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SONAR2016.09Update

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SONAR2016.09Update

YourCPUworkshard,sowe’dliketodowhatwecantohelpitworkmoreefficiently.ThisupdateincludesPlug-InLoadBalancingforPlatinum,whichallowsrunningmoreplug-inswithfewerdropouts.Forusersofallversions,therearealsonewCPUmetermodestogaugeperformance,aswellasQuickGroupfreezing—nowit’seasytosavelotsofCPUpowerbyfreezingmultipletracksatonce.

Finally,foryourreadingpleasurewereviewaMIDIBluetoothkeyboardcontroller,presentanotherfascinating“AnatomyofaSONARProject,”fillyouinonthismonth’sSONARTop10chart,alertyoutoauniqueeducationalopportunity,andpointyoutosomecoolforumthreadsonhowtogetthemostoutofSONAR.Sowhatareyouwaitingfor?ReadtheeZine,bootupSONAR,andenjoythelatestupdatesandenhancements.–TheCakewalkTeam

Plug-InLoadBalancing:NowPlatinumownerscanrunmoreplug-ins,withfewerdropouts,greaterefficiency,andmoreevendistributionofCPUloadingtoprocessingcores.Recommendedforsystemswithfourormorecores,thisupdatecanimproveplug-inperformanceatbuffersettingsof256andabove.

CPUMeterModes:ThisupdatetotheControlBar’sPerformancemoduleextendstheabilitytomonitorwhat’shappeningwithyourCPU—includingmonitoringtheglobalCPUconsumptionacrossallcoresforallaspectsoftheOS,audioprocessingload,andasinglemeterforSONAR’stotalCPUutilization.

QuickGroupFreeze:AftertakingcareofeveryonewhowantedtheQuickGroupfunctionalityforinserteffects,nowthere’sQuickGroupFreezesoyoucanfreezeorthawmultipletracksatonce.Notonlythat,butwiththenewmeteringoptions,youcanseeexactlyhowmuchdifferenceitmakes.

FullScreenToggleButton:Whenyouwantthemaximumamountofscreen“realestate”toseeasmanyelementsaspossiblewithinSONAR,thenewfullscreentogglesupplementstheexistingmenuoptionandfunctionkeyshortcutswithabuttonthat’ssuitableforbothtouchandmouseclicks.

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SoftubeSaturationKnobUpdate:ThisworkhorseProChannelmodule,basedonSoftube’sFETcompressorwithaddedsaturation,hasbeenupdatedwithstabilityandcompatibilityimprovements.

FixesandEnhancements:Thebug-fixersatCakewalkwentonabug-huntingfrenzythismonth,andnukedabunchofthoserudelittlecrittesr—includingthelong-standing“Whydoesstretchinganaudioclipsometimesproduceanextraneoussnappoint?”Well,itdoesn’tanymore.

ChartingNowinSONAR|TheTop10OperatingSystems:Amazingly,somepeoplestilluse32-bitVista.ButdoestheSONARcommunitymarchinstepwiththerestoftheworld,andcontinueholdingontoWindows7?Orhasitdonethe“fastforward”toWindows10?Theanswermightsurpriseyou.

AnatomyofaSONARProject|AShootoutintheWildWestoftheIndustry:Notonlyhastherecordbusinesschanged,sohasdoingcommercialmusic.JimmyLandryparticipatesinashootouttocreatethemusicforanupcomingcommercial,andtellswhat’sinvolvedinthishyper-competitivenewwaytomakealiving.

ScholarshipOpportunityfortheSONARCommunity:Fromtimetotime,composer/teacherJerryGerber—anexpertSONARuser—offersafreescholarshiptoadeservingstudentwhowanttoimprovehisorherskills.Wanttoupyourgame?Findouthowtoapplyinthisarticle.

Review|CMEXkeyAir,WhereMIDIMeetsBluetooth:Youhaveawirelesskeyboardandmouse,awirelessinternetconnection,andApplewantstoconvinceyoutowearwirelessearbudsandditchthe1/8”phonejack.ButcanMIDIwirelessdeliverlow-latency,reliableoperation?Let’sfindout.

SurfBoard:Surfingtheinternetcanbefun,butsurfingtheCakewalkforumscanbedownrightinstructivebecausecommunitymembersareconstantlysharingtipsandtechniques.We’vescouredtheforumsforthelatestthreadsthatcanhelpyougetthemostoutofSONAR,andcompiledthemhere.

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HowtoDownloadtheSONAR2016.09UpdateOpentheCakewalkCommandCenter.Ifyoudon’thavethelatestversion(CakewalkCommandCenterSetup_1.1.7.1.exe),pleasedownloaditfromtheCakewalkCommandCenterhomepage.TodownloadtheSONAR2016.09coreupdate,downloadfromthecoreSONARArtist,Professional,orPlatinumcategory.PlatinummembersshouldalsodownloadthelatestversionoftheThemeEditor,whichisaseparateprogramandappearsunderConnectedProducts.

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Plug-inLoadBalancingPlatinumSONAR’splug-Inloadbalancingexploitsthefullpowerofmulti-coreCPUstobalanceDSPworkloadsacrossmultiplecoreswhenpossible.Thiscanresultinfewerspikesintheaudioengine,aswellasminimizeaudiodropoutsthatarecausedbyunbalancedprocessingloads.Toenable/disableplug-inloadbalancing,chooseEdit>Preferences>Audio-PlaybackandRecording.CheckUseMultiprocessingEngine(otherwiseplug-inbalancingisnotavailable),thencheckPlug-InLoadBalancing.

