Hi all, I'm new here :)
 
I have been writing GS MIDI files for many years, but now want to include Audio into it, so that I can master my songs better.
I have a 90's Roland Sound Canvas SC-88 and a 2015 Roland A-88, with a Windows PC with Terrasonic ASIO TS22 PCI sound card.
I have been using Cakewalk for MS-DOS (!) for some years in the 90's, and more recently Cakewalk Pro Audio (just for MIDI, no audio features).
Now I want to move onto using Audio features:
1) Which version of Sonar would be the best for me.
2) I specifically want a version of Sonar that can show me the sound spectrum of any one single track or multiple tracks, so that I can modify the EQ of a specific track to "carve" its own space into my songs, without interfering with the frequency spectrum of other tracks. How would I do that, and which version of Sonar would support that? What is the name of the feature that I must use for that?
3) I want a version of Sonar with proper effects (Reverb, Delay). My SC-88 is no good. I just want to record raw 24-bit output from the SC-88 and then apply effects in Sonar/DAW, as well as EQ.
4) Will I be able to create proper-sounding songs using the above? I will record audio from my SC-88 one a per-track basis. So the puny 90's SC-88 can spend its full processing power on delivering a clean, no-effects, flat-EQ audio to CW Sonar, from where I will apply effects and EQ. Or must I get an Integra-7, for instance?
5) The version of Sonar must be easy to use and not very resource-intensive. I have an ASIO sound card but not a great PC (Windows XP).
 
Thanks so much in advance.
I have CW Sonar LE Lite (came with Roland A-88) but would not mind upgrading it to a version as per suggestions arising from above.
 
Thanks!
Charl
 
 
 

Get Sonar Platinum. Its a killer. Also I can help you with your Sound Canvas. 

Platinum will not run on XP
Unfortunately, XP support was dropped several years ago.

John
Get Sonar Platinum. Its a killer. Also I can help you with your Sound Canvas. 

Help with Sound Canvas? :) I'm listening. I want the best possible sound out of its 1994 18-bit DAC, no FX, no EQ, single sound/channel.

scook
Platinum will not run on XP
Unfortunately, XP support was dropped several years ago.

Alternatives?
ps. I will consider upgrading my PC, but would first want to know if other versions of Sonar would actually support XP.
I have a i7 8GB Win10 laptop, but then my ASIO PCI card won't be of any benefit. Can't stand the USB latency :-(
 

Cakewalk dropped XP support when SONAR X2a and Music Creator 6 Touch were introduced. The minimum OS supported for any Cakewalk DAW since 2013 is Win7 (although Vista may work).

It sounds like your LE lite would work fine for what you are talking about, if it works on your computer. Sonar Platinum will give you a bunch of softsynths that you do not plan to use, and a bunch of effects that do pretty much what some free vst effects that will still run on XP will do, albeit maybe somewhat better. You only need a couple of audio tracks active at a time. If you want to have a million dollar equivalent virtual studio doing most of the processing in the box, then a new computer and Platinum will get you part way there for a couple of thousand dollars. But the plan you describe will work fine with much much less. If you can get your freebie version to work, you can stop right there. If you decide you need more, you can get more when you need to and can afford it. If I had a dollar for every dollar I spent on something I never really fully used, I would have a lot of dollars.

With regards to support, I would recommend an upgrade, both pc and DAW.
On the other hand, if everything works as you expect it to, I would stay put.
But all the new toys are great / fun, and you could do things you you' d never thought of before
It is the journey, not the finish that is important

Charl42

John
Get Sonar Platinum. Its a killer. Also I can help you with your Sound Canvas. 

Help with Sound Canvas? :) I'm listening. I want the best possible sound out of its 1994 18-bit DAC, no FX, no EQ, single sound/channel.

I'm talking about setting it up in Sonar using instrument definitions to access any patch. I have an SC 8850. I also have an XV 5080.   

Charl42
2) I specifically want a version of Sonar that can show me the sound spectrum of any one single track or multiple tracks, so that I can modify the EQ of a specific track to "carve" its own space into my songs, without interfering with the frequency spectrum of other tracks. How would I do that, and which version of Sonar would support that? What is the name of the feature that I must use for that?
3) I want a version of Sonar with proper effects (Reverb, Delay). My SC-88 is no good. I just want to record raw 24-bit output from the SC-88 and then apply effects in Sonar/DAW, as well as EQ.

Sonar Platinum. Quad Curve would show you spectrum, and there are some reverbs and delays. But it is better for you to adopt plug-ins conception. All you want is usually done by plug-ins, third-party or included, chargeable or free.

Charl42
4) Will I be able to create proper-sounding songs using the above? I will record audio from my SC-88 one a per-track basis. So the puny 90's SC-88 can spend its full processing power on delivering a clean, no-effects, flat-EQ audio to CW Sonar, from where I will apply effects and EQ. Or must I get an Integra-7, for instance?

Very unlikely. It would be more likely if you would spend a lot of time learning how to use modern recoding and mixing technics.

Charl42
5) The version of Sonar must be easy to use and not very resource-intensive. I have an ASIO sound card but not a great PC (Windows XP).

Sonar Producer 8.5.3

Charl42
I have CW Sonar LE Lite (came with Roland A-88) but would not mind upgrading it to a version as per suggestions arising from above.

You can start with that and see where it will lead you. But I don't know if it supports Windows XP.
Anyway upgrade to at least Windows 7 x64 is highly recommended.