Sonar 's MIDI or audio track count is limited only by the overall specification of your PC system, with audio sample rates and bit-depth limits dictated by your audio interface. Sonar is a PC-only application and provides a powerful feature set for almost any type of music creation. That said, a brief recap of what Sonar has under the hood is worthwhile, as it might otherwise be possible to overlook just how well specified a sequencer Cakewalk have developed over recent years. SOS have reviewed every major release of Sonar (see the 'Reviews Reviewed' box for details), so there is little point in spending too much time here on the well-established features. Potential purchasers should note that some of the more significant new features are exclusive to the Producer Edition of the product - see the 'Producer Privileges' box for details. Sonar still comes in two flavours: the top-of-the-range Producer Edition, reviewed here, and the more compact Studio Edition. Some streamlining and modest cosmetic changes aside, the user interface retains the look of the previous release.

There is, of course, a whole raft of other new features and minor tweaks to existing features that also form part of the version 6 specification, and many of these will be described below.Īs with the move from version 4 to version 5, however, Sonar 's latest reincarnation will still seem like familiar territory to existing users. Cakewalk's flagship sequencer has been very well specified for some considerable time so, just 12 months after version 5 appeared, what additions and enhancements does Sonar 6 bring?Īmongst the list of improvements is ACT or Active Controller Technology, which re-maps hardware controllers automatically depending upon which plug-in or other window is currently active Audio Snap, which provides some sophisticated audio quantise features the VC64 Vintage Channel plug-in and the inclusion of Session Drummer 2, a drum sample playback instrument that includes a range of preset multisampled kits and associated MIDI drum patterns. Paul Sellars commented on this when reviewing Sonar 5 in the December 2005 issue of SOS and, yet again, exactly a year down the line we have the next major release in the Sonar range. Of all the major sequencer producers, Cakewalk seem to have both the most regular and shortest production cycle. Another major upgrade for Cakewalk's DAW software adds powerful new features, and provides hands-on control at a touch.

Free sonar 6 producer edition