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Beginner's Guide To Setting Up SONAR

Booting up music production software for the first time can be a daunting task. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the menus, tools and buttons. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to learn the basics of SONAR, check out this brief Getting Started Guide by the folks of the JSONAR Project. Here you will learn how to incorporate SONAR into your studio environment by choosing the correct options for audio setup, MIDI controllers and hardware, and default locations on your computer for your audio files. You’ll also get a simple tutorial on SONAR’s various project views and how to setup your first multitrack recording project.

The JSONAR Project is a one-of-a-kind resource for finding JAWS scripts for SONAR. JAWS is a visual aid for blind SONAR users. The program provides the visually-impaired  with a screen reader and Braille display, assisting them in the music-making process. This page is full of great tips and links for all SONAR users.

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SONAR Illuminates the Sounds of a 'Blind X-perience'

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be somebody different? To walk the proverbial ‘mile’ in someone else’s shoes? One organization, based in Hong Kong, is giving visitors an experience they could have never imagined!

Four years ago, David Begbie (DJ by preference) and the CrossRoads Foundation began an interactive crusade to educate the well-off on the life challenges of the less fortunate by placing people in simulated ‘Life X-periences.’ With props and sound effects, Begbie recreates the plights of living in a third world country, battling a deadly disease, walking the streets as a prostitute, and more.

One X-perience in particular, guides visitors around darkened rooms where sound and touch are the only senses they can rely on. Aptly named, the ‘Blind X-perience’, the visitors feel for props and listen to sounds of an African village. At the center of these X-periences is Cakewalk’s audio sequencer SONAR, delivering a series of sound cues for the different scenes.

Take a look at Pro Audio-Central’s article on the CrossRoads Foundation’s Life X-periences to learn more about this enlightening exhibit.

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Future Music Captures Demo of V-Studio 100

Future Music Magazine met up with Cakewalk’s Brandon Ryan in Frankfurt, Germany at Musikmesse 2009 in March. Brandon was demonstrating the many functions of SONAR V-Studio 100, giving them a tour of all the knobs, buttons and controls. Watch the video below to get a close up look at Cakewalk’s own Swiss Army Knife:

Sonar Studio VS100 demo at Musikmesse from will seelig on Vimeo.

Please see our latest post about SONAR V-Studio 100 for more information on this product.

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SONAR 8 Review: Make Music Professionally At Home

Today’s musicians face a tough job market and an even worse economy. To cut the production costs of making and recording their music, many musicians are building their own DIY recording studios at home. These studios are creating some of the industry’s best tracks with off-the-shelf yet extremely powerful software and hardware solutions.

In response to this growing trend, Mark Eustace from This is Tamworth (an all things local publication of the Tamworth Herald, UK) recently took a look at SONAR 8, calling it “a raft of virtual instrument, effects, plug-ins, and all the production tools you would ever need to record and master your own hit record.”

Discover the power of SONAR 8 with Mark Eustace in the latest edition of This is Tamworth.

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Cakewalk Attends Unique Beats Festival in Scotland

On Saturday May 30, 2009: Cakewalk and Edirol will show off their latest gadgets at the Roxy Arthouse in Edinburgh, Scotland at the first annual Unique Beats Festival. This all day festival – sponsored by Red Dog Music – is dedicated to promoting all forms of electronic music making and will include many spectacular live performances, audio-visual displays and workshops. Some of the industry’s biggest names will be on hand to display their cutting-edge tools for music production while live sets will be performed by some of the best electronic artists around!

Throughout the day, Cakewalk product specialists will be demonstrating the SONAR V-Studio 700 and SONAR V-Studio 100 music-making systems while Edirol will be showcasing it’s video products including the V-8 mixer and P-10 visual presenter.

Live appearances throughout the day and evening will include Europe’s budding musicians; Christ, Frog Pocket, Joe Acheson Quartet, ESPion, Morphamish and many more. There will be plenty of audio-visual treats scattered around the event. Unique Beats attendees will benefit from exclusive deals on gear from Red Dog and will be entered to win a myriad of music making equipment, including Cakewalk’s Sonar 8 Producer!

Visit the Unique Beats Festival official website for more information.

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'Making Electronic Music' Gets A Whole New Meaning

We came across this video on Youtube posted by BD594 in Toronto, Canada and thought we’d pass it along. It’s a fantastic representation of how difficult creating music with the computer once was.

Although, there are times when you’d rather throw the computer out the window than lay down one more track, using software has become much easier than making the old hardware sing.

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Bonjour! Roland Europe & SONAR V-Studio Systems Visit France

Across the pond, Roland Central Europe has been very busy showing the new SONAR V-Studio 700 and 100 systems to potential dealers and aspiring producers. On April 23rd, Roland’s Cedric Verchere visited the world-renown school for multimedia, the SAE Institute in Paris, France.

