Cakewalk Announces SONAR Home Studio and SONAR Home Studio XL
Cakewalk has announced new versions of SONAR Home Studio and SONAR Home Studio XL. At their core, SONAR Home Studio 6 and SONAR Home Studio 6 XL feature the power of Cakewalk’s flagship SONAR 6 paired with a feature set, price, and ease-of-use geared towards home studio owners and budget-conscious musicians.
New Features:
• Designed for compatibility with Microsoft Windows Vista
• Core feature set based on SONAR 6.2
• Quick Start guide, Track Presets, Project Templates, and Video Tutorials make getting started easy
• New interface enhances ease of use and allows customization of views, colors, and toolbars
• New mixing console with per-track Sonitus:fx parametric EQ
• 10 new professional audio effects
• Active Controller Technology (ACT) lets users easily control and automate effects, instruments, and their mix from MIDI controllers by automatically remapping controls to whatever has the focus
• Rip from and burn to CD directly from SONAR Home Studio
• Automate tracks, effects, and instruments easily with enhanced automation tools
• MIDI Input Quantize corrects the timing of MIDI performances in real-time
• Freeze tracks, effects, and virtual instruments to conserve CPU power
• Native and fully integrated support for VST plug-ins, no wrapper required
• DropZone sampler with extended library of instrument sounds including a Drum Pack and Bass Pack
• Cakewalk Publisher lets users present and stream their music on the Internet
• Innovative Cakewalk Publisher Helps users market their music
SONAR Home Studio 6 introduces Cakewalk Publisher, an innovative new tool that helps users publish and present their music online. Cakewalk Publisher allows SONAR Home Studio customers to create a customized, online, streaming music player with playlists of their music that can then be directly uploaded from SONAR Home Studio to band websites, MySpace pages, and other Internet sites.
SONAR Home Studio 6 XL
SONAR Home Studio XL adds exceptional value and more power with a selection of over one gigabyte of instrument sounds, Boost 11 peak limiter (see picture below), Session Drummer 2 drum instrument, and more.
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.
Boost 11’s Features:
• Look-ahead peak detection prevents clipping
• Program Dependent Release minimizes pumping
• Dynamic waveform displays of input vs. output
• Stereo peak and RMS input/output meters
• Operation at sampling rates up to 192 kHz
• 64-bit double precision signal path
• VST Automation
Dimension LE — is powered by Cakewalk’s Expression Engine providing several types of synthesis capabilities including multi-sample rendering, wavetable synthesis, waveguide synthesis, and, REX playback and manipulation; also includes an extensive DSP library of effects, with over 400 sound programs, ranging from real bass, organ and electric piano samples to cutting-edge synth sounds and rhythmic grooves.
Garritan Pocket Orchestra — expands Dimension LE with more instrument sounds from the industry’s standard bearer of quality for orchestral instrument libraries. This special edition of the Garritan Pocket Orchestra expressively, programmed for Dimension LE features orchestral instrument libraries of unrivaled quality that include strings, brass, woodwinds, keyboards, and percussion sounds.
Session Drummer 2 — designed from the ground up to provide the fastest way to create inspiring, realistic drum tracks. Session Drummer 2 includes real, multi-sampled drum kits paired with professionally recorded drum and MIDI patterns from Smart Loops, an industry leader in rhythm content. Users can build an accompaniment by simply loading a drum kit and dragging and dropping patterns into their project. Users can also play patterns or individual drums from any MIDI controller to perform their own drum tracks. Session Drummer 2 also provides the flexibility of custom drum kits, which can be built by loading individual components on pads (including the user’s own WAV, AIFF, or OGG format samples) and then adjusting volume, pan, width, and tuning on each drum.
Cakewalk’s SONAR Home Studio 6 has a manufacturer’s suggested retail priceof $139 / €105 / £71 inc. VAT, SONAR Home Studio 6 XL has an MSRP of $209 / €158 / £107 inc. VAT. Registered SONAR Home Studio 4 customers can upgrade to SONAR Home Studio 6 directly through Cakewalk for $59 / €37 / £25. Other upgrade paths are available. More information on Cakewalk SONAR Home Studio and SONAR Home Studio XL.
