SONAR 2017.04 Update Now Available!

This month’s release for SONAR Platinum, Professional, and Artist brings new features along with fixes & enhancements to many key elements of SONAR.

Transform Tool (Platinum)

New to the Controller pane is the Transform tool. The Transform tool provides a new and unique way to edit in the Controller pane, by allowing for easy sculpting and manipulating of data. It has 2 main modes, Hard (Default) and Soft. These each control the way it interacts with nearby data. While the Hard mode provides crisp and precise edits, the Soft mode blends new changes with other nearby data. This is similar to how 2 audio clips can crossfade between each other. With its Mask mode, users get improved redrawing of data but only in the area of the mask. This makes redrawing only a specific section incredibly easy when paired with the Soft mode. Additionally, the Transform tool also has the ability to follow note selections with the “Auto-Focus” and Auto-Focus Monophonic modes. Now you can simply select the CC data you want to work with by selecting the associated notes.

MP3 Availability

Artist, Professional, Platinum
MP3 export is now available in SONAR Artist, Professional, and Platinum at no charge. Recently the patent royalties associated with MP3 encoding expired. Cakewalk is excited to offer MP3 encoding free of charge in SONAR.

Piano Roll View Enhancements

Artist, Professional, Platinum

• Display only selected tracks on opening the PRV using the “Filter To Selection On Open” menu item in the view menu (Defaults to Off)
• Show or Hide Audio Tracks in the PRV Track pane using the PRV View menu (Defaults to Off)
• TAB-to-Note now auditions the note
• Improved selection and multi-select in the Track pane
• Smart Swipe in the Track pane is now more reliable
• Auto scroll is now possible in the Track pane from drag selecting & smart swiping
• A filter can now be updated using the Save menu item from the Filter tab in the Track pane
• Hover effects have been added to the Track pane buttons
• Hiding tracks from the Track Manager will hide tracks in the PRV Track Pane
• The Track pane now displays the header icons for tracks for easy access to connected synths
• Adjusting the color of a track is now possible from the Track pane using the Color Picker
• PRV notes are now displayed as a flat color when they are not focused for improved visibility of low velocity notes
• Snap Override no longer expands when opening the PRV
• Velocity could previously become hidden in the Controller Pane, with no way to easily turn them back on. This is now accessible from the Add New Controller button

Miscellaneous Fixes & Enhancements

Artist, Professional, Platinum

• Clicking a track name will now set track focus
• Fixed a warning message that was cut off in MIDI > Playback and Recording for German
• Updated PRV Solo button tooltip for Japanese
• In some languages the Help Module window would display with a white background and no text

To learn more about this update visit our Knowledge Base using the link below.
Learn More
 
If you are using Command Center, make sure you click the [Check Now] button in the Setting tab to see the latest update.
 
Thank you to everyone who checked out the Early Access version this month and reported issues. It's much appreciated and greatly helps us put out stable versions for the community.

IF we don't do a lot of midi, is there a compelling reason to update this month? Serious question.

Just to confirm - this is the same build as the last early release so there is no need to update if that is already installed?
 
EDIT: Ignore stupid question above. I just realised it is exactly the same install file:)

Thanks a heap to the Bakers.  Great fixes for MIDI editing/composing.  
 
 

SMcNamara

promidi
However, as always, if feel you don't need it, you can always skip this one.  

 
I've always wondered:  If you skipped, say, 2017.04, but then updated .05, do you get everything in the skipped update?  Seems logical but if that's the case why ever really skip?
 
Thanks.

Yes you get everything in the skipped update. 

How about some tutorials demonstrating the new PRV features? 

dwardzala
Is the MP3 encoder the same as the one that was available in the store for purchase?

Yes, it's the same.

Hi RMossman,
 
Do you have "Auto Track Zoom" enabled?  The option is in the Track View's "View" menu (or Shift-Z).  If so, can you uncheck it and try?
 
~Bob

Although there is still no documentation, Transform Tool seems to be very promising.
One of the limitations of always in  PRV, is the absence of possibility to draw spline curves for controls.
From the few empirical tests I've done, I think this might be possible with the Tranform Tool.
But you still need to have a tutorial.

Just wanted to join the thanks-giving train!
 
Since I do a lot of stuff with EWI and dealing breath CC among other CCs, this new PRV transform tool is GREAT!  This is exactly what I've been wanting!
 
(Although, could I ask that while autofocus mono-phonic is on, and you change the length of a note, it also automatically scales the length of the CC data?  :D  Or make it a toggle option... although right now, at least the transform tool itself makes this pretty quick to approximately match... )
 
Seriously, thank you!

Thanks Cakewalk

Keith,
Yes.  When I save a MIDI only project (.mid) files such as backing tracks for a live performance and come back to it say the next day and load the MIDI file for more updates the reverb and chorus information can only be viewed using view track events.  With Sonar X3 as well as X2 and X1 the reverb and chorus settings are visible the track inspector pane real-time dials.  When selecting a different track the values of the reverb and chorus dials change respectively however NOT in Sonar Platinum.  Although when working with a Cakewalk  (.cwp) project file values ARE shown respectively.
Thanks,
Leonardo2