Last chance: Cakewalk's First-class upgrade ends July 31st

First-class upgrade

From June 1st to July 31st, when you buy or upgrade to SONAR X1 Producer, Cakewalk will automatically bump you up to the flagship version, SONAR X1 Production Suite. Just purchase SONAR X1 Producer from any retailer or upgrade at the Cakewalk Store, and Cakewalk will take care of the rest. Just register your purchase at www.cakewalk.com/register, and you will receive email instructions on how to get your first-class upgrade to SONAR X1 Production Suite. Continue reading “Last chance: Cakewalk's First-class upgrade ends July 31st”

Six new drum kits for Session Drummer 3 from Platinum Samples

Platinum Samples

World famous engineers bring new drum sounds to Session Drummer 3
Platinum Samples is one of the leading providers of high-quality drum content on the planet today. They have made a name for themselves with unbelievable and precisely recorded drum samples, including the Andy Johns Kit for Session Drummer 3. Now they are back with 6 new collections, custom created for SONAR’s Session Drummer 3. Each of these collections is now available for only $39.95 at the Cakewalk Store. Continue reading “Six new drum kits for Session Drummer 3 from Platinum Samples”

Download the Sonitus FX suite for only $19.99

Sonitus FX Suite

The Sonitus FX suite is collection of 10 must-have FX for many of the most basic mixing needs. These classic FX plug-ins have been a staple in SONAR for many years and have received critical acclaim for their versatility and ease-of-use. Now you can use them in any VST-compatible Windows Vista/Windows 7 DAW (includes 32 and 64-bit versions). Best of all, you can download them today for only $19.99 (that’s almost $2.00 a plug-in). Continue reading “Download the Sonitus FX suite for only $19.99”

How Tim Wynn used SONAR X1 to Create the Music for THE DARKNESS II

SONAR X1 user Tim Wynn is the Quintessential modern day composer/producer, and a rising Hollywood name whose diverse portfolio includes feature films, television series, documentaries and video games for major clients such as ABC, Activision, Electronic Arts, Fox, Fuji, Marvel, Sony, THQ, Universal and Warner Bros.

With several globally successful franchises already to his credit ranging from blockbuster video games such as Command & Conquer, Dungeon Siege, GUN, The Punisher, Red Faction, The Simpsons and Warhawk to adding to the sound of the hit television series Supernatural, Tim Wynn is gaining international recognition as a leader in a new generation of highly talented and versatile composers.  His recent releases include Fox Digital’s debut release, the comedy-horror web series Wolfpack of Reseda; the world’s first 3D television series Tokyo Control; the hit drama series Lucky Seven for Fuji TV, and 2K’s The Darkness II, the action-horror video game based on the best-selling Top Cow comics.

The Darkness II is the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2007 release The Darkness. Inspired by the popular comic book series produced by Top Cow Productions, Inc., The Darkness II is an intense first person shooter that puts you in the role of Jackie Estacado, don of a New York crime family and wielder of an ancient force of chaos known as The Darkness. Continue reading “How Tim Wynn used SONAR X1 to Create the Music for THE DARKNESS II”

Back for a limited time: The Softube Mix Bundle (VSTs and ProChannel Modules)

Softube Mix Bundle

Back by popular demand: Save 40% off the Softube Mix Bundle
This past February, we featured the Softube Mix Bundle at the Cakewalk Store for only $179 (40% off the regular price). Since that time, we have been asked by many users to bring it back. Through a special arrangement with Softube, we are happy to announce that this special is back for a limited-time. Through July 31st, you can save 40% off this special bundle that includes both VST and ProChannel versions.

The Softube Mix Bundle is a collection of five essential tools that give you full control over the key elements of building a mix—compression, equalization, and reverb. These plug-ins are the same great Softube plug-ins professional recording musicians rely on daily, so you can mix with confidence, knowing that the FET Compressor you put on your vocal track is the same one used on hit records around the globe. If you missed out last February, this is your opportunity to download this very special bundle at an unbeatable price!

Purchase the Softube Mix Bundle exclusively from the Cakewalk Store for only $179/£125/€149 – save 40% off the regular price of $299.

Highlights:

Download it today

Take a closer look at what's in SONAR X1 Studio

What's In SONAR X1 Studio

With the First-class Upgrade promotion extended through July, it’s a good time to review the amazing value you get with SONAR X1 Studio. Whether you are upgrading or looking for a new digital audio workstation (DAW), SONAR X1 Studio gives you hundreds of dollars in professional grade tools, instruments, and effects that only Cakewalk can offer musicians, producers, and engineers.

