Is Cakewalk Sonar X2a On Windows 8 The Future Of DAWs?

Cakewalk has announced SONAR X2a – an update to the popular Windows DAW which includes many fixes, enhancements, plus support for multi-touch. Since music apps first started appearing on Apple’s iPad, many users have been anticipating the same types of multi-touch interaction coming to traditional DAWs. Sonar X2a is a major step in that direction.… Read More Is Cakewalk Sonar X2a On Windows 8 The Future Of DAWs?

Could Windows 8 Be The Best Windows Ever For Musicians?

Windows 8 is Microsoft’s most ambitious update in years – intended to create a hybrid OS that can compete with Apple’s OSX + iOS juggernaut, while also maintaining traditional desktop compatibility. There has been a lot of pre-release criticism of Windows 8, focused on two things: Windows 8’s Metro interface strikes many as attractive but… Read More Could Windows 8 Be The Best Windows Ever For Musicians?

Sonar X1 On Windows 8 – Faster, But No ARM Tablet Action

Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8, which will offer a new user interface optimized for tablets, may be a little faster than Windows 7 for digital audio workstation work, according to Cakewalk. In preliminary testing with Sonar X1, Cakewalk found improved performance in three areas: Better load balancing. Based on their testing, they concluded that workload is distributed… Read More Sonar X1 On Windows 8 – Faster, But No ARM Tablet Action

Roland Jupiter-50 Synthesizer Puts Jupiter-80 Power Into A Portable Keyboard

At Musimesse 2012, Roland announced the Jupiter-50 synthesizer, the second release in its contemporary Jupiter-series keyboards. The Roland Jupiter-50 inherits the sounds and Live Set architecture of the Jupiter-80, but packs them into a relatively lightweight keyboard. Inside, the Jupiter-50 is equipped with a sound engine that is the sonic equal of its predecessor. The Jupiter-50… Read More Roland Jupiter-50 Synthesizer Puts Jupiter-80 Power Into A Portable Keyboard

Is The DAW Dead?

Is the DAW dead? That’s the question raised by a post at Digital Music Doctor. The Doctor argues that innovation has slowed in the world of digital audio workstations: We recently updated our Digital Audio Workstation Shootout to incorporate the changes in Avid Pro Tools 9 and Cakewalk Sonar X1. These new versions mark the first… Read More Is The DAW Dead?