How to make a track or an entire project sound "Lo Fi" ?

Just saw this yesterday.
 
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-product-alert/1029819-studiolinkedvst-record-player-fx-plugin-aax-au-vst.html
 
Maybe there is a 78 preset in there.

Just mess around with a dedicated bus you send everything to for the desired time range using things like EQ, tape sims, exaggerated compression settings, tube and tape saturation and things that introduce "noise".
 
Put it in the FX Bin of the bus and automate it all for that momentary effect (you could do this a send automation so everything goes to that bus for the desire time while the main track is silenced).
 
If you look at the Blue Tubes suite there is an effect that has year based settings that works well for throwback stuff. The old Cakewalk Tape Sim has a "Noise" feature that introduces some scratchiness. A lot of EQ's will have a "telephone" preset that yanks out a ton of lows and makes things sound very lofi (and you can create this effect manually if you google Telephone Effect EQ).
 
There are of course third party plugs that can do this instantly but yanno... you might have to pay and since it's not that hard to do with what is already included in Sonar so it's just a matter of how much it's worth to you to get this effect versus learnign to create it on your own.
 
Ideally though I'd imagine you'd want some kind of Vinyl Emulator effect if you were going third party.
 
Just some thoughts.
 
CHeers.
 
Edit: Just remembered the Blue Tubes plug... It's the Oilcan Reverb and it actually does a pretty good job at just automatically creating a vintage lofi sound BUT I would personally do some other stuff to really nail the effect. Check it out. It might get you most of the way where you want to go.

Anderton
Depends on how you define "lo-fi." Like the distortion on industrial vocals? The sound of a singer shouting at a mic on the ceiling, like the original "Louie Louie"? Ambience that makes it sound like it was recorded somewhere strange? There are plenty of tools in SONAR which, if abused, can create very lo-fi sounds.
 
If you want more of a vintage vocal sound, try the Classic CA-X amp (in the Clean folder) with the drive turned down. The Jazz amp might also be a good choice.
 
For something more extreme, some of the processors in the Anderton Collection can be converted into Agents of Destruction without too much effort - Try Drum Loop mangler for angry aliens, or Hardcore Drums. The VoxTools FX chain has a Mayhem module that's sort of early NIN-ish. 

If you check out Boot Scootin Boogie, you can hear what I'm referring to...  the vocal is not pristine, and maybe even  just a tad gritty and in your face. Seems like the lows are cut. Not studio 20-20Khz stuff. it's a bit of distortion there for sure, don't know what kind, but it kinda gives it that vibe of being recorded from a PA system or live or something, not in a studio with 20-20K response. 
I know I can come up with this somehow re-amping the tracks, if that gives you a better idea of what I mean, but that could be a long involved and not always rewarding or reproducible pursuit.  Plug-in(s) would be great. 

Beepster
Just mess around with a dedicated bus you send everything to for the desired time range using things like EQ, tape sims, exaggerated compression settings, tube and tape saturation and things that introduce "noise".
 
Put it in the FX Bin of the bus and automate it all for that momentary effect (you could do this a send automation so everything goes to that bus for the desire time while the main track is silenced).
 
If you look at the Blue Tubes suite there is an effect that has year based settings that works well for throwback stuff. The old Cakewalk Tape Sim has a "Noise" feature that introduces some scratchiness. A lot of EQ's will have a "telephone" preset that yanks out a ton of lows and makes things sound very lofi (and you can create this effect manually if you google Telephone Effect EQ).
 
There are of course third party plugs that can do this instantly but yanno... you might have to pay and since it's not that hard to do with what is already included in Sonar so it's just a matter of how much it's worth to you to get this effect versus learnign to create it on your own.
 
Ideally though I'd imagine you'd want some kind of Vinyl Emulator effect if you were going third party.
 Just some thoughts.
 CHeers.
 Edit: Just remembered the Blue Tubes plug... It's the Oilcan Reverb and it actually does a pretty good job at just automatically creating a vintage lofi sound BUT I would personally do some other stuff to really nail the effect. Check it out. It might get you most of the way where you want to go.

Will try all these things unless there's a simple cheap or free plug-in that'll do the trick... 

