i switched from cubase le to sonar home studio 6 Xl,then upgraded to HS7,then HS8, then to Sonar 8 Producer. i think this product is awesome. my only problem is that i don't know how to use all the stuff that came with it but i am learning and having a blast doing it. who knows but some day i might even get lucky and will be able to get my music published. meanwhile back at the ranch, I Am having fun.
Thanks ,
David

I started with Cubase on the Atari and then switched over to Logic for PC. I used a room full of hardware synths and found Logic controlled all that OK. But then Apple bought out Emagic and of course stopped at Logic at 5.5. The later versions of Logic continued on the Mac of course. I think Apple were hoping everyone would throw their PC's away and go out and buy a MAC and continue on with Logic but I dont think that happenned as much as they may have hoped. Many composesrs of music stayed on the PC and just looked into alternative programs.

I decided the PC operating system was fine for all of this kind of thing. I also made a decision to go completely digital and sell all of my hardware. Now this is another debate too of course and I now firmly believe that virtual instruments are very similar and you dont really need a room full of hardware. Many programs offer extensive Audio and Midi recording, editing and playback. But for me the instruments was a big thing and Sonar 8 offers a full set of absolutely excellent sounding instruments.

As a professional composer I found I needed 3 things to cover all bases. A great sampler (maybe two) with large libraries, a great set of analog instruments and some interesting digital sounding instruments. I had all these with EMU and Kurzweil, Moog, Sequential, Roland, Oberheim, Korg analog synths and DX 7's and SY77 for very spaced out sounds.

Sonar 8 was my first introduction to Sonar and I think it seems like the best one yet, but for Instruments, it set me up immediately with everything I needed to start producing music and quickly. Dimension with its library and the remaining instruments all cover the areas I had previously and much more as well. I added extra vitrual instruments and have far expanded from what I had previously in hardware.

I think the look and feel of the program is the best and very professional, detailed, tidy and easy on the eyes too. The MIDI and Audio capabilities are outstanding and also the excellent audio plugins also are a major bonus. The very first thng I had to do was mix a 5 track EP on Sonar and I found I was able to handle the mix with all the things I had previously and that was large format analog console with two 6 foot external racks filled with outboard and the million miles of cable and patchbays to get it all working. But Sonar 8 replaced all of that and I found even without extended audio plugins being added all the standard ones gave me all the tools I needed to mix and master that EP well. I was thrilled with the sound of Sonar 8 as well. It is the best production yet and that has to say something.

Now I have been endorsed by Roland to be a Melbourne based demonstrator for the mighty V Studio 700 system. I am very happy to be asked and excited about the possibilities because there is nothing as integrated out there that offers so much control over a great program. What an amzing way to control such software. Its all a more musical way and that can only be good. Also the VS 700R sounds beautiful and the Fantom synth a fantastic bonus too.

I look forward to many years ahead with a new program and company. Talking about the company, Cakewalk are a very professional organisation and the help is great in the US and here in Australia. Its very good to have a company with a real presence and you can talk to them and read forums like this with may others contributing valuable ideas. I have learned a lot about the program and the V Studio from the forums. Well done Cakewalk and to everyone else that is using Sonar now.

ORIGINAL: Jeff Evans

I started with Cubase on the Atari and then switched over to Logic for PC. I used a room full of hardware synths and found Logic controlled all that OK. But then Apple bought out Emagic and of course stopped at Logic at 5.5. The later versions of Logic continued on the Mac of course. I think Apple were hoping everyone would throw their PC's away and go out and buy a MAC and continue on with Logic but I dont think that happenned as much as they may have hoped. Many composesrs of music stayed on the PC and just looked into alternative programs.

I decided the PC operating system was fine for all of this kind of thing. I also made a decision to go completely digital and sell all of my hardware. Now this is another debate too of course and I now firmly believe that virtual instruments are very similar and you dont really need a room full of hardware. Many programs offer extensive Audio and Midi recording, editing and playback. But for me the instruments was a big thing and Sonar 8 offers a full set of absolutely excellent sounding instruments.

As a professional composer I found I needed 3 things to cover all bases. A great sampler (maybe two) with large libraries, a great set of analog instruments and some interesting digital sounding instruments. I had all these with EMU and Kurzweil, Moog, Sequential, Roland, Oberheim, Korg analog synths and DX 7's and SY77 for very spaced out sounds.

Sonar 8 was my first introduction to Sonar and I think it seems like the best one yet, but for Instruments, it set me up immediately with everything I needed to start producing music and quickly. Dimension with its library and the remaining instruments all cover the areas I had previously and much more as well. I added extra vitrual instruments and have far expanded from what I had previously in hardware.

I think the look and feel of the program is the best and very professional, detailed, tidy and easy on the eyes too. The MIDI and Audio capabilities are outstanding and also the excellent audio plugins also are a major bonus...

+1 for the points above...

Hello All,

Completely new to computer recording. Sonar 8 Studio is my first DAW ever purchased or used. Whew! What a roller coaster ride. I have been reading these forums for like 3 months now. Had a few bumps along the way, but all is well. The forums have ALOT of useful info. (If you can read... :) Is my sig on? Anyway specs are: Abit AT8 32X, AMD FX-55, 2 Gb Ram, HD2900's in X-Fire, Samsung 24" Panel, 250Gb WD HD, 300 Gb External Maxtor, Presouns AudioBox USB, Sonar 8 Studio, AmpliTube Guitar & Bass Bundle, Roland V-Drums TD-6, EZ Drummer and EZX's, Roland D-20 and Jackson Guitars & Basses.

