The Cakewalk Blog

Cakewalk Nominated for 2010 MIPA Awards

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:20:11 +0000

Each year, more than 100 magazines from all over the world – including Mix, Electronic Musician and EQ – come together to vote on the world’s best audio and musical instrument products for the Musikmesse International Press Awards. This year, Cakewalk has earned 4 nominations for the development of the A-PRO Series Keyboards, V-Studio 700, V-Studio [...]

Northeastern University Professor Teaches SONAR in Ghana

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:27:57 +0000

Head of the Music Technology program at Northeastern University, Dennis Miller and his wife, Susan, are spending spring semester in Ghana working as visiting professors for a local university. This trip marks the couple’s second trip to Ghana, having first visited the country in 2004. The pair will spend 150 days working on the campus of [...]

Using Multiple MIDI Controllers in SONAR

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:26:44 +0000

Managing input from multiple MIDI devices, such as keyboard controllers and drum pads, through your DAW can be frustrating. Staying on top of all the cabling, routing and software settings is enough to make you throw in the towel and go back to point and click. However, with SONAR, you can choose individual MIDI input ports [...]

Comic Book Heroes Set to Take Off in 2010

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:00:23 +0000

2010 is shaping up to be another huge year for the band Comic Book Heroes. In just the first two months alone, their music and visuals will be part of the soundtrack to the NASCAR 2010 Season as well as the Winter X-Games. They will also be included on the Warped Tour-sponsored “Wonka Music Factory” [...]

Recording Magazine “Covers” V-Studio 100

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:36:36 +0000

Since its release, Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 has received high acclaim from leading music industry publications worldwide. This month, V-Studio 100 made the cover of Recording Magazine. Along with their great advice for beginners and tips on recording solo, Recording Magazine tells how the V-Studio 100 is no longer just for the SONAR user. It’s durable design, cross-platform functionality and affordable price point make [...]

Receive Instant Savings On SONAR 8.5

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:18:34 +0000

Thinking about upgrading your DAW to SONAR 8.5? Now may be the best time to do so! As a leading choice in music production software for professional musicians worldwide, SONAR 8.5 has everything you need to compose, record, edit, mix and master your music. Its extensive array of virtual instruments and audio effects, gives you [...]

Recording Music On A Laptop With the UA-4FX

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:10:00 +0000

Ask any artist, they’ll likely tell you their best work comes when they least expect it. Inspiration knows no schedule. With the UA-4FX you are no longer tied down to the computer desk, forced to be creative while sitting at your home PC or Mac. This USB audio interface sources its power from your laptop [...]

MusicTech Focus Dedicates Latest Issue to SONAR

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:55:01 +0000

Everything you ever wanted to know about SONAR is now encased in a 132-page full-color guidebook! From cover to cover, this exclusive magazine is the most comprehensive guide to SONAR in print (besides SONAR 8! Power) – a must have whether you’re a SONAR user, or thinking of becoming one! Packed with 100% SONAR content, this magazine features exclusive [...]

New SONAR Update Enhances AudioSnap Functionality

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:54:32 +0000

We’ve just announced another free update for SONAR 8.5 Producer and SONAR 8.5 Studio. The SONAR 8.5.3 update focuses on AudioSnap 2.0, providing usability enhancements, optimizations, and overall improved stability for performing complex audio timing tasks. In conjunction with this release, we’ve created four new video tutorials on some of the key features in found in AudioSnap including aligning audio [...]

All Eyes On Cakewalk’s A-PRO Series Controllers

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:23:59 +0000

Electronic Musician caught a glimspe of the new A-PRO Series MIDI Controllers at the NAMM Show 2010. In this video, Cakewalk’s Alex Westner shows off the velocity-sensitive keys as well as the assignable sliders, knobs, pads and transport controls featured on each controller. The A-PRO Series controllers will be available for purchase in April this year.

Add A ‘Mixing Machine’ To Your Gig Bag

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:46:16 +0000

Your band is working on a new EP. You’ve got four shows lined up for the month of February. It would be really cool to record your performances to add a few live tracks to the new release. With Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 you can record, edit, mix and produce those tracks without missing a beat. The V-Studio 100 is a cross-platform, 8 in [...]

Have Gig Bag, Will Travel or Where in the World is Carmen Rizzo?

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:11:36 +0000

Carmen Rizzo checks his cell phone one last time as he boards the plane at LAX. This is the first of several flights that will take him half way around the world over the next 24 hours – from Los Angeles to Perm, Russia . He’s got a text message from the people he’ll be [...]

Stokes Audio Mixes Soundtrack for ‘Why We Laugh’

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:49:45 +0000

Owner and Senior Engineer of Stokes Audio Recording & Post, Joe Stokes, is credited for his work in post-production and video editing for radio, gaming, TV and film. With SONAR and the V-Studio 700 sitting at the helm of his studio, Stokes mixed the soundtrack for his latest project, a documentary entitled ‘Why We Laugh’ [...]

