As we continue to promote Cakewalk Sonar to our legacy users and those familiar with Cakewalk by BandLab, it's important to understand the transition from the previous Cakewalk by BandLab to the new Cakewalk Sonar.
Overview of Updates and What's New:
Cakewalk Sonar builds on the foundation of Cakewalk by BandLab, enhancing its core features with significant upgrades and introducing new functionalities beyond what Cakewalk by BandLab offers. Cakewalk by BandLab remains a valued product, but it's no longer in active development. Cakewalk Sonar now leads our digital audio workstation (DAW) lineup, showcasing our dedication to delivering advanced tools for music production.
| Updates | ||
| Category | Details | Notes |
| Engine Optimizations | Enhanced MIDI playback CPU efficiency and synth track optimizations | Improved MIDI and synth playback processing to reduce CPU load, particularly in dense or large projects. |
| Dynamic MIDI Buffer | Adjusts MIDI buffer in high load projects to avoid dropouts | MIDI buffer size is dynamically increased in heavy load scenarios with toast notifications for suggested buffer sizes. |
| Project Load and Shutdown | Reduced load message queueing and optimized background meter activity | Decreased system load during project loading, especially with resource-heavy plugins. |
| Quick Exit Modes | New methods for faster app shutdown | Introduced CTRL+Exit and ALT+Exit modes for quicker shutdowns without fully releasing resources or reclaiming memory. |
| UI and Editing | Speed improvements for editing in large projects | Clip duplication, undo/redo, clip splitting, and track archiving are significantly faster. |
| Multitrack Piano Roll | Accelerated drag-and-drop and note transpose for large MIDI data volumes | Improved drag-and-drop operations for large note selections, significantly enhancing speed for over 60K events. |
| MIDI Drawing | New GPU Acceleration option in Piano Roll view | Optional GPU acceleration to enhance Piano Roll performance (can be enabled in Display preferences). |
| Synth Rack Sync | Instrument track selection syncs with Synth Rack focus | Option to synchronize Synth Rack view with selected track. |
| Articulation Maps | Deletion of specific articulation events via Articulation Map editor | New "Delete All Sections" option for articulation maps in use, simplifying cleanup of unwanted events. |
| Select Associated Tracks | Select all source tracks/buses that route to a track/bus | ALT-click on bus/track numbers to quickly select all source tracks or show destination buses. |
| Track Focus Setting | New setting for setting track focus by clicking in Clips pane | Option to enable focus on the track by left-clicking in Clips pane. |
| Toast Notifications | Stability and notification improvements for high load scenarios | Enhanced toasts with flicker-free updates and improvements in sign-in notification handling. |
| Miscellaneous Fixes | Various bug and regression fixes | Addressed numerous issues, including synth playback crashes, drag-and-drop misalignments, UI bugs, and performance issues in high-DPI displays and project loads. |
| User Interface | UI has been refreshed with a clean new look, DPI Awareness, and new color themes. | New dark/light color schemes, DPI improvements for better scaling, per-plugin DPI support. |
| Track Manager | Enhancements for track visibility and presets. | Track Manager enhancements, spectrum analyzer display in Console view, and double-click to expand/collapse docked windows. |
| Snap to Grid | Additional landmarks introduced. | New Snap to Grid landmarks: Section Start/End Time, Project Start/End Marker. |
| Preview Bus | Project-wide setting for Preview Bus and Synth output. | Assignable across the entire project, managed from track context menus or main Project menu. |
| Integrated Sampler | New XSampler for importing, recording, and processing audio. | Supports up to 16 voices, converting audio into playable instruments with adjustable pitch/speed. |
| Quick Start Screen | New screen for quick project access. | Allows users to open recent, existing, new, demo projects, or preview projects. |
| CXF/CWZ Formats | New project file formats for easier exchange and backup. | CXF for cross-platform exchange, CWZ recommended for backups over older formats. |
| Automation Enhancements | Automation smoothing and real-time recording improvements. | Automation smoothing for recording, default curve type for envelopes, and enhanced offset modes. |
| MIDI Features | Improvements for Live Articulations and Key Aftertouch editing. | Optional note offsets for MIDI transformations, per-track Live Articulations, and Aftertouch editing in Piano Roll view. |
| Cakewalk Product Center | Centralized location for downloading and managing Cakewalk products. | Requires BandLab ID to access updates and new product installs. |
| Plugins | New and improved plugins, including amp simulators, limiters, and vocal strips. | Includes Overloud TH-U Cakewalk, ProChannel Concrete Limiter, VX-64 Vocal Strip, and support for A/B comparison, sidechain enhancements. |
| Sidechaining & Oversampling | Sidechain routing and plugin oversampling improvements. | Improved sidechain routing management, up to 16X plugin oversampling, phase accuracy, and enhanced latency tooltips. |
| PDC Override | New customizable modes for track delay compensation (PDC). | Options to override PDC during recording or playback for better control. |
| External Insert | Improved handling of external inserts, including mono support and ProChannel integration. | Enhanced support for mono output, friendly naming, and optimized external insert functionality. |
| Plugin Browser | Drag and drop improvements for managing synths and plugins. | Simplified process for inserting/replacing plugins, with friendly names for new instances and plugin load balancing. |
| Usability Enhancements | Several UI/UX improvements for workflow and efficiency. | New track selection options, quick grouping, and better in-app hang detection. |
| Audio Processing Optimizations | Optimizations for low latency and high core count systems. | Performance improvements for high plugin loads and multi-core processors, optimized playback for large templates. |
| Performance Optimizations | Optimizations for projects with many synths and effects. | Reduced CPU load, improved handling of orchestral templates with large instrument counts, and smoother transport start. |
| Tempo Map Features | Import/export tempo map with MIDI files. | Enhancements for handling tempo maps across different formats. |
As you delve into Cakewalk Sonar, you'll uncover a refreshed interface and enhanced performance suited to today's music production demands. With continuous updates and seamless integration into the BandLab ecosystem, Cakewalk Sonar offers a solid platform for all music creators.
Transitioning to Cakewalk Sonar not only ensures access to the latest features but also allows you to stay connected with our growing community. We encourage all legacy and CbB users to make the switch and embrace the future of music production with Cakewalk Sonar.
For a more in-depth look at the Cakewalk Sonar update, including detailed changelogs and additional information, please visit this link.
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