Cakewalk SONAR 6 Producer Edition

Striking the perfect balance between passion and precision, SONAR 6 shatters the limitations found in ordinary digital audio workstations. Offering a complete spectrum of creative technologies, SONAR 6 inspires your artistic expression. These technologies are fully integrated within a cutting edge engineering and mixing environment to transform your musical dreams into professional finished productions.

Grammy and Emmy Award winning musicians, producers, composers, sound designers, and engineers around the world turn to Sonar daily to fire their inspiration and deliver professional results. Whether you are one of these select few, or are aspiring for greatness, SONAR 6 is the definitive audio production environment for all your needs.

New to Sonar

Version 6 adds an arsenal of responsive instruments, more effects, and powerful editing tools including Roland® V-Vocal™ VariPhrase technology. These features are complemented by a double precision floating point engine that delivers dramatic increases in dynamic range. Sonar’s pristine 64-bit audio engine, seamless and accessible even on 32-bit computers, sets new standards for digital mixing. In addition, SONAR 6 introduces ground-breaking advances in RAM and native processing power on systems running Windows Vista/XP x64 Edition.

Use the navigation bar on the left or the links on the bottom to explore this section and learn more about SONAR 6 Producer and Studio Edition.

Features

• PSYN™ II subtractive synth, Pentagon™ I vintage analog synth, Roland® GrooveSynth™, SFZ SoundFont sampler, RXP ™ REX Player groove box
• Additional instruments include TTS-1™, Cyclone™, and DreamStation™
• Perfect Space™ Convolution Reverb
• Additional effects include Lexicon® Pantheon™ Reverb, Sonitus:fx Suite (10 effects), many more
• Updated MIDI FX plug-ins
• Integrated inline audio and MIDI editing, arranging, and mixing all in one view
• Envelope automation drawing enhanced with tempo-sync patterns, freehand, more
• Object-oriented clip-based effects and editing including per-clip effects bin, clip-based effect automation, and more
• BitBridge™ enables 32-bit VST effects and instruments in Sonar’s 64-bit environment
• Remove DC offset during recording
• Dynamic Console View with per-channel EQ and assignable FX controls
• Freeze for tracks, effects, and synths—unloads plug-ins, frees RAM, frozen audio is editable, Quick Unfreeze allows for toggling, more
• SurroundBridge™—use your favorite stereo effect plug-ins in surround
• Advanced step recording
• Edit and print traditional staff notation
• Professional Project File Management Tools: manage large projects effectively with Navigator Pane and Track Folders; per project audio directories; consolidate project files for fast backup; search for associated files; more
• Video output to 1394 FireWire devices for high quality viewing with lower CPU and disk usage
• Sync to and send SMPTE/MTC for scoring external video
• OMFI & Broadcast Wave import/export for collaboration with Digital Performer, Logic, Nuendo, and Pro Tools studios
• Import formats: AIF, ASF, AU, AVI (with stereo or 5.1 audio), Broadcast Wave, MIDI, MP2, MP3, MPEG, MPG, OMFI, QuickTime 6, SND, WAV (including 32-bit float files), Windows Media Audio 9 (WMA), WMA9 Pro 5.1, WMA9 lossless, Windows Media Video, proprietary Cakewalk formats (.bun, .cwb, .cwp, .wrk)
• Export: WAV (including 32-bit float files), ACID™-format WAV, Broadcast Wave, AVI (with stereo or 5.1 audio), OMFI, MIDI, MP3 (30-day trial encoder), QuickTime 6, Windows Media Audio 9 (WMA), WMA9 Pro 5.1, WMA9 lossless, Windows Media Video (with stereo or 5.1 audio), and proprietary Cakewalk formats (.cwb, .cwp); other audio formats supported via external command line encoders

Musician's Choice

SONAR 6 offers all the world-class instruments, effects, and creative technologies you need to bring your inspiration to life.

• Record and edit unlimited tracks of audio and MIDI using effects on input including the new Perfect Space™ Convolution Reverb, Sonitus:fx Suite, and more—31 audio and 8 MIDI effects in all
• Includes 8 responsive virtual instruments: two synths with genuine Roland® sounds; vintage analog synths; REX™, SoundFont, and groove samplers; and more
• Recall every element of a sound: mix, effect, and instrument settings with one click using Track Templates
• Loop record live audio and MIDI to track layers, then use enhanced comping tools to assemble the perfect take
• Create backing tracks and remixes fast using MIDI groove clips and ACID™-format loops with per slice control of pitch, gain, and pan
• Expand your sounds and effects with native support for VST and DirectX plug-ins, and ReWire clients like Project5 and Reason
• Use any Windows-compatible WDM or ASIO audio interface (including Pro Tools | HD or M-Box), integrate hardware-based MIDI devices and control surfaces from Roland, Tascam, Mackie, and others

Flexible Samplers

SONAR 6 comes stocked with 3 versatile samplers that allow you to work with many different sample formats including REX™, SFZ and ACID™ loop files.

