Getting Started With Sonar
From Sonar
Contents |
General Description of SONAR
Cakewalk's SONAR is a computer program for recording, editing, mixing, mastering and outputting music and other audio. It is currently at version 5.2, although version 6 has been announced and is expected to ship in the Fall of 2006.
SONAR is an example of a digital audio workstation (DAW) and is capable of performing a number of tasks that previously required expensive and specialized equipment. While some pieces of specialized recording equipment are still required, a desktop computer can now function as the heart of a recording studio. With SONAR you can:
- Record and manipulate digital audio
- Record and manipulate MIDI data
- Apply special effects, such as reverb and delay
- Automate the process of mixing audio
System Requirements
Digital audio can be very demanding with respect to computer resources. Unless portability is a requirement, starting with a desktop is an excellent way to go. The baseline system requirements for Cakewalk’s SONAR are provided at:
http://cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/System.asp
In general, the faster your computer is, the more you can do without causing audio glitches. Processing power is often the limiting factor in audio performance. Your processor’s ability to crunch numbers will often be maximized before your hard disk’s ability to read and write data and before you run out of random access memory.
It is advisable to use two hard disks in any digital audio workstation (DAW) setup. Your first hard disk should contain your operating system and recording software. The second disk should only contain your audio files. This helps to prevent disruptions in the audio due to disk activity.
Audio Hardware Requirements
There's nothing worse than forking over hard-earned money for a sound card or audio interface, only to find that it doesn't work --or works imperfectly-- with SONAR. Cakewalk has an official list of audio hardware known to work with SONAR and some other Cakewalk products.
Getting SONAR
SONAR 5 can be bought from uncountable online music stores, but as SONAR 6 is coming out in the very near future you may want to wait, or take advantage of Cakewalk's upgrade offer while it lasts (if you currently own an earlier version of SONAR) to obtain the Producer Edition upgrade or the Studio Edition upgrade at a discount.
You can try a free SONAR 5 web demo here.
Note that the prices at the Cakewalk online store will "always be higher" than those at retailers, according to a Cakewalk employee, in order not to undercut the resellers' profits.
Updating SONAR
The SONAR 5.2 update is available here. Note that it requires that you have the 5.0.1 update installed, and that you must be a registered customer to download it.
Program Setup and Configuration
Read and Write Caching
It is generally recommended to turn read and write caching OFF in SONAR's Options | Audio | Advanced dialog box. Many also recommend turning off disk caching on the drive SONAR uses to store audio.