French R & B Producer, Zoheir Mokkedem, was on hand giving live demonstrations, showing the audience how to make beats in SONAR 8.  Zoheir is most known for his work with French chart-topper, Nadiya.  He co-wrote, programmed and produced two songs on her platinum-selling, breakthrough album, Flashback. Both songs were tracked in SONAR.

Also in attendance was Loic, the founder of the first French SONAR users community, www.sonarfrance.com. Cedric was glad to finally meet him.

Like Zoheir and Loic, professional producers and musicians worldwide choose SONAR for its 64-bit audio engine, intuitive user interface, ease of creating tracks and beats, and ability to control EQ, effects and synths with ACT for their music production needs.

Roland Central Europe will make two more stops in France this spring. Check out the schedule below for more details:

Univers Clavier Percu
3, Rue du General de Gaulle
Brumath, FR
Clinic: Monday, May 25 at 3:00pm
+03 88645911

Aux Guitares
63 Avenue de Belgique
Illzach, FR
Clinic: Tuesday, May 26 at 3:00pm
+03 89464638

ALSO…  Watch for Nadiya’s new album, Electron Libre, featuring former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland and the “Latin Casanova,” Enrique Iglesias.

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ASCAP Expo 2009: Aspiring Producers & Industry Professionals Talk Trade

I guess day #2 technically starts at midnight, so I will take it from there where we were fortunate enough to land some passes to the ASCAP celebratory dinner and party at The Highlands on Hollywood Boulevard. Steve Thomas and I had a great time catching up with some CPU’s (Cakewalk Pro Users) including Vivek Maddala, Wendy Starland, Justin Lassen and Chuck Carr. 

We also got a chance to hang with our friend Jake Ottmann of EMI publishing who is overseeing our installment of the new V-100 and SONAR Producer into the EMI US Headquarters in New York City. 

ASCAP did an amazing job putting together a round of some pretty heavyweight songwriters who took turns banging out their hits in a very informal and interesting setting.  There is something so cool about hearing hit songs performed by the actual people who wrote them and not the people who you hear perform them on the radio.  It was a great night and it’s obvious that this ASCAP Expo is on its way to becoming one of the most respected music conferences in the US.

The morning came pretty quickly and just when I thought we would have a tough time matching up to the production quality of yesterday’s home studio master-class with Giovanni Lauren, in stepped Mr. Shawn Clement who scored a 30 second Land Rover spot in front of a packed house all day. 

Continue reading “ASCAP Expo 2009: Aspiring Producers & Industry Professionals Talk Trade”

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Cakewalk's Bob Damiano Takes Center Stage

Cakewalk’s Director of Engineering Bob Damiano, or the artist known as Roberts Reason, was recently featured as the Center Stage artist on the Saturday Night Rocks internet radio show at Mixposure.com. Bob is a seasoned guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and engineer who has been playing in bands since he was 15 years old. When not behind the scenes at Cakewalk, Bob runs Rock Science Studios.

The program director for Saturday Night Rocks is Mike Kohlgraf, a SONAR fan and Cakewalk forum member.

Take a listen to the show here.

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Cakewalk Hosts Masterclass at ASCAP EXPO 2009

ASCAP’s Annual “I Create Music” EXPO is a three day event taking place next Thursday April 23 through Saturday April 25 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. It is the one place where serious songwriters, composers and producers alike can connect face to face at panels, workshops, performances, exhibitor demos, one-on-one sessions and networking events.

This year, Cakewalk is hosting live demonstrations on the new SONAR V-Studio 700 given by Product Specialist Seth Perlstein and an exciting new masterclass in a fully-functional on-location studio!

Cakewalk Modern Music Creation & Demo Room

 Expert producers and music creators will be using the award winning SONAR V-Studio 700 to exemplify different techniques, tips and tricks for the modern recording musician. Cutting edge technology is allowing creative people to take control of their music and turn demos into finished masters; this is the place to ask questions and learn.

The Home Studio Master ClassIn sessions taught throughout the day, pieces of music will be recorded by a producer and engineer and developed in a fully-functional on-location studio. Featured studio tools and products to include Auralex Acoustics, Behringer, Blue Microphones, Cakewalk, Gibson, iZotope, NightBird Studios, Roland, Solid State Logic and West LA Music. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to get a close-up view of the Home Recording process.

Thursday: Constructing & Recording a Unique Track that Cuts Through the Pack with Producer/Composer Gionvanni Loria

Friday: Composing & Producing for Film & TV with Producer/Composer Shawn Clement and Producer/Musician Justin Lassen

Saturday: Writing, Producing, & Recording a Contemporary Pop-Rock Song with Producers Jimmy Landry, Brandon Ryan and Jorg Kohring (from the band, Orbit Monkey) as well as Guest Artist Cori Yarckin

ASCAP EXPO 2009: Schedule of Events