‘Going Back to Memphis’ with the V-Studio 700

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:25:54 +0000

Engineers James Lott and Matt Ross-Spang at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee move away from ‘point and click’ with the V-Studio 700. The pair use the V-Studio 700 in their main production room to mix an original tune, ‘Get Back to Memphis’. Artist Impression: Sun Studio on the V-Studio 700Uploaded by CakewalkInc. – [...]

SONAR 8.5 Goes Above & Beyond Typical Update

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:00:38 +0000

To upgrade or not to upgrade? That is the question for many SONAR users concerning the latest product release, SONAR 8.5. Although, it’s not your typical point release, Craig Anderton calls version 8.5 “another welcome step forward, it delivers more than it promises”. With its new tools for creativity and added support for Windows 7, SONAR 8.5 [...]

NAMM 2010: Creative Tools for Independent Minds

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:59:52 +0000

Jet-lagged and exhausted, the Cakewalk crew is slowly recovering from a monumental Thursday through Saturday at the NAMM Show. The weather was beautiful, the show floor was packed and the Cakewalk booth was the place to be. Each year, the National Association of Music Merchants hosts an industry-wide tradeshow at the colossal Anaheim Convention Center. If [...]

Sonic State Gets First Look at A-PRO Series

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:25:28 +0000

Sonic State was first on the scene at the NAMM Show this weekend to get an exclusive look at the new USB Keyboard Controllers. Brandon Ryan demos the 49-key controller, the A-500 PRO, along side SONAR 8.5’s Session Drummer 3 virtual instrument. Whether you’re using SONAR, Logic, Ableton Live, Cubase, Digital Performer, Garage Band, or Pro [...]

“Your Music Anytime, Anyplace” Songwriting Competition Winners Announced

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:15:43 +0000

This fall, Cakewalk, Intel Corporation and Ourstage set out to inspire music lovers across the country to get creative and share their musical talents for the “Your Music Anytime, Anyplace” Songwriting Competition. The most outstanding artists and engaged fans on the Ourstage circuit were outfitted with a brand new mobile music studio! Today, we are [...]

New Products Announced At The NAMM Show 2010

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:19:19 +0000

The 2010 NAMM Show is off to an exciting start as Cakewalk announces several new products to our line of fully-integrated software and hardware solutions for music creation and recording! Click the links below to learn how these products can benefit your music production needs: New Line of Keyboard Controllers Cakewalk introduces the new A-PRO Series, [...]

CES 2010: Music Creator Shines During Intel’s Core Processor Launch

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:29:22 +0000

Cakewalk’s Gina Garda recently traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to take part in the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). “Although the taxi lines were longer and the halls more crowded than last year,” remarked Gina, “the bustle of this year’s CES is a sure sign that 2010 will be a phenomenal year for the [...]

Cakewalk Pro User Spotlight: Hollywood Undead

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:04:39 +0000

Fresh off a sold-out tour in Europe, Hollywood Undead (A&M / Octone Records) is tearing up the music scene with their latest album, ‘Desperate Measures’. Charlie Scene, Da Kurlzz, Deuce, Funny Man, J-Dog and Johnny 3 Tears started performing in 2005. Their first album, Swan Songs, hit #22 on the Billboard 200 in it’s first [...]

Artist Appearances at NAMM 2010

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:49:58 +0000

Visit with Cakewalk at The NAMM Show 2010 from January 14 through January 17 in Anaheim, California! Stop by our new booth location (Hall A, #6700) to see live demonstrations on SONAR 8.5, the V-Studio 100 and the V-Studio 700. Be sure to grab an official Cakewalk Passport then take a short tour of our [...]

AudioMidi.com Likes the Sound of the V-Studio 100

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:21:59 +0000

AudioMIDI.com’s Dee Davis gave the V-Studio 100 a workout recently and came away very pleased with the results. Dee hooked up the VS-100 to a PC running Windows XP Professional, with 4 GB RAM and two 1 TB Hard drives, all powered by an AMD Phenom X4 Quad processor. After installing SONAR 8.5, Dee pulled up [...]

Music Radar’s 12 Ways to Get More Out of SONAR 8.5

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:15:48 +0000

Make your New Year’s resolution one that you can be proud of. Dare to be more adventurous as a music-maker in 2010 with Music Radar’s 12 Ways to Get More Out of SONAR 8.5. With this guide, you’ll be able to manipulate SONAR’s tools for composing, editing and mastering your projects in ways you never [...]

Preparing for The NAMM Show 2010

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:52:09 +0000

There are just two weeks left until The NAMM Show 2010! Join us at the colossal Anaheim Convention Center in our brand new booth (#6700) to see live product demonstrations of SONAR 8.5, the V-Studio 100 and the V-Studio 700 by Cakewalk’s own technical service representatives. Thinking of upgrading your studio? Swing by our booth to see the latest [...]

Cakewalk’s Top 5 Live Performances of 2009

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:26:28 +0000

With the return of U2, Madonna and AC/DC to the stage, 2009 was another successful year for performance venues nationwide. The Cakewalk staff had a busy year as well, attending all sorts of concerts and festivals. Continuing on our quest to name our favorites of 2009, here are our choices for the ‘Top 5 Live Performances’. You can see our picks [...]