RXP™ REX Player groove box

• Tempo-syncing drum machine and groove box that plays REX and SFZ loops and single hits
• Drag MIDI patterns into SONAR for editing and rearranging
• Built-in multimode filter with parameter controls including attack, decay, cutoff and more
• Includes almost 300 MB of REX file content

SFZ SoundFont sampler

• Endless sample-arranging capabilities with outstanding sound quality and built-in effects
• Loads and plays standard wave files (.wav), Ogg-Vorbis compressed files (.ogg), and SFZ files
• Adjustable CPU/quality settings to optimize it for use in your hardware
• Fully multitimbral operation and several loading modes (including direct-from-disk streaming for SoundFonts)

Cyclone™ groove sampler

• Perform and record loop-based compositions in real-time using any MIDI device, MIDI tracks, a computer keyboard, or mouse
• Assign ACID™-format WAV files and Groove Clips to Cyclone’s 16 pads that match the tempo and pitch of your project—ships with 400 MBs of ACID™ loops
• Rearrange, combine, slice, tweak, and customize samples to create new grooves with control over gain, pitch, and pan of individual loop slices
• Full control over looping points—great for creating polyrhythmic textures and work with loops in odd time signatures

Huge Analog Synths

Take synthesis to a whole new level with PSYN™ II subtractive synth and Pentagon™ I vintage analog synth. These synths feature critically-acclaimed rgc:audio technology, with the pristine, high-quality sound that musicians and sound designers look for in their instruments.

PSYN™ II subtractive synth

• Get classic analog sounds and evocative new sounds through full-featured subtractive synthesis
• Includes two unique filters, four multi-wave oscillators, cross-modulation for Ring Modulation and FM synthesis
• Five 6-stage Envelope Generators, three assignable LFOs, 64-note polyphony with unison, true mono and portamento
• Perfect for rap, hip-hop and dance musicians who need warm and edgy bass and lead sounds

Pentagon™ I vintage analog synth

• Get the warm, classic sound of the vintage analog synthesizers, combined with the fidelity and precision of virtual instruments
• Features 4 Oscillators with 13 Alias Free Waveforms including saws, squares, pulses, harmonics, and sines plus a Noise Generator per oscillator
• Packed with effects including the Format Filter which makes Pentagon "speak" vowels, 6 mode modulation, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Delay, EQ, and more
• Includes unique Voice Modulator expands your creativity through imaginative sounds

Authentic Roland® instruments

Featuring industry-standard samples from the Roland® library, Roland® GrooveSynth™ and TTS-1 GM2 synth offer brilliant sounds that are perfect for all genres of music. Whether you are looking for searing leads, booming drums, or classic instruments like pianos, these instruments deliver with the quality you have come to expect from the Roland® name.

Roland® GrooveSynth

• Features 100%-genuine Roland® sounds from their genre-defining groove boxes and synthesizers
• Access drum sounds from the legendary 808 and 909 kits
• Tweak and fine-tune different parameters including Vibrato, Portamento, Modulation Depth, Bend, Tuning, and more
• Includes presets for pianos, organs, drums, brass, strings, bass, and much more

TTS-1 GM 2 synth

• A high quality, multitimbral, multi-out GM2 synthesizer with a Roland® synth engine to generate amazing, expressive sounds
• 256 instrument sounds and 9 drum sets, with the ability to create custom presets
• 128-voice polyphony and up to 16 part multi-instrument playback
• Includes high quality reverb, chorus, delay, and EQ

Loop Construction

Sonar features powerful loop editing and composition capabilities with slice-based control of gain, pitch, pan. First introduced in Cyclone DXi, this functionality has been incorporated into the Loop Construction view and enhanced by giving you envelope automation control over these parameters. Slice preview with auto-loop simplifies marker placement and adjustments during the loop construction process.

Now you can take any audio loop and make it your own, manipulating it to perfectly work harmonically and sonically with your projects. Create backing tracks easily or chop up loops to create sensational remixes.

Producer's Edge

With SONAR 6 you get a comprehensive set of editing, mixing, and delivery options in one integrated environment.

