What's new in 8.5 Studio?

AudioSnap 2.0

AudioSnap 2.0 - The original AudioSnap provided powerful, non-destructive, multi-track control over audio timing. AudioSnap 2.0 provides a refreshing new look and refinements to its core controls, significantly improving workflow. New features include a simplified UI, dedicated transient tool, proportional stretching mode, and multi-track audio stretch and quantization that maintains accurate phase relationships. Proportional stretching can be used both to correct unwanted timing fluctuations and provide gradual timing adjustments across several transients. In addition, rendered audio fidelity is greatly improved using the new Radius Mix Advance Mode.

New in AudioSnap 2:

• AudioSnap Palette presents all commands and options in one easy-to-read toolbar.
• Simplified transient marker appearance reduces visual clutter and enhances focus on relevant information.
• Transient Tool allows for dragging or snapping of transients without having to worry about inadvertently moving an audio clip; lasso selection allows for grouped transient edits.
• The Merge and Lock transients command is great for editing, stretching, and quantizing multi-track drums while keeping audio in phase.
• Grouped proportional stretching allows for the easy correction of fluctuations in the tempo of a performance without losing feel.
• Tab to Transients available from the Track and Piano Roll Views, follows Audio, Groove, Step Sequencer, and MIDI Groove Clips.
• Tempo detection, tempo mapping, and tempo syncing audio. New tempo detection algorithm auto-detects the tempo of all audio in SONAR and the Clip Tempo Map feature allows for easy manual tempo mapping of non-rhythmic, non-constant, or atypical audio.
• Enhanced fidelity with Radius Mix Advanced Mode: new Radius Mix settings improve “pitch coherence,” which preserves the naturalness of timbre in human speech, vocals, reed and brass instruments.

Step Sequencer 2.0

Step Sequencer 2.0 - SONAR’s Step Sequencer view is known for being the most advanced and comprehensive available in any DAW today. Step Sequencer 2.0 takes this power to a new level with increased depth of control over your sequences. Step Sequencer 2.0 was built with 3 goals in mind: to simplify the interface for an elegant and musical workflow, to design a set of useful and powerful per-lane controls, and to provide finer control over per-step adjustments.

New in Step Sequencer 2.0:

• Add Flam to any step by simply double clicking it (then use the flam time knob to adjust timing).
• Easily load/save patterns from the Options button or drag and drop patterns from the Media Browser.
• New Auto-populate feature provides shortcuts to fill a lanes every 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 steps.
• Redesigned Controller Pane for per row articulations and controls, including Volume, Pan, Pitch Bend, Mod Wheel, Portamento
• Per step parameter controls for Velocity, Time Offset, Probability, Lane-based MIDI articulations, Filter Cut and Filter Res.
• Parameter values are now displayed as bars underneath steps in the controller pane, making editing per step parameters such as Velocity, Step Offset, Probability, and other MIDI articulations quick and easy.
• Exclusive Per Step Probability provides control over the probability of how often a step will be triggered. Use it to create automatic variations (make some steps only play occasionally) to keep repetitive patterns sounding fresh.
• All this is combined with the functionality from Step Sequencer 1.0 including: Step Recording, the Velocity Multiplier, Fit to Quarters capabilities, and more.
  

Arpeggiator

Integrated Arpeggiator - Each MIDI and Instrument track in SONAR now has a built-in Arpeggiator which allows you to turn even the simplest chord progression into exciting new sound textures. The SONAR Arpeggiator is a perfect tool for adding variety to any Instrument or MIDI track that repeats a number of times in a song, or for creating complimentary parts using other instrument sounds that follow your chord progression. The SONAR Arpeggiator includes hundreds of presets, patterns, and classic algorithms, and provides not only powerful controls over the rate, octave range, latch, swing, flam, velocity, duration, and pitch offset of the arpeggiation, but also control over mix, channel input, and shape.

Roland V-Vocal (New in SONAR 8.5 Studio)

Roland V-Vocal editor lets you achieve perfect vocals tracks and is integrated right inside SONAR. It includes pitch correction, phrasing, dynamics, vibrato, and Pitch to MIDI conversion.