Cakewalk’s Top 5 Singles of 2009

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:17:14 +0000

More than half of Cakewalk’s employees are musicians, many of which record and perform on the side. They’ve come to Cakewalk from different musical backgrounds, sharing their experiences and tricks of the trade as they go. It’s no surprise that those behind the scenes at Cakewalk have a wide range of musical tastes from electronica to hip [...]

SONAR Is A Conventional DAW, Packing An Arsenal of Options

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:38:24 +0000

In keeping with tradition, says Create Digital Music’s Peter Kirn, SONAR looks like the average Windows software with lots of buttons, knobs and menus. However, with its latest version, SONAR employs a vast array of features that allow the user (whether expert or beginner) to customize the way they create music on the computer – [...]

Last Minute Shopping? Grab a Cakewalk Gift Card!

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:26:48 +0000

Attention Last Minute Shoppers: Cakewalk’s Download Gift Card are perfect last minute gifts or stocking stuffers for the up-and-coming rock star and guitar hero in your life! Simply, purchase a Download Gift Card from the Cakewalk e-store. Print it out or email it to your favorite musician. Geared for novice recording musicians, these products make creating music on the PC [...]

Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 Tops ‘Sound Guys’ Holiday Wishlist

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:47:14 +0000

The Ask A Sound Guy bloggers, Ben and Sanjay, were first introduced to Cakewalk’s V-Studio series last winter at the NAMM Show. The smaller of the two units, the V-Studio 100, impressed them so much that they included the unit in their 2009 Holiday Wishlist. When they later got hold of a unit to review, they [...]

Cakewalk Pro User Spotlight: Comic Book Heroes

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:43:03 +0000

After starting a band at 11 years old, five years ago, and with hundreds of shows from coast to coast under their belts, Comic Book Heroes is finding national success on their own terms. This hard working suburban rock band’s recent successes include: “Catch Me If You Can” their Top 15 single on Radio Disney and [...]

Gift Ideas & Special Offers for Musicians

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:39:38 +0000

This holiday season, Cakewalk has a gift (or a few) for you! Need help finding the perfect gift for the music lover in your life? Click on over to Cakewalk’s Holiday Gift Guide for great ideas and special offers. Save big on popular products from Cakewalk, Native Instruments, IK Multimedia and Notion to name a few. After all [...]

Where Work and Play Meet, SONAR Leads

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:37:27 +0000

When we say Cakewalk products are “created by musicians for musicians” we really mean it. Case in point, our CTO Noel Borthwick performs, records and produces music on the side. In November, Noel made an acoustic jazz album featuring Ramona Borthwick (piano, vocals) and a throng of amazing talent – Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Johannes Weidenmeuller [...]

Cakewalk Announces New SONAR 8.5.2 Update

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:45:47 +0000

Today, Cakewalk announces a free update for SONAR 8.5 Producer and SONAR 8.5 Studio! Registered SONAR 8.5 Producer, SONAR 8.5 Studio, and V-Studio 700 customers can download the 8.5.2 update* for free. The SONAR 8.5.2 update offers over 100 usability enhancements, plug-in/component optimizations, and new features. These enhancements also address various performance issues across the entire [...]

TUAW.com, the Unofficial Apple Weblog, Explores the Versatility of V-Studio 100

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:01:50 +0000

Josh Carr, a reporter for the unofficial Apple weblog, TUAW.com, is slowly migrating from his analog mixer to the world of digital audio workstations. In studio, Josh uses Logic Pro for his music production needs. During the past two weeks, he has managed to learn the ins and outs of the V-Studio 100 as a [...]

Amplify your Home Recordings with Guitar Tracks Pro

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:32:21 +0000

Fretbase.com’s Brian Stolte, mainly a Garageband / Mac OS user, pulled out his Windows XP laptop recently to try out Cakewalk’s Guitar Tracks Pro 4 and was pleasantly surprised at the wealth of tools available for the guitar player turned home recording guru. “As compared to Garageband from Apple, one of the first things I [...]

Tim Wynn Scores Inspirational Film, ‘To Save A Life’ (2010)

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:30:37 +0000

Composer and dedicated SONAR user, Tim Wynn of Sonic Fuel Studios, scored the music for the new inspirational film, To Save A Life (New Song Pictures), set to release on January 22, 2010. The film promotes the importance of making sacrifices to help others in a time of need. In the movie, Jake Taylor’s life [...]

Building a Better DAW with SONAR 8.5

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:55:11 +0000

Software Developer and Sci/Tech Reviewer at BlogCritics.org, T. Michael Testi likes what he sees in the new version of Cakewalk’s flagship digital audio workstation, SONAR. With improvements made to its mainstay features including Session Drummer, AudioSnap and Step Sequencer, SONAR is transforming into a simpler and more tangible product for those new to the music production world. Session Drummer 3 sports a 3D photo-realistic drum kit [...]

