Supported OS: Windows
Supported plugin formats: VST
Cost: Free
SONAR is one of the old-timers of the DAW market. The first version of this program for recording music appeared over 30 years ago, back in the days of MS-DOS.
Cakewalk Sonar is a PC exclusive, which some foreign users call “Logic for Windows”. An elegant and fully customizable interface, many editions for a wide variety of needs and wallets, and extensive audio options (see Cakewalk Sonar: 4 Features to Know About).
In 2015, the well-known guitar brand Gibson acquired Cakewalk and began active development of the DAW, releasing several different editions of the program. The situation soon changed dramatically. At the end of 2017, Gibson found itself on the verge of bankruptcy and began to get rid of unnecessary assets – the Cakewalk team fell under the distribution. DAW development was discontinued, and Cakewalk itself was closed.
While users grieved over the untimely death of the DAW, BandLab stepped in to buy Cakewalk and all of its assets. BandLab reduced the number of versions and changed the pricing policy – now SONAR exists only in the maximum edition and is distributed free of charge.
Included with the program, customers get a large library of samples, a full version of XLN Addictive Drums 2 virtual drums (see Best VST-drums, or Your Own Drummer) and a set of quality plug-ins and effects emulations from Cakewalk. For a free program, the list is more than impressive.