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JeffTadashi « Home-budget professional DAW for PC »
Published on 06/07/12 at 15:25Cakewalk's Sonar X1 is their latest version of their popular DAW for the PC platform. I am reviewing the Producer version, which includes extra features, such as more built-in plugins, effects, and instruments. These include ProChannel, Session Drummer 3, Dimension Pro, Mastering Effects, Channel Strip Effects, TruePianos, and Producer Effects. The DAW, overall, features many of the things you would expect from a DAW. Unfortunately, it is not designed to work on Mac systems, which is a major letdown. There is a way to run SONAR on a Mac machine using a modified boot, but it is not supported and it is likely buggy, with many loose ends.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've been using SONAR for several years, and each incremental version gets better, without sacrificing any compatibility or drastic changes to the graphic interface, so upgrading is never a hassle. Cakewalk regularly puts out updates to their software as well, as it is definitely still dominant and current (at least in the PC world). It can use both DirectX plugins as well as VST, and the VST plugin loader is very quick and automatic. DirectX plugins was a format that Cakewalk pushed for many years, but they have decided to go away from it, as the newer versions of their instruments, Rapture and Dimension Pro, no longer fully support the platform. Nonetheless, the software is still compatible with DirectX. It cannot load RTAS, as that is reserved for Avid's Pro Tools.
SONAR X1 fully supports multi-core and 64-bit Windows operating systems, as it is one of the few DAW's that run in 64-bits and can use 64-bit plugins. This is essential if you are working with larger samples, particularly with heavyweight samplers that uses hundreds of megabytes of samples per instrument.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, I would recommend Cakewalk's Sonar X1 (Producer Edition) to any home or professional studio that works exclusively in the PC operating systems. This may be a rarity in many higher end studios, which like to work in Mac's, but it is a great DAW nonetheless.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've been using SONAR for several years, and each incremental version gets better, without sacrificing any compatibility or drastic changes to the graphic interface, so upgrading is never a hassle. Cakewalk regularly puts out updates to their software as well, as it is definitely still dominant and current (at least in the PC world). It can use both DirectX plugins as well as VST, and the VST plugin loader is very quick and automatic. DirectX plugins was a format that Cakewalk pushed for many years, but they have decided to go away from it, as the newer versions of their instruments, Rapture and Dimension Pro, no longer fully support the platform. Nonetheless, the software is still compatible with DirectX. It cannot load RTAS, as that is reserved for Avid's Pro Tools.
SONAR X1 fully supports multi-core and 64-bit Windows operating systems, as it is one of the few DAW's that run in 64-bits and can use 64-bit plugins. This is essential if you are working with larger samples, particularly with heavyweight samplers that uses hundreds of megabytes of samples per instrument.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, I would recommend Cakewalk's Sonar X1 (Producer Edition) to any home or professional studio that works exclusively in the PC operating systems. This may be a rarity in many higher end studios, which like to work in Mac's, but it is a great DAW nonetheless.