NAMM 2005Cakewalk releases free beta version of 64-bit SONAR

Cakewalk has announced the availability of a fully native 64-bit version of SONAR 4 Producer Edition. The x64 Technology Preview version of SONAR 4 includes the entire application, along with a collection of additional DirectX effects, synths, and samplers to spotlight the advantages of music production in a 64-bit processing environment.

The SONAR x64 Technology Preview is now available for free download from the Cakewalk web site. A free pre-release beta version of Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is required.

Cakewalk's implementation extends the amount of RAM available for music production on the PC to 1 terabyte (1024 GB), well beyond the current 2 GB limit offered by today's 32-bit applications. This provides users with nearly unlimited potential for working with RAM intensive projects that make extensive use of samplers and numerous audio loops and tracks. SONAR x64 Technology Preview provides users with the ability to load entire, large sample banks, libraries, and audio clips into RAM, thereby eliminating the latency introduced by disk streaming. Additionally, future versions of SONAR will offer the highest resolution mix engine with a fidelity exceeding that of the most expensive professional audio tools available in the market today.

"We are very excited to be on the forefront of delivering x64 technology to the music production world, and have found Intel processor-based Hewlett Packard platforms are ideal for delivering outstanding performance benefits to empower musicians." commented Ron Kuper, Vice President of Engineering for Cakewalk. "In our testing not only are we seeing SONAR make more effective use of RAM, but as an added bonus we are also seeing reduced CPU overhead, which we believe to be the result of the increased number of internal registers within x64 processors," added Kuper.

"64-bit Intel® Xeon processor-based workstations are optimal for the most demanding Pro Audio applications. Cakewalk's SONAR 4 Producer Edition takes advantage of the capabilities of the 64-bit Intel Xeon processor to help meet the exacting needs of today's audio professionals," said Phil Brace, marketing director for Intel's Enterprise Platforms Group.

AMD customers will also experience comparable performance gains using the SONAR x64 Technology Preview. A wealth of information and resources are available in the SONAR x64 Technology Preview FAQ.