MusicRadar Verdict
A feature-packed budget version of Sonar.
Pros
- +
Great value for money.
Cons
- -
Lacks the flexibility of the flagship package.
MusicRadar's got your back
Feature-limited though it may be (you miss out on a lot of the Producer version's cool plug-ins, for example), Sonar Home Studio 6 XL does have some goodies up its sleeve.
Extras over the regular, non-XL version of Home Studio include the Boost 11 Peak Limiter (with 'look ahead' peak detection that prevents output clipping), Dimension LE (a cutdown version of the excellent Dimension synth) and the Garritan Pocket Orchestra (this offers an abundance of orchestral sounds). Finally, the Session Drummer 2 plug-in is on hand to meet all of your rhythmic requirements.
At a mere £119, Sonar Home Studio 6 XL represents great value for money, offering heaps of functionality for the cash. It's definitely worth investing in if you like the Cakewalk vibe but can't afford either of the company's fully-fledged Sonar products.
Computer Music magazine is the world’s best selling publication dedicated solely to making great music with your Mac or PC computer. Each issue it brings its lucky readers the best in cutting-edge tutorials, need-to-know, expert software reviews and even all the tools you actually need to make great music today, courtesy of our legendary CM Plugin Suite.
“You could take everything away from me but leave the laptop and I'm confident I could make interesting music quite happily for the rest of my life”: Lone on the gear behind his technicolour, rave-adjacent electronica
“One of the concepts we are exploring is whether an artist could continue to create work after they have passed away”: The groundbreaking tech that will shape the future of music production
“If you messed something up on a production, admit it, fix it, and move on”: 8 cost-free tips to improve as a producer in 2025