Download Sonar 6

Download Sonar 6

Windows XP/x64.
Intel Pentium 4 2.8GHz orAMD Athlon 64 2800+ or higher.
1GB RAM or more.
1280 x 960 display or better, with 24-bit colour.
7200rpm Ultra DMA EIDE or SATA hard drive with minimum of 100MB for program installation.
DVD-ROM drive.
WDM or ASIO-compatible soundcard, MIDI interface.

Of all the major sequencer producers, Cakewalk seem to have both the most regular and shortest production cycle. Paul Sellars commented on this when reviewing Sonar 5 in the December 2005 issue of SOS and, yet again, exactly a year down the line we have the next major release in the Sonar range. Cakewalk's flagship sequencer has been very well specified for some considerable time so, just 12 months after version 5 appeared, what additions and enhancements does Sonar 6 bring?

Amongst the list of improvements is ACT or Active Controller Technology, which re-maps hardware controllers automatically depending upon which plug-in or other window is currently active; Audio Snap, which provides some sophisticated audio quantise features; the VC64 Vintage Channel plug-in; and the inclusion of Session Drummer 2, a drum sample playback instrument that includes a range of preset multisampled kits and associated MIDI drum patterns. There is, of course, a whole raft of other new features and minor tweaks to existing features that also form part of the version 6 specification, and many of these will be described below.

As with the move from version 4 to version 5, however, Sonar's latest reincarnation will still seem like familiar territory to existing users. Some streamlining and modest cosmetic changes aside, the user interface retains the look of the previous release. Sonar still comes in two flavours: the top-of-the-range Producer Edition, reviewed here, and the more compact Studio Edition. Potential purchasers should note that some of the more significant new features are exclusive to the Producer Edition of the product — see the 'Producer Privileges' box for details.