Metro 4 is an integrated MIDI and digital audio recording system for Mac computers that costs under $200 retail. Metro supports up to 64 tracks of audio playback and you can use real-time effects such as reverb, flange, chorus, parametric EQ and delay. Third-party plug-ins like Adobe Premiere or any VST-compatible audio plug-ins also run under Metro. With this single program and a Mac equipped with either an Audiomedia III or Korg Soundlink DRS 1212 I/O card you can record, mix and produce a professional sounding CD album. Metro will record and process audio sampled anywhere between 11.025kHz and 48 kHz. making it useful for any music delivery format from WEB-based low-resolution streaming audio to music CD's and video/film work. Metro 4 supports 29.97 fps SMPTE code and word clock synchronization so you can "chase-lock" to SMPTE/MTC as well as sync to Apple¬ Quicktime movies.

Some of Metro's MIDI/Audio sequencing features include: editing of notes, controller, tempo, pitch bend and drum patterns in a single window; display of many different tracks in the same window; draw (with the mouse) pitch bend, tempo change, and other MIDI and audio track data; fade, cross-fade and automate volume and pan of MIDI and audio tracks; quantize, groove quantize and apply a human feel to MIDI data.

Cakewalk has also added some interesting song composition tools such as the Rhythmic Explorer, Create Chord and Note Spray. The Rhythmic Explorer is a fast and easy way to create drum fills, swing patterns, trills and grooves by real-time audition of various rhythmic parameters and the two arpeggiation algorithms. Create Chord is a way to change chord progressions by just typing in the chord change. Note Spray generates notes using the mouse with pitch, key, rhythm and velocity parameters adhering to a predetermined range under your designation.