Comping Questions

Hello!
 
Yesterday, I tried using the Comping feature in Sonar X3 Studio for the first time and I guess I'm missing a point because when I record a new track it overwrites the previous take.  I checked and I have Comping selected and not overwite.  What I should be getting is a new take written over the old, but without erasing the old, correct?  Then, when I hit the icon I should see all the takes, right? I really would like to use this feature but I got tired of trying to figure it out and just did the old fashioned Punch in/out thing I did on previous DAWs I used.  Can somebody tell me what I might be doing wrong?
 
Thanks
John B.
 
 

When you select "Comping" as the record mode, existing takes are kept in the track but are auto-muted by the fresh take. You should be able to see the previous takes by opening lanes.
 
The comping feature itself is the ease with which these takes can be comped together. Either by speed comping or manual comping. To speed comp, split the clips into manageable sizes to audition them, all takes will split at the  same point. Press Shift+space bar to start playback and the use the keyboard arrow keys to navigate the clips.
 
Manual comping is slightly different but just as quick. Start playback normally and split the clips as the transport is running. Click in the lower half of a clip and the now time jumps back to the start of that clip. Split and click as required.
 
At any time in either method the split points can be click dragged left/right to move them as well as up/down to adjust the crossfades.

Maybe the "X3 Comping" video on this page http://www.cakewalk.com/CakeTV/SONAR-University/Get-Started will help

I really don't want to come off sounding like I have an attitude or don't appreciate the help people here have tried to give me, but I really can't get any of these issues resolved.  I've watched the comping video you mentioned several times very carefully and I just can't get past the recording of the takes.
 
Somebody has to put out a book called "Sonar X3 For Dummies".
 
John B.

Sonar X3 Power! by Scott Garrigus is considered the standard for books.  Scott does a superb job of explaining Sonar.
 
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/
 
That is Scott's website for his books as well as other goodies.

FCC & Stickman-Thanks so much for these suggestions.  I will give them a try!
 
John B.

John, I don't think I can explain it better than this video does, at 1:12 - 2:30:
X3 Comping
 
Watch that segment a couple of times, then come back here with questions.
 
The rest of the video is pretty clear, actually, but it took me a couple of practice sessions before I understood what I was supposed to do to use the feature the way it was designed.

Hmm. It shouldn't be that tricky. In my test, I made sure that the smart "Star" tool was selected, and when I expand the take lanes, and moved the cursor over the clips, it changes to the I-bar + stacked clip icon.
 
I'm not sure what else to try... when all else fails, save and close the project, close and re-open SONAR, and open the project again ... and see if it works.
 
Are these audio or MIDI clips? I'm testing with audio. I don't know why that would make a difference...

You have to have the cursor hovering over the lower part of the clip to get the comping option. When you are in the top half of the clip you get the option to move the clip left or right on the timeline. The comping cursor looks like the normal I-beam insert cursor with three little stacked rectangles to the lower right of it. I woukld post a screenshot but they don't show the cursor.
 
Don't get frustrated - if I figured this out then you can to. I used the video on youtube that stickman linked to earlier to learn.

Thanks so much, all.  raweber, you were RIGHT!!  The mystery is finally solved for me.  I did what you said and hovered the mouse over the lower part of the clip and it works!   I'm getting the comping tool and the crossfade tool.  Thanks again!!
 
John B.