Cakewalk Sonar 7 Producer Edition

Sonar 7 installs very easily. The installation is intuitive, and a good amount of customization options are presented throughout the install. Cakewalk is a company that is on the leading edge of DAW creation, so they of course have drivers for every windows version you'd want to use, including 64-bit editions. I had no compatibility issues thanks to that. The general configuration is as simple or complex as you want it to be, which is one reason I love Sonar. You can customize this program so much that if you spend a little time with it, it can easily provide the best workflow of any DAW on the market - including the "industry standard" protools. The manual is of course very large because the scope of what this very powerful program can do, but it is also very thorough.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I run Sonar on a Windows XP system with an Intel motherboard, dual core Intel processor, 4GB of Ram, an 80GB Raptor hard drive for audio and 3 500GB data drives, and I use a MOTU 896HD as the interface. It works great in this configuration. Sonar is quite efficient, and with my computer I pretty much never run out of CPU headroom - and I use a LOT of plug-ins - including CPU intensive ones like Altiverb and the Waves bundle. Sonar also of course lets you adjust latency, so you can squeeze more perfomance out that way. I will say that now and again you enconter a bug in Sonar. Usually cakewalk patches it up within a few months, and usually they are not a big deal. But that is one caveat to this program. However, most of the time if you have a crash, Sonar 7 lets you make an emergency save of your project, so you rarely lose data between that and the auto-save feature.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using Sonar in its various forms for about 5 years. I love how customizable it is, and the fact that it comes with SO many useful features such as time stretching, pitch correction, a ton of soft synths, a nice midi editor, multiple clips per audio track, etc. I have used all of the major DAWs, and Sonar blows them all out of the water if you asked me. It's a shame it's not more popular, as it really should overtake protools. It seems to be getting more frequent use though. The value is a no-brainer - you get so much with this DAW, that you save a ton of money on other software that becomes not quite so essential when you consider all the nice bundled plug-ins and soft-synths. I would definitely buy it again. Also - Cakewalk has great customer service, and their web forum is very active with knowledgeable users. So if you have a problem, expect to have a solution very quickly. Sonar rocks!

Very easy installation. The only issue is the management of audio interfaces. It's automatic, so much the better, because after there is plenty of possible settings but can find no explanation for how he would choose to best settings. The manual is very well done, in the language of Molière (thank you!). It is certain that for this kind of software, it does not use any, and suddenly, we quickly lose their dens but a simple glance at the record and found our way of working ...

FITNESS / PERFORMANCE

3GH dual core with 2GB of Ram and a few disks (VSL to accommodate a bank!). It works very well with all my plug-ins, virtual instruments, my ... I use to mix 10 tracks around with audio effects and here runs smoothly even with anti-virus in the background ...
No bugs, as always with Cakewalk I'm almost from the beginning (of the time here called twelve tones and all versions of Sonar)

NOTICE GLOBAL

I use Sonar depusi over 10 years and so is my overall opinion:
- What I like: stability, true upgrades, quality effects, ergonomics, manual and support
- Which should be improved: the "score" view (far partition software), monitoring of virtual instruments (each version, they abandon the old and new ... proposnet), release space on the main window (we quickly mini windows that hide the bottom of the screen), the snap audio (it takes aspirin with!), the rcherhce plug-ins and virtual instruments ( it's long!).

Install there's simply has to follow the standard steps.
No imcompatibilit meeting so far (except with Morphoder Waves ltd which is no longer recognized southward, from S3 S4 but works in my Wintruc surely makes his).
As with any sequencer configure the sound card in, opt, audio buffer sizes for the entries etc ... He used outputs indicate which midi utiliss for the rest it is configurable in its own way windows, console etc ...
The manual is very clear and in the language of Moliere.

ADQUATION / PERFORMANCE

Config
Intel P4 2.8 Ghz
2GB DDR2 400Mhz
Asus P4P 800
3 HDD SATA 7200 / min 40Gosystem, 80GB for my Sequences and External USB2 160 for external backup
The software works great as his predecessors (some crashes has plugins or abuse by me, gender play, stop, mute while the samples of EZD load and as I type on my midi keyboard to see if the sounds that load I like, what impatience !!!). With approx 15, 16 stereo track some effects and 4 limiters on buses, 4 or 5pistes noon approx 30% CPU and disk about 3% (but you have to play with the size buffers for playing virtual instrumentals and then read all these tracks, fortunately ca freez strong since S6)
Config rather steady

NOTICE GLOBAL

Used for approx 3 weeks
The thing I miss always in sonar (which is not much but good) would be the possibility to open multiple console windows 1for Bus 1 for Master And as much as we wish for groups.
For me Freez function is what was missing was the most S5, the Sonitus result is not bad, virtual instrumentals are bons.Cela says I work with real essentielement so many things that make instruments out thanks to my PC and Preamps Bass guitar effects and a Triton and 01V.
I started on the Atari 1040ST with cubase, a revolution for me was the era of my 4pistes then came only Cakewalk pm (Berk I had not liked at all) Since the DAW, worthy of the name is, apart from a very passing regretted Cucase SX I was faithful Cakewalk.
Qualit money.
Well everything is relative (a his wallet) if we had an overview is the level and the platform (PC), the choice for this type of benefit is limited Sonar, Cakewalk, Samplitude or Cubase wholesale. (Because ProTools LE are "THE" and operate with hardware dedi unless I am mistaken, and the others are either electro axs or live) The price of realit software jammais not only happens, it will along with a good map and are dedi PC but in the end all offers more flexible services that station works like Roland V something or Korg thing good thing moin user friendly. In short I get there and said, the Q / P rappot is rather good (ca was worth the blow to write all this for "ca"
Without hesitating, I make this choice since Cakewalk 9 so for almost 10 years ... Just like most Ricans that I am not fond particulirement but zik have to go to the evidence qed !!!

- Installation is it without problem?
No problem, simple installation.
- Have you experienced any incompatibility?
No, the page now Cakewalk VST level.
- The configuration gnrale is easy?
Bein's sonar. If we get used to this simple matter of time.
- Is the software stable?
A priori it is. Too bad it does not exist on mac. It would seem that sonar is more stable than windows ...
INTERESTED option, it makes an automatic backup when the software crashes.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

- What is the configuration of your computer?
Motherboard: Asus M2V
Processor: AMD, Socket AM2, Athlon 4200 dual core 64-bit
Memory: 4 GB Kingston 667 mhz speed (Windows XP 32-bit is recognized only 3.25 GB)
HDD: Seagate 320 GB
Sound Card: Edirol UA-700 (USB1.1, a little old but works well)

- The software works he correctly on this configuration?
Perfectly.

OVERALL OPINION

- How long have you use it?
1 week

- What is the particular feature you like best and least?
Most: Stabilit versatilis audio engine, small dtails software that makes it work faster.

The -: The synths are changing almost every version, short version APRS version followed in this area l.
When AudioSnap is not quite the point.
When did they pass MAC ???????

- Have you tried many other models before acqurir?
I have been using version 4

- How do you report qualitprix?
Unbeatable