• Get higher-quality mixes with Sonar’s cutting edge 64-bit double precision floating point engine with full delay compensation
• Keep pristine audio quality with support for 32-bit float files and up to 500 kHz sampling rates
• Accomplish powerful vocal edits including pitch correction, phrasing adjustments, harmonization, and much more with V-Vocal™
• Flexible mixing with 30+ surround formats, effects, on-the-fly bussing, vector envelopes, pan laws, configurable meter ballistics, more
• Configure Sonar the way you like with custom layouts, color schemes, even use keystrokes from other audio applications
• Deliver projects in virtually any format, bit-depth, or sampling rate: POW-r dithering; Windowed Sync sample rate conversion; external command line encoder support; OMFI and Broadcast WAV for collaboration with Pro Tools; QuickTime; MP3*; more
• Prosoniq MPEX time scaling—a superior time scaling algorithm that is great for matching audio to video or for loop/sample authoring
• SONAR 6 includes a 32-bit version and the first native 64-bit digital audio workstation. 64-bit** version experiences 20-30% processing performance gains and can access 128 GB of physical RAM

Roland® V-Vocal™ Variphrase Technology

SONAR 6 Producer Edition introduces Roland® V-Vocal™ to the world. This new vocal processor features state-of-the-art VariPhrase technology—a producer's dream for working with vocals. Use this powerful tool to create perfect vocal tracks, accomplishing edits you never imagined possible.

• Based on VariPhrase technology—a unique technology developed at Roland that allows you to control the tempo and pitch of audio phrases in real time with virtually no sound quality degradation
• Powerful vocal processing: automatic pitch correction, vibrato, and more
• Adjust the phrasing and dynamics of your vocals or rephrase an entire audio region
• Easily add harmonies or choirs to your projects

Amazing Reverbs

SONAR 6 Producer Edition features some of the finest reverbs on the market today including new Perfect Space™ Convolution Reverb, Lexicon® Pantheon™ Stereo and Surround Reverbs, and the Sonitus:fx Reverb. Emulate virtually any acoustic space you desire.

Perfect Space™ Convolution Reverb

• Low latency, 64-bit convolution processing for the sweetest sounding reverbs
• Includes 250 impulse responses sampled from professional hardware reverbs and real spaces
• Reproduces actual room ambience with perfect accuracy
• Includes non-destructive impulse editing, Linear phase EQ, and SSE/SSE2 and 3DNOW optimizations

Lexicon® Pantheon™ Reverbs

• World-class, pristine sounds of Lexicon reverbs in both stereo and multi-channel environments up to 5.1
• Features numerous factory presets and full editing capabilities for creating custom presets
• Full control over many different parameters including pre-delay, room size, mix, spread, roll off, and more

Sonitus: fx Reverb

• Features high-quality reverb algorithms that emulates the most realistic acoustic spaces
• Add reverb that resembles the character, decay and frequency response of various environments
• Adjust input, output and reverb levels or mute for fast previewing

Seamless Workflow...Easy Editing

Building on SONAR 6's award-winning workflow enhancements, Version 5 includes over 20 new workflow enhancements making it the most intuitive and user-friendly DAW in the industry. With all these new workflow enhancements, powerful editing tools are just a click away making it easy to arrange and edit your projects.

Clip-based effects and editing

Audio and MIDI clips contain full-featured FX bins with automatic delay compensation. Copy effects from clip to clip, clip to track, or track to track. Apply fades and effect automation to selected audio clips, and specify the fade duration and curve type

Track Templates

Quickly insert complex combinations of tracks and buses. Create and save your own custom track templates or use them to store Track and Bus I/O routing, Track Folders, Mute, Solo & Arm states, Effects & Synths, more.

Track Icons

Easily identify tracks using hundreds of built-in icons, or add custom icons. Set icon states for the Track View, the Track Inspector, and the Console View.

Track Freeze

Freeze tracks, effects, and synths to save valuable CPU resources. Unloads plug-ins, frees RAM, frozen audio is editable, Quick Unfreeze allows for toggling, and more.

Track Folders

Organize tracks into folders for managing your large scale projects and loop-recorded takes. When tracks are organized into folders, you can quickly mute, solo, record, archive and perform other functions on all of the tracks in the folder.

Track Layers

Sonar’s acclaimed take management is now even more powerful with Per-layer Mute and Solo, Overlap clips within layers, Auto-crossfade clips on the same layer, and more.

Comping and Editing

Use Track Layers to build your composite using Clip Muting or Partial Clip Muting (time-based within a clip) to isolate takes or sections of takes to achieve a perfect track.

Inline Audio and MIDI

Audio and MIDI has been unified into one view for display and edit. Seamlessly access Audio clips, MIDI notes & clips, MIDI controllers, Automation Envelopes, and more.

Advanced MIDI Sequencing

Edit, display and filter multiple MIDI notes and controllers simultaneously. Easily enter MIDI notes from a keyboard controller from any MIDI view at any time with Sonar's advanced step recording.

New Automation Shapes

Powerful tempo-sync’d pattern drawing, including sine, square, triangle and saw, as well as freehand and random shapes.

Nudge

Use this clip/note editing tool to fine tune and time correct your music. Nudge both vertically and horizontally within the Track and Piano Roll views.

