What it means to test Project 5 with external MIDI devices...

It means I can drag in some of my gear =)

Yamaha AN200 in the foreground, SCI six-trak to the right. Here's to a happy marriage with Project5.


Roland - Cakewalk QA

New Instruments??

We have received a few questions about whether there will be new instruments included in Project5 Version 2.5. Users appreciate Project5’s innovative features and have asked us for many new features to improve and expand the core functionality. We’ve also seen Dimension, originally included with Project5 Version 2, take on a life of its own and we’ve continued to build upon that. Both Project5 and our instruments deserve and require their own resources for continued development. We think our customers agree that it would be better to focus our efforts on what makes Project5 special then to add additional plug-ins that not all of our customers will need or want to pay for.

Instead, we’re focusing on how Project5 can integrate better with other instruments, effects and plug-ins, regardless of format or manufacturer. Natively supporting VST plug-ins and presets (without any sort of adapter, hidden or not) is one example of how we’ve chosen to redirect this energy.

We’re working with many 3rd party developers and distributors to ensure compatibility and improve the user experience all around. In addition we will be offering special pricing on many of these products as a way to expose our users to new tools to help them create. In the coming months, you will see more third party plug-ins and content being offered at our store. We also plan on compiling a list of our favorite free plug-ins to share with our customers.

Input Quantize

The new Input Quantize feature in Project5 Version 2.5 allows you to quantize note starts, note durations and also automation on a per track basis. Users will be able to quantize notes within a specified window of time to various note values. Notes can be quantized to straight rhythmic values, or can be quantized to swung values.

Another cool feature is that “record” step and “quantize” step are committed as separate undo entries. This means you can record something with specific quantize settings (and hear the quantization in real time) and then undo the quantization when recording is stopped, without losing the original recording. Using the destructive quantize features, you could then re-quantize the recording with different settings if needed.

-Mike, Developer

New Project5 Version 2.5 Features

Here is a list of the some of the new features that are already completed or close to completion in Project5 Version 2.5:

• Input Quantize
• Integrated MIDI Out
• Integrated VST support
• Improved routing with pre and post faders
• Improved Automation
• Independent Track Zoom
• Multiple audio input and output
• UI enhancements

We will be exploring each of these new features further. There will be more features announced in the near future.

-Jesse, Product Manager

Project5 Development Blog

Development is well underway for the new Project5 update. The new update will be called Version 2.5, and as mentioned awhile back, will be a free update to all registered Project5 Version 2.x customers. Before we began the update, we took some time to ask our current users what they loved most about Project5, and what they wanted to see in the next iteration.

We also looked at the program in terms of the entire landscape of the digital audio workstation, and how it was addressing the needs of musicians doing computer-based music creation. One of the most important things we learned is that people loved Project5 because of its workflow and ease-of-use. The learning curve was small, and the tools that came with Project5 made it easy to get started on an idea and bring it to completion.

Over the course of the next few months, we will be adding new features that will improve the overall experience of using Project5. These features are designed to help take your musical projects from start to finish with even better results, without sacrificing any of the ease-of-use you have come to enjoy. Work is already underway for Project5 Version 2.5, scheduled to be released in Q1 2007. For the first time, Cakewalk is going to give you a hands-on look at the new Project5 as we countdown to the release. Read this blog for the latest information and check back often for updates.

-Andrew, Product Marketing Manager