For your question, no, Melodyne specifically is not required for audio->MIDI, nor for the new tempo extraction, but does require a SONAR version with that capability. They are both "under the hood" features.

Anderton
FWIW the protocol is from Celemony, the company that makes Melodyne. As to whether audio-to-MIDI exists if Melodyne isn't installed, I don't know.
 
I'm not sure VocalSync relies on ARA, but I know Drum Replacer does (it's the first non-Melodyne ARA application). What's a mystery to me is why SONAR and Studio One are still the only DAWs that support ARA.

Others are jumping on the band wagon. Mixcraft 8, Tracktion, and Samplitude Pro now have it as well.
http://www.celemony.com/e...chnologies?checkLang=1

amiller

mettelus
That functionality was baked into SONAR since X3, when ARA was introduced. I am not sure if it applied to all version though.

Still not totally clear yet.  So, does "baked in" mean that Sonar no longer depends on Melodyne for this function or is the code to get this done provided by Melodyne?
 
I'm asking about this because I have a friend who uses Cubase.  I told him that, in Sonar, I was able to drag an audio clip to a MIDI track and it would convert the audio to MIDI.  He's really interested in doing that but I didn't know if it's possible outside of Sonar or without Melodyne.

I'm pretty sure a version of Ableton Live has an Audio to MIDI function.  This is then not limited to Sonar or Melodyne.  
 
However, within Sonar, the ability to drag an audio track and make it a midi track is tied to owning a Melodyne licence (and the version you have dictates if you have monophonic or polyphonic conversion abilities). 
 
 

VVocal is another ARA processor, if you still have it installed from an earlier Sonar.

mettelus
For your question, no, Melodyne specifically is not required for audio->MIDI, nor for the new tempo extraction, but does require a SONAR version with that capability. They are both "under the hood" features.

I believe it is required.
https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR&language=3&help=NewFeatures.036.html
 
In addition to dragging a Melodyne Region FX clip to the Time Ruler, you can also drag any audio clip to the Time Ruler and SONAR will extract the tempo information using Melodyne and ARA and set the global tempo map for that region. It is not necessary to first convert the audio clip to a Melodyne Region FX clip, but this approach will not allow you to edit the tempo in Melodyne before extracting the tempo. The only exclusions are Groove clips and REX files, since they already follow SONAR’s tempo. If a clip has Lock Position enabled, hold down the CTRL key in order to drag it to the Time Ruler.

I don't know why I mentioned VocalSync, I don't think it has to do with ARA. Brainfart. To confirm,
- yes Ableton has their own audio to midi conversion that has nothing to do with ARA, - no, Cubase doesn't have ARA so can't use Melodyne in the same way, although Cubase may(?) have audio to midi features since I believe they do have their own built in pitch and time correction software

Anderton
FWIW the protocol is from Celemony, the company that makes Melodyne. As to whether audio-to-MIDI exists if Melodyne isn't installed, I don't know.
 
I'm not sure VocalSync relies on ARA, but I know Drum Replacer does (it's the first non-Melodyne ARA application). What's a mystery to me is why SONAR and Studio One are still the only DAWs that support ARA.

Samplitude X3 supports ARA as does Mixcraft and Traktion. They are all bundled with Melodyne Essential. Great cross marketing.

Sanderxpander
I don't know why I mentioned VocalSync, I don't think it has to do with ARA. Brainfart.

Your not alone, I also thought Vocal synch was ARA.
But I cant find any documentation showing Vocal synch as being ARA.
So I learned something new today.

The help file certainly calls out setting the dub audio as a vocalsync Region FX (ARA). There may be a little extra support deep in Sonar, since there is a Set as Default VocalSync Guide Track pop-up menu on tracks and there is a Display VocalSync Hybrid Clips setting in the track view view menu.