New Controllers

Does anyone have any idea on how much the new Cakewalk controllers are going to be?  Namely the A-800Pro.  I hope it is around the price of the M-Audio Axiom 61.

Tom Riggs


I hope its a good price. I want to get one to use with the copy of b4 ii that is on its way to me now. He he

The sliders would let me play with the drawbars and that would be fun.

B4 is excellent.  I've been using it for years.  The whole reason I bought an Axiom 61 was due to the fact that it had 9 faders (which is what a B4 has). All of those other other controllers only have 8 faders.  Thank God that this New Cakewalk controller has 9 faders.
 
Also, I hope that the multi functional pitchbend has an option that allows it to stick up and down in the modulation positions. The modulation wheel turns the leslie on and off.

Glyn Barnes


It will be interesting to see what these have over the current PCR series (which also have 9 sliders) Outwardly they look very similar. As i mentioned on another thread I would have liked to see a longer keyboard option, ideally 88 keys.
 
I am going to have to replace my aging Roland XP-10 soon so one of these could be on the shopping list

Hi guys,

The PCRs and the A-Pros do share some commonalities (shape, mod wheel) but very quickly you will find these controllers are new and different.

First is the backlight LCD display which makes editing and changing settings a breeze. To change the settings of a slider you enter edit mode (a button press), touch the control you want to edit and then dial in the new value in the display. That's it! So there are no crazy combinations of buttons and notes that have to be pressed to get a new assignment to a control. I also really like the velocity meter on the display which is shown while you play. It is very useful to see that when working with patches in Rapture. Many Rapture patches have velocity mappings in them.

The keyboard bed itself has been upgraded significantly. These controllers play like a synth and not a MIDI controller. I love my XP-60 (bought brand new when they first came out) because of the feel of the keyboard bed and the responsiveness to aftertouch. Until the A-Pro I still used the XP-60 exclusively as my controller in my studio. However, now I like the A-Pro better, I really do.

The Pads are also new. They are velocity sensitive and have aftertouch. They can also be latched so working with the matrix view, samplers, drum machines etc is a very rewarding experience.

The button configuration, layout and function is also brand new. We (Roland and Cakewalk) listened to customers and incorporated their feedback into the work-flow and usability of the controllers. The A-Series is very easy to navigate and the controls are definitely arranged in a way where you can comfortably use and access the controls. For example the transport control section is above the keys, the sliders are significantly wider and flatter, and so on.

The ACT implementation is redone from the ground up.

The drivers are also brand new which means the already stable and responsive PCR drivers are taken to the next level. All the playability in the world is useless if the drivers aren't responsive as I know all of you know.

Finally, all three of the A-Pro series controllers have the same number of sliders, knobs, and pads and the same functionality. The only difference is the number of keys.

The A-500S can be run on batteries along with the SD-50. At the booth we have the A-500S and SD-50 running with the BA-330 PA all running on batteries. Obviously, this is great for live use.

I know I am starting to ramble as I am pretty tired from the first day of the show so I will stop now.  Anyway, the point is these are definitely new models and not just a "re-branded PCR".

Regards,

Robin

LOL I need sleep, eyes closing, typing failing...

So here's a question.  I've got a PCR-800 which I like a lot, though there are some things I'd love to see improved.  The ACT implementation is one of them.  With the similarities of them to the Edirol units, will current owners benefit at all from the new software configurations?

For example: The buttons/pads don't seem like they are assignable. [edit: wrong.  I just didn't realize that they were ACT disabled - these work like they should]  I can do an ACT assignment to an on/off button in Dimension with one of the sliders, but the buttons don't register that they've been pressed as far as ACT is concened.  And that big slider in the middle, as prominent as it is, seems only to be stuck with the pan function, regardless of the focus. [edit: Left out that with Shift it's volume for current channel, but still largely useless to me and doesn't seem like there is a way to open it up to be ACT assignable like the buttons I was wrong about above]

There are a number of other things that bug me that I hope to see addressed and not abandoned with the new Cakewalk mod, regardless of my poor examples!