Chartjackers Take Over UK Billboard Charts to Benefit Charity

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:05:29 +0000

With the development of social networking sites, the internet has made it easier than ever for musicians to create, promote and market their musical talents to the world. Many use MySpace Music as an unofficial Electronic Press Kit, Twitter as their concert promoter and Youtube as their own personal MTV. Four teenagers in the UK have [...]

An Affordable Alternative for Mobile Recording

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:52:25 +0000

Recording your music, whether on the road or in studio, can be a costly venture. Expenses for instruments, equipment, session time and sound engineers can land you in serious debt. Many of today’s musicians take the DIY approach, either hiring friends in the biz or building their own home studios, to save time, money and [...]

Meet Cakewalk Representatives This Holiday Season

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:18:52 +0000

During this Holiday season, we would like to take some time to personally assist you with any questions you might have about our products. During the coming week, our technical sales representatives will be at select music retailers across the country with the sole purpose of helping you learn more about SONAR 8.5, V-Studio 100, V-Studio [...]

Shawn Clement Recognized for Epic Sci-Fi Soundtrack

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:38:54 +0000

Composer of fan favorites including Batman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and American Idol, Shawn Clement gears up for an exciting year as Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey hits theaters with galactic force! As featured in a recent issue of ASCAP’s Playback magazine, Shawn says ‘this is one of the more fulfilling gigs that I’ve ever done.” To [...]

Ultimate Guide to Cakewalk Synths Gets Facelift

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:12:03 +0000

Cakewalk synthesizers are among the most commonly used software synthesizers in the business. Rapture, Dimension Pro and Z3TA+ are capable of creating powerhouse sounds that will turn your music into sonic masterpieces and Simon Cann wants to take your music production to that level. In his guide, Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User (2nd Edition), [...]

Party Hard with Cakewalk & Andrew WK in NYC

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:40:43 +0000

Come one, come all to Times Square (Broadway & 42nd Street) in New York City on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 9:00pm. Cakewalk and Andrew WK will announce the winner of the CMJ Music Marathon Twitter Riddle Contest on location! The winner of the contest will receive a prize pack including Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 (the portable music production studio [...]

Master of Digital Arts, Justin Lassen Releases First Limited Edition Album

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:51:50 +0000

A master of the digital arts, Justin Lassen continues to dominate a new realm of creativity, composing music to computer-generated graphic art. With the help of his PCAudioLabs digital audio workstation with an Intel Core i7 processor, SONAR 8.5 and various media editing tools, Justin gives life to the one dimensional art forms. Recently, Justin released [...]

The Musician’s Digital Audio Workstation: SONAR 8.5

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:20:34 +0000

If you saw our ads for Guitar Tracks Pro 4, then you already know that 3 out of 4 Cakewalk employees are guitar players. In fact, many Cakewalk employees are also full-time musicians, using Cakewalk products to record, mix and master their own projects. When it came time to design the new features in SONAR 8.5, [...]

Huge Savings on Gifts for Musicians During Cakewalk’s Holiday Sale

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:42:42 +0000

Kick off the holidays with enormous savings on popular products from Cakewalk, Native Instruments, IK Multimedia, and more. Get a heads start on your holiday shopping as these specials are available for a limited time only! Along with savings of over 80% on select products, you can also download free plug-ins, get special discounts on PCAudioLabs [...]

SONAR 8.5 Leaves You Fully-Satisfied

admin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:09:46 +0000

Impressed with SONAR 8.5’s wealth of new tools and workflow enhancements, Music Radar gives the ‘half update’ 5 out 5 stars! Among the reviewer’s favorite additions were SONAR’s Matrix view, Arpeggiator and effects processors (VX-64 vocal strip and PX-64 percussion strip). “Percussion and Vocal Strips rock! Step Sequencer is much more useful. Arpeggiator presets are a [...]

Cakewalk Offers Free Synths & FX Plugins

admin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:13:52 +0000

Yes, it’s true. Cakewalk is now offering our classic synths and effects processors for FREE Topping the list of the ’90s classics is the SFZ+ and Square I synths. The Cakewalk Audio FX series of effects plug-ins are also now available for no charge via the Cakewalk online store. SFZ+ is rgc:audio’s revolutionary SoundFont player sample-playback [...]

Recording Magazine Features USB Interfaces in Gift Guide

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:43:42 +0000

In a few days, Recording Magazine will release their annual ‘Holiday Gift Guide’ (December 2009) with 30+ reviews on today’s most desirable audio products. Cakewalk is honored to have made the list with our new line of affordable USB Interfaces. Compact and versatile, these Audio & MIDI interfaces are perfect for those just starting out with [...]

Producing Live DVDs with SONAR

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:47:27 +0000

From time to time, Engineer and Owner of Scadge Productions, Trev Wilkins gives us a brief update on his travels on the road and in studio. Here’s the latest: It’s been a long time since I updated the blog but (fortunately) that’s due to being very busy. The Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes DVD, Live in Rome, [...]

