Design Virtual Rooms with New Cakewalk Plug-In

Musicians can now stop searching for that perfect recording space. They can design it themselves using the new Cakewalk Audio FX 3 SoundStage, the third in a series of 32-bit, real-time DirectX-compatible audio effects from Cakewalk. The Audio FX 3 plug-in allows users to design acoustic environments and apply them to their audio, resulting in unique, realistic-sounding reverb.

"We're providing users with a processing tool that is more flexible and intuitive than traditional reverbs," said Brian McKeever, product manager for Audio FX 3, Cakewalk. "Instead of simply tweaking numeric parameters, users can design the environment that they want by moving walls and placing sound sources using a 3-D graphical interface. If users don't have the ideal room in which to record, they can design a virtual space in Audio FX 3 SoundStage. Then they just process their audio tracks right through the plug-in."

Audio FX 3 SoundStage allows the user to apply realistic reverb environments to their digital recordings. Users create a "room" by defining the sizes and positions for up to seven walls, plus the ceiling and floor. Then users select the unique characteristics of the room, such as the absorption/trapping and high-frequency damping.

Next, the users place virtual microphones and sound sources in the same manner as they would in any studio or stage setting. Users can select microphone patterns, proximity adjustments and separation distance, as well as tailor response curves for each sound source in the room. The resulting room can be applied to audio in real-time or as an off-line edit.

The Audio FX 3 plug-in also allows users to view the virtual room from any angle using the 3-D room display. Users can save their favorite rooms as presets to recall later. Audio FX 3 SoundStage can be used in a mono effects chain, or in stereo with as many as two discrete sound sources being processed simultaneously.

Audio FX 3 is a DirectX-compatible plug-in that can be used by any DirectX-compliant audio host software, including Cakewalk Pro Audio, Cakewalk Professional, Cakewalk Home Studio and Cakewalk Guitar Studio.

Pricing and Availability

Cakewalk Audio FX 3 has a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $249 U.S. ($199 estimated street price) and will ship in January 1999.