SONAR X1 Studio includes:

  • The brand new Skylight interface
  • Unlimited audio and MIDI tracks
  • Support for 32 and 64-bit operating systems
  • Critically-acclaimed instruments like Rapture LE and Z3TA+ 1.5
  • V-Vocal 1.5 for perfect vocals – on pitch and in time
  • Matrix View for non-linear music composition and remixing
  • Step Sequencer 2.0 for easy beat creation
  • Smart Tool for seamless audio and MIDI editing
  • AudioSnap 2.0 for fixing audio timing issues
  • Surround sound mixing
  • More effects and instruments
  • Plus: Free SONAR X1d update (now available) Continue reading “Take a closer look at what's in SONAR X1 Studio”

Video: Playing Z3TA+ 2 with the new QuNeo MIDI controller

Electronic music producer Encanti has a brand new toy.  Watch as the Z3TA+ 2 preset designer takes the new QuNeo controller for a spin with Z3TA+ 2.  Z3TA+ 2 is currently available as a VST for Windows, and it’s coming soon for Mac, so it can be used in other hosts like Ableton Live as pictured below.

Encanti: “In this example, all of my square pads on my QuNeo are set to “latch”, which means where ever my finger goes on the x-y axes, the value will remain there once I take my finger off.   The notes are pre-programmed and playing back on the sequencer. This gives me 16 x-y controllers, which I can use to fine-tune values across the board.  QuNeo’s XY pads are immediately useful with Z3TA+ 2 because once you’ve set up some interesting routing settings in Z3TA+ 2’s modulation matrix, you are free to explore their potential by dialing in many different values at once with the QuNeo pads.  When I find a “sweet spot”, I save a preset in Z3TA+ 2 and keep on exploring.  Later on, I can revisit all my variations, and explore them further, add/subtract ideas, make pads into leads, and keep ideas flowing until starting the process over again with new routings in Z3TA+ 2’s modulation matrix or possibly binding my QuNeo to different controls.

 quneo z3ta infograph

First preset:
Two sweeping resonant bandpass filters are at the soul of this gnarly bass sound.  While most traditional x-y setups typically control “filter freq” and resonance, I’ve opted to control filter frequency and pole separation width as my x-y, on two different x-y pads.  I’m also modulating these filters with two envelopes, while I control the duration/volume using two different x-y pads. This opens up a huge range of expression – because 3 sweeping poles on two filters (that’s six points of resonance all moving together) is easier to keep track of since I can define their movements all at once with the QuNeo. I’ve also got an envelope opening a delay effect, which I can control the attack/sustain and duration of.   With a soft attack on my delay volume, my bass womp has a nicely compressed-sounding impact when the note hits, but I can still add lots of variation to how spacial it sounds, lending me the ability to make those long notes sound really massive.

Second preset:
The QuNeo is controlling the same parameters as the last preset, except I’ve added a few things: each filter has it’s own LFO modulating the frequency along with the envelopes – and again what’s also true with this patch is that the soul lives in the filter modulation settings.  There’s also a quadruple-phaser modulation, with pad control over speed, depth, volume, and feedback, which sounds good with all the LFO sounds happening.  I also have the ability to change the octave of different oscillators independently.  One of my faders are also controlling the key of my chords (via Ableton “pitch” midi effect), allowing me to easily explore different range potentials for the patch.”

More info on Encanti‘s music.

CakeTV Live – Larger Than Life Drums

For your pleasure and edification the latest CakeTV Live webinar is now available for viewing on CakeTV. In this latest installment of CakeTV Live Brandon Ryan and I walk through the process of taking recorded, live drums from sounding, ‘meh’, to ‘larger than life’ using SONAR X1.

We explain everything from how to setup and organize a project to mixing, rout tracks to buses, fix timing with AudioSnap, setup and use parallel compression with the ProChannel, and much, much more.

Continue reading “CakeTV Live – Larger Than Life Drums”

Get Z3TA+ 2, Rapture, and Stutter Edit for $199.95 – The Electronic Musician's Dream!

Electronic Musician Bundle

Watch the promo video to see Z3TA+ 2, Rapture, and Stutter Edit in action.  What you hear was made exclusively with these 3 plugins!

Cakewalk and iZotope have teamed up to bring you three inspiring tools for electronic music at a price that will make you think you are dreaming! Save over 50% when you download the Electronic Musician’s Dream Bundle which includes:

  • Z3TA+ 2 (regular price: $99)
  • Rapture (regular price: $99)
  • iZotope Stutter Edit (regular price: $249)

Regularly $447 if purchased separately, you can download this special bundle for only $199.95 through July 24th – save over 50% off the regular price.

Download it today