Winter NAMM, Anaheim, Calif.­-(Jan. 24, 2001 ) Cakewalk, developer of the world’s best-selling music and sound software for Windows, debuted the SONAR digital multitrack recording system. SONAR includes the most advanced Windows technology available for recording, editing, and mixing digital audio and MIDI projects entirely on the PC.

SONAR represents the next-generation of digital multitrack recording for Windows and assumes the flagship position in Cakewalk’s music and sound software product line. It provides a complete production environment with unlimited digital audio and MIDI tracks; a centralized interface design for improving creative workflow; new audio loop construction and editing tools; new DXi (DirectX Instruments) software synthesizer plug-ins; fully-automatable DirectX 8 audio plug-ins; new real-time MIDI FX plug-ins; and extensive audio loop and SoundFont libraries.

SONAR also supports multi-processor Windows PCs, dual-monitor displays, and is opitimized for Windows 2000/ME and Microsoft WDM drivers ¾ the new audio driver standard that provides low-latency audio mixing and soft synth playback for Windows.

DXi Software Synthesizers
Created by Cakewalk and based on Microsoft DirectX technology, the new DXi soft synth plug-in standard is being supported by the leading third-party soft synth developers, including Alien
Connections, Applied Acoustics Systems, Audio Simulation, FXpansion Audio, Image-Line, Koblo A/S, Live Update, Native Instruments, RBC Audio, Roland Corp., STL, Seer Systems, and others.

Microsoft WDM Support
SONAR delivers the highest-performance audio mixing and production capabilities available on the Windows platform. Optimized for Windows 2000/ME/98 SE systems, SONAR is compatible with Microsoft’s new WDM audio driver technology providing low-latency, kernel-level audio mixing, live effects processing with monitoring on input, and low-latency DXi software synth playback. Coinciding with this year’s Winter NAMM, the leading Windows audio card manufacturers have announced plans to release WDM audio drivers for their products in 2001. Companies announcing support for Microsoft WDM include M Audio/MIDIMan, Mark of the Unicorn, Creative Technology/Emu, Aardvark, Frontier Designs, EgoSys, Echo, Soundscape Digital Technology, Digigram, Emagic, Yamaha, and others.

Other key SONAR features include 24-bit/96 kHz audio, 32-bit real-time effects processing, full SMPTE/MTC sync for film and video, full support for importing ACID loops, and importing/exporting multiple formats for CD production and Internet streaming.

Additional Tools and Content for SONAR
Providing an extensive production environment, SONAR includes third-party DXi soft synths, DirectX 8 automatable effects, real-time MIDI FX plug-ins, as well as audio loops and SoundFont libraries.

· Applied Acoustics Systems’ Tassman SE soft synth (basic edition)
· Audio Simulations’ DreamStation DXi soft synth
· Live Update’s LiveSynth Pro DXi soft synth
· Roland’s Virtual Sound Canvas DXi soft synth
· Power Technology’s DirectX 8 automatable DSP FX plug-ins
· Music Labs’ and NTONYX’s MIDI FX plug-ins
· PowerFX audio loop library
· Sonic Implants’ SoundFont libraries



SONAR XL
Cakewalk is also debuting SONAR XL, the premium-edition of SONAR that provides additional DXi soft synths, DirectX 8 audio effects, audio loops and SoundFont libraries. In addition to the third-party tools and content provided in the standard SONAR package, SONAR XL includes:

· Applied Acoustics Systems’ Tassman DXi soft synth (full edition)
· Alien Connections’ ReValver SE guitar amp simulator
· Audio loop libraries from PowerFX, Numerical Sound, DDD, and SquareWAV Studios


Pricing and Availability

SONAR and SONAR XL have a scheduled release date of March 2001. SONAR has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $479 U.S.; SONAR XL is $739 MSRP. For more information, visit Cakewalk on the web at www.cakewalk.com; or call 888-CAKEWALK (617-441-7870 outside U.S.).



About Cakewalk

Founded in 1987 and based in Cambridge, MA, Cakewalk is an international, industry-leading provider of software for music and sound creation. The company's award-winning products are used worldwide by more than 750,000 professional and home users, for applications including audio CD production, film/TV soundtracks, live stage sound, computer games, multimedia applications, and Internet delivery.

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