I have been pleased from day 1 when I first start using SONAR 8 from Cakewalk.


I can say after many years using all kinds of professional DAW:s, like Pro Tools HD, Logic, Cubase and so on..that SONAR 8 is best professional DAW on the market right now and will continue to be so for sure.

I really get amazed everyday in the studio discover new tools and functions, and how seamless everything work and have been organized inside SONAR 8. The DAW doesn't miss anything, except only perhaps track based included (phase) Audio scope on every channel like we have the RMS and peak meters already. Perhaps something for SONAR 9.


To rap it up, SONAR 8 producer edition, full Native 64bit program, is a complete professional DAW and experience you have engineering it, is just amazing and inspiring.


Regards
Freddie

In response to Nick P. I would be interested in your thoughts on the differences between DAW's timing wise. (Which ones do you think are best?) I am a drummer with 37 years of experience and I am sensitive to tightness of grooves etc. Do you use hardware? If so, how many midi ports does your midi interface have? Adressing 8 or so hardware synths over a single midi cable is not great, but using 8 midi ports will sound very tight. If you are using manily virtual synths, then rhythmical tightness depends on the power of your machine and settings for the audio drivers and other factors to give you the tightest, best and fastest response. I am pleased to say I think Sonar 8 is fantastic timing wise and has the best groove I have heard yet!

Many people seem to get the wrong idea about updates of Sonar being simply bolt on features. A program as complex as Sonar (and any DAW) is a product of development and gets better overtime as bugs are removed, performance is enhanced and new features are added. This is the way it should be. Dropping everything and starting afresh is not the best way necessarily as they will only go back to some point around Sonar 8 and take it from there anyway. What are they suposed to do with all those years of development they have done before hand? Good software is the product of many years of development and refinement.

The forums are great and there will always be a range of people who are using them from professional to hobbyist but the great thing is that we are talking and learning. I find the amount of information on Sonar on the forums is excellent and notice how Cakewalk themselves are very active on the forums too which means they see them as serious and important. Thanks Cakewalk for talking to us too!

I agree with Freddie H above, Sonar is a very complete program and there is very little to fault it in any way. As I mentioned above I came from a room full of synths and hardware and Logic over to one powerful program, and I am pleased to say I have been able to continue on without a hitch. I can still do everything I was doing before but now it is one simple setup especially with the fantastic V Studio 700 as the front end to this excellent program. Once you get a hold of this there is no turning back!

ORIGINAL: Nick P

Here's my story. I'm switching away from Sonar, having "switched" to it from Home Studio 4. I purchased v5, v6, and v7. I'm not purchasing v8. Why? Sloppy MIDI performance for starters. Argue me to the death that there can be no difference between DAWS, but program a tight dance groove in Sonar, Logic, and Cubase and hear the difference.

Hi Nick P!

Sorry to interrupt this thread but I must say Nick, SONAR has the tightest and natural midi of all DAW:s on the market. I very sensitive when it comes to grooves, Swing, I'm a perfectionist.
I even manual delay some elements of tracks to get the perfects swing.

Jeff Evans, that is also a drummer with 37 years of experience, feels the same about MIDI in SONAR 8 too. I think the same as Jeff already pointed out, that it can be hardware related if you have that kind of a bad experience about Midi in SONAR 8.

I'm just saying, you will see and be even more disappointed about Midi-performance in other DAW:s being “untight” and “unnatural”. Great example of bad midi is in Cubase SX3, 4 and so on....(not on Atari)


Regards
Freddie

I'm very happy with Sonar 8.
But I'm also hoping that the bakers will finally update the Staff/Notation feature set.
I believe nothing has really changed in this department since Sonar 1.

Avid/Digidesign/Pro Tools recently purchased Sibelius, thus the major notation upgrade in PT8.

I hope Cakewalk ties up with Finale soon!!! (before another DAW does.....)

Hi!

I've been for a long time using Cubase. But in my university people work with Sonar, so I gave it a try.
Actually, I was searching for a 64bit native program, so it was the natural choice. I really like it, I'm sure I'll love it when I can work at 100% with it. Ciao!

ORIGINAL: Freddie H

I even manual delay some elements of tracks to get the perfects swing.

Hehe Freddie, I do this ALOT.

I switched from Cubase to Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 and never looked back. The main reason was the Cakewalk interface. Cubase always seemed too blocky and chunky for me and the colours never really appealed. Also my work flow seemed alot more smoother in Cakewalk. There were a few midi problems I had with Cakewalk 9 although they were resolved with Sonar 2 I believe, as well as me selling alot of my midi gear :)

One of the greatst things though, that are relevant to this thread, is how many people I have converted to Sonar. My 2 biggest converts as of late is one friend who has been using Cubase since 2003. He has had 2 major vinyl releases on an American DnB label and is the last person I would have expected to change DAW's. The other is a friend who I am currently writing music with. He has used Cubase for the last 3 years, but as soon as he started writing songs with me he saw how much faster my work flow was and immediately changed over. This has been the reason why many of the people I know have switched to Sonar. The speed at which you can lay down ideas is amazing.

I would like to make one point in regards to what Cakewalk could maybe do a wee bit better, and that is advertising/marketting. Whoever your people are in this area, they need a swift kick up the behind ;)