I just created 5 new projects, with the first using New From Template, the 2nd using New Project, the 3rd using File>New, the 4th using ALT+F then N, and the 5th using CTRL+N, to see what each option did with audio.
1) Start Screen 'New Project' option - The project created from the Start Screen's 'New Project' option does NOT default to use Per Project Audio, and saves audio to C:\Cakewalk Projects\Audio. Doing a Save As presents the audio path for MANUAL modification, but any audio created prior to modifying that goes to the path listed above. If you want to use Per Project Audio - I would not use this option.
2) File>New option - Creating a project using File>New behaves differently, and DOES present the path for the Audio to be stored in an Audio sub-folder - as the new default for Sonar has Per Project Audio turned on. The path for the Audio sub-folder is automatically populated to create a folder called Audio within the project folder, so as you type the name of the project, the path for the Audio sub-folder is modified to include whatever you are naming the project as the parent folder for the Audio sub-folder. (because Per Project Audio is on by default). This option is fine for creating projects with Per Project Audio automatically on.
3) Start Screen 'New From Template option - Creating a new project by choosing 'New From Template' on the Start Screen, ALSO presents the path for creating an Audio sub-folder within the project folder, and automatically adds the project folder name to the path to the Audio sub-folder (just like File>New does). This option is fine for creating projects with Per Project Audio automatically on.
4) ALT+F then N works the same way that File>New works, resulting in an Audio sub-folder within the project folder, and the path is automatically populated as you type in the project name. This option is fine for creating projects with Per Project Audio automatically on.
5) CTRL+N option - this does NOT work like File>New. You will NOT have an Audio sub-folder created. It will default to the global Cakewalk Projects\Audio folder, though you can change that path during Save As. Audio clips created prior to a path modification to its default will indeed be stored in the global Cakewalk Projects\Audio folder. If Per Project Audio is desired, I would not suggest using this option.
For whatever the worth, I ALWAYS start new projects using the Start Screen 'New From Template' option, and I always end up with an automatically created Audio sub-folder, within the main project folder, and all of my audio clips are properly stored within the Audio sub-folder, as a result of the default Per Project Audio option in Platinum.
I hope the above helps to explain why things act differently between the different ways you can start a new project.
Bob Bone