 on a test drive in his home studio. With his guitar in hand, David works toward the ultimate goal of using the V-Studio 100 as a stand-alone recorder, as an interface with included production software, and as a DAW control surface to complete the final mixdown. How will did the unit perform? What did his final project sound like? Visit The Gadgeteer to read David’s review, view his exclusive photos, and learn more about the V-Studio 100.