Cakewalk Home Studio 9 Shipping

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Cakewalk has announced Cakewalk Home Studio 9, a version of their popular Cakwalk recording software design for use in the small computer-based studio.

"Previously, home users had to choose between accepting audio processing delays or purchasing expensive sound cards with custom drivers," said Erik Tarkiainen, director of product management, Cakewalk. "With WavePipe" Technology, Home Studio 9 users hear nearly instantaneous response to mixing commands using standard multimedia sound cards. Add more audio tracks and effects, thousands of new audio and MIDI drum loops, a sleek new mixing console, and a free MIDI plug-in and users have the clear choice in home recording software."

"With a low priced CD burner and Home Studio 9, anyone can become a one-person recording label," Tarkiainen continued. "It has never been easier to create music for distribution on CD and the Internet, or to create soundtracks for home videos."

New Audio Features

• Twice the audio tracks of earlier versions, with eight stereo tracks during playback and 256 virtual tracks available;
• WavePipe Technology delivers instantaneous audio processing performance by providing direct communication to wave compatible sound cards. Provides professional caliber response to mixing, muting, solo, record, effects parameters, track playback, and other real-time audio functions;
• Performance indicator meters provide real-time visual feedback over CPU and disk activity to monitor system capabilities;
• Audio clips support stereo waveforms, providing easy editing and improved efficiency. Stereo clips can be used in any track, and audio tracks can even combine stereo and mono clips;
• Smooth, pro-quality audio scrubbing makes it easy to locate specific events in audio clips by scrolling through the clip while monitoring playback;
• Enhanced Mixdown Options provide additional control for bouncing tracks, or for preparing a mix for CD or other media. It also provides the ability to mixdown to stereo, mono, or dual mono (independent left and right) wave files. In addition, users can specify whether or not to apply controller automation, volume and pan envelopes, and track effects, master effects, and aux returns.

Internet Delivery

• MP3, RealSystem G2 and Windows Media support allows users to mixdown and encode to the most popular compression formats for distribution over the Internet. Export to MP3 with a trial version of Cakewalks state-of-the-art encoder, which uses the patented Fraunhofer encoding technology for MP3 compression.

New MIDI features

• Mulitrack Piano View is the most flexible and intuitive multitrack piano view available, this feature provides the ability to display, select, and edit multiple MIDI tracks simultaneously through a "Piano Roll" interface. Users have complete control over which tracks should be displayed, which tracks should be shown in front or behind others, and which tracks should be active for selection, editing, or playback;
• Style Enhancer MIDI FX Plug-in uses performance modeling to give MIDI recordings a "human" feel. Provides performance models for over thirty types of instruments and styles, including guitar leads and strumming, slap and fretless bass lines, saxophone leads, horn sections, fiddles, flutes, and more.

New Drum Loop Library

Home Studio 9 includes a library of over 1,000 professionally-recorded, royalty-free audio and MIDI drum loops, which the user can drag and drop into their own song projects. Audio and MIDI drum loops are provided in a wide range of styles including Jazz, Rock, Latin, R&B, Hip-Hop, World Beat, and Alternative. Loops are organized in varying tempos and lengths and include drum fills, hits, pick-ups and endings. The loops can be used as is or edited and arranged in thousands of different combinations.

Streamlined User Interface

• Refined Console Interface for clear visual feedback during mixing;
• Easier-to-use Patch Browser for instant searching and sorting for MIDI patches;
• Envelope Tooltips provide visual cues for level and pan settings;
• Simplified interface for optimizing the performance of sound card hardware;
• New presets for audio and MIDI effects.

Additional Features

Over thirty other enhancements, such as global mute/solo/record, access for commonly used functions from audio, track, and console views, drag and drop enhancements, MIDI channel and track selection, clip display options, tempo control, and MIDI and audio effects presets.

Pricing and Availability

Cakewalk Home Studio 9 has a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $129 US ($99 US estimated street price) and will ship on September 27, 1999.

Customers who purchase Home Studio 8 between September 1, 1999 and November 30, 1999, qualify for a free upgrade to Home Studio 9. Interested customers can call 888-CAKEWALK for details. Other registered users can upgrade to Home Studio 9 for as low as $49 US.