Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition [OLD VERSION]

by cakewalk

Product Features

• Start producing quickly with track templates that instantly load your favorite sounds
• Make beats and synth lines with a dedicated Step Sequencer
• Manipulate the timing and feel of audio just like MIDI with AudioSnap
• Assemble the perfect take from Track Layers using powerful comping and editing tools
• Get hands on control of your mix and instruments and effects with Active Controller Technology

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001GIHLMU
• Item model number: 10-CWSP8.00-10C
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,847 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)

Product Description

Sonar 8.5 Producer gives you what you need for recording, composing, editing, mixing, and mastering. Get innovations that matter, from exclusive features to ignite creativity and perfect tracks, to groundbreaking technologies that keep you in control, all backed by the industry’s leading 64-bit audio quality. And Sonar 8.5 delivers the go to production tools you want with the best collection of virtual instruments, mixing, and mastering effects found in any DAW. With unlimited tracks, creative tools, and the most complete delivery capability between other DAWs, Sonar Producer is a cut above and your best choice in a digital audio workstation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pre-Eminent Windows-Based DAW Software, October 1, 2008

By 

New England Yankee (Northern New England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM)

I've been a Cakewalk user for years, starting with their Pro Audio software and dating to when the company was known as 12-Tone Systems. Their software has only become better and better as the years have gone by. Sonar has been the best available Windows-based digital audio workstation software for a long time now - to the point where a fair number of producers and studios have migrated to Sonar from Pro Tools, not to mention a steadily increasing string of software and industry awards. (See Cakewalk's site for names, if interested.) And, of course, with Boot Camp, you can run Sonar native under Windows if you have a recent Intel-based Mac - running a Mac doesn't force you into Pro Tools for software at this level.

Be warned - if you are not heavily into audio, audio for video, MIDI, recording, sequencing, effects, looping, mastering, mixing, etc. - and possess the audio domain knowledge that all that entails, as well as a good understanding of the complexities of running full-on audio software from a technical standpoint - you can find yourself overwhelmed by this software, and you will be MUCH better off with Cakewalk's Home Studio version of Sonar. Sonar (particularly Producer) can be enormously complex, but that's not due to any design issues - quite the contrary! Rather, that's because it covers a vast array of audio activities, options, and capabilities. It is possible to use it simplistically, but I'd direct anyone with only those types of needs to simpler software suites.

On the other hand, if you do have the audio and technical knowledge, you'll find Sonar Producer is flexible, powerful, configurable, and responsive. It is also very stable and has been so for many versions now. Be aware that this type of software by its nature (high processing loads, need to control latency, timing control and issues among multiple devices and interfaces, etc.) can be compromised by PC setups optimized for multipurpose use.

The software comes with a terrific package of high-quality effects plug-ins. I've also found Cakewalk to have good customer service - one of the very, very few, in fact, where the response on customer service calls is as good as on sales calls. Cakewalk continues to improve the user interface with Sonar 8. Particularly welcome are edit changes, including multiple-clip edits, and optimizations targeted at running high track counts. Several instruments are included, and I'm particularly happy to see Dimension Pro, which includes Garritan Orchestral sounds, and TruePianos Amber. Your interests and activities will differ, of course (mini are Midi-heavy), and you should really look through the complete list of enhancements on Cakewalk's site. Enhancements for this version runs several pages long. This is a major upgrade from Sonar 7.

I do have one issue with Cakewalk, though I'm not knocking down the rating because of it as the software itself is too good. The problem is that Cakewalk hits their user base pretty hard on upgrade fees. You can pretty much count on having to spend a few hundred dollars per year to keep the software up to date if you take every version and keep your plug-ins up-to-date. I've always felt that companies should upgrade customers from the most recent versions for little or nothing if they have paid for a recent upgrade, at least for a download. There is some price tiering depending on what version you're running, but it's insufficient, in my opinion. At one point I unknowingly purchased an upgrade weeks before a new release - but Cakewalk still charged me the full upgrade price for the new version. That kind of pricing policy doesn't encourage customer loyalty. I understand that this is a minor issue for a pro or a studio, but Cakewalk also has a large installed base for Sonar Producer among non-pros.

My preference would be for Cakewalk to adjust their release approach to one of more incremental releases between major versions. It's far more disruptive to install a new version, taking on the setup and learning issues than it is to install incremental upgrades (Cakewalk does release some patches.). You do get what you pay for, however.

In addition to the software, buy a Sonar book or two, take the tutorials, hit one or two of Cakewalk's roadshows, and join a forum or two. There is a fairly steep learning curve with Sonar as with any other pro-level audio suite, the good news being there is a lot of support out there due to the market's embrace of Sonar.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tough learning curve, but worth it, April 24, 2010

By 

Glenn - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM)

I am a novice at home studio recording, having done in studio recording in the late 70's & early 80's - during transition from audio to digital recording.

It is a bit overwhelming to learn the ins and outs of such comprehensive software. I would say it has taken a month of video tutorials, reading Cakewalk forums, Sonar help tutorials and reading Sonar 8 Power to get me up to speed quickly - I think a month is pretty quick. But, the reward is having software that is very powerful for a wide range of applications, while having the best recording sound of the several daw software demos that I tested. Kudos to the program designers at Cakewalk and their 3rd party vendors for giving the average Joe "amateur musician/songwriter" the recording & production tools that I could not have imagined several years ago. When you add up the features of the "Producer" version, it is quite a bargain.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cakewalk continues to improve, June 4, 2009

By 

Rexomus "59 Fender" (Jacksonville) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM)

I have used Cakewalk products for about 10 years now. I have always been impressed with how user-friendly their software is and it is great that a company out there makes PC-specific software. I have used other software and have found that Cakewalk's is the most logically (pun intended) set up.

I would suggest that if you buy this software you'd better have some foreknowledge of audio technology. Also, if you are just starting, then look at Sonar's Home Studio products first. They are much more affordable and can do much of what this product does minus the effects, soft synths, and processing power.

Also, you will need a powerful computer and audio interface to run this software. If you do buy this, make sure you invest in a high quality sound card too, otherwise what's the point? It'd be like buying a great stereo receiver and connecting it to two inch speakers, then wondering why it doesn't sound like the awesome stereo your neighbor has. You need the proper equipment to run this; it's not end-all-be-all product, and neither are the other DAW's.

I highly recommend this product. I have had great results using it, but it does require a lot of knowledge. I also highly recommend that you purchase a user guide to help exploit all this product can do. Check out "Sonar Power": they have always been helpful.