If Groove Clips are used, your loops will lock to the current tempo. 'Some of the most fun to be had with Sonar 8.5 comes courtesy of the Matrix View, which is a performance environment for audio and MIDI loops.' Splayed out across these rows are an unlimited number of cells, into which you can drag a single MIDI or audio clip - only one cell per row can be active at once, but you can pile on as many tracks/rows as you like.

The interface consists of a grid, in which each row is assigned to any track in your project. Some of the most fun to be had with Sonar 8.5 comes courtesy of the Matrix View, which is a performance environment for audio and MIDI loops à la Live's Session View and, indeed, the Groove Matrix in Cakewalk's own Project 5 (although it's not a port -it's brand new code). You still can't use Sonar's MIDI effects on Instrument channels, though.

Now, though, there's a powerful arpeggiator built into each and every MIDI and instrument track, featuring hundreds of preset patterns, designed for drums, guitars, electric pianos and more. In our Sonar 8 review, we complained that it wasn't possible to use Cakewalk's Arpeggiator MIDI FX plug-in on Sonar's instrument tracks.

You can bring your own samples and patterns in, too. This version presents a slightly gimmicky animated interface and a selection of sampled electronic and acoustic drum kits, and MIDI patterns suitable for a variety of styles.Īmongst the acoustic and mixed drums are some astonishingly realistic combos that certainly had our toes a-tapping. Beat merchants will be pleased to learn that the third incarnation of Session Drummer is vastly improved.

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