Third Take

If you’re a Sonar 8 user, download it here. There is also a long list of changes and bugfixes at that link.

From Cakewalk:

We’re happy to announce that the SONAR 8.0.1 maintenance update will be available for download next week to registered SONAR 8.0 customers. The update will address various performance issues that were discovered after SONAR 8 began shipping. If you were waiting to upgrade until the first maintenance update, now is the perfect time to place your order. If you order today you can get SONAR 8 in your hands at the same time that the patch is available. More information about the update will be made available next week with a download link.

Anyone tried Sonar 8 yet? I’m still using 6. No support for XP x64 kept me from upgrading to 7, and the fact that 6 is still running like a charm and I’m in the middle of projects.

I wasted way too much time in the last session trying to record a short snippet of guitar and make it into a loop to stretch out for several measures. In the end, I just sat down and played it like a pro – start to finish. Read more

A good bass sound is critical to great recordings. Compared to other instruments, like drums or acoustic guitar, it’s fairly easy to record. I’ve had decent results plugging straight into my DMP-3, setting the gain, and pressing Record. However, decent results are not always good enough. I want an tight, hot, punchy bass sound that really drives the mix. I’ve tried two different “amp simulators” in my studio for the last couple years – the SansAmp Bass Driver DI and the Behringer Bass V-AMP Pro – and I’m here to tell you which one is better. Read more

There is a wealth of information hidden away on Cakewalk’s website. The latest find is the Desktop Music Handbook which is a kind of textbook for making music on computers. It has sections for MIDI and audio, and covers a lot of the theory behind digital music.

It’s that time of year again. Summer has come and gone, hurricanes are pounding our coasts, and Sonar is ready for another upgrade. Cakewalk announced Sonar 8 last week while I was on vacation. At first glance, it doesn’t look like there is anything revolutionary, like AudioSnap or V-Vocal from previous releases. However, a myriad of enhancements, tweaks, and under-the-hood performance upgrades could spell monumental improvements in workflow and usability. Read more

Cakewalk has a blog. Who knew?

Right now it looks like a bunch of “Artist Spotlight” entries where famous people talk about their love of Cake. There is also a contest.

Doubling vocals is no secret technique – everyone knows about it and most home-recorders have tried it. The doubled lead vocal is a staple of modern recordings, and a key element of big sounding vocals. If done right, it can make your lead vocal sound huge, your singer sound better, and your song come together. If done wrong, it sounds terrible. Here are a few tips to doing it right. Read more

I did something last night I never thought I’d do – I copied the lead vocal from the first chorus to the second chorus. In some genres, this is the normal, expected practice and a mandatory skill for the engineer. Other circles put emphasis on vague notions of authenticity and integrity, and duplicating a performance is seen as fakery. I usually relate to this more idealistic school of thought, but last night I broke my own rules. Read more

Cakewalk DAW Labs looks like a good resource for building or buying a new PC. They have links to pre-built PCs that have been “tested and approved by Cakewalk Tech Support” as well as tips for those of us who build our own. The list of supported audio interfaces makes it easy to compare different sounds cards’ capabilities, and identifies which ones have 64-bit drivers available.