Whenenabled,SONARwillattempttoloadbalancetrack/bus/clip/ProChannelFXRacks,FXRackFXChains,andProChannelFXChainsifanyofthesecontaintwoormoreunbypassedplug-

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ineffects.(However,pleasenotethatthistechnologydoesnotbenefitvirtualinstrumentsinthesynthrack,FXRackswithactivesidechains,orExternalinserts.)WHENTOUSE,ORNOTUSE,PLUG-INLOADBALANCINGLoadbalancingusesCPUpowermoreefficiently,butitalsorequiressomeCPUpowerbecauseitprocessestheplug-insatsmallerbuffersizes.Iftheloadsaren’tunbalancedinthefirstplace,anybenefitsofbalancingmaybeoffsetbytheextraoverhead.So,firstcheckouttheexistingperformancestatuswiththenewPerformanceMetermodes(describedinthenexteZinesection).Right-clickonthePerformancemodule,chooseCPUMeterDisplayOptions,thenselectAudioProcessingLoad.ThePerformanceMeterwillshowwhethertheloadontheCPUcoresisbalancedornot.Enableplug-inloadbalancingif:

• ThereisCPUspiking,oronecoreissignificantlyhigherthantheothers• Theprojectusesahighaudiolatencysetting• Onetrackperformsmostoftheeffectsprocessing

Donotenableplug-inloadbalancingif:

• TheCPUloadisevenlydistributed(i.e.,thereisnoexcessivecorespiking,andnoindividualcoreworkssignificantlymorethantheothers)

• Theprojectusesmanylightweightplug-inswithasimilarload• Alltracksuseaboutthesamenumberofeffects,orhaveasimilarload• TheprojectusesaMixingLatencyBufferSizesettingunder256samplesinEdit>

Preferences>Audio-DriverSettingsForinformationabouthowplug-inloadbalancingworks,aswellas“underthehood”tweaksyoucandotoalterthesmallestinternalbuffersubdivisionusedforplug-inloadbalancing(whichallowsformoreaggressiveloadbalancing),pleaseseetheonlinehelp.

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ExpandedCPUPerformanceMeterModesArtist,Professional,PlatinumTheControlBar’sPerformancemetergivesinformationonyoursystem’sresourceutilization,andhasnowbeenexpandedtoofferthreedifferentmonitoringmodes.Amongotheradvantages,thePerformancemetercandifferentiatebetweenhowmuchresourcesSONARisdrawingcomparedtothesystemasawhole.Thiscanalertyouifsomethingelseisgoingonthat’stakingresources.

ThethreePerformanceMetermodesare:AudioProcessing.ThisdefaultmodemeasuresSONAR’saudioprocessingload,andrepresentstheratiooftheactualtimetakentoprocessabuffercomparedtothebufferduration.Thishelpsyoudetermineifyouneedtoincreaselatency,orcanspeedoperationupabit.SystemPerformance.Thisshowstheglobalsystem-wideloadacrossallprocessorcores,asreportedbytheoperatingsystemitself(notjustreportingfromwithinSONAR).OverallAppPerformance.ThemetershowstheentireSONARprocessCPUutilizationforallprocessorcores.Tochooseamode:

1. ResizetheControlBarPerformancemoduletoLargeorAutoifneeded(theCPUmetermustbevisible),thenright-clickanywhereinthemodule.

2. PointtoCPUMeterDisplayOptions.3. Choosethedesiredmode.

ThetooltipovertheCPUMetershowstheselectedmode’sname.

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QuickGroupFreezeArtist,Professional,PlatinumHotontheheelsoflastmonth’sQuickGroupFXInsert,we’veansweredanotherpopularfeaturerequestwithQuickGroupFreeze.Freezeisanimportantfeaturewhenyou’rerunningoutofCPUpowerbecauseittemporarilybouncestracksthatincludepower-hungryplug-ins(likevirtualinstrumentsandplug-ins)toaudio,whichrequiresmuchlessCPUforplayback.Freezingalso“disconnects”theoriginaltracktosaveCPUpowerconsumption,butyoucanalsounfreeze/thawatanytimeifyouwanttoedittheplug-inparametersormakeotherchanges.Previously,trackshadtobefrozenoneatatime.WithQuickGroupFreeze,youcanfreezemultipletrackswithasinglegesture.1.Selectthetracksyouwanttofreeze.Toselectmultipletracks,Ctrl+clickonthetracknumberintheTrackorConsoleview,orusetheSmartSwipefeaturetoselectmultipleconsecutivetracks.2.HolddowntheCtrlkey,thenclicktheFreezebuttoninanyoftheselectedtracks.Allselectedtrackswillnowbefrozen.Similarly,youcanalso“thaw”multipleselectedtracks.

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FullScreenToggleArtist,Professional,PlatinumFullScreenmodehidesSONAR’stitlebarandtheWindowstaskbarsothatSONAR’sinterfacefillstheentirescreen.Thisgivesmore“screenrealestate”forworkingwithinSONAR.Anotheradvantageoffull-screenmodeisthatyoucanleavethetaskbarlockedinplaceratherthansettoauto-hide,whichoccasionallydoesn’tworkproperly.Thisisbecausesomeapplicationscantriggeranotificationthatkeepsthetaskbaropen,butdoesn’tprovideanobviouswaytoclosethenotification.Howeverit’salsoimportanttobeabletoexitfull-screenmodequicklyifyouwanttousethetaskbar,sonowtherearethreeoptions.Menu:ChooseWindow>FullScreenKeyboardshortcut:F11Touchcontrolormouseclick:ThenewFullScreenbuttoninSONAR’stoprightcorner

FullScreenbuttoninstandardmode

FullScreenbuttoninfullscreenmode

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SoftubeSaturationKnobUpdateProfessional,Platinum

Ifyou’veoverlookedhowusefultheProChannel’sSoftubeSaturationKnobcanbe,nowwouldbeagoodtimetore-visitit—thisupdateoffersimprovedstability,compatibilityfixes,andstreamlinedgraphics.ItalsocomplementstheProChannelTubedistortionmodulewell.ThekeytogettingthemostoutoftheSaturationKnobisselectingthepropermode(KeepHigh,Neutral,andKeepLow).Forexample,KeepHighdoesn’tdistortthehighfrequencies,soforlo-fidrumsthecymbalswon’tbeasdistortedastherestofthedrumkit,whichgivesmore“body.”Howeverifyouwanttoretainthekickdrum’stoneandlevel,thenyouwouldchooseKeepLow,whichavoidsdistortinglowfrequencies.AstousingtheSaturationKnobandTubemoduletogether,eachhasadifferentcharacter,anddrivingonewiththeothercangivesoundsyoucan’tgetwitheitheronebyitself—andswitchingtheirordergivesyetanothersetoftimbres.Youcanalsoenhancesaturationbythemodulesyouputbeforeandaftersaturation,likeinsertingtheS-TypeChannelcompressorfirst,thenCakewalk’sTube

distortion,andfinallytheSaturationknob.DrivingtheSaturationKnobwithTubeproducesawidervarietyofdistortioneffectsthanthereverseorder.Finally,followtheSaturationknobwithEQtoshapethesaturatedsound.Foranexamplewithbass,startwithallmodulesbypassed.Adjustthetonetotaste,thenenablethecompressoranddialsomedynamicsprocessingfora“rounder”sound.EnableTubeinType1modeandturnuptheInputandDrivecontrolsforanamp-typegrowl.Next,enabletheSaturationKnob;select“KeepHigh”togiveafuzzbasssound,“Neutral”foramoreaggressiveversionofthetubedistortion,or“KeepLow”tochangethetoneandgiveamoresustaineddistortion.YoucanthenusetheQuadCurveEQtoemulateacabineteffect—enabletheLowPassfiltertotrimthehighs,bringthemidrangedownabitaround1.5kHztoemphasizethebass,andthenaddabroad,lowbassbumpforaroundertone.

