Daw Study Series Pt4 - Cakewalk Sonar

First in Innovation

I have long been an advocate of Cakewalk’s flagship DAW, Sonar, now in Platinum edition.

If you were solely a Windows PC user it was arguable the No.1 go to recording software, crammed to the gills with features, extra free bundled software and a plethora of plugins and instruments that left no stone unturned in covering any recording eventuality.

They were the first to implement the ability to use 64 bit processing without losing 32bit vst compatibility, the first to make a truly un-dockable and re-arrangable interface. The first to offer Melodyne integration. They were first to truly implement touch screen compatibility. They are without doubt a company of innovation and firsts. So why was it not adopted more widely? Probably due to reliance on Mac’s in the professional audio world and Sonar specifically offered only Windows support.

Sonar’s greatest strength over some other well known DAW’s was the introduction of their Pro Channel. This made recording in Sonar more natural and more console like. Each track has its own strip of plugins EQ, Compression, Tape, Console emulator etc and the ability to add FX bins leaving plugin combinations only limited by your imagination. This saves time and eases workflow tremendously. No looking around for a plugin, no loading needed, with a single click of a mouse a full featured console strip for every mixing requirement is just there on demand for channels and bus tracks respectively.

Add in bundles like Nomad’s Bluetube FX, Addictive Drums 2, Rematrix solo convolution reverb, Melodyne, 21 Instruments and 57 audio FX and more available from Cakewalk’s download centre and you get an idea of overwhelming strength and depth and value for money of this fully featured DAW.

Cakewalk, have now decided to go with a subscription based command centre. This is a place to purchase the version that suits your pocket and needs, authorisation and updates, extra features and upgrades, all carried out online. For some this is a welcome addition for others it’s a place of annoying inconvenience. One thing to note is failure to subscribe after 12mths means no more access to updates that become immediately downloadable as soon as they become available.

Pros

• 64-bit Audio Processing

• 32-bit VST support

• Plethora of bundled software

• Unlimited track count

• Pro-Channel built in console FX

• Complete editable UI

• Comprehensive set of included instruments and FX for mixing & mastering

• Competitive pricing

• One of the most powerful DAW’s on the windows platform

Cons

• Skylight UI can be over confusing for some

• No updates if you fail to re-subscribe after 12 months.

Cakewalk Sonar comes in three editions to suit an individual’s pocket but it’s flagship edition, Platinum, is without doubt one of the most comprehensive and complete DAW packages there is out there and for that it has few challengers. Cakewalk have proved their at the forefront of innovation and now recently being purchased by none other than Gibson, the future looks set for even bigger things. So if you prefer a windows based DAW, packed with features and competitively priced, you simply can’t go wrong.