How to be immediately productive with Sonar X1?

1. Start SONAR

2. Close New Project pop-up window (un-check Show This Window ... to skip this step in the future)

3. Ctrl + N to create a new project (based on the Normal template) without having to give it a name

4. Go to Instruments list in the Plugins section of Browser

5. Drag and drop instrument into Track View

6. Start playing

SP

Hey Matt,

I'm sorry you're experiencing this frustration. Sonar's workflow is an extremely efficient one and like Seth said you can be up and running in seconds - especially if you use the cool features it has like track templates say if for example you have a trio in mind (piano, bass, drums).

In this case you set a template once containing all the VSTs and tracks assigned to eat VST, then you just drag n drop it and voila, Sonar loads and sets everything up for you in a split second. :)

It takes two seconds to name a project. If you don't want to save to your hard drive just close the project without saving. If you decide you want to keep it just rename the project. As far as setting up other stuff figure out what types of things you would like to have set up for your little jam sessions, take an hour or so to create a bunch of blank template projects or insert whatever synths/effects you like to use most (you can change them later if need be) and save them all. That way when you get the musical itch you just open Sonar, open the project template you want and kabingo... you're in action. Then if you like what you have done do a "Save As" save and the original template will be preserved as well as your new project. If you don't want to keep what you have done just don't save it when you close Sonar. No biggie.

Yea, I have a "normal" project.  It has alchemy already set up but I used to have several others like Rapture.  Just click on it and it opens right up - esp. now that there aren't a bunch of synths attached w/ it.   Hit "b" for browser and the synth rack comes up.  Insert a synth if Alchemy doesn't seem right.  My keyboard controller (25 keys) is a novation usb already to play.  From starting the computer through starting the interace to starting SONAR is a couple of minutes - at most.  Usually I refill my coffee, etc. while stuff spools up.  Once I start playing the only other impediment is setting the tempo or choosing a different synth.

As far as saving - I save everything on the D drive folder.  For new songs, riffs, etc I don't have a plan for I have an experiment folder.  Once I've played enough, I save it there.  You do have to browse for that.  Then use the date or chord progression if you don't have a real name.  Done.

And you don't need to open explorer - use SONAR's browser.  It is a little funky compared to W exploer, but certainly not project stopping.

Mostly it is spending enough time w/ SONAR and your set up so you don't have to think about mundane things - file organization and the like.  It does take a little time to figure out how you work and to tweak your process accordingly.

@

Beepster


I prefer to leave the Normal template with the Default settings and just name my templates accordingly. That way I can use the Normal template as a starting point for new templates.

That's a great point, and I do the same, although I've tweaked my personal Normal Template just a bit (no tracks, Preview Bus, metronome routed, etc.). Most, if not all, of the tweaks I've been making to my Normal template over the years will be a part of the default Normal template out of the box in SONAR X2. 


SP

1st I'd like to say, "I spend a great deal of time, sorting out folders, project folders, documents, audio samples, other projects, other files."  This seems to be more of the way, "a computer operating system is designed," rather than, "how Sonar is designed."

Actually, we have no idea what the windows folder system would be like, if Microsofts could actually, "really and truly," re-write windows from the ground up now in 2012.

File management is definitely something we as music producers spend our time on.  File management is definitely something, "Met Life, Hertz Rental Car, Delta Airlines, Swift Trucking, McDonalds, Coca Cola," spend a lot of time and $$ on.

I can just imagine the monthly IT Payroll over at Walmart and Target.

So what I suggest is, "use the date and time," when Sonar is asking you to name a project, and you do not have a song title.  Just type in the date and time.  If the project is going nowhere, and so many of them do, that is just the nature of music, then I suggest one of two thing: A. Immediately delete the project folder when you know it has died.  B.  Immediately archive your folder to a, "dead project," folder.  I most for certainly do the latter.

Music production is very much about organization, and so is music, as music has been called out by many, "notes organized in time."  Over the last 7 years that I have been producing, I've seen my organizational skills explode.  Projects I make today, my mind never would have been able to comprehend years ago.

IMHO, check out your Sonar Preferences, study them, and get to know.  Menu = Edit/Preferences.  Here are the first set of settings that ought to be customized to support your workflow and your way of working.  You set these up, "once," but may have to tweak certain things as you get more knowledge about production and how you like to work.  Never be afraid to constantly have to tweak that latency for example.  Things have gotten much better since the day I started producing but still, "you never know."

After a basic understanding of Sonar Preferences has been acquired, the next step is to explore the various workflow customization that Sonar allows..

1.  Screensets
2.  The ability to move blocks around on the control bar
3.  Vst Plugin Management
4.  Track management.
5.  Browser file/folder display management
6. Project templates, track templates, and fxchain

And there might even be more, but I have only been using Sonar since June 2012.  ( Although, I think its fair to say I have been producing for 7 years, so I have a good handle on DAWs in general.  And also, I didn't want a crazy, "new DAW learning curve," so I purchased the Craig Anderton Vids back in June or July, and I bought the Sonar Power Book like a few weeks back as well. )

You may want to do this..  You may want to purchase the Sonar Power book, and the Craig Anderton vids.  I don't know..  We all self educate differently, and we all have different goals for our music.

As far as screensets, track templates, project templates, and the other things I listed above..  I think it is imperative that they be use and explored.  For example, I have three main project templates that I have created.

1..  Mastering
2..  Basic studio setup
3..  Mega Mix

I've got a growing collection of track templates and fx chains.  All my screensets have been customized and locked.

All this stuff has to be dealt with, for anybody willing to get the winning hand over their software.  You've got to whip these programs, or they will have you at their mercy...

Remember, "even though they are available to everyone."  at the end of the day these are, "tools for the professionals."

cntrl/n!!!!!!  hahaha..   i didn't know.   wow, cool

Okay... never mind. It was still there underneath the new project but I didn't get any apparent way to tab through the two projects and if I wanted to get to the original project I had to close the new project via File > Close. Pressing the close button wanted to close both projects at the same time. So just be careful. That be confuzzling for n00blies like myself.

Oh, good. Thank you again, Seth. Guess I haven't gotten that far in the book yet. :-)

@timidi... Yeah I'm a dum dum. I'm just used to seeing two instances of the same program tabbed in the Win7 task bar or minimizing one and seeing the other. Still learning. :-/

Still learning. :-/

aren't we all..

Wow, thank you all for so many good suggestions!  First of all, it's definitely encouraging to see that it must get easier to deal with Sonar over time.  And suggestions about Ctrl-N, or using date for project name are very good ones.  I'll also look into some of the books/vids mentioned.  

I spent some more time with it, playing with the suggestions, and managed to set up my default template to suit my style, and closed everything, and started again from scratch, and was up & recording very quickly!  I've had a very hard time in the past trying to get the metronome to pipe to master output (don't know why they didn't do this by default), or trying to tie the midi input to a particular synth.  But somehow I seem to have it all working & saved in the template now.  So, I'm definitely inspired now to spend more time with Sonar!

Thanks again, Matt