Cakewalk announces a feature-packed upgrade for SONAR Producer and SONAR Studio.
New SONAR 8.5 continues to innovate with new capabilities including enhanced beat creation and arrangement tools, a new drum instrument loaded with stellar kits and patterns, an enhanced audio timing toolset, new multi-stage effect plug-ins for drums and percussion sounds and vocal tracks, engine optimizations and stability improvements, and many additional workflow and technological advances, notably Windows 7 compatibility.
New features and workflow enhancements:
* Matrix View—simple and flexible cell-based, non-linear audio and MIDI arranging with live triggering capability.
* Step Sequencer 2.0—the most powerful step sequencing capability in any DAW.
* Integrated Arpeggiator—trigger Arpeggiations on MIDI or instrument tracks with in-depth control over all arp parameters. Includes hundreds of presets.
* Session Drummer 3—latest version of Cakewalk’s virtual instrument for easy and fast creation of drum tracks with a new UI, stellar sounding kits and patterns from top sound designers and drummers, more.
* AudioSnap 2.0—updated audio quantizing and time shifting technology with new look and refinements to all the core controls, significantly improving workflow, plus improved offline rendering.
* Media Browser—the new hub for content access within SONAR; supports multiple formats to preview and import all your loops, grooves, and MIDI patterns; features presets to quickly grab content from your favorite locations.
* PX-64 Percussion Strip—seven-stage processor designed specifically for use with drums and percussion.
* VX-64 Vocal Strip—seven-stage processor optimized for shaping and sculpting vocal tracks.
* Windows 7 Support—tested, ready, and recommended for use.
* Engine optimizations and stability improvements for recording audio, and while looping.
* “Hotswap” audio and MIDI devices, including control surfaces, without restarting SONAR.
* VST plug-in compatibility improvements.
* Native REX loop support featured in Track View, Media Browser, and Matrix View.
* BitBridge XR—run 32-bit plug-ins in 64-bit environments, with memory access now extended up to 128 GB RAM.
Go here for much more detail about new SONAR 8.5.