SONAR Home Studio 7 Feature List

Hi all,

My name is Samara and I'm the product manager for Home Studio. Here is a complete (and long) list of all the new features in SHS7 in addition to the new UI. Any questions please feel free to ask!

Cheers,

Samara Krugman
Product Manager - SONAR Home Studio 7

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Instrument track

An instrument track is essentially two tracks—a MIDI track and an audio track, both associated with the same soft synth—contained in a single track strip. An instrument track allows you to control the MIDI data that is sent to a soft synth and the audio signal that is returned from the soft synth.

Loop Explorer enhancements

You can browse and audition both audio and MIDI files in the Loop Explorer view, then drag the desired files into your project. Audio files can be auditioned through any bus and MIDI files can be auditioned through any soft synth.

Insert Send Assistant

The Insert Send Assistant makes it fast and easy to create effect buses and insert sends to new or existing buses.

Track Assistant

The Track Assistant makes it fast and easy to insert one or more audio, MIDI and instrument tracks. You can create new blank tracks or insert tracks from existing track templates.

Exclusive Solo mode

By default, SONAR allows you to solo multiple tracks and buses simultaneously. With the new Exclusive Solo mode, you can only solo one track and one bus at a time.

When you solo a track or bus in Exclusive Solo mode, all other soloed tracks or buses are automatically unsoloed. This allows you to quickly listen to individual tracks and buses in isolation without having to manually unsolo other tracks or buses.


Free Edit Tool

The new Free Edit tool allows you to perform both time based selection and clip selection.

Arm tracks during playback/recording

Piano Roll View Enhancements:
Flexible Piano Roll Tools
Multiple Automation Controller Lanes
Piano Roll Microscope Mode
Note Event Colors Based on Velocity
Hiding Events in Muted Clips
Adjust Velocity without Changing the Display Type
Select Controllers within Note Duration
830 New features in SONAR Home Studio 7
Show Velocity on Selected Notes (Optional)
Selection Sensitive Velocity Drawing
Note/Controller Painting (freehand)
Note/Controller Painting (linear)
Controller/Velocity Painting (freehand)
Controller/Velocity Painting (linear)
Note Split
Note Glue
Drag-Quantize
MIDI Event Mute
New Erase Tool Behavior
Note Hit Testing Improvements
Velocity Audition Options
MIDI Activity Indicators

New instruments and instrument enhancements:
Rename Synths in the Synth Rack View
Delete Synth Safeguards
Reload Instrument Definitions
Studio Instruments Drums

Mixing, bussing and playback enhancements:
Copying EQ Settings
Allow Playback with No Data
Reduce GUI Updates to Improve Playback Performance
Auto Fade when Starting/Stopping Playback

Export & Delivery enhancements:
Real-time Bounce
Modification to Track Export
Sony Wave-64 Support
New Audio File Formats
Preview Bus
Integrated Audio CD Ripping
Cakewalk Publisher
Burning Audio CDs

Audio engine performance optimizations:
Assign tracks to mono hardware outputs
Enhanced CPU performance
Audio driver changes without restart
Minimize driver state changes
Vista audio enhancements

Miscellaneous enhancements:
Revert Clip(s) to Original Time Stamp
Import Audio / MIDI Files from Clips Pane
Enable Input Monitoring when Arming Tracks
Patch Browser Keyboard Shortcut
File Recovery Mode
User Account Control (UAC) Update
Status Bar Indicators
MIDI out port assignments are retained when adding/removing MIDI devices
Audio Option configuration settings
QuickTime 7 import/export
Updated ACT mappings and presets

That's what I was going to ask! It seems that these features are some of the same ones that are listed as new features for S8 - so does that mean that SHS7 is based on Sonar 8?

wow! I currently have Sonar SE 7...most of the advanced features I don't use...so, I'm switching to HS7 to simplify my workflow....sounds like, for me at least, a smart move because many of the new features in v.8 have been included in HS7...woohoo....