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Thiscombinationofcompression,distortion,andEQwillgivethebassmoreauthorityandgrit,andstandoutinabitmoreinmixes.TheSaturationKnobisevenusefulasaSendeffectwhenyouwanttoaddalittlebitofdirttomultipletracks.

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FixesandEnhancementsThismonth’supdatefixesthefollowingissuesinmultiplecategories:TAKEMANAGEMENT/COMPING

• Itwasnotpossibletodragacliptoadifferentlaneinanothertrackifthetargettrackwasbelowthesourcetrack

• SpeedCompingcouldcreateunexpectedextraclips• Insomecases,SpeedCompingwouldfailtomute/unmuteclips• PasteofclipalwaysendeduponTakeLaneoriginaltosourceclip• DraggingacompcliptoaTakeLaneproducedunexpectedresults• Insomecases,attemptingtocross-croptwoadjacentclipsindifferentlaneswould

affectonlyasingleclipPLUG-INS

• VariousVST3HostBypassfixes• Plug-inupsamplingdidnotoperateproperlyinsomecases• Quick-GroupinsertFXcouldfailiftheselectedtrackscontaineddifferentnumbersof

plug-ins• CustomizingFXChainscouldcauseSONARtohang• FXChainscouldcausecrashwhenusedinaplaylist• ChangingVST3presetsfromtheplug-inpropertypagesometimesresultedin

inconsistentbehavior• AssignablecontrolsforWavesplug-inscouldsendtoincorrectparameter

REGIONFX

• ProChannelwoulddisappearonalltracks/busesafterMelodynebounce-to-clipswhenfollowedbyright-clickinganotherclip.

• UndoofacopiedMelodyneclipdidnotupdatetheMelodyneGUI• DeletedtracksthatcontainedMelodyneRegionFXclipswerestilldisplayedin

Melodyne'strackheaderBROWSER

• CrashonstartuprelatedtoSQLLite• ThePlug-inBrowsercoulddisplayemptycategoryfolders• ThePlug-inBrowsercoulddisplayanempty"Uncategorized"folderintheInstruments

tab

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• SONARcouldcrashuponlaunchifthePlug-inBrowserlibrarydatabasewascorrupt• InthePlug-inBrowser,itwasnotpossibletorevertDirectXPlug-instotheiroriginal

name• Renaming/categorizingplug-insinthePlug-inBrowserwouldcloseallexpandedfolders• Renaming/categorizingplug-insinthePlug-inBrowsercouldresultintemporaryfreeze

ifperformedonWindowsBasic/Classictheme• Changingfriendlyplug-innamedidnotinitiallyupdateexistinginstancesinFXRacks• ThePlug-inBrowserdidnothidefoldersforVST2swithidenticalplug-innames• CakewalkTTS-1didnotdisplayafriendlynameintheSetCategoriesdialogbox• Plug-inBrowsercategorywasnamed"GeneralMidi"insteadof"GeneralMIDI"• Whennotshowingplug-incategories,thePlug-inBrowserwouldcreateanewfolderfor

anylooseVST3plug-insthatwereinstalledintheCommonFiles\VST3rootfolder• ClosingaprojectwiththeSynthRackopencouldresultinacrash• InsertSynthmenuwouldfailtoopenifthereweremorethan255VSTiplug-insavailable

MATRIX

• MatrixcouldskipfirstnoteinMIDIclipswhenplaybackstarted.• ItwasnotpossibletoscrollintheMatrixwiththemousewheelifthemousewasover

trackstrips.• UndoingaMatrixperformancerecordingcouldresultinacrash.

PROCHANNEL

• SaturationKnobcouldcauseSONARtocrash.MISCELLANEOUS

• SelectingthelastAutomationLanecouldcauseacrash• ItwasnotpossibletorenamebusAutomationLanes• ItwasnotpossibletousetheCroptoolontherightsideofacrossfadeunlessyou

selectedtheclip• Selectingtheleftclipinacrossfadewouldobscuretherightclip'sfadein• CroppingmultipleclipssimultaneouslywouldfailinsomecasewhenSnaptoGridwas

enabled• Adjustingcrossfadeonmultipleselectedtracksdidnotproducecorrectresults• AutoCrossfadesdidnotworkproperlywithclipselectiongroups• 'SelectTrackEnvelopeswithClips'didnotfunctionproperlywhenmovinggroupedclips• ModifiedclipcolorsintheInspectordidn'tshowimmediately• UnexpectedbehaviorwhenadjustingcliplengthfromtheClipPropertiesinspectorifthe

formatwasMBT• Superfluoussnapoffsetwascreatedafterstretchingaudioclip

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• Scrollbarthumbwasdifficulttoseewhilebeingdragged• Clickingrapidlyinthescrollbardidnotalwaysadvancethetimeline• Underrarecircumstances,acrashcouldoccurwhendeletingbuses• “FollowHostTempo”didnotbehaveasexpected• TheAboutscreenshowedmixedversioninformation• GeneralInstallerimprovements

HELP

• HelpModulewouldnotshowtextforthetimerulerorClipspane• HelpbuttonforPreferences>File-AudioDatadidnotopenhelptopic• HelpbuttonforPreferences>Project-Surrounddidnotopenhelptopic

LOCALIZATION

• MultipleBrazilian-PortugueseUIfixes(appliestoSteamusersofSONARBrazilianPortuguese2016.08)

• [Russian]SeverallistitemsinEdit>Preferences>Customization-Colorswerecutoff• [Russian]SomevaluesintheGrooveQuantizedialogboxwerecutoff

