The developers announced the return of Cakewalk Sonar DAW as a desktop application on the official website. The software app is currently available for download on the Cakewalk website.
In 2017, the guitar company Gibson, that owned Cakewalk at the time, closed the studio. At the time, the developers said this meant the end of Cakewalk Sonar development. The studio was later bought out by the music service BandLab.
After acquiring Cakewalk, BandLab retained the team of creators and continued distributing Sonar as a standalone program for Windows. Later, the workstation capabilities were moved online, and Cakewalk Sonar became an online DAW as part of BandLab's music services. Development of the desktop application was curtailed, and the workstation itself was renamed Cakewalk by BandLab.
The management then closed the Cakewalk by BandLab project, removing the DAW from the BandLab tools and separating the workstation into a separate product. At the same time, the program split into two parts:
Cakewalk's owners have now decided to return to the desktop format. BandLab has announced that Sonar is available as a free workstation for Windows. The program has a new interface and features, as well as a number of paid extensions.
The updated Sonar has a redesigned interface adapted for high-resolution displays. The DAWs appearance also supports a dark theme. According to the developers, the interface design has become simpler and clearer.
This digital audio workstation offers an unlimited number of channels, a 64-bit audio engine, and full ARA standard compatibility. The software program includes audio processing plugins on par with the ProChannel effects chain, including emulations of tape, consoles, and other analog equipment.
A free version of Cakewalk Sonar is available upon creating a BandLab account. No subscription is required to use the program; it opens immediately after logging in.
After launching the DAW and logging in, the workstation will prompt you to subscribe or continue the trial. Selecting the second option brings up a note about using a free license in the interface.
It notes that the free license does not significantly limit the user's access to the workstation's capabilities. Paid subscribers get access to additional plugins and addons. Thus, Cakewalk offers a version of the program that is partially, but not critically, limited.
It is unclear whether a permanent license for the DAW will be sold. Currently, full workstation functionality is only available via subscription.
Cakewalk Sonar supports working with plugins in the VST3 format. The workstation is compatible with computers running Windows 10 or later. The developers recommend using a computer with 8 GB of RAM and an 8-core processor for optimal performance.
You can find more information about Sonar DAW on the official Cakewalk website. You can download it there after registering an account in the BandLab system.
We'll remind you that Fender previously released a free DAW. Created by the developers of PreSonus Studio One, the solution from the guitar brand contains a large set of features for recording and editing audio. The program's creators expect Fender Studio DAW to generate more interest in PreSonus products and encourage users to upgrade to more advanced software in the future.
