Sonar is a digital audio workstation created by Cakewalk.
Video Cakewalk Sonar
Notable features
Sonar's features include:
- Record and manipulate an amount of multitrack digital audio limited by hardware only
- Record and manipulate MIDI data
- Apply any DirectX special effects, such as reverberation and delay
- Automate the process of mixing audio
- Use virtual instruments, such as software: synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines
- Connect to other multimedia applications via Rewire
- Some versions include a 64-bit mastering suite
Video and audio formats
Sonar provides limited facilities for video, surround sound (5.1, 7.1), and supports .avi, .mpeg, .wmv and .mov files. Sonar has the ability to show video as thumbnails contained in a separate track. With appropriate hardware, it is also possible to output the video to an external monitor screen via Firewire. Common SMPTE formats, frame sizes and frame rates are supported. It is possible to transfer audio loop files from other compatible software into Sonar and complete a final mixdown.
Various audio export options (including 64-bit masters) are AIFF, AU, CAF, FLAC, RAW, SD2, W64 (Sony Wave-64), and WAV (Microsoft).
Included plugins
SONAR X1
audio
- Alias Factor
- Analyst
- Boost 11
- Bit Meter
- Classic Phaser
- Channel Tools
- Compressor/Gate
- FX2 AmpSim
- FX2 TapeSim
- Guitar Rig 4 LE
- HF Exciter
- LP-64 Multiband
- LP-64 EQ
- Modfilter
- Multivoice Chorus/Flanger
- Para-Q
- Perfect Space Convolution Reverb
- Pitch
- PX-64 Percussion Strip
- Reverb
- Sonitus fx: Compressor
- Sonitus fx: Surround Compressor
- Sonitus fx: Delay
- Sonitus fx: EQ
- Sonitus fx: Gate
- Sonitus fx: Modulator
- Sonitus fx: Multiband
- Sonitus fx: Phase
- Sonitus fx: Reverb
- Sonitus fx: Surround
- Sonitus fx: Wahwah
- Tempo Delay
- TS-64 Transient Shaper
- TL-64 TubeLeveler
- V-Vocal (Part of main program installation)
- Vintage Channel
- VX-64 Vocal Strip
- DSP-FX: Chorus (32-bit only)
- DSP-FX: Delay (32-bit only)
- DSP-FX: EQ (32-bit only)
- DSP-FX: Flange (32-bit only)
- DSP-FX: Studioverb (32-bit only)
- CW-Reverb (Mono)
- CW-Delay (Mono)
- CW-EQ (Mono)
- FX1 Dynamics Processor
- Parametric EQ
- SpectraFX
- Stereo Delay (32-bit only)
- Stereo Reverb
midi
- MFX Arpeggiator
- MFX Change Velocity
- MFX Chord Analyzer
- MFX Echo/Delay
- MFX Event Filter
- MFX Quantize
- MFX Transpose
soft synths
- Beatscape 1.0.2 (Separate installation)
- Cakewalk Sound Center
- Cakewalk TTS-1
- Cyclone
- Dimension Pro 1.5 (Separate installation)
- Dreamstation DXi2 (32-bit only)
- Dropzone VSTi
- Pentagon 1
- PSYN II
- Rapture LE VSTi
- Roland Groovesynth
- RXP REX Player
- Session Drummer 3
- Square I
- Studio Instrument Suite
- SFZ Soundfont Player
- TruePianos
- z3ta+ VSTi
SONAR X2
The plugins in SONAR X1 are also available in SONAR X2, with the following changes
audio
Added
- Breverb SONAR
- R-Mix SONAR Edition
- TH2 Producer
Removed
- Guitar Rig 4 LE
soft synths
Added
- Rapture 1.22 VSTi
Removed
- Beatscape 1.0.2 (Separate installation)
- Rapture LE VSTi
SONAR X3
The plugins in SONAR X2 are also available in SONAR X3, with the following changes
audio
Added
- Blue Tubes FX Collection
- Melodyne Essential
- Tone2 BiFilter2
Removed
- Analyst
- Bit Meter
- FX2 AmpSim
- FX2 TapeSim
- Pitch
- Reverb
- V-Vocal
- Vintage Channel
- DSP-FX: Chorus (32-bit only)
- DSP-FX: Delay (32-bit only)
- DSP-FX: EQ (32-bit only)
- DSP-FX: Flange (32-bit only)
- DSP-FX: Studioverb (32-bit only)
- CW-Reverb (Mono)
- CW-Delay (Mono)
- CW-EQ (Mono)
- FX1 Dynamics Processor
- Parametric EQ
- R-Mix SONAR Edition
- SpectraFX
- Stereo Delay (32-bit only)
- Stereo Reverb
soft synths
Added
- Addictive Drums 2 (Separate installation)
- Strum Acoustic Session
- Lounge Lizard Session
Plugins available in X3 but no longer available in Sonar Platinum
- Dreamstation DXi2 (32-bit only)
- Pentagon 1
Active Controller Technology
Active Controller Technology (ACT) is a feature that assists in the process of remapping parameters of MIDI controllers or surfaces. Having the ability to control effects and virtual instruments (see software synthesizer), the controller/surface mappings for a given plug-in work the same on each instance of that plug-in, whenever that instance has focus. Sonar now fully supports the integrated Sonar V-Studio 700 automation suite, which is a complete Sonar-dedicated automation console built by Cakewalk/Roland.
Sonar also supports other dedicated special-purpose controllers/surfaces such as the CM Labs MotorMix. Sonar includes a general purpose plug-in, called ACT MIDI Controller, that can be configured to support any generic MIDI controller (controllers/surface), such as the JL Cooper FaderMaster, Peavey PC-1600, and Kenton Control Freak. Generic controllers/surfaces typically have 8-16 strips of faders-knobs-buttons, are non-motorized, and can often be configured to transmit MIDI messages (continuous controllers, non-registered parameter numbers (NRPNs), SysEx, etc.).
Computer configurations
Starting with version 6, Sonar can take advantage of 64-bit internal processing, a 64-bit audio engine, and a 64-bit mixer on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. Before introduction of Sonar X2 in October 2012, the entry-level Essential versions of Sonar (Sonar Home Studio and Sonar Essential) were 32-bit only. With the release of Sonar X2, the full program family is native 64-bit.
Sonar Platinum (2016)
Starting with Sonar Platinum (January 2016), releases moved to a monthly cycle, with new features and demo products introduced with each update.
Discontinuation and Relaunch
On 21 November 2017, Gibson (Cakewalk's Parent company) announced that active development of Sonar would cease immediately. Noel Borthwick (Sonar Chief Technical Officer) also posted the announcement on the Cakewalk forum.
On 4 April 2018 BandLab Technologies relaunched Sonar as a free program with the entire Sonar Platinum feature set, now entitled 'Cakewalk by BandLab'.
Maps Cakewalk Sonar
See also
- Cakewalk (sequencer)
- Comparison of multitrack recording software
- POW-R dithering algorithms
References
External links
- Official website
- Home recording blog with 100% Free articles & videos about Sonar and other recording software
- Cakewalk brings back the E-MU Proteus
Source of article : Wikipedia