One, quick question....can one still have multiple midi tracks feeding different channels on one multi-timbral softsynth? My guess one would have the option of inserting a new "instrument track" or loading it the the "old way" with both a midi and an audio track....


If anyone could let me know..that would be cool...though I've already ordered my "crossgrade" to HS7....

oh, btw, my 2 cents: I freakin' love the GUI...so much less clutter and things just "pop" on the screen....very cool

Hmm. Some interesting features.
One of the first things we noticed with SHS6(XL) was the increased CPU load (from SHS4). Enhanced CPU performance?
Updated ACT?(Steve, get that Edirol!!!)
Multiple automation lanes? Hmmm.
Exclusive solo looks interesting. So does some of the other stuff.
I am quite happy with SHS6XL, but there is some tasty stuff in 7.
I stand by my assertion that SHS is a killer bang for the buck package.
Samara, why such a low profile introduction of SHS7? It seems a nice package, but it slid in through the back door.

ORIGINAL: Beagle

That's what I was going to ask! It seems that these features are some of the same ones that are listed as new features for S8 - so does that mean that SHS7 is based on Sonar 8?

Some parts yes.

Cheers,

ORIGINAL: epytryga
One, quick question....can one still have multiple midi tracks feeding different channels on one multi-timbral softsynth? My guess one would have the option of inserting a new "instrument track" or loading it the the "old way" with both a midi and an audio track....

We have not changed any of the limitations with "traditional" instrument tracks. You can use the new Single Track Instrument or the multi track instrument in Home Studio 7.

Cheers,

Instrument track
Track Assistant
Exclusive Solo mode
Arm tracks during playback/recording
Reduce GUI Updates to Improve Playback Performance
Real-time Bounce
Preview Bus
Integrated Audio CD Ripping
Enhanced CPU performance
Audio driver changes without restart
Minimize driver state changes
Vista audio enhancements
QuickTime 7 import/export
Updated ACT mappings and presets

HALLELUJIAH! Brav-O Cakewalk!

Hi there

There seems to be a bug in SHS 6 in that track automation envelopes other than pan, volume and mute cannot be copied (for example, automation envelopes controlling synth parameters). Is this corrected in SHS 7?

There's a current thread discussing this issue here: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=1501651

I am also in contact with Cakewalk support regarding this.

Thank you,

Royston

Hi Charles

* The upgrade for registered users of 6XL to 7XL is $59

* You will install 7XL as a completely new program - the software will recognise your previous version but it won't replace or change anything, providing you don't unistall it. All of the 'features' available in 6XL will open and work perfectly in 7XL and vice versa, the only things that will differ are the various program features that differ in the versions of the software itself.

HTH

Steve

Charles, the 'upgrade' really refers to the 'special' price you pay as a registered 6XL user - you will receive a brand new complete version of 7XL, just as if you'd bought it at a computer or music store.

They'll send you a boxed version with the two (?) installation discs exactly the same as a new customer, only for significantly less dough! Their is no download for Home Studio available.

Personally, I see this very generous upgrade/crossgrade policy Cakewalk follows goes a long way to make up the for the fact that we can't legally sell our software/licence.

Steve

Hi, Samara
I bought 6XL a little over a month ago, and I love it, but had I known 7 was on the way, I would certainly have waited. Also, deal tho it is, I don't have 59 bucks. (I really am a starving artist.) Any chance you'll upgrade me for free?

Begging,
Clint

Here's the rebate form:

Rebate Form

Anyone?

OK, Thanks for that, Eric!

One, quick question....can one still have multiple midi tracks feeding different channels on one multi-timbral softsynth? My guess one would have the option of inserting a new "instrument track" or loading it the the "old way" with both a midi and an audio track....

Most softsynths are NOT multi-timbral. The TTS-1 is the only one I can think of and I have a lot of them. For most softsynths, if you want to use multiple sounds from the same softsynth, you need to load a separate instance for each patch.