Boston, (September 18, 2007) — Cakewalk, the world's leading developer of powerful and easy to use products for music creation and recording, announces the feature packed release of SONAR 7 Producer Edition and SONAR 7 Studio Edition, the technology leading digital audio workstations. With SONAR 7 you get a remarkable experience that excels at every step of your production—from its inspiring, open and customizable environment, to intuitive music creation and editing tools, to polished mixing, editing and delivery—with the recognized best audio quality in the industry.
In its last two versions, SONAR set new levels for technology advances in digital audio workstations with the first true 64-bit double precision audio mix engine; Active Controller Technology™ (ACT) which changed the way musicians work with instruments and effects; AudioSnap™, the very best non-destructive audio timing/manipulation toolset; and pioneering support for multicore and x64 processing, and Windows Vista.
Now SONAR 7 Producer Edition rounds out and extends its comprehensive offering of powerful creative tools with an open and customizable environment, high-quality instruments and effects, and flexible mixing and delivery options. These new developments include user customization for MIDI with Smart MIDI Tools, the introduction of the most powerful Step Sequencer found in any DAW, true Linear Phase Mastering Plug-ins, internal sidechaining, delay compensation for external hardware through an External Insert plug-in, pitch to MIDI functionality with Roland V-Vocal 1.5, integrated CD burning, and numerous workflow and delivery enhancements throughout the application.
New Features for SONAR 7 Producer Edition:
New Creative Tools
Integrated Step Sequencer view — SONAR 7's new dedicated Step Sequencer view provides the most innovative step sequencer feature set available in any comprehensive DAW today.
Features include: up to 16 steps per beat with 64 beats per pattern; support for odd time signatures (non 4/4 meter); a powerful "Fit Pattern to Quarters" control that fits patterns into lengths of any number of quarter notes for creation of polyrhythmic parts (5 against 4 rhythms, hemiolas, septuplets, etc.); control velocity offset and scale values in an entire row all at once; MIDI controller automation drawing; step ties; monophonic/polyphonic toggle switch; global portamento toggle switch with time control; swing and articulation controls.
Integration with SONAR's advanced Drum Mapping and MIDI routing provides capabilities for simultaneously triggering sounds from different instruments from the same step sequencer—perfect for working with complex or layered drum kit setups with sounds sourced from different instruments.
Smart MIDI Tools — Smart MIDI Tools revolutionizes SONAR's MIDI editing by providing users with a powerful and customizable workflow innovation. Users are given three tools which can each be configured to perform multiple operations to suit their editing style. By providing capabilities to perform multiple MIDI operations without the need to switch tools, Smart MIDI Tools greatly speeds SONAR users' editing sessions.
Out of the box, SONAR provides three preconfigured Smart MIDI Tools; the default tool can be used to draw, select, erase, and edit notes and controllers. Users can create their own Smart MIDI Tool presets by selecting from 20 different mouse actions and assigning them to edit functions such as slip-editing and transposition, and new MIDI editing features including split, glue, event mute, and drag quantize. Users are also given control over specific edit behavior: change the way draw and erase works, it's all user-definable.
Custom Smart MIDI Tool assignments can be saved as presets and apply to both the Piano Roll View and the Inline Piano Roll. SONAR 7 also includes presets that match MIDI operations in other popular applications such as Logic, Cubase, and Digital Performer for customers who are switching to SONAR from these applications.
Other SONAR MIDI enhancements
New Instruments — with Cakewalk's acquisition of RGC:audio in 2005, synth-development legend René Ceballos joined the Cakewalk development team. As a result of our continued collaboration and development, SONAR 7 now offers one of the most comprehensive and best sounding instrument collections available today. New instruments for SONAR 7 include Dimension LE, DropZone, Rapture LE, and Z3TA+ 1.5. With these additions, SONAR 7 now includes well over 1000 new instrument sounds and 1 GB of sample content.
Internal Plug-in Sidechaining — Leveraging SONAR's Universal Bus Architecture framework, SONAR now supports internal sidechaining (multi-input plug-in support) with the Sonitus:fx Compressor, Sonitus:fx Gate, VC-64 Vintage Channel, and all sidechain compliant VST processors such as those available from Voxengo and Sonalksis.
Sidechaining support provides users with more flexibility and control over mix processes and new creative options for key-triggered sound effects. SONAR's internal dynamics processors can be used more effectively to avoid the clashing of multiple instruments occurring in the same frequency range. Other common uses include "Ducking" a technique used in radio broadcast, where the input signal, usually a vocal triggers the attenuation of the backing music track; and filter-sidechain de-essing for attenuating sibilance typically present in the 4-8kHz frequency range without effecting the tonal balance of the entire mix.
LP-64 EQ linear phase mastering EQ — LP-64 EQ is the linear-phase Equalizer that puts a professional sheen on your final mix. The LP-64 EQ employs superior linear-phase processing to ensure zero-phase accuracy and maintain the integrity of audio throughout the frequency spectrum. LP-64 EQ's phase accurate processing eliminates phase distortion common with parametric EQ, such as coloration, cancellations, comb filtering, muddy transients.
LP-64 EQ offers flexibility in editing by offering both traditional parametric editing with graphical control points representing filter components that control frequency, gain, and Q; and a graphical curve editing mode. This graphical mode allows for more intuitive editing where control points rest directly on the equalization curve, and provide smooth means for curve manipulation. Up to 20 control points can be added to an EQ graph and both modes of operation produce the same superior-quality, linear-phase output.
