Anderton
I'd recommend reverse-engineering the 30 Sonitus-based FX Chains that were in the June release.

Thanks, Im liking the FX-Chain tip series also, like the reverb/channel tool, also making a lot of use of the ambient room mic tip.
Im uncertain where to access the new 30 Sonitus-based FX-Chains, i'd skipped the June release would they have still loaded in subsequent updates? 

Thanks, so I guess you'd just create separate FX Chains for different reverb types e.g. Hall, Room, Plate? I was using BReverb 2, and added knob for Hall Reverb time, (for now), and just set nominal wet and dry levels on reverb controls, (for now), guess I could add a knob to adjust wet or dry level also.
 
Cheers

Anderton

JohnEgan
Im uncertain where to access the new 30 Sonitus-based FX-Chains, i'd skipped the June release would they have still loaded in subsequent updates? 

 
Good question...I didn't have to find them because I have them . However, I did notice a download for them was in my account at the Cakewalk store, so you might want to check there.

information is in the release announcement http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3624731
 

Made this FX Chain (I had to make it right) last night. Does what I want channel tools to do, in a package I prefer. Good stuff!

Hi Craig. Nice. That's a handy table that will be very useful. Thank you. BTW have not had a chance to try out the big reverb tip from last week. Will though. Thanks!!

What I like about punching is the immediacy, especially when songwriting..."Hmm, I want to re-record that phrase. Select track, specify punch area, record, done." If it doesn't work, I just undo and try again.
 
When I'm writing I use a lot of "placeholder" parts, and while I don't expect them always to be the final versions, I do want them to sound decent. Also when I'm writing lyrics, I'll often replace a phrase here and there. There's no need to get involved in comping when a simple punch will do.
 
Comping is wonderful for sure, but I use it more with longer parts where I'm going to be making decisions as to which parts are better so they can be combined into a single take. Punching is great for replacing smaller sections - fast and efficient. When songwriting, I almost never comp. I attribute at least part of the speed with which I'm writing songs these days to punching.

Hi  my name is Michael and I'm a track hoarder, too..........  LOL
I tend to do another track and edit my way to happiness. I have used punch some, coming from the "tape planet", but will certainly consider doing more of it. Thanks for the chart. I can "retain" that.
 
Michael

No it's not just you. I would love to see more streamlining, as well as context sensitive or self-evident choices for things like this. As a devil's advocate, and to use a car analogy, I view this as more akin to the circuit breaker panel guide under your car's hood that tells you what amperage ratings the various breakers are in your car. As opposed to something more universal/standardized like the controls for your cruise control. Within SONAR I equate it more to the shortcut keys - a function of the power of the DAW, and require some homework to learn (or not if you never use the feature).
But yeah.

KPerry
Is it just me or does the need for a table like that suggest that the options and workflows need simplifying?

 
I prefer to think that the chart summarizes all possible options. I originally wrote it as text, but the chart seemed clearer. You'll note that there are more similarities than differences - for example with Sound on Sound, the three options are the same except for Auto-Punch with Mute Previous Takes enabled, where you don't hear previous takes and the waveform shows an outline to remind you muting is enabled. The only difference with Overwrite is the Manual mode, where punched material is deleted, and the punched material appears in a new Take lane.
 
I suppose I could do a version where the similar sections are blank, and only the differences are filled in, to make it look less intimidating.

Anderton
 
I prefer to think that the chart summarizes all possible options. 

I guess the comping section of chart refers to looping around a section, and also activating punch area within the looped area, be it the same area, or extending loop area beyond punch area as a cue to punch section? But allowing comping only punch section, useful when recording yourself alone.   

KPerry
Is it just me or does the need for a table like that suggest that the options and workflows need simplifying?

I like the chart. There are just a fair number of options but this let's me quickly figure out what's the same and what's different.

Thanks, Craig!

