Use Sound Forge with all the abilities already described.
Sound Forge crashes using the Sony Dxi tools as an Insert FX plugin. But wait, I just tried them. The issues and crashes 'seemed' to have gone away.
Is this a Gloucester improvement?
Last time I tried was with the first release of Platinum, and as always it had been, it fried the Sonar engine.
Is something cooking?
Then again Sound Forge10 I have is 32-Bit.

@bit

Can't you do test tones with zeta 2 and a sign impulse?

Believe it or not, I use Cool Edit 2000 to:

• Create noise profiles and use them as input to FFTs to remove noise from sections of audio
• Generate graphs of waveform statistics and perform frequency analysis
• Create specialized filters and preview or apply them to sections of audio
• Build "batch" processes to process wave forms through sequences of available functions
• Spectral analysis of waveforms to identify "hot" frequencies
• Normalize sections of audio
• Draw waveforms

Since it's in Sonar's "Utility" menu, I simply select the range that I want to process and click "Cool Edit" in Sonar's "Utility" menu.  When done, Sonar replaces the selected area with the clip processed by Cool Edit.  Very convenient.
 
Paul

Audition's noise removal is pretty nice if used without slamming it.  For some reason, I find using Sound Forge easier to just do the simple stuff like trimming, fades, etc and then pop a MP3 for email, etc.  I realize Sonar can do all, and I've started using their MP3 feature to save a "trip" to Sound Forge...but I 'grew up' on CD arch, Sound Forge and Cool Edit.  Sonar seems a little weird for some odd reason....I guess because I'm typically only looking/opening up a single [stereo] track versus always using multi track in Sonar.  I've never really created a new Sonar session with just a mixdown.  Maybe time to start??

In Wavelab after I do whatever editing I need, I do the "mastering". I like to use the Audio Montage to align all of the songs for burning to CD. Set the spaces between songs, CD markers etc. The awesome part to me is that you can name the songs and the disc and the artist's name as well. When that plays on a modern CD player all of that info is displayed on the screen. You can do this with MP3s as well so that the info shows up on the myriad of MP3 players, phones, etc. that are out there. The naming part, I have no clue if Sonar will do that or not. I have never even checked. I am so accustomed to doing this in WaveLab that I never have tried in Sonar.

 
A big part of SF is it is just quicker to do editor things.  Typical jobs would be drawing out overs, cutting and moving bits around and then saving that wavefile under a separate name. 
 
It would be great if we could highlight part of a track and open just that up in a large-sized window dock with SF-like tools to work along w/ SONAR clip tools like acidization and timestretch etc.  Right now those functions open in different windows.  Work on the clip with whatever tools you want, get it worked in shape and save it back to the SONAR timeline all finished.  Also, while the clip window is open, have it play in sync with the SONAR project so you can see how your clip is progressing in the real world. 
 
In short, an integrated editor for working at the clip level, rather than a mastering tool, tho Shirley it could be used for that too.  And any new mastering tools like a spectral editor.
 
Great idea and great that the baker's are asking us for input.
 
@

For me, if the level of Audio Editor integration that Cakewalk end up adding into Sonar isn't at the level of Sound Forge they might as well not bother as I will still have to go to SF for whatever is left out.

Please don't waste the time doing a few things and leave us still having to use an external editor, because quite honestly I don't mind using an external editor at all. Also to get a Sonar audio editor to that level will be just too big a deal. I would rather you make the integration between an external editor and Sonar a little tighter so that a region can be passed back and forth not just a whole file/track.

> Please don't waste the time doing a few things and leave us still having to use an external editor
 
+1.
SONAR does not have to be audio editor. Just make integration with external editor better.
 
 

• Spectral view and spectral editing
• Auto heal
• Noise reduction
• Custom keyboard shortcuts assigned to VST effects
• Clip pool
• Changing sample rate and bit depth
• Match volume
• View selection duration
• Mix Paste (like in Audition)
• Full featured CD burner

 

I'll echo a several of the points made in previous posts...
 
Sound Forge

• Noiseprint noise reduction
• Average RMS normalisation
• Waveform pencil draw

Benny Bear
I love Sonar and everything it does, but just at the end of the process I like to get out of Sonar (into Sound Forge) to top and tail, mp3 and get a slightly different perspective. No criticism just a habit! I was using Sound Forge a long way back and so am used to it.

I could have written those words myself, verbatim...