Cakewalk is now taking pre-orders for SONAR 8, the latest version of their DAW flagship product.

Cakewalk SONAR 8

SONAR 8 Producer gives you what you need for recording, composing, editing, mixing, and mastering. Get innovations that matter, from exclusive features to ignite creativity and perfect your tracks, to groundbreaking technologies that always keep you in control, all backed by the industry’s leading 64-bit audio quality. And SONAR 8 Producer delivers the go-to production tools you want with the best collection of virtual instruments, mixing, and mastering effects found in any DAW.

With unlimited tracks, amazing creative tools, inspiring virtual instruments, the freedom to work with any audio interface or control surface, and the most complete delivery capability for collaboration with users of other DAWS, award-winning SONAR Producer is your best choice in a digital audio workstation.

New in SONAR 8

  • New features, optimizations, and workflow enhancements include:
    • Loop Explorer 2.0 — view provides browse and preview of audio and MIDI groove clips and patterns; quickly drag and drop loops and patterns into the track view; MIDI groove clips and patterns can be previewed with the virtual instrument of your choice.
    • Dedicated Instrument Track — single track optimized for mono or stereo virtual synths which simplifies the process of working with virtual instruments. In the pursuit of offering users options in how they want to work, the multi-track method of using virtual instruments employed by previous versions of SONAR is still supported. In addition users can split and combine instrument tracks to/from discrete audio/MIDI tracks.
    • SONAR Performance Optimizations — with focus on functionality including improved performance at high track counts and low latencies, faster launch time, and the ability to change audio devices without restarting; streamlined communication with VST plug-ins and Improved ASIO performance with output latency compensation.
    • User Interface optimizations — smoother display when resizing windows and panes, optimized metering, more responsive zoom and scroll.
  • New Instruments Include:
    • Beatscape loop performance instrument — Beatscape, the latest instrument by Cakewalk’s premier synthesis architect René Ceballos takes loop manipulation and realtime triggering/performance to new heights. Beatscape provides 16-pads to load and trigger loops or samples for sequencing your productions and beats. Each pad features a full powered REX player, Rapture-style step generator, multiple effect processors, and sophisticated groove slicing and dicing tools powered by Cakewalk’s own AudioSnap slicing technology.
    • Dimension Pro (+ content) — SONAR now includes a full version of the acclaimed synthesizer that combines real instruments with advanced synthesis for endless sound possibilities. The underpinnings of Dimension Pro’s creative possibilities is the powerful Cakewalk’s Expression Engine providing several types of synthesis including multi-sample rendering, wavetable synthesis, waveguide synthesis, and REX playback and manipulation.
    • TruePianos Amber VSTi Module — One of four modules that currently ship with the full version of TruePianos VSTi, the TruePianos Amber Module will provide SONAR users with world-class, playable piano sounds through its combination sampling, modeling, and synthesis sound design. TruePianos sounds and feels great, just like a real acoustic piano, with all the important characteristics: sympathetic resonance, inter-string harmonics, repedalling and more.
  • New Effect Processors Include:
    • TS 64 Transient Shaper — a powerful tool for sculpting the transient dynamics of any percussive based source material such as drums or guitars. The TS 64 Transient Shaper employs powerful envelope/transient-detection, linear-phase filtering, and gain-shaping to control the dynamics of individual transients of any sound with amplitude variation over time.
    • TL-64 Tube Leveler — a line driver/leveling processor that employs advanced analog vacuum-tube circuit modeling algorithms to add the unique qualities of tube color and warmth found in classic recordings to whatever source material it is applied.
    • Channel Tools — provides easy and powerful zero-latency channel processing for adjusting L/R channel placement, gain, pan/width, and phase; sample delay for precision timing adjustment of L/R channels in recordings; Automatic Mid-Side decoding of imported Mid-Side recorded material. Channel Tools can also provide a widening or narrowing effect to stereo recordings through adjustments to mid-side gain.
    • Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3 LE — built on the latest award-winning guitar amp modeler from Native Instruments; 3 amps and cabinets, 11 effects, tuner, metronome, and over 50 presets.
  • Tons of other enhancements.

SONAR 8 Producer is available for pre-order for $619 USD.

Visit Cakewalk for more information.