Hey guys,
 
In a forthcoming release, we'll be introducing a new Start Page. This will replace the QuickStart dialog, providing more functionality, a more modern look, and information about SONAR's growth and development.
 
One of the ideas we're working on is a "tips" module, where we would present a daily usage tip or trick. 
 
This community is great at helping each other out and sharing cool hints with noobs :). Seems like a perfect source for material. So I'd like to use this thread to build a list of tips. Anywhere from beginner to advanced. If your submission is chosen, we'll be sure to try and credit you (using your forum name).
 
Please share your 1-2 sentence magical tips and tricks here. Let's try to keep conversation to a minimum and limit it to submissions. That'll help me manage and curate the list without having to wade through chatter.
 
Thanks!

I'll start:
 
"After you zoom in or out, you can easily get right back to where you started. Roll the mouse buttons... In other words: Hold right mouse button and click the left one. Works the other way too."

Use Save As or Save Copy As as your project progresses so you can always return specific versions is case of mistakes, crashes or corruption. Use "Per Project Folders" with "Copy all audio with project" options selected and choose a new destination (like an external drive) to make occasional backups of your work(s) in progress for extra security.
 
/captain obvious

Multiply round trip milliseconds by sample rate to get number of samples. I needed more than default for Melodyne.

Route all like instruments to busses for easy volume level management. eg: All drums > Drum Bus > Master Bus. All Rhythm Guits > Rhythm Guit bus > Master Bus, etc.
 
PS: I don't want credit for anything I post popping up on people's Quickstart screens. I annoy enough people here with my constant posting without invading the sanctity of their DAWs. lulz

Use Track Folders to organize your tracks to easily Hide/Show, Mute/Solo, Freeze/Archive groups of tracks. You can also use Track Folders to create "Selection Groups" of clips while while recording to allow editing of multitracked instruments such as drums (Edit > Preferences >  Project - Record: Under Mult-track grouping choose "Group only clips in folders").
 
Note: Perhaps too long but that is an extremely useful feature that is best made known BEFORE people start recording.

In a follow up to beepsters comment on busses. Put everything you send to a single bus into a folder. Group drums into a folder, bass guitars into a folder, guitars into a folder, vocals into a folder, etc. 
 
Everything in a folder goes to a buss > master arrangement. 
 
Keeps everything clean, collapse all the folders sans what you're working on. Makes it easy to solo/mute,  the group (even without using quick groups), etc.
 
edit - Haha, beepster updated that while I was typing my note!!
 
gabo

1. Keep all faders at unity when recording for an accurate meter reading. Set you levels at the source not in Sonar. 
 
2. When recording meters can be set to peak instead of RMS or average.
 
3. Best practice is to use multiple Hard Drives for sample storage and project recordings.  

Take note of the number below the meters. It shows you the peak level for what you played last. If you play a song all the way through it will show the peak level of the track/bus/master for the entire song.

Avoid ear and monitoring equipment damage due to unexpected volume spikes by inserting a limiter (such as Boost11 or Nomad Factory BT Brickwall) to your Master Bus as you work. Remember to turn off (or at least be aware of) the limiter before doing any final mixing as it may alter your sound.