Cakewalk Sonar 3

Great Midi and audio capabilities - rewire, VST wrapper (built-in), and the ability to run many aux busses are great for flexibility and usefulness. The only thing that might be a hindrance is that VST instruemtns and effects must be converted to DXI using the included wrapper - but all workes perfect once it is converted. The 4.0 version has surround sound, but is truly useless for music (good for film), but 3.1 was truly the zenith of audio-only PC DAWs

Price paid

$300 crossgrade fom Cubase VST

Sonar 3.0 is very easy to use - although unless you are very aquainted with Cakewalk products, you have to read the manual. Once you understand the logic, you will not need to do anything but look throught the menus.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

The sound quality is excellent - light years ahead of Cubase VST and previous DAW iterations (old Cakewalk). The quality truly depends on your interface, but the program does not add any noise to a recoring that wasn't there ot begin with (transparent).

Never had any problems - everything works as it should.

OVERALL OPINION

The only reason I give it a "9" is due to the fact that with all DAWs, sometimes it hinders your creativity with too many menus and too much going on in the screen views.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Monkey Mouse ( 7-, 2005)

No problem indeed ...
I am Sonar since the beginning (or almost), ie the time where it was not called yet Sonar and facilities have always been easy. The Updates and upagrades are also no problem. It is very easy sound cards and configure Manire optimizes the installation without bother with.
Fortunately, however ... because rglages disponbiles to optimize incomprhensibles are ... the "Audio" menu not bad effect allows changes but it is nowhere discussed in the doc ..
Otherwise, therefore hand, the doc is very well done (in franais or English). There was a lot of illustrations that can quickly understand.

ADQUATION / PERFORMANCE

Prs we can just do everything with Sonar (I have the Producer Version: Version 7). I read from time to time trials of other sequencers and I do not see what he lacks. I will make just a small complaint when pulled too much on the machine (too many tracks and effects in real time), it does not Prevents us. Needless to crash ... a peit alert message would be nice.

The plug-ins are not too followed by against (probably from a source other than the staff of Cakewalk) rsultat, an upgrade on the other loses, or they become "has been".

NOTICE GLOBAL

I use Sonar (and his father) for over 10 years. I composed a musical comedy with.
Note also that the upgrades are always excellent quality rappport price. So he did for me a few flaws:
- The "score view" is minimalist (it would be nice chats with Sonar Finale ... see make their compatible files!)
- The main window quickly and smoothly rduites windows that can ultimately be many cram down the carn making unreadable the bottom bar.
- Would require plug-ins are evolving at the same pace as the software rather than soritr whenever new (mentioned above)
- Should be strengthened plugin noon to create automatic legato for example, or "hman effects" on batteries partitions ..
I recommend it especially because it does not crash!

The installation goes smoothly, the devices are well recognized.
Setup is fairly easy and the interface is customizable.
All my plugins are recognized after a quick scan.
Using Adobe Audition before, I did not need the manual, I found the ergonomics are pretty close.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

On a Pentium 4, no stability problems, the software runs well and displays a latency of 5ms.
Only complaint that discouraged me to use: poor recognition of the south which in my case never went any sound on a track midi drums with EZdrummer in VST. I had to select several times the entrance to the track to finally get something. I may be missing something but it took my head and suddenly I dropped.
That said when any work, this software is really nice and efficient.

OVERALL OPINION

So I used it a few months before coming under Reaper.
The interface is clear and intuitive, the CPU consumption is reasonable and there are many possibilities.
8 audio multitrack recording and a midi track without any problems once it's working, what is not systematic in my case.
I will not make that choice which forced me to much research and testing of any kind without the correct result.
I use Reaper and now I will not go into Sonar.