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April Is SONAR Home Studio 7 Month!

Network! Network! NETWORK! If you want to get ahead in any industry, the key is to look for new contacts and more knowledge. Check out the following sites to meet and learn from others in the Music Industry and YOU could win a FREE SONAR Home Studio 7!

Created in 1995, Gbase.com was one of the first gear-dedicated web sites. Since then, Gbase.com has become the ultimate benchmark for used and vintage equipment. Visitors from around the world have purchased guitars, drums, amps, effects pedals, basses, and more from their global dealer network.

StudioTraxx provides instant access to a vast global network of musicians-for-hire that are ready to work and collaborate via the web. Launched in March 2007, StudioTraxx is focused on creating new work opportunities for studio musicians while providing competitive music production outsourcing solutions to artists, labels, and others. StudioTraxx musicians consist of some of the finest music studios, production companies, and independent musicians from around the world.

If you become a member of Studiotraxx.net or GBase.com, during the month of April, you will be entered automatically into the SONAR Home Studio 7 Giveaway Sweepstakes!

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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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Artist Impression: DJ Johnny Juice on V-Studio 100

Producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, and long time SONAR expert, Johnny Juice was an original member of the Bomb Squad at the age of 15, and has been doing productions for Public Enemy, Reverend Run, and countless others ever since.

The man is always working; his credo is “sleep is for the dead,” so he’s always looking for tools that speed up his workflow, travel with him,  and sound great…and if they can combine more than one function in one device, even better.

Because of his long history with SONAR and relentless schedule, we asked Juice to put the V-Studio 100 through its paces. Watch the video to find out if it passed his test.

“This unit is ridiculous.   I can bounce with it on the road and use it for backing tracks AND recording, and then import my work when I get back to my studio right from the SD card.”

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Sparks The Rescue Set To Release New Album in May

Sparks The Rescue, is an incredibly high energy group of guys in their early 20’s from Portland, Maine. They’re constantly touring and constantly writing. Having logged over 200 shows throughout New England alone, Sparks The Rescue has shared the stage with Hawthorne Heights, Just Surrender, As Tall As Lions, Dave Melillo, Roses Are Red, Stretch Arm Strong, and plenty of others.

Inspiration can strike at the oddest times, and when you’re always on the road, chances are there isn’t a good solution around to get that idea down in a usable form.  That’s why we let them check out the SONAR V-Studio 100.

“The V-Studio 100 is allowing us to write our second record on the road while touring in support of our first record.  This thing is built for the modern musician.”

Keep an ear out for a full-length album coming soon from Sparks the Rescue on Fearless Records.  And check back at this space for their video impression of the V-Studio 100.

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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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Produce Robotic, Metallic Sounds with SONAR Vocoder

Robin Kelly’s latest video shows you how to use Pentagon, one of SONAR’s soft-synths, as a vocoder. A vocoder is an audio processor also known as a “talking synthesizer”. It analyzes speech, transforms it into electronically-transmitted information and recreates it into robotic, mechanical sounds. Vocoders can be heard in recordings by Cher, Beastie Boys, Kid Rock and Lil Wayne.

View more of Robin’s videos and tech tips.

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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

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Stokes Audio: Mixing & Post Production for Film

Stokes Audio, Recording & Post mixed the soundtrack to BET’s latest TV-to-film release, Nite Tales (as seen on BET Halloween) with SONAR. Hosted by Flavor Flav, it’s a ‘shockingly twisted’ double feature horror flick, reminiscent of the Tales from the Crypt series. Nite Tales is now available on DVD.

Stokes Audio is currently working on remixing the soundtrack for the documentary, Why We Laugh, shows at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Why We Laugh, directed by Robert Townsend, is a ‘sweeping account’ of the ebb and flow of black comedy in America.

Stokes Audio: The Independent Filmmakers Best Friend

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Tune Up Your Production Skills with SONAR 8 Help Guides

StreamWorks Audio Offers Complete SONAR 8 Video Tutorial

Whether you are a beginner, just learning the ropes, or a more seasoned veteran of SONAR, this video tutorial leaves nothing out and offers lots of valuable information to get you up and running quickly.

You will learn how to setup your computer for optimal performance, master SONAR’s new user interface & advanced recording and editing techniques, use effects, dial in software instruments, mix down tips & techniques, and much more!

StreamWorks’s SONAR 8 Tutorial: Now Available in HD

SONAR 8 Power! by Scott Garrigus

SONAR 8 Power! is the ideal reading companion for SONAR 8, featuring detailed information that even the most experienced user will benefit from. New users will start from the beginning and learn everything they need to know to use SONAR 8 for recording, editing, producing, mixing, and bringing their music to the masses. Upgraders will learn all about the new features in SONAR 8 as well as enhancements made to existing features that may affect their current production workflow.

Learn how to use AudioSnap, Session Drummer 2, and V-Vocal

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When in Rome: Produce Live Music

From time to time, Engineer and Owner of Scadge Productions, Trev Wilkins, gives us a brief update from his travels on the road and in studio. Here’s the latest:

“After several weeks of hard work, we’ve now got the audio for the DVD of Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes- Live in Rome, all mixed and mastered and ready to go on to the video.

The whole process was done in SONAR 8 and involved much automation and editing as the show was recorded completely live using regular ‘stage’ mics. None of it was set up specifically for recording and I just took the signals from Direct Outs on the live console. Hopefully, the DVD will be available soon so I’ll post an update when I know that it’s on sale.

We took a few photos to mark the occasion. Back left, is Gerry Hogan (pedal steel player) with Brian Hodgson (bassist) from the band, who mixed the sound with me. They’re just about to start their tour and with Albert receiving another Grammy award they’re heading for another great year.

After working solidly for weeks now, I’m hoping to get this weekend off. Our next project is with Neil Innes as we help him prepare for his tour of the USA.”

To read all of Trev’s updates, visit: https://noelborthwick.com/cakewalk/tag/scadge-productions/.