SeriesCakewalk Sonar

I have been using the Sonar family of DAWs for years now starting out with Sonar 7 Studio. I have Sonar X2 Producer now installed on a new AMD 8 core system with 32 gigs of RAM on a SSD. There were no issues whatsoever with the installation or the operation of the program on the Windows 8 operating system. I have been part of the upgrade program for years and received this version through digital download so there were no instructions included with the purchase, everything is accessible online however. I had received the X1 and the 8.5 upgrades with a manual but those were only about 100 pages and pale in comparison to the virtual 1000 page documents available online. Basically if you have a question there is an answer available online and I am actually glad those thinned versions have stopped being supplied as they always left more questions then answers. As for the configuration and accessibility, you really just need to dive in with a practice run to get familiar with everything. There are so many features and plugins out of the box that it can seem overwhelming but the system is actually very intuitive to use and a modest amount of effort will pay off in a good working understanding of the programs features. This is a professional grade system so the more time you spend using it the deeper your understanding will become and the more polished your results will be. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I have been using this since I built my new computer in March of 2013. I can say that once you get the buffers set up properly the system is very stable and the latency is minimal to the point of being a non issue. I have a current project in the works that is in excess of 48 tracks now with many plugins and virtual instruments going and it performs like a champ. Obviously anyone that does not save often is simply foolish on any program but I rarely run into a problem with a full crash and any problem usually is solved with a reset of the audio engine inside the program. I am using a Komplete audio 6 for an interface and function as a solo artist. I cannot state this enough if you set the DAW up properly it will perform properly and high levels of performance are dependent on your hardware as much as the software. I would say this is my favorite incarnation of the Sonar family as of yet. OVERALL OPINION I love the price personally. Once you get into the producer family there are always email offers that offer upgrades at substantially reduced prices. They also give away free plugins on a regular basis. The sound to me is pristine and natural and the new audio engine has a ton of headroom. The new visual interface is the best yet a very configurable to the point where a one visual monitor system is actually possible. The monitoring is highly functional and fully configurable. There is literally everything you need to make a polished piece of music. Obviously it is upgradable with aftermarket plugins but you are provided a version of everything you need in the box. I am glad I am in this family of DAW and will never leave.

Cakewalk's Sonar X1 is their latest version of their popular DAW for the PC platform. I am reviewing the Producer version, which includes extra features, such as more built-in plugins, effects, and instruments. These include ProChannel, Session Drummer 3, Dimension Pro, Mastering Effects, Channel Strip Effects, TruePianos, and Producer Effects. The DAW, overall, features many of the things you would expect from a DAW. Unfortunately, it is not designed to work on Mac systems, which is a major letdown. There is a way to run SONAR on a Mac machine using a modified boot, but it is not supported and it is likely buggy, with many loose ends. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I've been using SONAR for several years, and each incremental version gets better, without sacrificing any compatibility or drastic changes to the graphic interface, so upgrading is never a hassle. Cakewalk regularly puts out updates to their software as well, as it is definitely still dominant and current (at least in the PC world). It can use both DirectX plugins as well as VST, and the VST plugin loader is very quick and automatic. DirectX plugins was a format that Cakewalk pushed for many years, but they have decided to go away from it, as the newer versions of their instruments, Rapture and Dimension Pro, no longer fully support the platform. Nonetheless, the software is still compatible with DirectX. It cannot load RTAS, as that is reserved for Avid's Pro Tools. SONAR X1 fully supports multi-core and 64-bit Windows operating systems, as it is one of the few DAW's that run in 64-bits and can use 64-bit plugins. This is essential if you are working with larger samples, particularly with heavyweight samplers that uses hundreds of megabytes of samples per instrument. OVERALL OPINION Overall, I would recommend Cakewalk's Sonar X1 (Producer Edition) to any home or professional studio that works exclusively in the PC operating systems. This may be a rarity in many higher end studios, which like to work in Mac's, but it is a great DAW nonetheless.

