Cakewalk Sonar 8 Producer Review

Mar 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Allan Metts

           
 

A VENERABLE WORKHOUSE GETS A TUNE-UP AND NEW PLUG-INS

My own projects often suffer from drum tracks that are too wet or washed in reverb. In those instances, I find myself nudging the Attack knob toward Fast, the Weight knob toward Thin, and the Decay knob toward Dry. The mush goes away immediately, and I'm left with drum tracks that stand out clearly in the mix.

Rounding out the new effects is Guitar Rig 3 LE from Native Instruments (for a review of the full version, see the April 2008 issue, available at emusician.com). The LE version provides 3 amps and cabinets, 11 effects, and more than 50 presets.

Instruments Galore

With Sonar 8, Cakewalk adds three new instruments to its extensive collection, making it more likely that you'll have all the music-making tools you need in this one package (Sonar Producer installs from a 4-DVD set, indicating the vast amount of included sample content). The most notable addition is a full version of Dimension Pro, Cakewalk's well-regarded sample-based synth (see the July 2006 issue for a review). You get more than 7 GB of Dimension Pro content, including Garritan's Pocket Orchestra, Digital Sound Factory's Classic Keys Expansion Pack, and an extensive sound-effects library from Hollywood Edge.

FIG. 3: Beatscape provides 16 pads for triggering sounds and gives you extensive tools for shaping sounds and performing live.

Beatscape is a new instrument from Cakewalk offering extensive beat-slicing, loop-triggering, and remixing capabilities — all optimized for live performance (see Fig. 3). A complete description could easily fill an entire review, but suffice it to say that you'll find plenty to play with. My own projects don't typically involve sample loops and beat slicing, but I had a blast with the instrument nonetheless.

Each of Beatscape's 16 trigger pads can play loops from your Sonar project or the included 4 GB of well-organized sample content. You can insert up to three effects per pad, and you can map the pads and map individual beat slices to MIDI notes (see “Master Class: Cakewalk Beatscape” in the February 2009 issue, available at emusician.com).

Wrapping up the list of new instruments is the TruePianos Amber Module, one of four pianos from the full version of 4Front TruePianos VSTi. TruePianos Amber sounds quite good, with tonal characteristics that work well in a variety of mixes. That being said, I auditioned Amber alongside several pianos from my Tascam GigaStudio library and found that I preferred the GigaStudio instruments. In comparison, TruePianos Amber sounds thinner and slightly more electronic.

Sounds Solid

Sonar 8 represents a solid upgrade for this audio powerhouse. As usual, the package comes complete with excellent documentation in the form of context-sensitive help files; the printed documentation supplies tutorials, troubleshooting, and a description of the new features. For anyone upgrading from a previous version (from $179), Sonar 8 Producer's improved performance, Dimension Pro, and TS64 Transient Shaper absolutely justify the cost.

Allan Metts is an Atlanta-based musician, software/systems designer, and consultant. Check him out at ametts.com.

PRODUCT SUMMARY

PROS: Improved audio performance and usability. Excellent new effects. Powerful instruments. Plenty of sample content.

CONS: TruePianos Amber Module is less convincing than other sampled pianos.

Cakewalk
cakewalk.com