Hello all,
Ive been racking my brain trying to come up with a solution as to how to get my guitar track to be consistently one level. I recorded acoustic guitar track using 2 mics today, then panned one left and one right. It all actually sounds amazing. I'm loving the sound, but I notice the quiet parts are lower then the strummed rhythm parts. I know about automation and leveling out everything that way, but that takes like a hour to do for every track. Im kinda picky about stuff and need it to be perfect so its takes me longer then the average person. Plus im not as experienced as all of you amazing geniuses. Inst there a easier way of doing this? Any tricks one might share with me? There must be other options then automation...!!! huh!!! I just don't know. Any feedback from you experienced producers would really help a young lad find a solid footprint when tackling this in the future.

Compression.

Compression https://www.soundonsound....ompressionmadeeasy.htm is a good start

But with acoustic instruments you want some dynamics so be careful not to compress too much. Therfore you will also need to automate. There are plug ins such as vocal rider which can do this automatically

Music is a dynamic means of expression. Why do you want it all at one level.

On the console view:
- click on the "Pro channel" button at the top of your guitar track
- activate the compressor 'power' button - it turns blue
- select a small compressor ratio "4" for light compression.
 
You will lose guitar dynamics here so don't try for too much compression. Also, if you use too much then your noise floor (hiss) will start to become noticeable which then might need some EQ to control it.
 
For a good acoustic guitar recording the less stuff you do to it the better - actually, some light reduction of EQ around 100-200Hz will remove any 'muddiness' (booming) in your recording which is good to try.
 
One last thing, Pan L/R settings of maybe 10 O'clock to 2 O'clock are reasonable to use. Panning full right and full left would never be heard in real life - un less the listener were living in the sound hole!
 
Andy
 

Compression will be part of it but it also changes the sound. Recording technique and playing technique are very important, and was already suggested you don't NEED to have everything at one level. If re-playing isn't an option then I'm sorry to say that your best route is still clip gain automation. I can't help if you're perfectionist enough to want it done right but too lazy to do the work :p

The compressor was made for "riding the fader" and is a more automated solution to what you are doing manually via automation.

Take the time to learn them well, though. A compressor is not a "point and click" device, so be sure to understand what the tweakable parameters do.

Can't automation be written to the track? I know you could do that in Cubase, so surely it might be possible with Sonar too.
 

interpolated
Can't automation be written to the track? I know you could do that in Cubase, so surely it might be possible with Sonar too.

Yes, it can, and the OP knows it. The OP says he knows about automation,  and says it takes like an hour to do the automation and he thinks it's too long. I think it's a very reasonable time. And when you do it a few times, you'll learn to do it faster. Actually, you just let the track play, and move the volume fader. Then move a few (or very many) nodes manually.
 
Vokalzz, if you are "picky about stuff" as you say, it usually means you end up doing things the harder way :o)
With compressors and limiters it's very easy to spoil a sensitive instrument like acoustic guitar, so spend time studying the compressing process.

You know, distortion can help get a guitar to a consistent volume. (Electric)