The Cakewalk Sonar V Studio 700 is a recording system that can really get your music to a high level. It has a very good interface that is very user friendly. Sonar is often compared to pro tools with its ability to master songs in it. The original version of this was called the V Studio (not 700). Then they created the V 700 a few years back to really give pro tools some competition and they did just that. Caekwalk Sonar V 700 is a high quality hard disk recording system that will give you a hands on experience of being in a real studio right in your bedroom. The quality of this product is very high and most people don’t even know it exist. I am glad to say that I have used it on several occasions and never had a bad experience with it and don’t plan on it giving me one. Each time I have used it its very easy to use and understand with out a manual. It has a little over 50 buttons that all are lighted and a full transport control. Along with LED meters for the cannels and a 2x13 inch lcd lit display that is pretty good on the eyes and wont make you strain to see it. Overall, you will have great control over the project that you are working on and you wont even need a mouse because of the joystick that it has on the front of it. It also has 9 motorized touch sensitive faders. So you can see why the Studio 700 V can compete with some of the high end pro tools hardware interfaces that they have came out with. Along with 8 XLR inputs with phantom power you will be able to get all of your gear running through. You should be very careful when deciding which device like this to go with. I think this is the best choice because of the price. You wont get a pro tools board for anywhere near this price.

cakewalk website, $299, I bought software for recording purposes. For a long time I have been searching a good software that would give a lot of flexibility with various standards in present audio industry. I like Sonar 2 because I found it extremely easy to use for my recording purposes. I use it for midi and audio recording. It is a very versatile piece of software in a price range affordable. I thought that more plugins would be included with the software. Of course there is an XL version that comes with three plugins, 2 of them for mastering, but I was hoping for a good sound generator. The one that is included I don't find particularly useful. The quality of the software is very good. It did not freeze yet and processing is very quick. There are major improvements. Before Sonar I used Guitar Studio and definitely Sonar is a way to go 1. The program is affordable 2. It is recognized as competitive software in audio industry 3. It is compatible with other softwares for transfers of files 4. It can be used for midi, audio as well as video production purposes to synchronize audio to video 5. It has a lot of effects 6. It is easy to use This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Cakewalk's SONAR. It is immediately important to note that SONAR X1 is not actually different from this version, Cakewalk SONAR 8.5 producer edition, and therefore, it is especially important to note that this program simply flows differently than X1. Unfortunately, that flow in X1 is entirely worth it, because trying to use SONAR 8.5 Producer Edition is not exactly what one would call enjoyable if you have never tried a DAW before. What is nice, however, is the fact that Cakewalk crammed so many things onto the main screen, that once everything is actually set up, the program can run extremely quickly and intuitively. I do admit I may have a slight bias, because I prefer more modern programs with a more flowy interface, rather than a giant smorgasbord of options all yelling at me and telling me to pick them. It is honestly a complete toss up, whether these programs appeal to certain users. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE What is nice about SONAR though, is that it is incredibly comprehensive. It runs incredibly lightly, and does not attack my computer like certain programs like Steinberg's Cubase does. In the end, many of the included plug ins to this program are far superior sounding to many of the included vst plug ins to any of the other digital audio workstations. What ends up happening is that this program becomes the Logic of the PC, since SONAR only runs on Windows systems. It has a comprehensive suite of virtual instruments, and its plug ins rival many commercial grade plug in suites. In the end, the only thing I can think of to take off that is that very potential lack of ease with which a person may use it. But again, it is quite a toss up. OVERALL OPINION In the end, SONAR is a very comprehensive suite that one really cannot know from a review whether it suits them or not. The truth is, I cannot really give any input on how this program flows, and you must find the program that works the best for you.

Installing Cakewalk Sonar 4 Studio Edition was quick and easy. When I was originally looking to get a digital audio workspace like this one, I decided to try a few and see which one I liked best. Sonar had no compatibility issues with my machine and the general configuration and interface of the software is user friendly and easy to follow. The manual is thorough and helpful when learning how to use this software. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I was running Cakewalk Sonar 4 on a PC Hewlett Packard lap top that had a 3 Ghz processor and 2 GB of RAM. I was able to run and record a good number of tracks at once - I believe the most I ever needed to record at once with this was eight, and I had no problems doing it. Running a high number of tracks with effects was stable, although this probably has more to do with the machine you are running it on than the software itself. This being said, if you have a decent computer to run this on, you probably won't have any stability issues. OVERALL OPINION I first used Cakewalk Sonar 4 Studio Edition about four years ago or so. Like I said before, I got it so I could shoot it out with a few other digital audio workstations, including Pro Tools and Cubase. While I decided that this was my least favorite of the three, it is still a powerful piece of software that can do most of what any other digital sequencer can do. The interface is clear and user friendly, but sometimes lacks in the in depths features that Pro Tools or Cubase SX has. The price is reasonable, and unlike Pro Tools you won't have to buy a separate audio interface, which is a huge plus for those who already own an audio interface. All in all, I would recommend those looking into getting a digital sequencer to look into a few of them that spark your interest and choose what works best for your needs!

(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.

