Oh, how I despise Take Lanes

First of all, update to X3e if you haven't already because it has some take lane fixes.
 
Some people really don't like Take Lanes, some people do. The only advice I can give you is when I first started using comping, I was attempting to write a column about it for Sound on Sound. I couldn't wrap my head around it at all. Eventually I read all the documentation and learned the various tools - not a trivial task - and realized that everything I had learned about layers in previous versions was essentially irrelevant. Trying to apply those techniques to the current paradigm not only didn't work, it caused problems.
 
I also learned there was a big difference between using the Smart Tool and the Edit Tool, and that using the Take Lanes like layers was possible but again, required a different technique. The Take Lanes are optimized for a particular type of comping and you kind of have to do it the way Sonar wants you to do it.
 
Some people were sufficiently upset about Take Lanes I posted a thread called "Solutions for Using Take Lanes as Layers" that described what I had learned so far. Quite a few others chimed in with tips about what did and didn't work. This thread contains tips like "After recording your Lanes/Layers, DON'T USE THE COMPING TOOLS FOR EDITING unless you actually want to comp using the workflow for which Take Lanes were intended." I also did an article for Sound on Sound on comping that you might find useful. (A line to which I'm sure you will relate: "I predict X3's new comping will make some people's heads explode at first, because although the look is similar to what Sonar had before, the tools and procedures are quite different.")
 
Now, to your situation. First, it's no secret I'm a fan of Ableton Live for live performance but for DAW/studio work, Sonar is my tool of choice. If the studio is your orientation, Live probably won't do what you want. Second, when you're under a deadline, having to learn something you thought you knew from scratch is an issue.
 
The option that worked for me was just to stop and work with comping and layers on a scratch project. After 2-3 days, I got really good at it. But whether you can afford to take off a couple of days and become proficient with a significantly different feature is a question only you can answer.
 
At this point I use take lanes all the time both for comping and similarly to how I used layers. Once I got into it, my workflow sped up significantly. But that's my experience, and I don't really quite understand your workflow so I can't say with any certainty that how you expect to use take lanes will be similar to how I use them.
 
I think the most important take away is this: Comping is one thing, editing using Take Lanes like layers is another. They use different tools to perform different functions, and "crossing over" between the two is not advisable. There is a learning curve, although in my case, it turned out to be an investment - the time I lost getting proficient at the new protocol has since been offset by the amount of time I've saved.
 
Hope this helps, check out the links and see what you think.
 
 

Ha! I'll bet no one thought I'd see this message? ;-)
 
Well... I for one do prefer the older Layers system and voiced my opinions and frustrations all through my learning term...
 
I have come to a place of reasonability with Lanes now. while I was mostly happier with Layers, I can now work well with Lanes... My biggest frustrations with it now are the zoom issues and screen real estate issues... This is still a weak point to recovery...
 
What I've fallen into doing these days is essentially my Layers approach with bits of comping thrown in when they're handy... It's become more possible to do. I find I can work with the Smart Tool near 99% of the time with careful tool selection...
 
So there can be a form of peace for us Layers-Brained workers, and even some extras that are very handy...
 
The Track Display of a Lane-heavy track is pretty good... But the inabilities to zoom both smaller and larger for the Lane data itself is severely a sore point (for me)... Lanes need to be able to close as small as a track and zoom as large as a track. I "waste" more time clicking around with various zoom tools than I need for the actual edit-work when I get there. It used to be simple to lasso-zoom an area and have it's image fill the screen... this is no longer possible..
 
And there are times when for various reasons I have large Lane numbers that all need to be available for comping... I need to be able to squeeze more lanes on screen at one time... As with sometimes needing to see Lanes while seeing the rest of my tracks... the Track view is simply wasted space during comping.... Having such an image when closing the Lanes is a good addition...
 
I hope you can find a comfort zone for working with the new toolset... It can be done. I have to be more careful in exactly where I click, but outside of that I'm working much as I used to...
 
Keni
 

Instead of dragging clips around, why not just clone the trk you want?

Just name a folder Record here. Create trks there for the harmony parts. Record your three parts.

Make another folder called Audition. Clone trks from Record Here to bring into Audition folder tks

After you audition, and separate the good from bad and clean up then clone those trks , bring them into project location you need them, rename them Left, Center, Right.

Would this work?

That was my problem for a while too, trying to work in the new program the old way. It takes a little but to get use to the new way, but once you do you will not want to go back. My work flow is much faster than it use to be.

Let us know how it goes.

Anderton

a step that precedes learning how to do comping/takes in X3 - unlearning how to do comping/tales in X2.

Yep! LOL

Listen to Craig. He knows what he's talking about.
Layers and Take Lanes are completely different and thinking they are the same will only lead to the frustration you're experiencing now.
Take half an hour and watch the Groove 3 videos on Take Lanes. Seriously.
 

just watch this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbiRKPYderY
 
then this
 
http://www.cakewalk.com/CakeTV/SONARU.aspx/Get-Started

Ah, yeah, muting is a good idea.  There used to be a useful key in 8.5 (Q, was it?) that would make so I could mute all but the layer I clicked on.
 
Of course, with muting I get all confused with the subtle shades of gray Sonar wants me to distinguish between. There's Play Me Gray, then Muted Gray, then Selected Gray. I haven't researched this too much, but can I tell Sonar to make muted tracks a different color other than slightly-lighter-gray-than-if-not-muted gray?
 
Checking out the videos tonight.

If I were going to leave Sonar it would not be for crappy Ableton. Ableton is only good for live shows. It is not good for composing unless all you use is loops. If it were me it would be Studio One. It is so much like Sonar it is not a far step to go.  However, I don't have issues and problems that other people may have with Sonar. It has been good to me so far knock on this old computer case. 

rontarrant
Seriously. You have to forget how things worked in 8.5 or X1 or X2.
View.
The.
X3.
Tutorials.

 
 
This can't be repeated enough.

OK. So I know there's a forum for this kind of post, but everyone has been so helpful on getting me from 8.5 to X3, lots of help about Take Lanes, ins and outs, and assorted other things, I just thought I'd share the song I've been working on all this time on this forum. Since this is going on the album I'm pulling it off SoundCloud in a couple days, and this is just a first mix. 
 
https://soundcloud.com/jkoseattle/we-are-the-elders-v1/s-O6Qvq