Hits Keep Coming for Wendy Starland & the V-Studio 100

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:41:33 +0000

Wendy Starland, VH1’s Best Emerging Artist, has landed numerous songs on the Billboard charts and on primetime TV. She’s currently working on a new album and is using the V-Studio 100 to record and enhance her vocal tracks. Wendy was recently honored by The Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame for her top 10 hit song, Dancing With [...]

Composing & Arranging with SONAR 8.5

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:40:23 +0000

The new version of Cakewalk’s digital audio workstation, SONAR 8.5, includes a wealth of features designed to help composers create the best possible productions. Whether you’re composing hip-hop, rock, heavy metal or classical music, SONAR 8.5 offers all the tools you need with these fun and exciting new features. Check out the videos to see [...]

DJ Johnny Juice Joins Cakewalk V-Studio Tour

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:56:38 +0000

As the Fall V-Studio Tour featuring SONAR 8.5 heats up, we are pleased to announce that Cakewalk artist, DJ Johnny Juice of Public Enemy fame will be on hand to partake in the V-Studio and SONAR 8.5 demos during tonight’s Guitar Center - Manhattan tour date. Cakewalk Product Specialist Rich Curtis will be including DJ Johnny Juice in [...]

Hot Deals for SONAR 8.5 Customers

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:35:09 +0000

Though we do not normally post offers to the Cakewalk blog, we thought these special deals for SONAR 8.5 customers were worth the mention. Due to the unprecedented success of the Elite Guitar Pack for SONAR 8.5 featuring Guitar Rig 4 Pro, we have renewed our agreement with Native Instruments and will offer this Elite Pack [...]

In Studio and On the Road with V-Studio 100

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:55:23 +0000

Whether recording in your home studio or performing on the road, Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 can get the job done. With multiple I/O options, easy to use transport controls and a built-in digital audio workstation, you can hook up the V-Studio to your computer via USB and start recording. Away from the computer? Capture your performances [...]

Learn SONAR Online with BerkleeMusic.com

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:24:07 +0000

Berkleemusic.com, the online continuing education division of Berklee College of Music, offers SONAR online courses and certificate programs for all skill levels. Master ascpects of multi-track recording using MIDI, audio, loops and plug-in effects using SONAR. By the end of the course, you will learn: - The basics of SONAR’s configuration, audio file types and user interface - [...]

Cakewalk Launches Holiday Gift Guide for Musicians

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:22:35 +0000

It’s that time of the year again! Time to show family and friends just how much they mean to you with a gift from the heart. This year, you don’t have to go far to find the perfect present for the music lover in your life. We’ve created our own Holiday Gift Guide to make the process of gift shopping much easier. Visit [...]

Cakewalk Travels to Japan for SONAR Premium Day

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:27:14 +0000

A few weeks ago, Cakewalk traveled to Akihabara, Japan (a district of Tokyo) to take part in the Fourth Annual SONAR Premium Day. To locals, Akihabara is known as ‘Electric Town,’ as it’s where all the technology stores (carrying everything from LED TVs to music production software) are located. Cakewalk’s CEO Greg Hendershott and Product Evangelists Brandon Ryan & [...]

Voting Now Open for Cakewalk’s ‘Your Music Anytime, Anyplace’ Songwriting Contest

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:40:42 +0000

Inspiration can happen anytime, anyplace and we want to make it easier for you to capture those ideas as they happen. Cakewalk has come together with Intel to provide some of the best songwriters and producers on the Ourstage circuit with an ultimate mobile studio! Now through November 21, 2009, log on to Ourstage.com and submit your original music to enter. The Top 20 submissions [...]

HowToGeek.com Produces High Quality Recordings with Guitar Tracks Pro USB

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:24:29 +0000

Did you know that 3 out of 4 Cakewalk employees play guitar? Many of which also compose, edit and mix their own music? Just a few reasons why we take so much pride in the development of our software for recording musicians. The latest version of our software for guitarists and singer-songwriters, Guitar Tracks Pro USB, [...]

Live from AES 2009: Winksound.com Gets Closer Look at V-Studio 100

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:55:30 +0000

Winksound.com is a brand new social video networking site, offering audio enthusiasts free video tips and tutorials on music production. Got a question? Feel free to send it in video form to the Winksound team. Not only will they answer it, you could be featured in one of their segments! Last month at the 2009 AES Show, Winksound team member, Justin, caught up [...]

SONAR 8.5 Named in Top 20 Hits of AES 2009

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:38:15 +0000

For more than 30 years, Mix Magazine has been reporting live from major audio and music trade shows, acknowledging some of the most innovative products in the industry. This year, Cakewalk’s SONAR 8.5 was selected by the editors of Mix as one of the Top 20 Hits of AES 2009! Pick up the November issue of the [...]

Cakewalk Develops New Windows 7 Resource Page

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:56:47 +0000

Microsoft’s latest effort in the OS department, Windows 7 dropped yesterday after much anticipation. Windows 7 promises to be a much more robust OS than its predecessor, Windows Vista, making it an ideal choice for audio production. With Cakewalk winning Microsoft’s prestigious Partner of the Year award, you can rest assured that SONAR 8.5 and [...]

