And let's get nobody here wrong. Sonar CAN and has been used for (m)astering (Thanks Craig, that's a great way of depicting the difference by the capitalization ~ Although I prefer the capitalization as the process or title, while the product is lower-case; it's just a matter of taste for me, nothing subversive). There is no reason it can't provide what
most people need to get music out there in any format. For me, it's easier to produce the final master in Wavelab, since the workflow is conducive to final editing and
building the master as you'd want in the final product. It mainly gets all of the other "mixing" functions out of the way. Conversely, I've mixed entire sessions in Wavelab, and it's NOT a good tool for that. Sonar is the current choice for me.
In answer to the proper metering, metering is getting better and better all the time. If it were just a bit easier to accomplish, I'd have two or three monitors dedicated strictly to meters, and Wavelab remembers that. Your ears can tell you what meters can't, but meters will reveal things your ears can't, such as super low-end rumbling. If you do this professionally, metering is paramount. The more accurate your masters are, the better they will translate to other formats, such as radio or online. Video game manufacturers and TV production now require standards to be maintained. So, here, even Wavelab falls short. You need a real measuring tool such as Waves Loudness Meter (WLM) or Flux's Pure Analyzer System to know whether you're compliant to their needs or not. That said, you can succeed in mastering with Sonar, but not as easily.
To help Sonar become that tool I would like to see...
idea: Sonar to have a new screenset (notated as "M" vs 1-10) that gets all the normal
mixing elements out of the way and provides an entirely new Mastering window. When you Export a stereo mix, you can select "master" as one of the destinations. That way, when the Export finishes, you are promptly switched over to the mastering screenset and you now have the workflow elements in front of you that will be much more conducive to the way people use Wavelab.
- More metering options, and a palette to select them with
- Ability to move your meters to a second screen and save those positions
- Editing tools tailored to the process (i.e. no split comping needed here, so it is removed in this screenset)
- Single track window (or 7.1 if sorround Mastering) for easy editing (i.e. no Lanes to collapse or expand
- Bring all "process" tools to the forefront for easy view and access, such as nomalization, or other useful tools.
- Fast output switcher for multiple monitor setups
- Upload/Posting capabilities
- Larger faders and other Sonar controls for easy accuracy when tweaking.
I'm sure there's TONS more we could add to this, but this is something I think would be a great way to add the flexibility.