A few stupid Platinum questions

Hi.
 
1: Other will be able to answer that much better than me (the same goes for the rest of my answers).
2: I for one, do not necessarily have all tracks end at the same time. It depends on the ending of the song. 
3:  I do try to keep the recordings at approx. -10dB (on the meter on your track). 
4: As a guitar player, I say yes to both Dim Pro and Rapture.  You can more or less find everything you would want to use (depending of style, of course) in most cases.  I use one or the other in almost everything I do.
Best of luck.

charlyg
Still a noob at this recording/engineering thing.....so
 1. I seem to have multiple copies of vsts scattered around. Any advice on how to clean up and keep em in one place?
2. How do you have all tracks end at the same time?
3. Without meters on my 2i2( it does have lights), how can I assure I send the same input levels between recording days?
4. I am recording guitars, vocals, and bass live, EZD2 for drums. Is there any reason  for me to learn to use Dimension Pro?  
    It seems to me synths are for kbd players, not guitar players......
 
The good news is, I am watching the Sonar 2015 Explained video, so I can at least get things done while getting up to speed.

The VSTs are actually installed in different places by design.
This can be from an installer, or user error.
I'd first ask if they were moved, or installed that way, and most importantly are they working as expected?
Some can be moved, others need to be reinstalled, but I wouldn't attempt to if your not sure which goes where etc.
 
You can hover your smart tool over the end of the track and a handle will appear that allows you to drag the track back to an end-point... but other settings may stretch or compress the audio... I don't rem the default setting.
The best thing you can do is get familiar with the software.
YouTube has some great video tutorials, and so does Cakewalk on their site.
 
-10 is a good safe point depending on the dynamics of the inst and player etc.
If your coming from analog to digital there is a bigger difference in metering and input levels.
One example is learning to rely more on the DAW levels and less on the hardwares meters.
It gives you a better standard across tracks, and the software meters are generally more sensitive and have a expandable scale allowing finer control.
Another big one is that with digital you have much more headroom and footroom before signal clip or degradation, allowing you to find a sweet-spot much lower than analog..... but the signal degrades faster at low levels.
 
The reason to learn the synths is up to you.
I'd say that if you have the time, and at least play around with stuff, it will at least give you a better grip on how everything works in this environment, and leaves doors open wider for what you might decide to do in the future.
But do at least play with your DAW just for the sake of playing with your DAW!
Learning shortcuts and the general feel of it now, will be a huge hand when it counts later.
 
I'm a guitarist by name, but I'll learn anything I can every chance I get. It all helps in the long run usually.
 
Hope that helps some.... Great luck to you, and welcome to the neighborhood.
 
 
 
 
 

Well, I  understand everything now but the unity gain thing. If you mean zero db, that's too much for digital?
 
I have a Focusrite 2i2. the knob has a halo that is either green orange or red, but no way to tell what that level is. I think maybe i should turn on hold in Sonar and just adjust for a peak at ~ -6?
 
Or I could have no idea what I am saying................

charlyg
Well, I  understand everything now but the unity gain thing. If you mean zero db, that's too much for digital?
 
I have a Focusrite 2i2. the knob has a halo that is either green orange or red, but no way to tell what that level is. I think maybe i should turn on hold in Sonar and just adjust for a peak at ~ -6?
 
Or I could have no idea what I am saying................

Unity is not 0 dB. It really means no gain or cut. In other words leave the fader at its default position. 

Never ever adjust the fader in Sonar when recording. It has no effect on the incoming signal but may give one a false reading if it is adjusted. It is only the hardware that has control of an incoming signal in Sonar. This is very important. 

Now I am more confused. If it is in the wrong place (too hot), start over? Or are you saying as long as I can hear myself in the monitor,  and my "2i2 "halo" is green, I'm good to go?

charlyg
Now I am more confused. If it is in the wrong place (too hot), start over? Or are you saying as long as I can hear myself in the monitor,  and my "2i2 "halo" is green, I'm good to go?

"Clipping" means the signal is too strong and is distorting, so keep the 212 in the high-end of the green, and as long as you can hear it you're good to go yes.