CAKEWALK Dimension Pro Virtual Synthesizer Win/Mac

by Cakewalk

Product Features

• Synthesizer software combines real instruments with advanced synthesis
• Immense 2 DVD sound library makes it the ideal go-to instrument for musicians
• Deep editing and sound generation capabilities appeal to sound designers
• Wide tonal range; over 1,500 production-ready presets; electronica collection
• Samples of major instruments in a symphony orchestra included

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000C7Q7ZS
• Item model number: 10-CWDM1.10-10C
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,929 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #22 in Software > Video & Music > Software > Synthesizers

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Dimension Pro is the critically-acclaimed synthesizer that combines real instruments with advanced synthesis, giving you endless sound possibilities. The immense two DVD sound library that ships with Dimension Pro makes it the ideal go-to instrument for musicians, while its deep editing and sound generation capabilities have a natural appeal to sound designers.

Endless Possibilities

Dimension Pro offers an abundance of vital, usable sounds that range from pristine realistic acoustic instruments, thumping basses and cutting leads, to complex, evolving atmospheres. This wide tonal range can be attributed to both advanced sample mapping and a powerful sound-sculpting engine with analog sound generation that lets you mutate and recompose any sound you might imagine.

Preset addicts

With over 1,500 production-ready presets, you can access the perfect sound for almost any project. Dimension features a powerful pairing of sample-playback and advanced synthesis technologies, capable of covering every aspect of contemporary music.

7 GB Library

Dimension’s library includes tons of thumping bass, grand piano, searing electric guitar, kickin’ drum kits, a full orchestral suite, instruments from around the world, and more. The library also explores the worlds of techno, trance, and electronica, providing a comprehensive collection of synth leads, electronic basses, lush pads, and gripping atmospheres.

Garritan Pocket Orchestra

Cakewalk and Garritan have joined together to offer sound programs based on the critically-acclaimed Garritan Personal Orchestra. The Garritan Pocket Orchestra, included in Dimension Pro, contains samples of all the major instruments in a symphony orchestra--strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion. You can hear an example of Dimension Pro’s Garritan Pocket Orchestra in the Dimension Web player’s "Dimension Songs" category.

Electronica Collection

Nico Herz of BigTone helped to create Dimension Pro’s breathtaking electronica palette. His experience and mastery have yielded an exciting array of synth basses, bold leads, thick stacks, pads, simulations, and amazing effects. You can listen to some of his examples in the Dimension Web player’s "Arps", "Synth Basses", "Leads", and "Pads" categories.

Sound Designers

Dimension Pro’s deep editing and sound generation capabilities hold infinite potential for the chronically creative. Sound designers will love the hands-on control Dimension Pro offers, making it the perfect instrument for cinema, television, video game, and commercial sound design.

Advanced Synthesis Capabilities

Waveguide generators and wavetable oscillators for analog-style sounds; each program provides 20 graphical Envelope Generators, and 20 tempo-syncing LFOs, each with 21 shapes.

Express Yourself

Get into nuances of sounds with multiple velocity and keyboard switching and crossfading; advanced sample playback techniques such as multi-looping, sample switching, and legato on Continuous Controllers; enhanced acoustic simulation via physical modeling. Map MIDI controllers to all Dimension Pro functions with MIDI Control Matrix. Mix quickly and intuitively between different elements of your sound program using the Vector Mixer.

Multi-stage Effects Per Part

Insert and send effects include bit reducer/decimator, 16 filter types, five drive modes, three stackable parametric EQs, six delay types, three chorus types, LFO filters, autopan; room simulation; and modulation for the finishing touch.

