Cakewalk Sonar 7 Studio Edition

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Category:: General Sequencers
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List of user reviews Cakewalk Sonar 7 Studio Edition

Cakewalk Sonar 7 Studio Edition By Audiofanzine FR on 12/08/2008

Getting Started: (Originally written by B7/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Very easy installation. I chose Sonar because it doesn't need any dongle (and for its price too).

I find the way tracks are presented a bit confusing. A project with several tracks requires some organization and the creation of folders otherwise it can quickly becomes a mess. Unlike other sequencers, Sonar opens dual tracks (Midi + audio) for each source. So you really have to be well-organized. Version 8 solves this problem and gives you the possibility to set a track in Rec mode while the song is being played back.

Very clear user's manual.
Suitability/Performance: The main problems start here... Sonar5 worked perfectly with the WDM drivers of my MIA sound card but now I have serious problems! ASIO compatibility doesn't seem to be quite finished yet and I don't think I'm the only user having this problem.

Midi functionality has been greatly enhanced from v5 to v7.

The effects provided are ok but I don't use them a lot since I also have an UAD DSP card.

The synths are a real plus considering the price, and their quality is good enough for demos. I don't use them because I own a lot of keyboards and sound generators.
Overall Opinion: To be honest I could get used to Sonar. I come from Logic Audio 5.5.1 and I still have problems with Sonar's shortcuts although they are freely configurable. The habit is too strong!

I'm waiting for the new v8 demo version to check if the ASIO compatibility is better. If it's not the case I will simply buy another sequencer. It makes me sick to think I will have to pay for bug fixes, or functions that have been already implemented in other products!

I tried out Tracktion's demo and even though Midi seems to be quite basic, I think it's great to have everything displayed on the screen and readily accessible, making work faster. I haven't had any system crashes but I don't compose any symphonies...

BTW the score function is very bad... when you come from Logic!

I also tested Samplitude and found it really good, but I don't want to buy a product when I know I'm only going to use 10% of its functions... And it's not the same price.

I wouldn't choose this sequencer again. I will test version 8 as soon as it comes out and if the ASIO problems are not solved yet (like on Tracktion and Samplitude) I will choose another brand.

Cakewalk Sonar 7 Studio Edition By robfeldman6 on 10/29/2008

Getting Started: Sonar 7 installs problem free on my computer. I have had to install it a few times now actually, and every time it works perfectly. Good thing, because I don't have a ton of patience with computers. I don't have any issues of compatibility with my computer. The setup is pretty simple, the screens just walk you through every part of the process and you just check off what you want or don't want. The manual for Sonar is huge and very detailed, so I would be very surprised if they missed a single thing. Documentation is very good on this program.
Suitability/Performance: My computer is a custom pre-made computer from Sweetwater. They make really fantastic computers for audio production, so mine was tailor made to work with Sonar. I am not sure how a non-audio or regular consumer computer would work with Sonar though. The performance is very good. I have seen other people run DAWs on their home computers and they can be very sluggish, and they can't run very many plug-ins. Sonar is super fast on my computer though. It does crash sometimes, but then again it seems like most DAWs do, so I don't really think that's an issue.
Overall Opinion: I have been a Cakewalk user since the DOS days. Maybe it's just because I am so used to the workflow within Sonar, but I really can't picture using a different DAW. Especially these days, Sonar is so packed full of free plug-ins and software synths that is such a ridiculously good value. I really think this is by far the best DAW out there, I will stand by that. It's an extremely good value for how easy it is to get pro results and for how much bonus software you get. I would make the same DAW choice again if I had to.

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