The modular Skylight user interface is a gem, and one of the best things about the entire SONAR lineup. I had noticed odd hesitations on occasion with SONAR X1, even when running on fast quad-core PCs, but I saw none of this behavior with SONAR X3. SONAR X3's audio engine seems faster and smoother than before. You also get the same 64-bit audio engine and VST3 plug-in support from SONAR X3 Producer. You get unlimited audio, MIDI, instrument tracks, sends, and busses. Installation is as easy as purchasing and downloading the software from Cakewalk's website, although you may find a better deal with a boxed version in a music store, depending on whether there are any sales at the time you're reading this.įor recording, what's great about SONAR X3 is that, unlike Avid Pro Tools Express, which comes bundled with audio interfaces like the Avid Mbox Mini and limits you to 16 audio tracks and just eight instrument tracks, Cakewalk's entry-level DAW version has no recording restrictions.

As with the Producer and Studio versions, there's no copy protection the way there is with Pro Tools and Cubase, which is a huge relief when using an ultrabook or other laptop with few USB ports. Setup, Recording, and InterfaceFor this review, I tested SONAR X3c on a Core i5-powered Lenovo ThinkPad running 64-bit Windows 7. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.

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