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ChartingNowinSONAR:TheTop10OperatingSystemsInthewide,wideworldofWindows,despiteMicrosofthopingtogeteveryoneontheWindows10bandwagon,therearestillquiteafewdifferentoperatingsystemsinuse.ButwhichoneismostpopularamongSONARians?WeaskedAnalyticstotelluswhichoperatingsystemsgetusedforthegreatestnumberofsessions,andwhatwefoundwasthattheheaviestSONARusersplaceapremiumon64-bitoperationandhighperformance.#1:Windows10–64BitWithanalmost3:1leadoversecondplace,SONARusersarevotingwiththeirwalletsandgoingforWindows10.Althoughactually,it’sprobablymoreaccuratetosaythey’renotvotingwiththeirwalletsbecausetheylikelyinstalledWindows10whenitwasafreeupgrade…butyougetthepoint.Inanyevent,thismayalsohelpexplainthegeneralconsensusaboutSONARperformingverywell—itseemsSONARandWindows10weremadeforeachother.#2:Windows7–64BitThentherearethosewhosubscribeto“ifitain’tbroke,don’tfixit”andhaveremainedloyaltoWindows7,anoperatingsystemthat’ssevenyearsoldbutisalsoarealworkhorse.LookslikeSONARsupportforWindows7probablywon’tbegoingawayanytimesoon.#3:Windows8.1–64bitWellit’salmostasgoodasWindows10…andcertainlyanimprovementovertheill-fatedWindows8,whichevenMicrosofturgedpeopletoavoidusingnottoolongafteritwasintroduced.FortunatelydriversthatworkwithWindows8.1tendtoworkwellwithWindows10,soupgradingisprettypainless.#4:Windows7–32bitGivenhowlongSONARhasbeen64-bitfriendly,it’sprobablynotsurprisingthattheoverwhelmingmajorityofSONARusersembrace64-bitoperatingsystems.Butwhenitcomesto32-bitoperatingsystems,“oldfaithful”Windows7holdsthetopslot.Andwhynot?Itstillworks.#5:Windows10–32bitUnlike64-bitoperatingsystems,with32-bitoperatingsystemstheresultsareflipped:moreWindows7thanWindows10users.Ifyou’regoingtoholdontoafrozensystembecauseitworksthewayyouwant,mightaswellkeepitat32bits.

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#6:Windows8–64bitFrankly,thisresultissomewhatpuzzling.MicrosoftendedofficialsupportforWindows8earlythisyear—sotherearenomoresecuritypatchesorcrucialupdatesunlessyouupdatetoWindows8.1(whichisfree)orWindows10.Seriouslyfolks,considerupdating…#7:Windows8.1–32bitThisisdefinitelyabetterchoicethanWindows8,butthere’sstillalottobesaidforgoing64bitswhenit’stimeforanewmachine.#8:Windows8–32bitThere’sarapiddropoffinsessioncountfrom32-bitWindows8.1to32-bitWindows8,butthesamecommentapplies:youreallyneedtoupdateto8.1.Everythingshouldstillworkasexpected,andyou’llbeabletoreceiveongoingmainstreamsupportuntilJanuary9,2018(withextendedsupportuntilJanuary10,2023).#9:WindowsVista–32bitAndnow,thehardyholdouts:32-bitWindowsVistarepresentsaminuscule0.0001%ofthetotalsessioncount.(ThenagainifIwasrunning32-bitVista,Itoowouldprobablybediscouragedfromusingitverymuch.)#10:WindowsVista–64bitVistagotareallybadrapforavarietyofreasons,buttherealityisthatbythetimeyoufinisheddoingalltheupdates,ithadessentiallybecomeWindows7.However,asa10-year-oldoperatingsystem,it’sfarfromcuttingedge.ToobadthefreeupdatetoWindows10wasn’tavailableforVista,whosemainstreamsupportendedoverfouryearsago.ConclusionsThesestatsmakeitclearthatSONARusersarebig-timefansof64-bitcomputers.Also,66%ofallSONARsessionsaredonewith64-bitWindows10.Forcomparison,intheoverallworldofcomputersWindows10hasabout23%overallOSmarketshare,whileWindows7stilldominatesat47%(asofAugustMacOSX10.11has4.38%,Linux2.1%,andWindows8.18%).Remember,though,thatthesestatsaren’tbasedonwhichOSisinstalled,butwhichOSisusedforthegreatestnumberofsessions.SowhilethetotaluniverseofSONARusersmaynotbeonWindows10yet,theoneswhoarethemostactive,anddothemostworkwithSONAR,clearlyfavorthemostrecentandhighest-performanceoptions.

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AnatomyofaSONARProject:AShootoutintheWildWestofanIndustryByJimmyLandryEveryoneknowsthemusicindustryhaschangeddrasticallyinthelastdecade.Fromrecordcompaniestakingabackseat,to100k+-seat-venuesbeingsoldoutatastronomicalticketpricesfor“electronicexperiences,”justabouteveryfacetofthebusinessisnolonger“sameasiteverwas.”Andthecommercialsideofmusiccreationhaschangedaswell.Nottoolongago,I’dgetluckyonceinawhilewhenmyphonerang,andmymanagersaid“CompanyX”wantedapieceofmusicforsomethingbytheendoftheweek.Dependingonwhattheywanted,this“workforhire”couldpullinacool$5k–$10kplusresidualsforwaylessthanaweek’swork.

Aswefastforwardto2016withthehome-studioDAWrevolution,wenowhavewhatthecommercialmusicindustrycallsa“shootout.”Fromagents,tomusicsupervisors,posthouses,songpluggersandjustaboutanyoneelseinbetweenwhohasrelationshipstogettheirhandsonahot,time-sensitive“creativebrief,”manycomposers/producersarenowworkingona“shootout”basis.Here’swhatthatmeans.

Asinthepast,companieswhousevideoadvertisementsfortheirgoodsandservicesoftendonothavethecapacitytoputtogetherafullsyncproduction.ThesecompaniesusecreativecompaniessuchasTheMusicPlaygroundorButterMusictoexecutetheirmessage.Theclientworkscloselywithacompany’steamtoputtogethera“creativebrief.”Thisistheinstrumentthatconvertstheadvertisement’soverallmessagefromtheexecutivesintomusician’sterms.Oncecreated,thecreativeteamthenmovesforwardtogeneratethemusicandsoundfortheadvertisementusingitspoolofcomposers,producers,andmusicians.Acommonmethod(orflowifyouwill)nowadaysisforatrustedcomposerorproducertobeonalistofoneofthesecreativecompanies.Whenthecreativecompanyhasajob,itwillthenreachouttoseveralsuitablecomposerswhoworkinastylethatmatchesthegoalofthecreativebrieftostarttheshootoutprocess.Sometimes,there’sasmallhonorariumforeachproducer/composerselectedfortheshootoutprocess,andthenif/whentheirsubmissionischosenbytheadvertisingcompanytheywillthenwinthe“purse.”Thesepursesrangegreatlyinpricethesedays;theycanstillbeworthupto$15kor$20k,butamorecommonrangeis

