Cakewalk Sonar X3

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SONAR SONAR X3 Producer

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They really streamlined a product for me "X3" - everything stripped about prochannel, melodyne ARA and a lot of synths/effects that I don't use.

Never make myself depend on anything shipped with daw.

Thank you, thank you Cake.

€44 upgrade - a nobrainer. Halfprice compared to if upgrading Studio 8.5.

Also getting almost max speed from my broadband, didn't expect that.
3.6G to download.
:)

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TheoM wrote:Ok sorry I hadn't checked specs, so I was wrong and now studio gets the PC.but I I have x2 producer installed will those PC modules be available in studio, or only the two studio comes with unless I BUY the others again, which would be pointless?
I'm just wondering if all the producer only x2 plugins would also work in studio x3. I guess time will tell.
That's an excellent question TheoM. I would love to see an answer, cause I am also leaning towards Studio cause I don't need anymore plugins. Too many options spoils the broth, plus I get confused what to use when and keeps on fiddling with all the plugins. Time waste. I have uninstalled a huge amount of free plugins and some commercial plugins just to keep it lean and mean ;-) and it's working well so far.

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does Sonar ARA work with a version of Melodyne that you already own? if so I am super jealous. Not enough to go back to Sonar, but still green with envy.

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From the initial reports from others. Yes, it does. It detects the installation and adjusts accordingly.
I understand your feeling. I also bought Melodyne essential cause v-vocal didn't deliver. :x
It's second hand price hasn't gone down though, I can still get around $40 or above in MP but it can days.

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TheoM wrote:
The main missing thing though in the basic is audio snap. That means literally no audio quantize, no midi to audio groove, and no izotope radius for time stretch, only the awful standard groove clip algorithms.
It was "X3" streamlined for me only - remember? :D

I never use that stuff, not once.
Time stretch always reduce quality and audio snap I don't know what it's for.

My new strategy for daws is to do use multiple if necessary and just move a track or two to another one doing special treatment, if not able in main one.

I sort of gave up the idea to find everything in one daw.
:)

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I'm so surprised, after the "DAW 2.0" X1 commercial claim and "Dawg" previously one, their marketing didn't take the plunge for SONAR X3 and just use "SONAR XXX - DAW Porn".

Sorry, couldn't resist :D

- Mario

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It amazes me when people complain about bad code in Cakewalk Sonar. I have been using Cakewalk Sonar for several years and have had nothing but success with it.

Many times, bad code is not bad code at all (and it pertains to more than Sonar). Far too often, the culprit is SUE, which is much harder to fix and repair than bad code. For those who do not know about SUE, read on.

As with all computer programs that can be resource intensive (like visual design, audio and video), you need to have a powerful computer. A little laptop will not do it. Currently, I use a quad-core intel processor with 16GB of memory, running Windows 8. I stripped off all of the extra programs that came with Windows 8, tuned it up and it is a screaming fast machine. Also, USB and Firewire A/D (analog/digital) conversion interfaces will not cut it. I use MOTU 23 I/O with a MOTU PCI-424e card in one of the computer express board slots. With the MOTU setup, there is no burden on the CPU for A/D conversion because it is all done on the MOTU card.

Also, I disabled all automatic updates, especially the Adobe Acrobat program that loves to run in the background. Every time that stupid Adobe update ran Windows 8 with Sonar Producer X2a would crash. The simple fix was to DISABLE ALL auto-update programs on the studio computer.

I also have a workflow habit of saving recording projects about every 20-30 minutes, with auto-save running about every 10 minutes. That practice runs hand-in-hand with saving a different take of a recording project every time a dub track, punch-in, new track, or mix change is done. Plus, I like to reboot about every 2 hours, just out of habit. A full reboot takes less than a minute with my studio computer.

In addition to the standard Sonar Producer X2a plugins, I run several other heavy hitting VST add-ons for mixing and mastering, which are very resource intensive.

I have been running Sonar Producer X2a with a stack of VST's on the current PC platform for about a year. Recording Quality is excellent. The workflow I use is easy and the process is trouble free.

Regardless, if you want DAW software to run on a computer with less horsepower, and you don't want to follow a workflow that works, and you don't care if the quality of the finished audio recording product is only very good (not excellent), then drop Cakewalk Sonar and get something less powerful.

I am going to upgrade to Sonar Producer X3 and continue to enjoy the ride.

I almost forgot to say what SUE is. SUE is Stupid User Error :-o
Jimmy
Haggard Studios
www.haggardstudios.com

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Well, get ready for heavy pushback if you're actually asserting that there is no such thing as software bugs? :hihi:

I'll pop some popcorn. :lol:

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Kinda bummed, I own most of the "extra" new plugins ie. XLN AD etc, so the upgrade would for, be only to fix the ongoing sample import issue I've had since X1. I think I'll demo X3 when some time and then decide if it's worth the upgrade (and will only upgrade once it goes on sale). Must say though, if you don't own all those extra pluggies $150 is not bad.
Eternitysound VST Banks

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@haggardstudios

Grats.. you are the one of the lucky ones.

8.5 repeatedly crashed my top of the line, 64bit streamlined Win7, custom built 8-core monster, randomly.. daily.. for no apparent reason.

Switched to S1, transferred the troubled projects over from 8.5.. never had an issue with them, or any other projects since.. and still have never crashed the thing.

Don't get me started on V-Vocal...

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"Sample accurate automation. Automation is now timestamped so plugins can interpolate and process it in a sample accurate way. In VST2 automation was as accurate as the audio buffer size."
Now we're talking. Goodbye vst2, really for me it's a goodbye moment. I'm tired of sh***y out of time automation, almost in every single f&&&ing DAW. Better less in vst3, than piles of vst2 and out of time.
Source: http://blog.cakewalk.com/developer-note ... ancements/

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fluxmind wrote:"Sample accurate automation. Automation is now timestamped so plugins can interpolate and process it in a sample accurate way. In VST2 automation was as accurate as the audio buffer size."
Now we're talking. Goodbye vst2, really for me it's a goodbye moment. I'm tired of sh***y out of time automation, almost in every single f&&&ing DAW. Better less in vst3, than loads out pf time in vst2 format.
Source: http://blog.cakewalk.com/developer-note ... ancements/
Now that is fine! Now, if it will work here with my set up I may spend some more dosh on it... :hihi:
Barry
If a billion people believe a stupid thing it is still a stupid thing

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I'm unsure whether I want to upgrade to studio or basic. The melodyne and audio snap are tempting (though I have rarely bothered with A-snap before) and the mixing plugs MIGHT be ok. Most of the instruments and plugs with Producer I either own or don't need. What really bothers me, and has bothered me for every update cycle is that there is no difference upgrading from basic or producer. Even though the two versions of X2 were a couple hundred dollars apart, there is no price break for those who have financially supported Cakewalk more.

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