Cakewalk by BandLab adds support for ARA 2 in latest update

BandLab Technologies has released version 2019.05 for Cakewalk by BandLab, and with it, support for ARA 2 plug-ins.

The update will be welcome news for users of the free DAW, who’ll now be able to integrate pitch- and time-adjustment applications such as Melodyne 4 and Synchro Arts’ Revoice Pro 4 into their workflow.

Melodyne has become the defacto pitch-correction plug-in in many professional studios thanks to its transparent algorithms, while Revoice Pro has found favour in post-production for its incredible time and pitch-matching features for dialogue and music work. Both use the Celemony-developed Audio Random Access 2 (ARA 2) technology.

Here are some new ARA 2-centric features in Cakewalk by BandLab:

Single plug-in view

This view mode gives you oversight of all ARA 2 plug-ins used in a project. It also aims to make working with numerous ARA clips smoother since you no longer have to open and close plug-in views for each clip.

Track and clip selection

Another noteworthy ARA-centric feature comes from the selection department. Selection states for both track and clips will now be automatically reflected in ARA plug-ins. If the plug-in of choice supports this selection function, you’ll be able to see regions of tracks and clips selected in Cakewalk instantly appear as highlighted segments on the plug-in.

Track details

Plug-in UIs can now also be colour-coded, with the layout dependent on available Cakewalk track and clip colours. The plug-ins themselves will also be able to access the user-assigned descriptions of tracks clips and projects, potentially making the search for the appropriate plug-in easier.

To commemorate Cakewalk’s advancement into ARA 2 specification, BandLab Technologies has teamed up with Melodyne’s makers, Celemony, to give away a free copy of Melodyne 4 studio – worth $849 – and five Melodyne Essential licenses (each worth $99). Details on how to enter the giveaway can be found on Cakewalk by BandLab and Celemony’s respective Facebook pages.

[Editor’s note: Cakewalk by BandLab is owned by BandLab Technologies, which also owns MusicTech.net]

More info at bandlab.com.