Cakewalk has announced that its SONAR X2 music production software is available now.
SONAR X2 is undoubtedly the best version of SONAR to date. Not only does it introduce exciting new features, but much time and care went into refining almost every aspect of the program.
With an ear to our customers and a keen eye on what today’s musicians need, we improved performance, workflow, aesthetics, and stability. Our goal? To craft a program that excels at every stage of music production and enables musicians to sound their very best. With literally hundreds of enhancements and improvements, SONAR X2 delivers the best music production experience on the market today.
New in Sonar X2
A better experience
Skylight—The Skylight user interface was a huge innovation in SONAR X1 and it’s even better in SONAR X2. With Auto Zoom, Timeline Zoom, Smart Grid, and a revamped NOW time, Skylight looks better than ever and contains numerous improvements that make it faster and more fluid.
Better Views—Many of SONAR’s views have been updated to improve function and match the look and feel of the Skylight interface. New Take Lanes, enhanced Clips Pane, improved PRV, Loop Construction View and the revamped Matrix View are better integrated and dramatically improve user experience.
Improved Smart Tool—Introduced in SONAR X1, the Smart Tool drastically reduced the need to switch tools. In SONAR X2, the Smart Tool practically eliminates the need completely. And most common functions don’t even need a modifier key. Range select across tracks, paint MIDI notes, draw automation and more.
Plus
Over 100 other UI enhancements
Windows 64-bit support for all versions of SONAR X2
Audio engine optimizations
MIDI engine improvements
Easier installation and improved Online Help
Windows 8 and touch screen support (coming in free patch)
Enhanced workflow
Matrix View—The Matrix View brings a live performance feel to SONAR with clip triggering and realtime arranging capabilities. SONAR X2′s Matrix View is revamped with rock-solid playback of audio and MIDI, per-cell trigger resolution, flexible routing, and external MIDI hardware support.
Automation—SONAR X2 now includes Automation Lanes which make it easier to create professional, dynamic mixes. In addition to lanes, SONAR X2 includes new Latch, Touch, Overwrite, and Punch, modes as well as improved editing with the Smart Tool including freehand and line drawing.
SoundCloud and more—Online music and social media are a huge part of music today. With SONAR X2′s integrated SoundCloud support, you can distribute your own music and notify your fanbase instantly. In addition, you can export MIDI to your favorite notation software using MusicXML, burn CDs and more.
Plus
Smart Grid
Track Lanes
Replace a synth for one step instrument swap
Enhanced screensets for one touch workflow management
New per-clip MIDI editor
Improved track and data selection
New plug-ins and tools
Overloud TH2—SONAR X2 now features the critically acclaimed Overloud TH2 technology with special editions of TH2 SONAR (SONAR X2 Essential and Studio) and TH2 Producer (SONAR X2 Producer). Just plug-in and experience the most realistic guitar sounds ever available in any DAW.
R-MIX SONAR—Exclusively available in SONAR X2 Producer, R-MIX SONAR will change the way you mix forever. Now you can visualize your mix and use R-MIX SONAR to isolate different parts of your mix for the ultimate creativity. All powered by Roland’s powerful V-Remastering technology.
Console Emulator—Inject the sound of three legendary consoles right into SONAR X2 Producer’s ProChannel, bringing “in the box” mixing to a whole new level. Add it to any channel or bus and dial in the warm sound of these legendary analog hardware consoles – all with the flexibiity of software.
Overloud has announced Mark Studio 2, the new version of its acclaimed Markbass amplifier simulation plugin.
The Mark Studio 2 plugin has been designed to faithfully simulate the sound of Markbass amplification in any DAW application or live situation.
No matter what kind of bass you use, the Mark Studio 2 plugin will always give you a very musical array of bass sound choices. It’s an indispensable tool to anyone who records on a computer and wants to improve the sound of the bass either during or after recording.
Overloud’s Mark Studio 2 bass amplifier effect includes 6 Markbass heads, 9 Markbass cabinets and a rich pedalboard.
Mark Studio 2 features
Six top-class Markbass amp models: TA501, R500, Classic 300, TTE500, Little Mark Tube and MoMark.
Nine Markbass cabinets: STD 151HR (rear-ported 1×15″), STD 152HR (rear-ported 2×15″), STD 104HR (rear-ported 1×15″), STD 104HF (front-ported 4×10″), STD 106HF (front-ported 6×10″), Classic 108 (sealed 8×10″), Traveler 121H (front-ported 1×12″), New York 804 (front-ported 4x”) and New York 122 (front-ported 2×12″).
Full pedalboard including: octave, envelope filter, bass chorus, distortion and compressor.
Choice of 6 microphones, plus a preset combination of 2 front microphones.
Faithful reproduction of every characteristic and nuance of Markbass amps and cabinets.
Ultra-flexible signal path makes it easy to balance the Direct (plugin) input, Line Out (amp direct Out) and Mic Output levels.