• Based on Roland VariPhrase technology
• A unique technology that allows you to control the tempo and pitch of audio phrases in real time with virtually no degradation of sound quality
• Powerful vocal processing: automatic pitch correction, vibrato, and more
• Adjust the phrasing or timing of vocals
• Control the dynamics of vocals
• Create harmonies by copying vocal clips, then applying V-Vocal pitch shifting to copied audio
• Pitch to MIDI conversion allows you to create new synth parts based on monophonic audio
• Completely non-destructive processing
  

Media Browser - SONAR’s Loop Explorer View has been updated and expanded. In its new form, Media Browser is now SONAR’s hub for content. Audio Groove Clips, Step Sequencer Patterns, REX Loops and Project5 MIDI PTN files can all be previewed in Media Browser and easily dragged into any track. As well, video files can be viewed in Media Browser and easily dragged into a Video Thumbnail Track. Users’ content folders can be stored and recalled as handy Media Browser presets. SONAR 8.5 ships with out-of-the-box presets that point directly to Beatscape REX Loops, Session Drummer 3 MIDI Drum Loops, Step Sequencer Patterns, RXP REX Loops, PTN MIDI Patterns, and MIDI Groove Clips.

Engine Optimizations and leading technology innovations

Engine Work - Audio interfaces, MIDI interfaces and control surfaces can now be disconnected and reconnected again or “hotswapped” while SONAR is running without the need to restart SONAR. This is particularly useful for plugging in a new MIDI controller while inspired to lay down a new part, or in the event an audio interface needs to be power-cycled. SONAR 8.5 also includes optimizations and stability improvements for recording audio, and while looping.

Open Support - Cakewalk has been, and will continue to be, a proponent of open standards in software and hardware. SONAR 8.5 brings a variety of compatibility improvements for VST plug-ins, as well as for Cakewalk’s BitBridge technology, which allows for access to classic 32-bit “x86” VST plug-ins in a 64-bit “x64” environment. SONAR Producer customers can take advantage of the new BitBridge XR, which automatically provides up to 32 BitBridge servers, each capable of using up to 4GB of RAM, for a total of 128GB of RAM access from 32-bit plug-ins! SONAR also now provides native REX loop support, via the Track View, updated Media Browser, and new Matrix View.

Windows 7 Ready - Cakewalk was a finalist in Microsoft’s 2009 Partner of the Year Awards, and as you would expect from the industry-leading Windows DAW, SONAR 8.5 is ready for Windows 7 right from the get-go. Cakewalk has been testing SONAR from early Windows 7 Betas right through to the latest Release Candidates, and we are pleased to recommended Windows 7 as a platform for SONAR 8.5. Additionally, SONAR 8.5 was evaluated at an independent Microsoft application compatibility lab and officially passed the rigorous Win7 compatibility testing.

Other new features

During SONAR 8.5 development, Cakewalk engineers have added what we are calling a collection of “featurettes” that we are sure SONAR users will appreciate, since many of them came directly from user feedback, including:

• Convenient Freeze and Archive buttons on each track.
• Updated Insert Send Assistant, with matching track gain/pan while creating sends.
• Solo Button on all effects plug-in windows, to quickly solo and focus on the track being processed.
• New Track View grid lines options to present grid lines behind or in front of clips.
• New option to automatically lock scrolling during playback when initiating an edit.
• The Now Time cursor can be dragged to a new position during playback.
• DC Offset meter in the Cakewalk Analyst plug-in.
• New FX -SONAR 8.5 now includes the Project5 “Half-Rack” Tempo-Sync’d Effects, including the Alias Factor Bit Decimator, Classic Phaser, Compressor/Gate, HF Exciter, Mod Filter, Chorus/Flanger, Para-Q, StudioVerb II, and Tempo Delay.
• Installation has been simplified with an easy one-click install option that accepts all default settings and locations and installs the entire SONAR application, as well as plug-ins and content data.
  

 

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Includes presets that match MIDI operations in other DAWS incl Logic, Cubase, & DP (defector feature :-D)

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