Solve Andrew W.K.’s Riddle to win Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 & More!

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:08:54 +0000

Everybody loves a riddle & Andrew W.K. is good at them. If you think you’ve got what it takes to match wits with Andrew and can answer this riddle correctly, you’ll be entered to win some cool prizes including Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 portable music production studio for Mac & PC, a signed copy of “55 [...]

How Windows 7 Will Effect Your Music Production?

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:17:50 +0000

Cakewalk Chief Technical Officer Noel Borthwick, a noted expert on Windows platforms, covers crucial topics around the introduction of Windows 7, such as compatibility with Cakewalk products, issues in upgrading from Windows XP and related points of interest for PC users. For an in-depth look at Windows 7 and how it might affect your use of [...]

Windows 7 Improvements Cited on CNET’s Digital Noise Blog

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:21:16 +0000

Like many of you, Cakewalk is patiently awaiting the big launch of Windows 7 on October 22. We’ve been hard at work testing our products for the new platform and sharing our information with you – see Noel Borthwick’s article. A few days ago, CNET blogger Matt Rosoff, posted his thoughts on how Windows 7 will [...]

‘Inside Home Recording’ Reviews Music Creator 5

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:21:14 +0000

Inside Home Recording (IHR) is the longest running podcast to date that covers the latest in home studio recording, hosted by web guy / ‘podsafe’ musician Derek K. Miller and keyboardist / composer Dave Chick. Derek and Dave are both professional musicians involved in performing, teaching, producing and recording music. Based in Vancouver, Canada, IHR [...]

Cakewalk & Andrew W.K. Host 2009 CMJ Music Marathon Contest

admin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:07:24 +0000

The 2009 CMJ Music Marathon begins tomorrow morning in New York City! As a proud sponsor of the annual festival, Cakewalk has teamed up with CMJ Featured Speaker Andrew W.K. to launch a very special contest during his presentation. Everybody loves a riddle & Andrew W.K. is good at them. If you think you’ve got what it takes [...]

AES 2009 Wrap-Up: SONAR 8.5 Steals the Show

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:55:33 +0000

Greetings from the 127th Annual AES (Audio Engineering Society) Convention in New York City at the Javitz Center! We are on the last leg of the final day here at AES and it has been a whirlwind. We got here on Thursday to set up for the show and have been working hard at exemplifying [...]

Win An Online Song Production Package at Studiotraxx.com

admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:13:25 +0000

Think you’ve got rock solid pipes and raw talent? Submit your original recordings to Studiotraxx.com and you could win a professional Online Song Production package from major label industry pros! Cakewalk is pleased to announce that it has teamed up with StudioTraxx.com and some of today’s most sought after major label studio musicians to bring [...]

Live from AES 2009: TechBreakfast Gets A Healthy Dose of Cakewalk

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Over the weekend, Tech Breakfast.com stopped by the Cakewalk booth at the 127th Annual AES Show in New York City for an exclusive look at the latest tools on the market. Check out Tech Breakfast’s footage from the floor to see Cakewalk Product Specialist, Rich Curtis, show you how to load the matrix view, enable MIDI [...]

Upgrading to SONAR 8.5? This is a Must See…

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:08:39 +0000

Have you thought about or already purchased the new SONAR 8.5 upgrade? There are NO words to describe this user-made video (except for ‘totally awesome!’). Just watch it and you’ll see: Click here to watch more of MixMkr’s videos on XtraNormal.com

MIX Magazine Films Exclusive SONAR 8.5 Videos

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:41:34 +0000

Mix Magazine caught up with Cakewalk’s Brandon Ryan to shoot three exclusive videos – demoing the new version of Cakewalk’s flagship DAW, SONAR 8.5. The first video displays SONAR’s sheer power hosting Shawn Clement’s remix of Cori Yarckin’s “Everything You Said” with 140 tracks, 50 plug-ins and a high-res 800 MB AVI video file – all [...]

Going to AES? Come See the V-Studio 700 In Action

admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:10:21 +0000

If you’re going to the AES show in New York City this weekend, Cakewalk is extending a very special offer to anyone interested in learning more about the V-Studio 700! Sign up today for a 1-on-1 session with a Cakewalk Product Specialist at the Cakewalk booth (#263) on Sunday, October 11 and Monday, October 12th. When [...]

SONAR 8.5: The Fine Print

admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:54:38 +0000

Cakewalk’s CTO Noel Borthwick has been hard at work creating this microscopic view of SONAR 8.5 for those of you who have expressed an interest in learning more about the internals of the new features. Throughout this post, Noel will uncover the new version from an engineering perspective. However, before we get started on the fine print, let’s first clarify some [...]