Has all the features of any modern sequencer save - 5.1 Mixing - Midi Track Layering Both features either I have in other products, or don't need. Price paid ~$150 for upgrade By FAR the easiest Modern sequencer to use IMO. Nice 500+ page manual, details pretty much all the features. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE N/A. No native sounds, you use this to sequence those sounds ;) The Effects are OK. Nothing great. Never played it live. No major stability issues. Only when keeping latency around 2ms, and trying to max out the application. OVERALL OPINION Now that Logic is Mac only, I'll probably use Sonar for the forseeable future. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: Unknown ( 5-, 2003)

I hate the sound editor and the loop functions but the record functions are great. Its very easy to understand and has great tutorials. Its straight foward once you get used to it. Price paid $100 Its easy to use once you get used to it. I had to read the tutorials which is rare for me on most software programs. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE Its a DAW it gives what u put into it It has crashed on me several times. I dont use with it no more because of that. OVERALL OPINION Its a cool little program but after months of use I wouldnt put all my gold into this pot. Its good but Ive seen other software do me much better. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: Xabiton ( 4-, 2006)

Extemely satisfied, absolutely gorgious interface, new audio engine is rock solid, superb over all design, very high quality effects plugins included, not to mention vsampler3.0 which is indeed sweet. Price paid $179 FOR UPGRADE FROM SONAR 2 with new audio engine editing can be done on the fly(very nice feature) SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE Sound is as good as the audio card or capture.and it is compatible with quiet a few devices. Cake Walk at least in my opinion has the absolute best tech support in the buissness, very prompt and extremely helpful, great people to work with. OVERALL OPINION I've been using cakewalk since pro audio 7, Professional quality software all the way. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: Unknown (January 1-, 2003)

I can't think of anything missing. There is a VST plug in converter, included DXi synths, ReWire functions, groove clipping and looping, video editing, MIDI. It can save your project in all sorts of formats, making it cross-compatible with even Pro Tools, while Pro Tools doesn't offer the same. It's got it all, and it isn't a headache to use. I switched over from Cubase SX 2 to SONAR 3 because my sound card didn't have ASIO support, and as it turns out I never looked back. Even when the ASIO drivers became available, I had no interest in leaving SONAR. I will strongly back this product under any circumstances, and in my opinion it kills its main competitor Cubase on every level, from aesthetics and appearance to functionality and quality. Price paid: $300 USD or so SONAR is incredibly easy to use. Any producer who is forced to abandon the DAW they are used to is going to be apprehensive. My apprehension disappeared in the opening minutes of my foray into SONAR. One of my favorite features is the window right next to each channel where you insert FX. It is as easy as right clicking and choosing an effect, and you are using any of your plug ins or VSTs real time. If you are new to the game, its very easy, and if you are making the switch from another DAW, its laughable. A perfect 10, beyond the shadow of a doubt. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE The sound quality is excellent. I've used everything from Cool Edit to Logic to Pro Tools to Cubase to DP, and I would buy SONAR over every one of them for the same price. If you have the audio card and hard drive space for it, it can go right up to 192kHz/24bit. Quality-wise, it very rarely runs into problems or bugs, and hasn't lost any of my projects yet. I haven't had any problems with it that would detract from its grade, so I have to give it another 10. OVERALL OPINION I love this product. I realize I've given it straight 10's across the board, but I really think it deserves it. I can't think of any way its restricted or hindered me. It totally revitalized my interest in making and producing music. Its incredible in every way, it definitely compares to Logic and Pro Tools and is half the price. If you're a PC owner, skip PT, skip Cubase, go for SONAR. It really is a Cakewalk. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: XL83 ( 7-, 2005)

This recording software requires very little schooling to use. Similar to garageband's ease of use. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I used this on an older toshiba laptop and was able to record without much latency at all! Sometimes i do need to restart though (which is the case with every recording software). OVERALL OPINION I've utilized Sonar and Cakewalk recording programs for years. However, with the recent garageband market takeover, one may ask why they would choose this over it or why not just get protools? As a user of all of the above, I can state with confidence that it's ease of use is in between garageband and protools. It offers lot of the perks that garageband does such as built in loops (that are actually pretty usable). It comes with guitarrig 3 which is a fantastic guitar amp plugin. I've personally become a lazy engineer at times because of it. For instance, instead of throwing mics on my marshall, i'll just program the mic I would have wished I had plus choose from a multitude of different amps and cabs. My suggestion is to purchase this if you don't have a mac with garageband yet don't want to purchase protools and all the additional components you would need to work at the level Sonar offers. Plus it's going to run a lot cheaper than protools!