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$2.5k–$5k.TherecanalsoberesidualincomefromintellectualpropertyonthesewithAFM(AmericanFederationofMusicians),SAG(ScreenActorsGuild),andPRO(PerformingRightsOrganization)collection,dependingonthecontractualagreements.Sointhiswebofshootouts,notonlycanacomposer/producergetacallfromacreativeagency,butworkcanalsocomeinfromothermusiciansasinthecaseofthisAnatomyofaSONARProject.RecentlyIreceivedanemailfrommyfriend,industrycolleagueandneighborJodyRedhagewhocurrentlyisoneofthemostsought-aftercellistsintheindustry.ShehasbeeninEsperanzaSpalding’sband,touredallovertheworld,andhasplayedsomeveryhigh-profilevenuesincludingTheTonightShow,CarnegieHall,LincolnCenter,RadioCityMusicHallandtheHollywoodBowljusttonameafew.Asacomposer,sheispluggedintosomecreativeagenciessimilartomynetwork,andwesometimesworkonprojectstogether.Forthisshootout,wegotthecreativebrieffromanagencythatwasworkingwithacarcompanyonanewinternet-onlyvideotoairduringthewinter.Creativebriefsvary,butinthecase,theclienthadaveryspecificvibeinmind.They’dbeenhopingtouseTalkingHeads’“RoadtoNowhere,”butDavidByrnedoesn’tlicensetocommercialssotheyneededoriginalmusic.Thecreativebriefhadseveralrequirements:

• Hittingadeadline(andofcourse,it’salwayssoonerthanyou’dlike)• Anorganic,intimate,humanqualitywithasinglemalevocal.• Lyricsthatconveyedaparticularsenseoftravelingforthesakeofsame,withouta

particulardestination.• A“peoplemakingmusicinaroom”vibe—nofour-on-the-flooroverdoneclap-folk

music,andifanyorchestralelementswereused,theyhadtofeelmodern.• Thetrackneededtohavepersonalityandmakeacreativestatement,notsoundlike

“mathhomework.”Sowithinthoseparameters,itwastimetostartwritingandrecording.

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WRITINGANDSKETCHSoawaywewent,andIknewthemostimportantaspectformewastokeepitsimple.SometimesSONARmakesthingssoeasytoproduce,onecangetabitcarriedaway.Thefirstandmostimportantfocuswasonthepiece’slyricaldirectionandmelody.Theimageryofthespotwasamazingandreallyquitefuntowritemusicto.IhadafewsimplechordprogressionswithmelodiesthatIranbyJody,andletherpicktheonetodevelop…whichisthebeautyofworkingonaprojectwithsomeonewhohasagreatmusicalsense.Afterafewhourswehadthebackboneofadecenttrackbyjusthavingonemicupintheroomfordemopurposes.I’vebeenaroundtheblockafewtimeswiththistypeofshootout,winningsomeandlosingsome,soIknewthatthekeytothistypeofprojectwasgoingtobemakingitsoundlikeareal“song”andnotacommercial“spot.”ThismeantIhadtolearnthevocalperformancesowellsothatitwouldfeellikearealsongwhenrecording.So,IcalleditanightsothatIcouldactuallypracticewhatwecameupwithvocally,andalsoorganizetheSONARprojectabit.IalsospentsometimeplanningonhowIwouldtrackthispiece,whichwasabitunorthodoxintheinstrumentationalsequence…keepreading.TRACKINGCELLOThenextnightwestartedinonthetracking,andIdecidedtotrysomethingdifferentthanmynormaltrackdevelopmentroutine.Becausetheagencywascallingforamoreorganictypeofsong,IfoughteverytendencyIhadtouseaclicktrackandendeduptrackingfreely.JodyRedhageisamachinewithtimingandweactuallyendedupcuttingthecelloasthebackbonetracktothesong—indeedunorthodox,butIhadaplanworkingbackwards.I’dtrackedJodyinthepasthereinmyroom,soIknewthesetuponhowtogetagreatsound.ForcapturingthelowendIusedaNeatKingBeemic(whichreallydoesagreatjobgettingfullsoundsbelow300Hz)throughaYamahaPM1000preamp(aluckyfindoutofNashville,rackedupasastereopair).Upnearwherethebowstrikesthestrings,IusedanAT4033athroughaNeve1073knockoffmadebyGoldenAge.ACOUSTICGUITARNextupwastheacousticguitartracking,whichinvolveddoublingthepartsL/RusingmyADKHamburgandViennamicsthroughaRaneMb1preampononeside,andaTASCAMUH7000preampontheother.Sincethistrackwasn’tverycomplicated,Iwasabletothinkthrough

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sometechniquesbeforegettingtothemix.Ihadonemicsupercloseduringtake1onthe12thfret,andthenwithtake2movedthemic12inchesaway.Thiscreatedsome“depth”forthemixingprocess.

BASSThebasstrackingcamenext,whichtookthreeminutes.IwentdirectintothePM1000’sinstrumentinputwithaTobiasbass,andkeptthelinesreallysimple.Aftertracking,Overloud’sTH3ampsimwasidealfordialinginthebasssoundwiththerestoftheveryacoustictracks.PERCUSSIONWITHADDICTIVEDRUMS2NowitwastimetodiveintoSONAR’sAddictiveDrums2kitstoexecutepartofthemasterplanwiththistrack…fingerdrums!Yesindeed;becausethetrackwas30secondslong,wedidn’ttracktoaclicktrack,anddrumsimplicitywastobeakeycomponent,usingcontroller“freestyle”fordrumpartsworkedoutperfectly.AftergoingthroughthetrackaboutfivetimesIhadalltheminor

nuancesinmyhead,andcouldconformthetimingtothetrack.IendedupinSONAR’sPianoRollViewafterthetaketoshiftafewnotesaroundbyear,butthefinalresultsoundeddecentandhadagoodvibe.VOCALSNowwiththebaseofthesongtracked,itwastimetomoveontovocalsbeforelayingdownthefinalcolorings.Ioftenpreferthisapproachwithmystyleofwriting,becauseitallowsroomforthevocalmelodyinflectionsbeforethetrackgetstoobusy.Italsoallowsforfinalcolortobeaddedasanembellishmenttothevocals,whicharemostimportanttoalistener’sear.ThegreatthingaboutSONARwiththesetypesofprojectsisthatit’ssoeasytoorganizeworkflow.Atthispointintheprocess,everythingwentneatlyintotrackfolderssothatIwasn’t