Cakewalk’s Carl Jacobson Interviewed On ‘Into Tomorrow’ Radio Show

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:23:12 +0000

At the 2009 Intel Developer Forum, Dave Graveline of “Into Tomorrow” – the consumer electronics & technology radio show – interviewed Cakewalk’s Vice President of Marketing Carl Jacobson on the new Core i7 mobile processor and its benefits when using SONAR for music production. Visit Into Tomorrow’s website to listen to the clip (labeled Hour 1, you’ll find it [...]

Composer Tim Wynn Featured On New Video Game Soundtrack

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:51:07 +0000

Composer / Producer of music for video games, Tim Wynn, announces the release of his recent project, the soundtrack to Red Faction Guerrilla. Best known for his scores in such successful titles as Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (2008), The Simpson’s Game (2007) and The Punisher (2005), Wynn uses SONAR and its many available [...]

Cakewalk Takes the Stage at Intel Developer Forum

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:38:10 +0000

Hello everyone, last week was an exciting week for us with Cakewalk being featured and spotlighted by Intel in a number of ways. By now, it shouldn’t be any secret that SONAR is the technology leading digital audio workstation. We’ve been first to support all of Microsoft’s operating systems for the last 12 years, and we’ve [...]

An Affordable & Comprehensive DAW: SONAR 8.5

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:52:37 +0000

In the Autumn issue, Computer Music magazine gets to the bottom of the new point release for Cakewalk’s flagship DAW, SONAR 8.5. As stated in the article, chock full of new features and engine optimizations SONAR 8.5 is ‘far from just a collection of under-the-hood tweaks.’ The new version packs a wealth of plug-ins including two [...]

Cool Videos Produced by SONAR 8 Users

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:42:05 +0000

Over the years, we’ve posted hundreds of videos to Youtube and Dailymotion. We check the ratings, read the comments and enjoy getting feedback from our users. We also search these sites to check out the tutorials and music videos produced by our fans and we love to share them with you. Below are videos highlighting [...]

Mac Expert Recommends V-Studio 100, Loves Sound Quality

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:24:49 +0000

Former MacWorld Editor at Large Jim Dalrymple has followed Apple and it’s myriad of products for decades. As a writer and seasoned guitar player, Dalrymple tracks the latest developments in music creation and recording products on his blog, ‘The Loop’. A few weeks ago, Dalrymple got his ‘hands on’ the V-Studio 100; plugging in his [...]

Kevin Kern Augments Late Night Laughs with SONAR

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:11:01 +0000

If you’re late night TV fan, you’ve probably heard Kevin Kern’s music flowing from your television set. A pianist, composer and recording artist, Kevin’s music was recently featured on the Late Show with David Letterman during a parody featuring smarmy comedian Chris Elliott in The Curious Case of Bennington Butterworth. No stranger to the television [...]

Brooke Hogan’s ‘Redemption’ Is A SureFire Hit

admin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:23:33 +0000

Boston’s Surefire Music Group landed a role in mainstream TV this summer as their music was featured on the first 4 episodes of VH-1’s Brooke Knows Best (Season 2). While Brooke’s television popularity continues to grow, Surefire Music Group is also responsible for 2 songs on the reality TV star’s brand new album, Redemption. Surefire produced [...]

Blog Critics Calls The V-Studio 100 A One Stop Shop!

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:44:49 +0000

There was a time when building a studio meant that you needed a lot of space and a lot of equipment. Today, depending on your needs, there are plenty of ways to create a working music studio without exhausting space and money. T. Michael Testi explains that with the V-Studio 100, you can record, edit, [...]

FiXT Remix Community Looking For New Talent

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:08:55 +0000

If remixing is your thing, check out the latest contest at FiXT Remix! If you can put the best spin on Celldweller’s Louder Than Words, you could win a whole new arsenal of recording gear and sound effects! Over $5,000 in prizes will be awarded to the top 3 remixers including Cakewalk’s SONAR 8 Producer and Rapture [...]

SONAR 8.5 May Convince You To Try A 64-bit OS & Windows 7

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:36:02 +0000

Create Digital Music’s Peter Kirn was one of the first to cover the launch of SONAR 8.5 as it happened yesterday. In his initial review, Peter took a look at some of the most compelling functionalities being offered in the new version. Among his favorite features are the argpeggiator and step-sequencer included on every track, the [...]

Chuck Carr Mixes The Hoff’s Vocals for Video Game Release

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:38:11 +0000

Producer and Songwriter for video games, Chuck Carr, posted this video to his YouTube account and we wanted to share it with you. In the video, Chuck uses the brand new VX-64 Vocal Strip (included in SONAR 8.5 Producer) to tweak The Hoff’s rendition of ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’ for an upcoming [...]

Get Amazing Add-Ons With A SONAR 8.5 Producer Upgrade

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:11:51 +0000

If you’re ready to take the ultimate step to SONAR 8.5 Producer, there has never been a better time to upgrade! SONAR 8.5 Producer includes all of the innovations, instruments and effects that were included in version 8 plus a host of new features including: • Matrix View – simple and flexible cell-based, non-linear audio and [...]

The Next Version of SONAR… Is Here!

