Sonar Artist

^# 54

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$3,319.00

3.0 (2)

1 Critic Review

1 Review

0 wishlisted

3 saved

Page last updated Jun 17, 2026

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5.0 (1)

$3,319.00 2 available New

$2,499.00 3 available Used

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Press4music

CAKEWALK SONAR Artist and Professional

Press4music

SONAR Artist Overview

Cakewalk

Make Music on Your PC with Cakewalk's SONAR Artist | Jamstik+ Smart Guitar

Jamstik

Reviews

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Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Sonar Artist.

Features and functionality

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Sonar's MIDI capabilities are praised for handling polyphonic aftertouch and offering comprehensive MIDI support, reminiscent of its legacy as a top MIDI software.
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Sonar's instrument definitions allow users to assign synths to channels and select programs easily, a feature some users find lacking in other DAWs.
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Software and compatibility

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Users highlight Sonar's stability with large track counts and extensive VST usage, especially compared to other DAWs like Cubase and Pro Tools, which can lose work due to stability issues.
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Sonar can struggle with certain VST configurations, such as Roland Cloud's 808, where mapping unused outputs to tracks can cause issues.
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Owners appreciate the ability to access the latest legacy version via the Cakewalk Legacy website using previous Sonar account credentials.
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Users report issues with Sonar resetting custom key assignments and metronome settings upon reopening projects, requiring manual reconfiguration.
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Clarity is sought on compatibility between Sonar Legacy and Cakewalk Sonar, especially regarding project loading and feature retention across versions.
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Comparisons

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Sonar is often favored over DAWs like Studio One and Reaper due to its stability and ease of use, despite lacking in collaboration features compared to others like Pro Tools.
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User experience

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Long-time users appreciate the familiarity and workflow of Sonar, citing ease of use and reduced learning curve compared to switching to new DAWs.
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Legacy version users notice increased stability with the latest update compared to previous versions that frequently crashed.
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Other

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Some users express frustration that VST developers often do not test or certify their plugins with Cakewalk, though many still report good compatibility.
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Value and pricing

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Concerns are raised about the potential shift to a subscription model, with users expressing preference for a one-time purchase option to support hobbyist use.
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Critic Reviews

Cakewalk Sonar Artist Review

audio-times.com

Cakewalk Sonar Artist strikes a chord with its user-friendly interface and cost-effective entry point into the DAW world. The Skylight interface shines with its modular design, offering flexibility and ease for both new and seasoned users. Notable features like Mix Recall and the dynamic effects rack add significant value, enabling creative freedom without the fear of losing original settings. However, the limited plugin range compared to its bigger brothers might deter power users, and the lack of external inserts for hardware effects is a notable shortcoming. Despite these, its stability, even on modest setups, and a sensible upgrade path make Sonar Artist an appealing choice for budding producers. At $99 annually, it’s a solid investment for those venturing into music production.

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3.0 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 2 Ratings

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graspee

268

over 11 years ago

It's not bad

The step sequencer is better than on any other DAW I've tried (although I haven't tried many). You can vary the steps per beat and beats per bar which means you can set it up to allow triplets.

It has a musical notation input which is something no other DAW I have demod has. It does seem a bit quirky though so not sure how useful it is.