And many more workflow tools including

• Navigation Pane—get a birds eye view of your project
• Group Editing—effectively manage and edit multiple clips or tracks
• Group Manager—control multiple track strips
• Bus-able Metronome—route Sonar's Audio Metronome through any bus
• Universal Bus Architecture—flexible routing with unlimited sends and busses

Mixing and Delivery for the Professional

SONAR 6 Producer Edition offers a flexible mixing environment to create the perfect mix down and deliver your projects in industry-standard formats. Whether you are working in stereo, surround, video or collaborating with Pro Tools, Nuendo or Logic studios, SONAR 6 has the means to deliver audio at any bit-depth or sampling rate.

Bus & Synth Waveform Preview

Get the priceless visual feedback you need to fix it in the mix. Locate and see the value of the maximum peak of each audio track, synth or bus. Quickly find all the overs and peaks in your project to maximize output and prevent clipping.

64-bit Double Precision Floating Point Engine

Sonar's double precision floating point engine delivers dramatic increases in dynamic range. Sonar’s pristine 64-bit audio engine, seamless and accessible even on 32-bit computers, sets new standards for digital mixing.

31 Audio Effects and 8 MIDI Effects

Mix with professional grade audio and MIDI effects. SONAR 6 Producer comes with the Sonitus:fx Suite, a series of professional audio processing tools for digital audio editing, sound design, games, multimedia, film or studio work. The suite includes: Compressor, Delay, EQ, Gate, Wah Wah, Multiband Compressor, Phase, Reverb, Modulator, and Surround. In addition, all MIDI effects have been redesigned with a precision look and feel. They include powerful new X-Y controls to dial-in the perfect Echo quickly, as well as new dual-function min-max sliders to easily set MIDI ranges.

The Best Surround Experience

With over 30 supported surround configurations, an intuitive surround panner, the Sonitus Surround Compressor, the Lexicon® Pantheon™ Surround Reverb, and the exclusive SurroundBridge™ technology for use of stereo plug-ins in surround, you’ll see why Mix magazine recently stated that Sonar deserves “a standing ovation…by far the easiest and most intuitive surround experience.”

POW-r Dithering

POW-r Dithering provides the highest-quality, ultra-transparent digital-audio bit reduction; reducing 20, 24, and 32 bit audio to CD standard 16-bit format, while retaining perceived dynamic efficiency with very low noise.

Video Thumbnails and FireWire Output

Import Video Thumbnail Tracks for easy mixing of video. You can also output video to 1394 FireWire devices for high quality viewing with lower CPU and disk usage.

Export to Industry-standard Formats

WAV (including 32-bit float files), ACID™-format WAV, Broadcast Wave, AVI (with stereo or 5.1 audio), OMFI, MIDI, MP3 (30-day trial encoder), QuickTime 6, Windows Media Audio 9 (WMA), WMA9 Pro 5.1, WMA9 lossless, WindowsMedia Video (with stereo or 5.1 audio), and proprietary Cakewalk formats (.cwb, .cwp); Other audio formats supported via external commandline.

SONAR 6 x64 Edition

SONAR 6 is the first native 64-bit digital audio workstation on the market. SONAR 6 ships as both a 32-bit and 64-bit application, and the 64-bit double precision floating point engine is accessible in both applications. SONAR 6 sees a 20-30% performance gain when installed in in a 64-bit PC using Intel EM64T and AMD64 processor and Windows Vista/XP x64 Edition. In addition, Intel EM64T and AMD64 based systems can access up to 128 GB of RAM that opens up new worlds when using samplers and audio loops.

BitBridge™

A primary barrier to making the leap to the 64-bit environment has been the lack of plug-ins available. SONAR 6’s BitBridge™ sweeps aside any resistance by enabling the use of 32-bit VST effects and instruments in Sonar’s 64-bit environment. BitBridge technology extends the viability and use of your favorite VST plug-ins; ensures future compatibility of freeware, even for the most obscure, independently developed shareware plug-ins.

Producer Edition Exclusives

• Roland® V-Vocal™ vocal processor
• PSYN™ II subtractive synth
• Pentagon™ I analog synth
• RXP™ REX Player groove box
• Perfect Space™ Convolution Reverb
• Lexicon® Pantheon™ Stereo & Surround Reverbs
• Sonitus Surround Compressor
• Multi-format surround mixing
• SurroundBridge™
• Per-channel EQ
• Assignable FX controls
• POW-r dithering
• MPEX 3 time scaling
• Video thumbnail track

System Requirements

PC

• Operating System: Windows Vista/XP
• Processor Speed: Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz, AMD Athlon XP 1500+
• RAM: 128 MB
• Hard Disk Space: 100 MB
• Hard Disk Type: Any
• Graphics: 1024 X 768, 16-bit color