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overwhelmedwithtrackcounts.Ievenhavetrackfoldersforthescratchtracks,whichmakesiteasytogobackandfindpartsasoriginallywritten.COLORAfterIquicklytracked,comped,andeditedmyvocalsusinganAdvantonethroughaGoldenAgePre73,Istartedworkingonsomedifferentideastoaddcounterparttothesong.Therewasalotgoingonbetween80Hz–500Hz,soIthrewacapoonmyLesPaul’s5thfret,whichreallydidthetrick:usingtheguitar’supperregisterwithsomeopenchordscreatedaniftyvibethathadbeenlacking.Keepingtruetotheorganicrequest,Ikeptthetoneprettycleanexceptforsomespringreverbandtapedelaytosweetenthesounds.(Bytheway,upgradingtoTH3fromTH3SONARiswellworththeprice.I’veA/B’dalotofguitarsimulators,andTH3isoneofthefewthatstaysbiginthemixwhensurroundedbybigtracks.)MIXINGANDMASTERINGThismixwasprettyeasysinceI’dkeptthetrackingtoaminimum.Asalways,thepercussiontrackscamefirst.ThankstoSONAR’sTrackTemplatesthedrumswerealreadyroutedtoseparatetracks,sentthroughbuses,andreadyforanyfinaltreatment.UsingDavidBendeth’sDB+10plug-inonaparallelcompressionbusgavemoredepthtothekitasawhole.IalsobrightenedupeachtrackindividuallywiththeQuadcurveEQ,andalleviatedsometroublefrequencieswithafewtomhits.Thebassdidn’treallyneedmuchhelpbesidessomegentlecompressionandEQ’ingtomeshwiththetomhits.Sincethebasspartitselfwasmoreorlessofawashjusttoaddsomelowend,therewasnoconcernabouta“basspart”fittingin.Theacousticguitarsneededsomehelpastheyusuallydo—particularlysomelow-midfrequenciesthatneedednotching.IalsoaddedtheWaves“MaseratiAcoustic”plug-intoeachacousticguitartrack,whichgavea“woodier,”brightertone.I’mnotafraidofpresetswiththeWavesplug-ins;they’vedoneanamazingjobofprovidinggreat“pointsofdeparture.”Thecelloandacousticguitarpartswerenext.Theclosemicfortheacousticguitarwaspannedabout65%ontheleft,andthefarmicontherightat100%.Iimplementedthesameorientationforthecello,withthebowmicontherightat65%andtheNeat(lowend,andEQ’d

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tofit)micontheleft.Thispanningstrategygaveaneven,fullrangeofacousticinstrumentationwithgreatambienceontheoutsideofthespectrum.ThesetrackswerethensenttoamasteracousticbusforfurtherminimaltreatmentwithmoreEQandlightcompression.

TheFXChainspresetsinSONARarealifesaverforprojectslikethisbecauseyou’reabletodialineffectssoquickly.Ihaveabout20differentchainsforvocalsthatI’veusedwhendoingtheseshootouts.ThechainforthisoneincludesthewavesRvox,Cakewalk’sCA-2A,thePSPMcQ,andtheWavesDeEsser.Throughthischainmyvocalssatwellinthemixalmostimmediately.Onthefinalmix(asyou’llreadbelow),IusedatrackwhereJodysangwayinthebackandright

inthemiddle,withagoodamountofBreverbandamonodelay.Thisgavethetrackawholenew“campfire”vibe,butwasalsoinconspicuousenoughthatitdidn’tgetintheway.Masteringisn’tveryimportantatthisstage.Imixthinkingthatthemasterisjustgoingtobelouder,becauseattheendofthedayifthistrackwasselected,Iwouldbedeliveringamasteredandnon-masteredversion.ForthistrackIusedCakewalk’snewLinearPhaseplug-ins,andthenuppedthevolumethroughtheT-Racks“Classic”plug-inusingtheSoftclipper.DELIVERY,REVISIONS,RESULTSAfteruploadingthefilestotheagent’sfolder(yes,wemadethedeadline),wereceivedfeedbackinlessthanfourhours.Theagencyhadalreadybeenincontactwiththemarketingexecutivesandasalways,theywereverybluntwiththeirfeedback:

1. Lovethevibeofthetrack–nailedtheoverallfeel.2. Lovethemixandproduction.

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3. Lovelyricsaredead-on.4. Vocalpartdoesnotfitthedesiredmessage.Itovertakesthepieceandistoomuchfor

whattheywant.Italsoseemstoo“rock”orientedandneedsmore“campfire.”Canyourevisethevocalmelodyandresubmit?

5. Thistrackcouldbeconsideredifthevocalshadadifferentapproach.6. Ifrevised,itwouldneedtobesubmittedbynoon(tomorrowPST).

Soitwasbacktothedrawingboardwiththevocals.Becausethetrackwascompleted,themaintaskwastopickmyacousticbackupandgrindawayatthemelody.Jodycamebackat10PM,weworkedoutafewideas,andbegantracking.ThisisanotherstrongSONARasset,andwhyIthinksomanycommercialcomposersusetheprogram:revisionsareasnap.Iwasabletotrackafewnewvocalmelodies,andJodysangunisonanoctavehigheronthetracktogiveitthat“campfire”vibetheyreferenced.Ibuttonedupthetwoversionsandsentthemoffaround1AMtotheagency.About12hourslaterwereceivedanemailacknowledgingthetrackswerereceived,andwe’dbeinformedifinstrumentalandacapellaversionsneededtobecut.Atthispointofthejourney,asusualitwasjustawaitinggame…12hours…24hours…36hours—isnonewsgoodnews?Finally,about3+daysafterstartingtheprojectwereceivedanemailwiththeverdict.Itreadsimilarlytothoseemailsyougetafterajobinterviewwhentheyselectanothercandidate…Withallthatsaid,gettingshotdowninashootoutisreallynotabadthingandfarfromawasteoftime.HerearesomepositivetakeawaysIlearnedfromthisspecificshootoutforanyonegoingdownthisroadinthefuture:

• 300bucksis300bucks☺(thehonorariumpaidforthissubmission;theagencydoesnotownthemasterorunderlyingcomposition).

• Anytimeyougettoasecondroundwithanagency,youknowthey’llcirclebacktoyouinthefutureformoreprojects.

• Jodywillcertainlyringmycellagainonprojectslikethis.• Wenowhaveagood30-secondspotthatcouldfitintoanothercampaignsomeday—or

itcaneasilybeturnedintoafullsongtobereleased.Andnowwe’rereadyforthenextone!Youcanlistentothereferencetrackhere.