Well I'm no programmer, but I assume each of those three modes has certain "rules," and you might not have options in one mode that exist in other modes. There probably would be a way to figure out a matrix with all the check boxes to do what you need, but then that might be more complicated than just choosing a mode if you knew what the mode did.
 
I guess a lot of it would also depend on which mode you use. For example if you use mostly comping, the only variance you need to remember is that you can hear the original section if Auto is selected. So choosing options wouldn't really be necessary. 
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of simplification. I think all DAWs are too complicated, but I have the luxury of not knowing what constraints there are on code vs. flexibility vs. functionality .

Week 157: The Missing—and Non-Missing—Link
 
Okay folks, this is an "eat your vegetables" kind of tip as opposed to some sexy, rocket science way to make the Sonitus Modulator plug-in hack into alien invasion transmissions. But SONAR's linking feature has been around for a while, so unless you’ve used it recently, it might be a good time for a refresher course—especially because the “rules” for MIDI and audio clips are somewhat different.
 
CREATING A LINKED COPY
 
SONAR's clip-linking function lets you make an edit in one clip that affects all linked copies of that clip. When you copy a track and Paste Special, one of the Paste Special options will be “Link to Original Copy.” Check this prior to pasting, and the copy will link to the original.
 

 
Linked copies are easy to differentiate from other clips because they are surrounded by a dotted rather than a solid line; the original clip will also be surrounded by a dotted line.
 
You can also create linked clips when you copy clips via Ctrl-drag. Before copying, choose Options > Drag and Drop Options, then check “Copy Entire Clips as Linked Clips.”
 

 
Note that this option persists—it remains until you uncheck the box.
 
AUDIO VS. MIDI LINKING
 
Linking works differently with audio clips than with MIDI clips. With audio clips, links don't apply to audio processes that “point” to the clip, such as adding a fade, changing a clip envelope, or slip edting; linking is mostly about having Cakewalk's audio processes (Gain, Normalize, Reverse, etc.) affect all linked clips. Linking also applies if you change a clip's color.
 
However, applying audio effects from a plug-in to a clip will affect that clip, but not other linked clips. Furthermore, the processed clip will become unlinked because it’s no longer like the other clips. Similarly, turning a clip into a Groove Clip will also unlink it from other linked clips.
 
With MIDI, linked clips reflect any changes in notes and controllers. This is very useful when building a song, because you can lay down quick sequenced parts and copy them to save time. Then if you want to make any changes, no problem—edit one clip and the changes will occur automatically in the other clips.
 
UNLINKING
 
But what if you want to edit a clip without affecting the linked clips? You can’t, which brings us to unlinking. To unlink a clip, right-click on it and select Unlink (to unlink multiple clips, select the clips you want to unlink, right-click on any one of them, then select Unlink). A menu now appears that provides two options: “New Linked Group” or “Independent, Not Linked at All.”
 

 

• If you selected a single clip for unlinking, it doesn't matter which option you choose; the clip you unlink will become independent of the other linked clips, which will continue to be linked.
• If you selected multiple clips, selecting “New Linked Group” will link the selected clips, while unlinking them from previous links.

 
For example, suppose there are four linked clips — 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D. You decide to unlink 4C and 4D. With “New Linked Group” selected, clips 4A and 4B remain linked, and 4C and 4D become linked to each other but are independent of 4A and 4B. If you select “Independent, Not Linked at All,” then neither 4C nor 4D are linked to anything.
 
However, think twice before unlinking clips. Once you do, you can't re-link them except by using the Edit > Undo function. Instead, you'll have to copy the original again and specify that you want to create a linked clip.
 
ONE MORE TRICK
 
Here's one more link trick: you can select all linked clips automatically, which makes it easy to move, copy or delete the clips as a single unit—sort of a variation on what you can do with the Create Selection Group function. To do this, right-click on any of the linked clips and choose “Select All Siblings.” This is also handy if you've lost track of which clips are linked, and want to see a “family” of linked clips.