SONAR 8 Producer Competitive Upgrade Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Sonar has been the best available Windows-based digital audio workstation software for a long time now - to the point where a fair number of producers and studios have migrated to Sonar from Pro Tools, not to mention a steadily increasing string of software and industry awards. (See Cakewalk's site for names, if interested.) And, of course, with Boot Camp, you can run Sonar native under Windows if you have a recent Intel-based Mac - running a Mac doesn't force you into Pro Tools for software at this level. Pro Tools is still the pro industry standard, of course, but while a few years ago you HAD to submit material in Pro Tools format, virtually all studios and mastering facilities will now accept Sonar-based material as well. Cakewalk's continuous investment in Sonar is second to none, and I expect to see it surpass Pro Tools in the next few years. In my opinion, it is already better softare.
Sonar Producer comes with a terrific package of high-quality effects plug-ins (actually the original reason I jumped into Sonar Producer). I've also found Cakewalk to have good customer service - one of the very, very few, in fact, where the response on customer service calls is as good as on sales calls. Cakewalk continues to improve the user interface with Sonar 8. Particularly welcome are edit changes, including multiple-clip edits, and optimizations targeted at running high track counts. Several instruments are included, and I'm particularly happy to see Dimension Pro, which includes Garritan Orchestral sounds, and TruePianos Amber. Your interests and activities will differ, of course (mini are Midi-heavy), and you should really look through the complete list of enhancements on Cakewalk's site. Enhancements for this version runs several pages long. This is a major upgrade from Sonar 7.
In addition to the software, buy a Sonar book or two, take the tutorials, hit one or two of Cakewalk's roadshows, and join a forum or two. There is a fairly steep learning curve with Sonar, as with any other pro-level audio suite, the good news being there is a ton of support out there due to the market's embrace of Sonar.

Click Here to see more reviews about: SONAR 8 Producer Competitive Upgrade

Click here for more information about SONAR 8 Producer Competitive Upgrade

Read More...

Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been a Cakewalk user for years, starting with their Pro Audio software and dating to when the company was known as 12-Tone Systems. Their software has only become better and better as the years have gone by. Sonar has been the best available Windows-based digital audio workstation software for a long time now - to the point where a fair number of producers and studios have migrated to Sonar from Pro Tools, not to mention a steadily increasing string of software and industry awards. (See Cakewalk's site for names, if interested.) And, of course, with Boot Camp, you can run Sonar native under Windows if you have a recent Intel-based Mac - running a Mac doesn't force you into Pro Tools for software at this level.
Be warned - if you are not heavily into audio, audio for video, MIDI, recording, sequencing, effects, looping, mastering, mixing, etc. - and possess the audio domain knowledge that all that entails, as well as a good understanding of the complexities of running full-on audio software from a technical standpoint - you can find yourself overwhelmed by this software, and you will be MUCH better off with Cakewalk's Home Studio version of Sonar. Sonar (particularly Producer) can be enormously complex, but that's not due to any design issues - quite the contrary! Rather, that's because it covers a vast array of audio activities, options, and capabilities. It is possible to use it simplistically, but I'd direct anyone with only those types of needs to simpler software suites.
On the other hand, if you do have the audio and technical knowledge, you'll find Sonar Producer is flexible, powerful, configurable, and responsive. It is also very stable and has been so for many versions now. Be aware that this type of software by its nature (high processing loads, need to control latency, timing control and issues among multiple devices and interfaces, etc.) can be compromised by PC setups optimized for multipurpose use.
The software comes with a terrific package of high-quality effects plug-ins. I've also found Cakewalk to have good customer service - one of the very, very few, in fact, where the response on customer service calls is as good as on sales calls. Cakewalk continues to improve the user interface with Sonar 8. Particularly welcome are edit changes, including multiple-clip edits, and optimizations targeted at running high track counts. Several instruments are included, and I'm particularly happy to see Dimension Pro, which includes Garritan Orchestral sounds, and TruePianos Amber. Your interests and activities will differ, of course (mini are Midi-heavy), and you should really look through the complete list of enhancements on Cakewalk's site. Enhancements for this version runs several pages long. This is a major upgrade from Sonar 7.
I do have one issue with Cakewalk, though I'm not knocking down the rating because of it as the software itself is too good. The problem is that Cakewalk hits their user base pretty hard on upgrade fees. You can pretty much count on having to spend a few hundred dollars per year to keep the software up to date if you take every version and keep your plug-ins up-to-date. I've always felt that companies should upgrade customers from the most recent versions for little or nothing if they have paid for a recent upgrade, at least for a download. There is some price tiering depending on what version you're running, but it's insufficient, in my opinion. At one point I unknowingly purchased an upgrade weeks before a new release - but Cakewalk still charged me the full upgrade price for the new version. That kind of pricing policy doesn't encourage customer loyalty. I understand that this is a minor issue for a pro or a studio, but Cakewalk also has a large installed base for Sonar Producer among non-pros.
My preference would be for Cakewalk to adjust their release approach to one of more incremental releases between major versions. It's far more disruptive to install a new version, taking on the setup and learning issues than it is to install incremental upgrades (Cakewalk does release some patches.). You do get what you pay for, however.
In addition to the software, buy a Sonar book or two, take the tutorials, hit one or two of Cakewalk's roadshows, and join a forum or two. There is a fairly steep learning curve with Sonar as with any other pro-level audio suite, the good news being there is a lot of support out there due to the market's embrace of Sonar.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition

