Doing a reference track?

I just started doing this and I can share how I do it, though some here may have more efficient methods.

I import a commercial tune into one track in my actual Sonar project that I want to compare it to and do not insert any sends into it--no EQ, etc. Leave your master faders at 0. That's it. Just mute the commercial track when you don't want to hear it and solo it when you do.

This is also a good technique when mastering, although my mastering program has a feature called Smart Bypass where I can turn off all effects, etc. in the signal chain with a click of the mouse so the commercial track is un-effected, and then turn them all back on for my original track just as easy.

The way I've done it is copy the CD track on my hard drive and import it into SONAR. IIRC WMP always converts the ripped files to MP3. I've used Nero.

It is a fantastic idea and applies during mixing as well as mastering. I find that when I do professional work for clients they always have their fave CD's that they are trying to emulate so it is easy to get a hold of them.

I use a digital mixer and have a spare CD player input all together which is very cool. 

Important though. You must make sure that the ref track is always playing back at the same level as every stage of your production. If you are comparing your mix to a ref track then you may need to lower the ref track by 7 or 8 dB to get a level match. My CD player has a variable output control so this is easy. My VU meters also show when things are perfectly matched level wise. 

During mastering the same applies here too. You need to be able to easily alter the ref level so it matches each stage of your mastering. By the time you get to your final mastering stages then you will find the ref track will match your mastered level. 

Picking the ref tracks is a bit tricky too. You need tracks preferably with very similar feel and instrumentation etc. Leave out the ones that are nothing like your mix or mastering track. They don't help so much.

Ref tracks almost eliminate the monitors and room acoustics by default. That is why they are so good. You don't have to rely on them being so perfect etc.. They really help take a lot of the guesswork out of mixing and mastering.

M_Glenn_M


Thanks,  but you told me what to do once it's in sonar.
What I need is to know how you got it into sonar?

Sorry--thought you already knew how to import an audio file. "...import a commercial tune into one track..." 

You might want to look at YouTube on how to rip a CD. I found that just buying the song I want to compare from Rhapsody was much easier. All I needed to do was locate where I choose my new song purchases to go from within Rhapsody, etc.  


Then, just put the now time where you want the start of the commercial track. From within Sonar: File > Import > Audio. Then just browse to the song file.


Hope that helps.

I prefer to play the actual CD's and not work with anything less. Be aware that compressed versions of the CD may not sound quite as nice as the CD itself. I realise that compressed files can sound good but I have also heard differences between the two which may alter your decisions etc..

The client usually has the CD's and that is the best source. If you are not working for the client then I guess other sources of ref material may apply.

M_Glenn_M


I guess I'm just old, but do not buy songs online. And I don't own an ipod or mobile player.
I have those old round things called CDs.
I play em from my computer or my stereo system in the living room or the car.
The process I need is getting a CD playing in my computer into sonar.

Yup--just look up on www.youtube.com how to rip songs from a CD and away you go...

I've been using reference tracks as well. For the time being I picked about 20 songs from my iTunes library that I thought approximated some of the styles of the range of songs I'm working on. 

I used the Burn To CD feature from iTunes to get those to a CD. I used Nero, but it could have been any of those type of apps, to convert the tracks on the CD to wave files.

I keep the reference wave files in a handy location on my hard drive. 

When working on a song in Sonar I can literally just drag the icon from one of those wave files into my track view area and the audio file is imported into the song. I can then do as others have mentioned and A/B compare and mute as I go.  I think it's very helpful.

millzy


I'm assuming your Sonar computer has a CD/DVD drive:

- Put in your CD that you want to rip your reference track from.
- Open your Sonar project that you want to insert the ref track into.
- Go to File/Import/Audio CD


You will get a dialogue box asking you to select your CD/DVD drive and the tracks you want to import. Press OK.
Jobs done, the tracks you want from your CD will be in your Sonar project! You can then mute/unmute them as suggested above.

Thought I'd chime in with a point here that I believe may have been overlooked.   I think millzy's advice might be the best route to take to get a direct comparison.  If you play the CD through your computer's CD/Multimedia player and have a separate audio card with desktop speakers and an audio interface with monitors for working with Sonar, then playing the CD will come out your desktop speakers.  I would think for a better comparison, you would initially want to hear both your current project and your reference through your monitors, and be able to match levels within Sonar. 

So far the files on the CDs are not waves but cda. 
I did try to drag and drop to audacity with no luck.
The Millzy direct import method works like a charm.
Thanks Millzy, thanks Sonar.

millzy


I'm assuming your Sonar computer has a CD/DVD drive:

- Put in your CD that you want to rip your reference track from.
- Open your Sonar project that you want to insert the ref track into.
- Go to File/Import/Audio CD


You will get a dialogue box asking you to select your CD/DVD drive and the tracks you want to import. Press OK.
Jobs done, the tracks you want from your CD will be in your Sonar project! You can then mute/unmute them as suggested above.

Cool - I learned a new trick here!


Most of my stuff is in iTunes and not on CD, but if I burn a CD's song count of reference songs from iTunes onto a CD I'll be trying this method you suggest!  Seems like it will be a nice additional approach.

The Millzy direct import method works like a charm. Thanks Millzy, thanks Sonar.

M_Glenn_M

Your welcome! I do a lot of work learning songs for tribute shows (ie Elvis, Grease, Bee Gees) and I discovered this was an easy way to import all the tracks I need to learn into one project for whatever show i'm doing. Glad it works for you.