Product Description

Dimension Pro combines real instruments with advanced synthesis. This two-DVD sound library has over 1500 sound programs, with tools that are ideal for preset addicts, while its deep editing and sound generation capabilities should appeal to sound designers. It offers n abundance of sounds that range from pristine realistic acoustic instruments, thumping basses, cutting leads, to complex, evolving atmospheres. Multi-stage effects sections and filters - insert and send effects for each part including - Bit reducer and Decimator 16 filter types; 5 tone drive modes; 3 stackable parametric EQs; 6 delay types; 3 chorus types; LFO filters; Autopan Room simulation and modulation effects Mix and layer up to 4 stereo parts per program Vector Mixer for real-time sound morphing - morph sounds by gliding between the different elements of a program Drag-and-drop MIDI into host applications for groove manipulation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Synth in Home Studio, December 6, 2007

By 

AK Pilot (Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: CAKEWALK Dimension Pro Virtual Synthesizer Win/Mac (CD-ROM)

I started with Dimension LE bundled with Cakewalk Home Studio 6 XL, but upgraded to Pro when they ran an upgrade deal. The more I use Dimension, the more I like it... it's now the primary synth in my virtual rack. Free upgrade sound packs and a software update are available on the Cakewalk web site, be sure to download. The grand piano is particularly striking, as are all the string patches in the Garritan Pocket Orchestra; very realistic sounding.

The manual is pretty weak in terms of describing how to create new sounds beyond the presets (there are whole books available on that topic), however the synth is capable of quite an array of sounds and includes a large number of built-in effects that can be chained together. The envelope generation editors allow envelopes to be applied to just about every facet of the sound module; thus using the included analog waveform samples (saw, square, etc.) you can actually make some pretty interesting analog synth-style sounds; check out some of the presets to see how this is done.

So right in the box you get a very nice sampler synth, that also can be programmed like an analog synth using raw waveform samples and the effects/oscillators, capable of stacking up to four samples at once each with separate envelopes and useful effects, that is even capable of firing MIDI sequences/loops as well, with MIDI controller/note mapping any of the settings in the patch... this is pretty much a "work horse" synth.

As a result I find I reach for Dimension as my first choice when adding a virutal synth. It's simply a great, versatile, all-round synth with a huge library of presets (counting the free downloads something like 8 _Gig_ of samples!) and an amazing amount of control to find that perfect sound. The user interface is indeed a bit daunting, so I would probably recommend getting one of the books available on Amazon if you want to dig deeper than the presets (of which counting the free addons must be around 2000 or so presets).

It may not be the perfect sampler synth, or the perfect analog-sound synth, or the perfect loop player... but it does a very decent job of all three of those with a high degree of controllability for the musician, so it's quite a nice "1-stop shop" once you get to know it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good sounds, bad installer, September 21, 2008

By 

Kevin McMurtrie (Silicon Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: CAKEWALK Dimension Pro Virtual Synthesizer Win/Mac (CD-ROM)

Here's the bad news first, because this is the first thing you'll notice: The Mac installer does not work. You'll need to download a replacement installer from Cakewalk. Next bad news: The upgraded installer was not compatible with my installation DVDs because a filename had changed. I had to create a symlink as a workaround. All together I spent over two days trying to figure out how to get the online updates working. I'm still not sure that all of the instruments are working. Cakewalk's support wasn't helpful. I came extremely close to returning this as defective.

Days pass before I touch Dimension Pro again. The sound samples are very good. The whole spectrum is covered: classical, pop, rock, metal, silly, and strange. Most instruments are built from real samples processed with modulation, distortion, effects, EQ, and reverb. Virtually any instrument or sound can be built in the same manner. Customizing instrument sounds starts out overwhelming then eases into a fun addiction.

The user interface is very simple but not entirely intuitive. Every word of the brief manual must be read for it to make sense. Even so, some instruments use features never described in the paper manual. Drums are sorely lacking a customized interface. Custom drum kits can be created by editing SFZ control files but for now I'll use Logic's kits.

Dimension Pro is an excellent upgrade to round out the limited instruments bundled with Garage Band or Logic Express. Integration is seamless, if you can get it installed in the first place.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Presets, March 11, 2007

By 

Jesse D. Fish - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CAKEWALK Dimension Pro Virtual Synthesizer Win/Mac (CD-ROM)

I bought this along with Sonar PE and love it. The piano sounds are amazing. You seriously can't tell they're not real when played back. The other sound are cool also, except - guitars. But when are guitars ever good on a synth?

Great buy.