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:04:58 +0000

For the past month, we’ve been ‘tweeting’ about the new features found in the next version of SONAR. Well, the wait is finally over! Cakewalk today announces a feature packed upgrade for SONAR Producer and SONAR Studio. SONAR 8.5 continues to innovate with new capabilities including enhanced beat creation and arrangement tools, a new drum instrument [...]

Creating Soundtracks For Video With SONAR

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:13:57 +0000

At last year’s AES Conference, Cakewalk’s Robin Kelly gave a presentation on using SONAR 8 for creating a soundtrack to a video. Watch Robin’s tutorial to learn how to use SONAR’s included instruments – Dimension Pro, Session Drummer 2 and Z3TA+ – to create great sounding music tracks for your home movies. Robin also shows you how to export your final project [...]

Carmen Rizzo & Huun Huur Tu Reach Global Audiences

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:21:13 +0000

Electronic Musician & Record Producer, Carmen Rizzo – an avid Cakewalk softsynth user – just released a new album in collaboration with the indigenous throat-singers, Huun Huur Tu. Hailing from the Republic of Tuva (a remote area 2,500 miles east of Moscow, Russia), Huun Huur Tu’s music highlights rare native instruments and preserves what is [...]

Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 Gets New Snow Leopard Drivers

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:14:04 +0000

Today, Cakewalk continues Mac compatibility with the release of new Snow Leopard Mac Operating System (version 10.6) device drivers for the V-Studio 100 portable music production system. The new Snow Leopard drivers are also available for the UA-1G audio interface and UM-1G, UM-2G, UM-3G MIDI interfaces. More hardware drivers will be announced soon. Cakewalk’s Vice President of Products [...]

Berklee Professor Steve MacLean Talks SONAR in the Classroom

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:47:19 +0000

Hello to all SONAR users! In efforts to empower artists and music producers it is hard for me to imagine the huge numbers of students I’ve had the opportunity to work with over a 20 year span. This happens in every format from private one-on-one or small group classes to many years in Berklee classrooms along [...]

SONAR’s Snap to Grid Function Makes Editing Easier

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:34:51 +0000

Editing your tracks can be the most tedious and time consuming part of the whole music-making process. In almost every project, you’re going to need to do things like line up your Acapella track, line up your Loops and Groove Clips, syncopate your Drum clip, extend the intro or outro, add a break, etc. DJ Serg, [...]

Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 Is All That & More!

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:45:45 +0000

What’s sleek, compact, and all that and a bag of chips? According to The Gadgeteer.com’s David Flowers, it’s Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100! In his latest review, David takes the V-Studio 100 on a test drive in his home studio. With his guitar in hand, David works toward the ultimate goal of using the V-Studio 100 as a [...]

Produce Powerful Music with the Fantom VS Synthesizer

admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:17:21 +0000

Designed by Roland, the Fantom VS hardware synthesizer is built into the SONAR V-Studio 700R interface. It’s a perfect complement to the powerful SONAR digital audio workstation. The Fantom VS includes 1400 patches suited for all kinds of productions and accepts Roland’s specialized ARX expansion cards for piano, drums, brass, and more. Watch the video [...]

What do Garageband & Cakewalk Have In Common?

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:36:34 +0000

We stumbled across this video on Youtube and thought it answered the question quite well! The creator of this video, Versyke, shows off his very first song created on the computer. He recorded his guitar solo using Cakewalk’s UA-1G USB Audio Interface and brought the track into Garageband for final editing. Whether you’re using Garageband [...]

‘How to Make A Noise’ Using Z3TA+

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:32:01 +0000

Simon Cann, author of the book, Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User, releases a new update to How to Make A Noise, a comprehensive guide to synthesizer programming. The new update will be available as a free download and for purchase in print on Amazon. The new edition offers more content, more graphics and [...]

Using Cakewalk Instruments in OS X Hosts

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:24:52 +0000

Having trouble getting your Cakewalk instruments to load in your OS X DAW or sequencer? Use this guide to get Rapture, Dimension Pro and others to install correctly on your Mac computer. This guide provides basic setup information for a variety of hosts including Ableton Live, Apple Logic and Pro Tools. There is also [...]

Links for 2009-08-19 [Digg]

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Cakewalk's Music Creator 5 | Using Technology ...
A while back I blogged about two Windows/PC entry-level DAW applications that promised to be near-equivalent to Apple's GarageBand: now Cakewalk's Music Creator 5....
New Recording Equipment « Mark Murray's Blog
Just ordered this… its by Cakewalk, called Guitar Tracks Pro 4. It comes with a USB interface so you can plug direct in, or run an XLR to 1/4″ and mic your amp. It has modeling for amps, effects and whatever.
Review: 5 USB turntables convert LPs to MP3s - Network World
What can you do when you have favorite old LPs that haven't been converted into digital form? Convert them yourself. Here are 5 USB turntables that can make it easier.
Cakewalk Launches SONAR V-Studio Clinics
So there's never been a better time for free, which is just how much this clinic tour will cost audio engineers interested in learning about Cakewalk's SONAR V-Studio 100, and in some locations SONAR V-Studio 700.