I was hoping for some cool new products from Cakewalk ,, Seems like the Pcr got a new name, 
sonic cell seems like it also has a new name , and the sound cards seem like they been out for years.. I see nothing with the WOW factor ..  :( Seems like a marketing idea to sell more Roland products with a different name , with some flam added on.
 Soon we will see best buy selling Cakewalk products ..Just a matter of time..

Soon we will see best buy selling Cakewalk products ..Just a matter of time

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Cakewalk+-+SONAR+8.5+Producer+Edition+Digital+Audio+Workstation+Software/9092974.p?id=1218020948902&skuId=9092974&st=cakewalk&cp=1&lp=1

Soon we will see best buy selling Cakewalk products ..Just a matter of time..

My Best Buy store sells Taylor guitars, Bogner Amps, Marshall Amps and various brands of keyboards.  So I don't have a problem with that.  I bought my Roland Space Echo pedal from them.  BTW, you can haggle price with them.  I got another 10% discount on the pedal just by asking.

toys r us anounces new deal with cakewalk to unveil the toys r us "the little Ricky rocker v-rattle"

smoochy

Blades

Soon we will see best buy selling Cakewalk products ..Just a matter of time

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Cakewalk+-+SONAR+8.5+Producer+Edition+Digital+Audio+Workstation+Software/9092974.p?id=1218020948902&skuId=9092974&st=cakewalk&cp=1&lp=1

well i guess from a marketing standpoint... it makes sense but holy sh$t.  the forum will be filled up by a bunch of mulligans.  what's a midi cable?  does it matter if my computer is turned on?  here we go!

WOW. you guys are rough.  I really like the controllers. To answer the question though, a Midi cable is the most reliable source of communication between a computer and a keyboard.  You can unplug it without having to restart either end.  You can plug it back in without having to refresh anything on either end - also, the cable length does not seem to be an issue. I use Sonar "LIVE" every week. My controller is about 50 feet away from my computer. USB is totally unreliable at that lenght, but guess what -  MIDI has run strong and long with my 50 foot midi cable.  Thank GOD Cakewalk didn't abandon MIDI on these new controllers and interfaces. 
 
These new controllers have everything I've ever wanted in a controller.  Especially portability. 
 
I only have one question:  PRICE?

having the Geek Squad start trying to tech Sonar and other Pro Audio gear.

LOL...

Cant wait to buy My next Peluso mic at best buy..
 

djjhart@aol.com


The Fact of the matter is CW is hurting our local music stores..  This is bad Marketing On CW.. CW is selling out, and thats what there doing. Im sorry to say. Available Now at Brick and Mortar shops all over...

What has CW done to hurt local music stores? How does offering their (computer-based) product to a national chain that specializes in computer-based applications hurt local music stores. I shop my local music stores at least once a week for strings, cables, guitar repair, etc.,... There's a Bestbuy not far from here. I shop there, but not for studio stuff--just for cables, monitors, hard-drives, storage media, etc.,...I also shop at Wal-Mart & Target and Walgreens...What does that have to do with a local music store?
 

i think their selling neve and ssl consoles there now...lol.  it sounds funny to say but... cakewalk sells their product under the description of "professional DAW systems"  having big box stores carry it just cheapens it some how.  not to mention they will hurt their relationship with real professional dealers and put the product in the hands of people that will not give it the image that cakewalk has worked very hard to achieve.  especially with other daws not pimping out their software.  i think this is a side effect of dealing with a multi conglomerate such as Roland who only see the dollar signs.  if the end vision for cakewalk is "a daw for every household" i think it unwise.  if they do want to do this they should create a consumer based program that would be the equivalent of rock band or something like that rather than cheapen the view of their real software by putting it next to the toaster isle at best buy.

i think their selling neve and ssl consoles there now...lol.  it sounds funny to say but... cakewalk sells their product under the description of "professional DAW systems"  having big box stores carry it just cheapens it some how

THANK YOU MY POINT EXACTLY !!