Aligning analog tape tracks

it possible to line up the transients on the second generation tracks to match the original rhythm tracks?

If your just importing tracks into sonar that are not Broadcast wave files or that have not been exported form the same exact spot, you will need to manually line them up with your mouse

First I'd use the Snap Offset feature to line the tracks up. Basically find the first beat of the drum tracks, put the now time at that point (best to have the audible beat slightly later than the measure marker than earlier) and set the Snap Offset for each track (you want these to be at the exact same point on each clip to preserve the phase relationship across the drum tracks). Then line up the offset point to the measure marker on the timeline you want the song to start at. Then repeat this process for the other tracks that were recorded to the mixdown. Then you'll have to check that the newer tracks line up through out the song because depending on the tape machine the recording speed might have changed. Hopefully that is not the case. If it is then us audio snap/transient markers/timestretching to fix it. It might be a simple case of inserting a user defined transient marker at the start and end of the newer clips and just moving the one at the end (using the timing tool I think) into place. You may however have to go through the whole song. Remember to clone the tracks before audio stretching so you can always go back if needed and also be sure to use the Offline Render after you have things lined up to get rid of any artifacts introduced by the stretching.
 
At least I think that's how it would be done.
 
Cheers.

Yanno... it might actually be easier to use the newer tracks as your guide and line up the drum hits to that. I think drum transients might be easier to work with than more steady stuff like guitar, bass, vox and the rendering will probably turn out better. Take a look at the Cake TV webinar entitled Drum Production to see how that's done. Also you may want to create a tempo map that follows the song so you can use the time ruler as a guide for your corrections. You just have to listen to the track, find the downbeats, right click the time ruler, select Set Beat/Measure (or something like that) and the beat marker on the ruler will adjust itself to land on your beat. You can then look at the map by selecting Views from the global menus and Temp. The tempo map will load in the dock. It's time consuming but I'm finding having that reference very useful. Cheers and good luck.

Oh and in the drum production webinar they are moving the individual transient one at a time (well the group of transients). It might be easier to use the Timing Tool to fix whole sections at once. In theory it will stretch the time between two transients evenly but you have to disable all the transients in between (lasso, right click a marker and select disable). That might compensate for the tape lag if it is even. Maybe not. Either way those are some things to look at. I have yet to get to these functions yet but I've been studying the heck out of them.
 

I'm doing all my old stuff. 
1. 80's stuff was tracked with a Tascam 38. I recently purchased a Tascam ATR 60-8 machine (I wish I had this in the 80's..it's incredible) to do the playback...and still have it. 
 
2. then moved in early 90 to Otari MX-7800 1" 8 track....still have it.   Sounds incredible as you can imagine...a bear to keep the channels running. 
 
So, yes I still have the machines. working the tascam now. 
 
using the Antelope Orion 32 to do the transfer with sonar X2. works perfect. 
 
Not sure I'm clear on the syncing the machine to Sonar...but I can look deeper into this. 

Oh good. Someone smarter than I will have to help you with the syncing though. I'm a little confused as to how if the original drum tracks and the mixdown of the drum tracks ended up different if there was a clock in play or how to correct it but there's gotta be a way. As far as syncing there is a section in the manual on syncing to external devices. Good luck.

np
 
However without any syncing from the tape decks I think unless you can figure out what Rail was referring to that you may want to just try the map/audiosnap procedure I mentioned. I couldn't see the drift being THAT bad so it should be rather simple. Unlike what I'm trying to do which is correct WILDLY fluctuating tempos. Now that is a pain.
 
Cheers.

I think what you've just suggested is genius...and likely the solution. I'll try it...it makes good sense as the exact transients are on each set of recordings....just not in sync. 
 
Thanks again and I'll let you know how it goes this week I hope.