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ScholarshipOpportunityfortheSONARCommunityComposerJerryGerberisalong-timeSONARuserandcommunitymember;wecoveredhislatestrecordingVirtualHarmonicsinthe“AnatomyofaSONARProject”feature(February2016/”Newburyport”CakewalkeZine).Howeverhe’salsoawell-knownteacherwhofromtimetotime,offersscholarshipstoseriousstudentswhosepotentialcouldbefurtherrealizedwithmoreknowledgeandtraining.Jerryisofferingthreemonthsofweeklyinstructiontoayoung(under35)composerwhoispassionateaboutmusiccompositionandproduction.Althoughthereisnocharge,candidatesmustmeetcertainqualificationstobeconsidered.

• Mustplayatraditionalmusicalinstrument(not,forexample,aniPad)• Canreadmusic• Hasexperiencecomposingandproducingmusic• Musicalinterestsmustincludeclassicalmusic

Ideally,beinglocaltotheSanFranciscoBayAreawouldallowforpersonalinteraction.HoweverJerryhasalotofteachingexperienceusingGoogleHangouts,socandidatesfromanywhereintheworldareeligible.Dependingonthestudent’sneeds,thefocuscanbeoncomposition/MIDIorchestration,orproductionissuesincludingsequencing,mixing,signalflowandsoftwaresynthesis,aswellasanintroductiontotonalcounterpointorclassicalharmony.Onereasonhe’sapproachingthiscommunityisbecauseSONARuserswillbeabletobenefitfromhismanyyearsofworkingwiththeprogram.Ifyou’dliketobeconsideredforthisuniqueopportunity,pleaseemailJerrydirectlyatjerry@jerrygerber.com.Formoreinformationabouthisteachingpractice,background,andareasofexpertise,pleasevisitwww.jerrygerber.com/teaching.htm

JerryGerberhaswrittenorchestralandchambermusic,songs,pianomusic,vocalmusicandmusicforelectronicinstruments.HereceivedhisBachelorofMusicincompositionandclassicalmusictheoryfromSanFranciscoStateUniversityin1982andhascomposedforfilm,television,computergames,concerts,danceandinteractivemedia.Hislatestrecording,VirtualHarmonics,wasrecordedusingSONARandavarietyofvirtualinstruments.

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Review:CMEXkeyAir,WhereMIDIMeetsBluetoothByCraigAndertonTheEverettreleaseeZinereviewedtheCMEXkey25,athin-profilemobilekeyboardwith(amongotherfeatures)polyphonicaftertouch.Nowwehave25-and37-keyversionsoftheXkeyAir($199and$299respectively),whichtransmitMIDIwirelesslyviaBluetoothLowEnergy(BLE)andalsoserveastraditionalUSBkeyboards.Physically,thenewkeyboardsareverysimilartotheoriginalmodels,sopleasecheckouttheoriginalreviewforbackground.

The25-keyXkeyAir

Theideaofwirelessisappealing—I’dlovewirelessheadphoneswhendoingoverdubs!Ididn’treallythinkabouthowmuchcablesgetinthewayuntilIboughtawirelesskeyboardandmouse,andnowIwouldn’tmindmoreoptions.Although(atleastfornow)Bluetoothisn’treallysuitableforstudio-qualityaudio,itcanhandleMIDI’srelaxedbandwidthrequirementseasily.MeetBluetoothLowEnergy.RelianceonBLEisboththegoodnews,andthebadnews.Thegoodnewsisthatit’sfasterandmoreefficientthanstandardBluetooth.Thebadnewsisthatit’savailableononlythemostmodernhardware,andsometimesnoteventhat.ItriedtheXkeyAir(37-notemodel)onamid-2012MacBookProrunningElCapitan,acirca2013HPlaptopwithWindows10AnniversaryEdition,apre-LightningiPad,anIntelNUC(alsorunningWindows10

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AnniversaryEdition),aswellasmyvenerablePCAudioLabsdesktopcomputer.NoneofthemrecognizedtheXkeyAirasaBluetoothdevice,norwaspairingpossible.

Thegoodnewsisthatyoucangetthe$49“WIDIBUD”USBdongle,whichplugsintoanavailableUSBportandtranslatestheMIDImessagesfromtheXkeyAir.Withthis,IwasabletogettheXkeyAirworkingwithalloftheabovedevices.WhileBluetoothhasareputation(deservedornot)forbeingunreliableanddifficulttopair,

theXkeyAir+WIDIBUDperformedflawlesslywitheverythingItried.AccordingtoCME,XkeywillalsoworkwithAndroidandLinux.XkeyAirDifferences.AlthoughsuperficiallytheXkeyAirlookslikethestandardXkey,therearesomeunder-the-hooddifferences.First,there’saninternal,rechargeableLithiumbatterywhichCMEsaysprovidesabout10hoursofoperationonasinglecharge(chargingoccursthroughtheUSBport).However,thebatterydoesnotappeartobeuser-replaceable,whichIfindproblematic.Atleastwhenthebatterylosesitsabilitytoholdachargesomeday,you’llbeabletousetheXkeyAirasaUSBkeyboard—butthatdefeatsthepurposeofbuyingakeyboardtobewireless.Second,thereareLEDstoindicateBluetooth/connection/powerstatus,andanon-offswitch.ThisneedstobeturnedonwhenusingUSB.Third,thestandard37-noteXkeyhasaportforabreakoutcablewithMIDIout,and¼”jacksforapedalandsustainswitch.TheXkeyAireliminatesthisport;Idon’tknowwhetherit’sfortechnicalreasons,orbecausetheassumptionisthatifyou’reusingtheXkeyAirbecauseyoudon’twantwires,well,youdon’twantwires.Theonlyotherobviousdifferenceisastickeronthetopkeythatindicatesthere’sBluetoothfunctionality.WhataboutLatency?Thissurprisedme:CMEquotesalatencyspecofaround7ms(oronlyslightlymorethanastandardUSBkeyboard),andgiventheresponse,Ibelieveitdoesindeedhitthat“under10mslatency”sweetspotIneedforsomethingtofeelresponsive.Latencywasnotanissueformeatall,norapparentlywasitanissuefortheseveralbig-timemusicianswhotalkaboutitonavideoonthecme-pro.comwebsite.Don’tLosetheUSBCable.AllXkeymodelsshipwitha41”/104cmUSBcablethatterminatesinamicro-BUSBconnectorforpluggingintotheXkey’sUSBport.Theconnectionisstandard,buttheplug’sphysicalsizeisthinnerthantheUSBcablesyou’llfindoutintherealworld,becausethekeyboarditselfissothin.Sodon’tlosethecable—anddon’tlosetheWIDIBUDdongleeither,it’sprettytiny.

