Quantize question

I am still in 8.5 and only quantize in audiosnap so this may not help but …
 
In audiosnap you have to look at where each transient marker is assigned on the waveform and make sure it makes sense.  Personally, I go in and look at every transient maker to make sure it corresponds to some rhythmic feature of the waveform.
 
The resolution you choose should be based on how the transient markers are assigned.  For example, if you have a transient marker sitting on the waveform where you are feeling each quarter note and your playing is solid and close to the click, then when you set the resolution to a quarter note and quantize it should quantize correctly.
 
On the other hand there are many scenarios I can envision where the resolution setting in conjunction with how carefully the transient markers are place and where you consistently place them (e.g., on every quarter note or on every eighth note) will negatively affect the quantization result.
 
Say for example you placed transient markers on every quarter note but used eighth note resolution, if your playing was a little sloppy wrt to the click, then the quarter note transient markers may occasionally be forced to nearby eighth notes that lie between quarter notes.
 
So, in my opinion,  the bottom line is that quantizing (at least in 8.5 using audiosnap) is not a magic wand.  You need to go in and make sure all of your transient markers are where they need to be and carefully choose your resolution based on how the markers are assigned.

Dave --- Thank you for the suggestion.  I will try this.
 
Craig --- I recorded with an audible metronome.
 
     Thank you both for responding.
 

I think an important aspect of quantizing is not setting it to maximum strength.Try 75% or so, it will "nudge" your notes into correctness without creating a robot.
 
True story: I know a really excellent piano player named Spencer Brewer, he's charted a bunch. Anyway, I had one of the first sequencers on a Commodore-64 and he came to my studio to check it out. He played, and he sounded great. But when we looked at it on the screen, he said "Wow, my timing is terrible." So we quantized it...and found out that HIS timing was great. We also found out that computers don't know much about timing 

I gave 16th as an example for a none keyboard player type dude like me...
I actually find my drum tracks played on the DXT are so close as to not need quantizing. I manually move the odd note I don't like the "looks" of. My snare hits are all just ahead of the beat which is  exactly what I like. Kick needs to be perfect. 
But my keyboard parts are very basic and I don't think I've ever gone beyond a 16th note in speed. For a real keyboard player it is best to not ruin it with quantizing. If it sounds good, it is good. 
I'll agree that quantizing is a tool that needs to be used with musical taste in mind, not just applied verbatim. 
It all started in 1984? It's old school to me anyhow. 

To go along with JohnnyV, I quantize almost everything because I am OCD about music; however, I select specific regions and sometimes deselect notes within a region.  For example, I may select a section that is mostly 8th notes, but deselect notes that are grace notes, triplets, etc. before I apply quantize.  You really do have to be really familiar with the various nuances of rhythm to quantize a piano part.  A straight-8th synth track is easier.  Bass and drums are easier.
 
Also, I agree that swing is tricky and Sonar does not handle it right.  Most people write swimg as 4/4 but it is really 12/8.  And while Sonar will quantize triplet-8ths correctly, it does NOT notate them correctly on the score (staff) when they are playing swing or two-step rhythms.