Each mic/cabinet combination has been recorded in a high-end studio by the best Italian sound engineers.
More than one microphone can be used simultaneously: main (woofer), tweeter and, where applicable, rear bass reflex (port)..
Ultra Bass frequency control for extra-deep sound with one mouse click.
Tons of factory presets designed by top engineers and Markbass artists.
Full MIDI support.
Very low CPU usage.
Any parameter can be automated in the plugin version.
Mark Studio 2 for Windows and Mac (VST/AU/RTAS/AAX/Standalone) is available to purchase for the MSRP 129 EUR/$169 USD. An upgrade from Mark Studio 1 and a crossgrade from TH2 are available to purchase as well. All Overloud products are currently discounted.
Overloud has released the BREVERB 2 Mix Pack, a collection of 92 new ambience settings for the Breverb reverb plug-in.
BREVERB 2 Mix Pack is a BREVERB 2 expansion kit containing 92 presets designed by the top notch engineer Sabino Cannone (MoReVoX) and covering a wide range of mixing contexts.
Presets have been collected from real situations, so they are ready to fit into your mix.
If you are on a tight deadline, or if you want a pro-sound with a few clicks, the BREVERB 2 Mix Pack is the right addition for you.
Overloud has updated its TH2 custom guitar effect suite plug-in for Windows and Mac to version 2.2.
TH2 delivers huge sound with flexible and intuitive control.
It is modeled after a wide variety of amplifiers, including the authorized modeling of Randall®, THD® and Brunetti® amplifiers, cabinets and stompboxes.
Changes in TH2 v2.2
New Saint Amp effect emulates a classic amp+cab in a pedal.
New switch to enable/disable automation for smart parameters.
Improvement: the list in the sound browser now scrolls to show the current sound and variation.
Improvement: better compatibility when RTAS and AAX plug-ins are both present.
Fix: variations aren’t immediately marked as modified when opening the RTAS plug-in.
Fix: no more lost clicks in the overview panel on Lion.
TH2 for Windows and Mac (VST/AU/RTAS/AAX/Standalone) is available for 199 EUR / $269 USD. The update is free for registered TH2 users.
ILIO has announced a limited time offer extending to all Overloud plug-ins.
Starting Monday, March 19, 2012, Overloud products will be 40% off their normal retail pricing. This special offer is available only until Friday, March 25, 2012.
Overloud plugins 40% off at ILIO
The Overloud product line consists of six unique processing plug-ins including:
Mark Studio 1 – Emulates the famous Markbass amplifiers, giving you three Markbass heads, six Markbass cabinets, six microphones and a tube compressor.
TH2 – Offers a variety of distortion, tone control, and effects for electric and acoustic guitar players with authorized models of the highly-prized Randall®, THD®, and Brunetti® amps and heads.
Breverb 2 – Faithfully recreates the sound of revered hardware reverbs while keeping the CPU load very low.
VKFX – A virtual rack packed with outstanding models of vintage analog effects processors especially suited for keyboard players.
SpringAge – A classic spring reverb plug-in that contains three spring models from the most revered and acclaimed vintage and modern spring hardware.
The Overloud special promotional prices are available from authorized dealers and on the ILIO website.
Toontrack has released EZkeys Grand Piano, a plugin and stand alone instrument that combines a world-class piano player, songwriting partner, arranger and a meticulously sampled grand piano – all in one package.
Complete with an extensive drag and drop MIDI library, a groundbreaking smart transpose functionality that allows the user to change chords and add harmonic color on the fly as well as introducing an intuitive interface with a streamlined workflow, EZkeys is not just an amazingly sounding instrument, it’s a songwriting palette that sets a new benchmark in creative music software.
EZkeys Grand Piano features
The songwriting & MIDI — EZkeys comes with an extensive MIDI library performed by a professional session pianist. Played with increasing complexity in full eight bar song sections and covering all major genres such as Rock, Pop, Country, Gospel, Blues and Funk, this library is not only a creative boost, it’s an untapped source of inspiration for your yet unwritten songs. Drag, drop and lay down the foundation to a track in no time!
The smart transpose functionality — When you drag and drop MIDI in the timeline of the song browser, EZkeys will immediately analyze and separate all chords. If you click any of the blocks, an intuitive chord circle will open. This allows you to transpose or alter any chord or full song on the fly. This works just as well with the included MIDI as any user imported files.
The timeless sound — EZkeys comes with a mint condition Steinway and Sons model D grand piano, sampled to perfection in a world-class recording studio using only the best of the best in vintage and modern recording gear. The model D grand piano is the undisputed industry standard among performers and producers worldwide and has over the past century and half had an overwhelming amount of musical history and heritage created on it. The sounds were mixed to sit perfectly in a production environment without any additional tweaking. There is also a selection of ready-made and user controllable presets available, making your sound options seem almost endless.
EZkeys Grand Piano for Windows and Mac (VST/AU/RTAS/Standalone) is avaialble to purchase for $179 USD / 139 EUR.
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