Also note that Sonar does not convert the wav files in your project... These wav files are the source from which it creates an output file.

Selecting MP3 as your output (file|export) will use the Sonar Lame encoder and create a new file that will be an MP3... You must make sure to set the output to 16/44.1 as well so that it is format correct.

If you need to use Sonar to covert a wav file to MP3, open a sonar and make sure the project is set to the same spec as the file (such as 24/48 or 16/44.1). Then use file|import to bring the file into Sonar, and finally, do a file|export to MP3...

For the moment you might want to turn off vst scan on open and the new start screen as well as the check for updates. All options are in Preferences... Just to see if some other issue is slowing your startup.

Many of us have large numbers of vst's, but not experiencing the delay. Personally, I leave it off and simply scan if/when I add something new...

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]

cparmerlee
IMHO that's a very short-sighted view.  Most audio product have MP3 support tightly integrated.  This is a really stupid move by Cakewalk.  It makes the product seem cheap and amateurish, period. 
 
In addition to the cost and hassle of setting it up. the lack of integration makes saving as MP3 extremely slow.  I paid the $20, but it is so blasted slow, I just generate WAV files and convert using a batch utility.  Really half-assed aspect of the product.
 
Thinks like this make Sonar appear unprofessional compared to other commercial products.

Huh? MP3 is fully integrated there is nothing non native or slower about it. We use the latest LAME encoder and it encodes each buffer that is written. It doesn't get any more integrated than that. 

All I know is Save As MP3 takes about 3-5  times as long as saving in WAV format.  And if I do the batch processing in TAudioConverter, it flies.  This is not just an impression.  There is a HUGE difference in speed.  Something is just not right about your implementation.  I suspect that the TAudioConverter people have streamlined their algorithm.  One thing in particular, they support lots of parallelism.

Anderton
I always thought MP3s themselves were cheap and amateurish

And that is not a very productive attitude, IMHO, considering how many people use MP3 and expect files to be delivered in the format they can handle.
 
Marketing is about more than just having cool features.  Sonar has lots of "first impression" issues.  The start-up screen, is an example of one of those things.  People who were beefing about that improvement just don't understand how important it is to make that good first impression. 
 
Let me ask you a marketing question.  Would you pay $10 to begin a relationship with a new customer that might result in 5-10 years of subscriptions to Platinum?
 

joakes
But surely, you DON'T need the Cake mp3 encoder when you can integrate Lame for free. C'mon, whay make such a fuss about a one time manoeuver with Lame which is downloadable and fits perfectly into Sonar's Utilities.

Cakewalk/Sonar also uses the LAME encoder, so I really wonder how much is getting back to whoever claims rights to mp3.

The license fee is paid to Fraunhofer by any commercial application that uses MP3 encoding. There is no getting around that. LAME is just an MP3 encoding library that itself is "free" but that doesnt mean encoding is free.
This is not a situation anyone likes but it is what it is.
 
>>All I know is Save As MP3 takes about 3-5  times as long as saving in WAV format. 
>>And if I do the batch processing in TAudioConverter, it flies.
 
Well of course it takes longer. Writing a wave file is just dumping samples in the native format. Encoding requires compression and depending on the bitrate you use it does take much longer to encode than than copying samples.
And regarding comparing our encoding speed to a standalone encoder we have a million other things we could do that would be a more productive use of our time than speeding up MP3 encoding. Its an obsolete technology that we hope goes away in time. Newer formats like FLAC and OGG are superior and free. The fact that Microsoft is now supporting FLAC in the OS is a step in the right direction.
 
BTW if you are getting slow mp3 exports, chances are that you are running at low latency. Increase the latency or or raise the value of the bounce buffer size variable and exports should go faster.

cparmerlee

Anderton
I always thought MP3s themselves were cheap and amateurish

And that is not a very productive attitude, IMHO, considering how many people use MP3 and expect files to be delivered in the format they can handle.

 
I notice you did not include my smiley in your quote, which related to the phrase to which I was responding. I'll assume it was a simple oversight and not a deliberate attempt to misrepresent what I said.
 

Let me ask you a marketing question.  Would you pay $10 to begin a relationship with a new customer that might result in 5-10 years of subscriptions to Platinum?

With respect, your question is not relevant. The relevant question is whether customers who already have multiple ways to convert files to MP3s (including having already unlocked the non-expiring encoder) want to pay $10 in order to subsidize other customers who find following 9 steps "a pain," or who don't think to look in the Help file (or do a 1-minute search) to find out how to convert files for free from within SONAR to MP3.
 
It's not like MP3 conversion is some rare, cutting-edge technology. Pro Audio 9 included the encoder for free because 16 years ago, it was a big deal feature like convolution reverb and was included in the bill of materials. As for today's reality, I think Cakewalk says it very well in their documentation, which you don't even need to own SONAR to access:
 
Cakewalk does not own the license to the MP3 format and because not all users require the MP3 format, Cakewalk does not force you to pay for the license. If you need to export your projects as MP3 files, you can purchase the encoder directly from www.store.cakewalk.com.
 
*Note: If you purchase the MP3 encoder, you can continue to use it with future Cakewalk products.
 
So it's not even like QuickTime Pro, where you have to keep buying new versions when Apple changes QuickTime.
 
[Edit: I stand corrected, I thought it was $20 for the encoder. It is $9.99. (Hey, I bought mine a long time ago, its price is not front of mind. Or maybe it was $20 back then.) Well, $9.99 is still enough to see a movie in a lot of theaters.]

Anderton

cparmerlee
Let me ask you a marketing question.  Would you pay $10 to begin a relationship with a new customer that might result in 5-10 years of subscriptions to Platinum?

With respect, your question is not relevant.

You are correct, if the only ambition for Sonar is to have it perceived as a hack's tool as opposed to a a professional, robust product.  The point is that obviously anybody would spend $10 to make a good first impression that would start a relationship with a customer.  I bet Gibson is spending a lot more than that on click advertising.
 
This is a no-brainer.  The company should eat the $10 and have the product ship with seamless MP3 support.

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
The license fee is paid to Fraunhofer by any commercial application that uses MP3 encoding. There is no getting around that. LAME is just an MP3 encoding library that itself is "free" but that doesnt mean encoding is free.

Thanks for clarifying this.
 

I like the way Cakewalk handled this... It is not about quality sound which Sonar is... It us an added tool that the Bakers integrate with Sonar for those who want it.

Yes, most of us use them for many things... Hears a great tool for now.

I guess they could tuck that into the cost, but then the following upgrades would not as we already own it...

Ok... But here we are now, with many that already own it, so I guess it's really just as easy to simply allow people to buy it one time and eliminate the complication...

Now I do see some room here for some feature request, though low on the list for me...

They created the MP3 dialog which handles all I need, but wouldn't it be handy if the included external conversion commands for single/bulk work...

Oh wait, that's why they created Pyro... So they have made that set of features available to those who need it too... Not everyone days as there are countless conversion softwares available...

So my point all in all is that I think they made very reasonable choices here...

Me? I got it way back when it was briefly bundled with Cakewalk Pro Audio.... I think it was v7? So it's been a no brainier for a long time.

A one time purchase and its out of the equation!

cparmerlee
This is a no-brainer.  The company should eat the $10 and have the product ship with seamless MP3 support.

I hear you.. I've been asking Cakewalk to supply me a hovercar for many years now with Sonar and they completely ignore my requests. I don't see why Cakewalk should get away with it.

Everybody needs a hovercar obviously... Duh...