LP-64 Multiband linear phase mastering compressor/limiter — LP-64 Multiband provides transparent peak limiting and volume maximization. The LP-64 Multiband employs the same superior linear-phase technology found in the LP-64 EQ ensuring, zero-phase accuracy at critical frequency crossover points. This provides clean, clear non-smeared control over isolated bands for volume maximization or attenuation/limiting.
The LP-64 Multiband operation modes are user selectable or PDR (Program Dependent Release) that automatically minimizes pumping (audible fluctuations of the volume) and maximizes loudness. Also, an 'Auto-Q' feature automatically adjusts the linear-phase filters to maintain ideal overlap - whether dialing in broad, subtle crossovers, or tight notches and boosts.
Boost 11 Peak Limiter — The Boost 11 Peak Limiter provides transparent peak limiting and volume maximization without coloring the sound of the source material. Boost 11 employs a "look-ahead" limiter algorithm to prevent output clipping and PDR (Program Dependent Release) to minimize pumping (fluctuations of the volume) and maximize the loudness.
External Hardware Inserts — SONAR now provides seamless integration of external hardware effect processors and MIDI instruments with latencies automatically measured and compensated through SONAR's plug-in delay compensation (PDC). SONAR's External Insert plug-in for outboard gear appears in SONAR's plug in menu where it can be inserted into the audio fx bin on any track or bus.
When using External Inserts, users have control over send and receive port assignments, send phase invert, as well as automatable send and return gain trim (+/-24dB). All parameters can be saved in presets.
With SONAR's new Real-time Bounce, Export and Freeze options, you can use External Inserts in your projects through all phases of production. Freeze tracks that use External Inserts at any time to permanently capture the processing of your favorite outboard gear and instruments—perfect for collaboration with other studios that may not have your particular outboard hardware.
Faster I/O Assignment — SONAR 7 has added new shortcuts for audio I/O assignment. These provide a quick way to set a series of consecutive inputs/outputs, set selected tracks to same input/output, and assigning multiple bus outputs to same main.
Drag and drop EQ parameters — Users can now copy EQ settings across tracks via a simple drag and drop of EQ plots in the console view.
Dim Solo mode — Isolates soloed tracks by applying a configurable -6, -12, or -18 dB dim to non-soloed tracks instead of a complete mute.
High bandwidth recording and large project optimizations — Users can now record longer projects with support for 2+ GB Sony Wave-64 files. SONAR has also been optimized for high-bandwidth multitrack recording. A recent recording project utilized a pre-release version of SONAR 7 to record 48 tracks simultaneously at 24-bit, 192 kHz audio quality.
Cakewalk Publisher 2.0 — Integrated Cakewalk Publisher presents an innovative new tool to publish and present music online. Cakewalk Publisher provides a fast and easy way to create a customized, online, streaming music player and playlists that can then be directly uploaded from SONAR to band websites, and hosted on MySpace and other Internet sites.
File Recovery Mode — SONAR 7 significantly enhances the "safe mode" functionality first introduced in SONAR 5. Now known as File Recovery Mode, this activates a more aggressive data recovery mechanism when a damaged project file is detected. While not a substitute for good backup practices, File Recovery Mode may be able to open damaged projects with minimal data loss, preserving your valuable data.
Integrated CD Ripping and Burning — Now you can import audio from CD directly into a SONAR project and burn multiple tracks to audio CDs right from within the application.
New file format import/export options — Users can now import/export Sony Wave-64, AIF, CAF, FLAC, SD2 (Sound Designer II). Users can also now right-click at cursor to import audio/MIDI data.
Additional Key Features of SONAR 7
SONAR 7 Studio Edition
Don't sacrifice features for affordability—SONAR 7 Studio Edition offers the best creative tools, and the most power of any digital audio workstation in its price range. Built upon the same core feature set as SONAR 7 Producer Edition, SONAR 7 Studio Edition gives users the edge in their productions —from recording audio and MIDI, composing with virtual instruments, remixing with loops, mixing with professional effects, to delivery of a polished final track—with the recognized best audio quality of the industry.
SONAR 7 Studio Edition features all the unmatched music creation tools found in SONAR 7 Producer Edition with the following exceptions: LP-64 Linear Phase Equalizer, LP-64 Multiband Compressor, VC-64 Vintage Channel, Roland V-Vocal VariPhrase technology, Z3TA+, PSYN II subtractive synth, Pentagon I analog synth, RXP groove instrument, Perfect Space Convolution Reverb, surround mixing, Sonitus Surround Compressor, POW-r Dithering, MPEX-3 Time Stretching. In addition, AudioSnap in SONAR 7 Studio Edition is limited to one track at a time processing.
Pricing and Availability
SONAR 7 Producer Edition has a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $619 ($499 street) U.S., SONAR 7 Studio Edition (MSRP) is $369 U.S. ($299 street) and both are now shipping. Registered SONAR 6 Producer Edition customers can upgrade to SONAR 7 Producer Edition directly through Cakewalk for $179; SONAR 6 Studio Edition to SONAR 7 Studio Edition for $99. Other upgrade paths are available, visit Cakewalk.com for details.
International pricing
SONAR 7 Producer Edition and Studio Edition software is available in English, French, and German boxed versions with printed documentation; English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish electronic quick start guides contained in all versions. SONAR 7 is available through Roland and Edirol distribution partners.
Europe's suggested street price for SONAR 7 Producer Edition and SONAR 7 Studio Edition are €499 and €299 RRP inc VAT respectively; U.K. pricing is £349 and £219 RRP inc VAT respectively; and will be available 19, September 2007.
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