Cakewalk Next: An overview of the new DAW for macOS and WindowsBandLab has announced the official rollout of Cakewalk Next and Cakewalk Sonar, two digital audio workstations (DAWs) that build on the legacy of Cakewalk by BandLab, a DAW released in 2001.
The two new DAWs have been in public beta for several months, but are now available to download and use worldwide with a BandLab Membership account. Cakewalk Next and Cakewalk Sonar are the first off-platform additions BandLab’s creative toolset. But, with Cakewalk Next in particular, there is a twist.
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What is Cakewalk Next?
Cakewalk Next. Image: MusicTech
Cakewalk Next seems like an ideal companion app for music makers working on the BandLab mobile app and browser app.
Free to anyone with a BandLab Membership at Cakewalk Next lets you import your BandLab song projects and build on your ideas with an additional suite of tools. You can load in third-party plugins, access over 100,000 samples from BandLab Sounds directly from the DAW, write down lyrics, group tracks, and separate your project into sections — intro, verse, chorus, et cetera.
You can also export your projects back to BandLab, so you can get an idea going on your desktop and continue tweaking it on your commute with the tools on the mobile app. You can download Cakewalk Next at cakewalk.com.
Cakewalk Next’s BandLab Sounds integration. Image: MusicTech
To some producers, the most obvious omission in Cakewalk Next is a traditional mixing window. You can still apply effects (including third-party plugins) to each track and adjust the expected parameters, but there’s no page dedicated to mixing your track. Cakewalk Next seems to be the perfect platform for laying down ideas, figuring out the arrangement, and not getting caught up in the mixing process.
For that, you might want to head to Cakewalk Sonar…
What is Cakewalk Sonar?
Cakewalk Sonar, naturally, is a revision of Cakewalk by BandLab, maintaining the familiar workflow and award-winning UI, but bringing a powerful suite of audio effects and virtual instruments, an unlimited number of audio, MIDI and auxiliary tracks, and high DPI support.
Image: BandLab Technologies
This DAW has long been the choice of newcomers and pros alike, with Grammy and Emmy-winning producers and sound designers using Cakewalk for its impressive capabilities. Cakewalk Sonar aims to continue catering to all types of users. However, staying true to its heritage, it’s a Windows-only DAW.
You can download Cakewalk Sonar at cakewalk.com. Those using Cakewalk by BandLab and previous versions of Cakewalk can still access their account and installs using the Legacy Cakewalk login.
What is BandLab Membership?
BandLab Membership is a paid tier of BandLab. It gives you a base offering of artist services, such as music distribution and fan engagement tools, plus opportunities to promote your music. You also get early access to new tools and features. It’s available for $14.95 per month.
Learn more at bandlab.com.
[Editor’s note: BandLab and MusicTech are both part of Caldecott Music Group.]
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