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InstallationCautions.CMEdoesn’tprovidemuchdocumentationaboutusingtheXkeyAirwithBluetooth.WhenItriedconventionalpairing,asIwouldexpectforanyBluetoothdevice,nothingworked.Onlyaftertrial-and-errordidIfigureoutthatIdidn’tneedto—theXkeyAirautomagicallyconnectedwiththeWIDIBUD,whichdutifullyshowedupasMIDII/OinSONAR’spreferencesandpasseditsdataalong.ItseemsthataslongasWIDIBUDappearsinWindows’ControlPanel>Settings>ConnectedDevices,you’regoodtogoanddon’tneedtheusualBluetoothpairingprocedure.AlsonotethattheWIDIBUGhasaredLEDtoindicateit’sconnectedtoUSB,andthatwhenyousenditdata,theLEDblinks…ahelpfulconfirmationthatalliswell.TheXkeyPlusSoftware.Imentionedthisinthepreviousreview,butthere’sbeenamajorupdatethatanyoneusinganXkeyshouldknowabout:itnowallowssavingandloadingpresets.Thisisabigdeal,becauseyoucandoalotmorethantriggernoteswiththeXkey(e.g.,itcanbeaProgramChangegenerator)andtherearemanycustomizableelements.Beingabletosaveallyoursetupsisagreatfeature.

Accessories.Stage-strutterswillappreciatethe$49Xclip,whichclipsontothe37-noteversionandaddsguitarstrap-friendlybuttons.Youalsohaveachoiceoftwocarryingcases,the$25Supernovawhichholdsthe37-noteversion(ofcourse,itholdsthe25-keyversiontooifyoudon’tminditmovingaroundinside),andthe$40Solarcasewhichisdesignedtoholdboththe25-and37-keyversions.HowevertheSolarcarryingcaseisjustassuitableforholdingthe37-key

versionandvariousaccessories,liketheUSBcableandaUSBcableextender.Curiosity,orWaveoftheFuture?Asthosewhoreadthepreviousreviewknow,IliketheXkeykeyboardsalot.Whileintendedformobileuse,Ihavethe37-keyversionwithineasyreachwhensittingatmycomputer;theconveniencefactorishuge.Ialsolovethatithaspolyphonicaftertouch,eventhoughfewsoft

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synthsimplementpolyaftertouchreceptionproperly(whichunfortunatelyincludesCakewalk’sinstruments).Ohwell,there’salwayshardware…Furthermore,thesekeyboardsdon’tfeelcheap.Thesturdyconstructionmeanstheystanduptotherigorsoftheroad.Thefoundationisbrushedaluminum,anddespitehavinglimitedtravel,thekeysrespondwelltovelocity.Itdoesn’ttakemuchefforttogetusedtogettothelow“action.”Butthere’salsothematterofprice.Thestandard37-noteXkeycosts$199,andgiventhattheXkeyAirwilllikelyneedtheWIDIBUDunlessyou’reareallycutting-edgekindagearhead,thecostgoesupto$348.Sothequestioniswhetherit’sworththeextrabuckstoyoutocutthecable;I’msuresomepeoplewillsay“Yes,absolutely!”whileotherswillsay“That’sokay,I’llcopewithacablefornow.”Regardless,Igetthefeelingthisisn’taone-offnoveltyitem,andthatwe’llseeBluetoothLEmakefurtherinroadsintothestudioforkeyboards,controlsurfaces,andotherdevicesthatdon’tdependonaudiofidelity.CMEhasdoneareallygoodjobofmakingwirelessBLEpracticalevenifyoudon’thavethelatesthardware,soifyou’vebeenwantingtocutthekeyboardcable,thatdayhasarrived.Andifyouhaven’t,thestandardXkeysarebetterthanever,thankstothemoreevolvedXKeyPlusapplicationsoftware.

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SurfboardSurfingtheboardsintheSONARforumcanuncoverawealthofgreattips,likethese…SONARPlatinumonLowest-EndHardwareCanyoureallyrunSONARonalow-endtablet?SoftwaredeveloperAlexeyZhelezov(azslow3)putthecombinationthroughitspaces,filesadetailedreport,andcomestosomeinterestingconclusions—aswellaselicitssomeinterestingcommentsfromthecommunity.HowDoYouOrganizeYourProjects?Whenyou’recreatingalotofprojectswithSONAR,youdon’twantittoturnintoagiant,uncurated

messwhereyoucan’tfindwhatyouwant,ordon’tknowwhatitwasdone.Thisthreaddescribesseveralusefulorganizationalmethodsthathaveworkedwellforpeopleinthecommunity.DarkAquaThemeWhenitcomestonewthemes,thehitskeepcoming—andcommunitymemberTranceCanadahascomeupwithsomebeauties.“DarkAqua”isabeautifulthemethat’seasyontheeyes,andjudgingfromtheresponse,theconsensusitthatit’swellworththedownload.NoPentagoninPlatinumThisolderthreadsurfacesfromtimetotimebecauseofPentagonfanssynthwhoaredisappointedtheycannolongeropenitinSONARPlatinum.Butitispossible,andthisthreadmentionsthevariouswaystoloadthis“vintagedigitalsynth”(withanactualvocoder!)intoSONAR.Kontakt5isCausingSONARPlatinumtoHangFromtimetotime,perplexingproblemscropupthatseemtohavenoclear-cutanswer.Butoften,theforumisabletofindthesolution.Ultimately,thesolutionwasaregistrychange,buttheprocessoftryingtotroubleshoot—evenifsomesuggestionsdon’tleadtotherightsolution—canrevealwhattolookforwhenencounteringsimilarproblems.

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SONAR2016.09ReleaseeZinePublisherNoelBorthwickEditorial/DesignDirectorCraigAndertonSONARProductManagersLanceRiley,MortenSaetherContributorsJoeyAdams,KeithAlbright,ChristopherBrown,DanGonzalez,BillJackson,MikeLally,JimmyLandry,JimLima,LanceRiley,AndrewRossa,MortenSaether,JonSasorAdvisoryBoardTheCakewalkcommunityGibsonProAudioGeneralManagerIngridCalvoExecutiveDirectorHenryJuszkiewicz