Review: Cakewalk Sonar 7 Producer Edition (Win)

May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Brian Smithers

           

THIS WINDOWS DIGITAL AUDIO SEQUENCER CONTINUES TO EVOLVE

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Sonar 7 comes with special editions of Cakewalk's new instruments, including Rapture LE, a rich-sounding, dance-oriented subtractive synth, and Dimension LE, a flexible sample-based synth that has a limited but quite useful version of the Garritan orchestral library called Garritan Pocket Orchestra. The full version of the powerful Z3TA+ waveshaping synth is also included. Synths can be renamed in the Synth Rack, making it easier to distinguish between multiple instances of a particular virtual instrument.

FIG. 3: The LP-64 Multiband compressor offers transparent linear-phase multiband compression suitable for bus compression or mastering.

V-Vocal, Sonar's excellent pitch- and time-correction plug-in (based on Roland's VariPhrase technology), has been updated to include pitch-to-MIDI conversion. Once V-Vocal has analyzed an audio clip, you simply drag its pitch-to-MIDI icon to a MIDI track, and appropriate MIDI notes (and optional Pitch Bend information) are created. At its best, this is a great way to generate a synth track to double a vocal part, but I had trouble getting it to work consistently. For reasons Cakewalk and I have been unable to discern, V-Vocal doesn't like my desktop computer as much as my notebook. Generating MIDI from audio clips on my notebook worked as advertised — requiring some cleanup, but getting the important parts right — but on my desktop the clips were slightly time-compressed, didn't line up with the audio clips, and didn't even contain the expected notes. The 7.0.2 update fixed some known bugs related to this function, but it didn't rescue my desktop.

Two new plug-ins intended for mastering use are included. The LP-64 EQ is exactly what it sounds like: a 64-bit linear-phase equalizer with an uncolored sound. The LP-64 Multiband compressor (see Fig. 3) is no more mysterious, offering five user-defined bands of independent dynamics control. Both are worthy additions to Sonar's virtual gear rack.

I was somewhat less impressed with the deliberately quick-and-dirty limiter Boost 11. Its simplified design is admirable, and it is certainly capable of delivering the instant gratification that comes with hearing your mix suddenly hotter. That easy satisfaction carries a price, though — I had no trouble getting Boost 11 to pump and misbehave on dynamic material. (See the online bonus material at emusician.com for some other minor quibbles I have about the program.)

Sonar now imports directly from audio CDs. Cakewalk says the ripping algorithm rejects any reads with errors, but I didn't test its accuracy extensively. A CD-burning applet is included that is suitable for quick assembly of reference tracks, but not for anything more demanding. Cakewalk Publisher is designed to make it easier to maintain an updated playlist when you have an embedded audio player on one or more Web sites. After a bit of fumbling, I was able to get it to work as advertised: feed Publisher a series of MP3 files, and it generates a script for you to copy into your Web pages to link to a single copy of the player. If Cakewalk would make the player presentable and enlarge its buttons to a usable size, the company would have a useful little utility.

So do all the small changes make for a good value? Well, Sonar stands shoulder-to-shoulder with other professional digital audio sequencers, so if you work on a PC and like its look and feel, you can't go wrong. Is it worth upgrading to version 7 from 5 or 6? Absolutely, if features such as the MIDI editing improvements or audio sidechaining matter to you. You may find that the little things really do add up.

Brian Smithers is course director of audio workstations at Full Sail Real World Education in Winter Park, Florida.

PRODUCT SUMMARY

PROS: Customizable, flexible MIDI editing tools. Sidechain control of compatible effects. External-insert plug-in. Powerful, mature audio and MIDI feature set, including surround sound.

CONS: Pitch-to-MIDI can yield unexpected results. CD-burning and streaming-playlist-publisher applets are minimally useful. PC only.

Cakewalk
cakewalk.com

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