Sonitus FX EQ, the Telephone preset.

Add a static loop trk

Anderton
Depends on how you define "lo-fi." Like the distortion on industrial vocals? The sound of a singer shouting at a mic on the ceiling, like the original "Louie Louie"? Ambience that makes it sound like it was recorded somewhere strange? There are plenty of tools in SONAR which, if abused, can create very lo-fi sounds.
 
If you want more of a vintage vocal sound, try the Classic CA-X amp (in the Clean folder) with the drive turned down. The Jazz amp might also be a good choice.
 
For something more extreme, some of the processors in the Anderton Collection can be converted into Agents of Destruction without too much effort - Try Drum Loop mangler for angry aliens, or Hardcore Drums. The VoxTools FX chain has a Mayhem module that's sort of early NIN-ish. 
 

Sorry to be a dumpkopff, but don't find the Classic CA-X amp anywhere (would it be in Studio X3?)  and where would I find the Anderton Collection?

The CamelCrusher works pretty good for the type of thing you are asking about ….
 
Kenny

scook
What a tease. CamelCrusher like the rest of Camel Audio is no more...at least on a PC.

@scook 
I'm sorry it is not meant to be a tease …I was able to find it right here
 
http://www.audiopluginsforfree.com/camelcrusher/ 
 
when I hit the download button it lead me to here 
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3k0iy6v3pjxfoaa/camelcrusher-win_mac.zip?dl=0 
 
disclaimer  ,
I'm on my Mac right now so I don't know if this site has any cooties ….I did down load it and everything did show up 
both PC 32 , 64 and Mac ….
 
Kenny

Anderton
Depends on how you define "lo-fi." Like the distortion on industrial vocals? The sound of a singer shouting at a mic on the ceiling, like the original "Louie Louie"? Ambience that makes it sound like it was recorded somewhere strange? There are plenty of tools in SONAR which, if abused, can create very lo-fi sounds.
 
If you want more of a vintage vocal sound, try the Classic CA-X amp (in the Clean folder) with the drive turned down. The Jazz amp might also be a good choice.
 
For something more extreme, some of the processors in the Anderton Collection can be converted into Agents of Destruction without too much effort - Try Drum Loop mangler for angry aliens, or Hardcore Drums. The VoxTools FX chain has a Mayhem module that's sort of early NIN-ish. 
 
 

Hello Craig , 
 
Have any of the plugs you mentioned in your post able to pull these type of sounds off ? 
 
I'm asking because I would love to be able to go here w some of my tones….
all my attempts to go here sonically sound pretty wimpy in comparison   ….
 
https://soundcloud.com/bleeding-fingers/moonshine-and-gasoline-1?in=bleeding fingers/sets/bleeding_fingers_best_of_reel_2015
 
or this one
 
https://soundcloud.com/bleeding-fingers/save-my-soul-men-who-built-1 
 
if I need to start a new thread I will ….
I love The Bleeding Fingers Music …a lot of the music they do has Lo fi all over the place 
 
Kenny
 

Chevy

SF_Green
This is a nice free tool for going LoFi:
 https://www.izotope.com/support/download/vinyl
 

You can download this, but it's discontinued, and will only operate in trial mode, whatever that means...

Is anyone still using Vinyl? I just downloaded and installed it and can't get Sonar to find it no matter where I place it.

IZotope Vinyl has been mentioned a few times and it's free. Disregard the trial name it's just free.

Anything from over the phone to over the radio etc sounds available.

Anyone know where can I download Izotope Vinyl and be sure it's not got a virus in it?  is this a trustworthy site   http://www.looperman.com/free-music-software/detail/izotope-vinyl  ?

maximumpower
I am working on a remake of a 60s song that I was thinking of adding a crackle and pop to. 

There's a Click Generator FX Chain in SONAR. However it doesn't process a track, it's a signal generator so you need to mix it in with a track. FX Chains > Anderton Collection > DJ > Click Generator. It doesn't generate hiss, only clicks and pops. 
 

 
There's also a warped record simulator in the DJ folder where you can choose whether the warp is for a 33-1/3 or 45 RPM record, and the amount of warp.