Click here for more information about Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition

Read More...

Cakewalk Pyro Audio Creator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't usually write reviews and when I do they are usually short ones. I'm generally pretty satisfied with stuff I buy because I research before purchase. Back in 2004, I started using an audio program called Cakewalk Pyro 2003. It was a pretty awesome program that allowed me to do exactly what I wanted to do - switch from analog cassette recording to digital PC to CD recording and still make "blended" recordings. By "blended" I actually mean crossfading...which is overlapping the audio at the beginning and end of each track. I did it for years with two CD players, an audio mixer and a cassette deck. By the way, I bought my first PC in 1991 and am on my ninth one now. I know what I'm doing.
Pyro 2003 allowed me to do the same thing on my PC and then burn the project to a CD...yielding a very pleasant, professional series of songs, overlapped with the next succeeding one with no break in the music. Then I bought a new PC with Windows Vista. Pyro 2003 wouldn't work on it and Cakewalk had no other "Pyro" program that would work on Vista. Then late last year (unknown to me) Cakewalk released "Pyro Audio Creator"; their new program that does audio editing (among other things) and though it is supposed to work with XP, it is specifically "recommended for Vista". I discovered it online and rushed out to buy it.
After installation, the first thing you see is a "bug sheet" that pops up telling you all the problems this program still has. I reviewed it but figured it would still work for me. First problem...no audio. After reinstalling, still no audio. Found two patches at Cakewalk's website for "version 1.0" of this program but nowhere, anywhere on anything does it say what version this program is. Plus, in order to download the patches, you have to "register" the program. Once registered, you can't return it or sell it to anybody else. Oh well. So I went ahead and installed the two patches. GREAT....have audio now.
I read the online instructions and tried to create my first Pyro "project". Pyro 2003 was a neat program that you could figure out easily and had a great interface. Things work like you expected them to. But this one, Pyro Audio Creator, is way too complex and is supposed do things only people in a pro sound studio would want to do...and I guarantee you they wouldn't be doing it with a $40.00 program. To move around in this program and set up your audio tracks is way, way too cumbersome, takes way too many clicks and (get this) with Vista (the "recommended" operating system) drag and drop in not functional. By now I'm not happy.
After playing with my project, I go to burn it to CD, but guess what...there is no option to do that like in Pyro 2003. I have to save it (I guess) and go to the "burning" part of the program to burn it. I save it, which takes about 5 minutes, and then I go to the burn section and can't find my project now because it didn't tell me where it saved it. I have to do a hard drive search to find it.
By now I've spend about 5 hours trying to get this overpriced roll of toilet paper to work so I decided to take a break and watch a movie with my son. I turned the monitor off but left the PC running. Two hours later I return for more gnashing of teeth and discover my PC has entered Vista's new "Auto Repair mode" in an attempt to save the operating system from death. Auto repair finally stops and the PC reboots. My wallpaper is different and, guess what, Pyro Audio Creator is completely gone. Windows uninstalled it. Vista must be pretty smart - it recognizes garbage and gets rid of it automatically. I wonder what else I've lost but just haven't discovered yet.
Bottom Line: No refunds allowed, email tech support only (yeah that will work) and I'm out not only the 40 bucks plus tax but I still don't have a program to do my music. Cakewalk can contact me and give me a refund or I'm going to plaster this review everywhere I can on the internet. Awful program, awful program with known bugs, awful program that doesn't work, awful program that endangers your computer. This is a "Don't Buy"!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cakewalk Pyro Audio Creator

Click here for more information about Cakewalk Pyro Audio Creator

Read More...