I select all tracks for a mixdown rather than exporting. I want the new track for mastering within the project, and don't see a purpose in exporting just to import again. Am I missing the point of exporting?

I mix down to a new track as I use Ozone 5 to "master".  

FastBikerBoy

Bristol_Jonesey
FWIW, I always select Nothing when doing a mixdown (ctrl + shift + a)

That's my preferred method. If there's a previous timeline selection Select all will select all tracks for that timeline selection. Select nothing ensures that the entire project is included in exports.
 
Having said that I've never had select all not select all tracks even with a timeline selection  

I literally JUST watched your entry in the SWA series on exporting this morning and was wondering about that.
 
When I do a "Ctrl + Shift + A > File > Export > Audio" Sonar complains that there is no audio selected for the export. I always end up having to make a selection of some sort for the Export dialog to pop up.
 
Of course I'm probably doing something wrong. Just thought I was misunderstanding what you were saying in the vid but now here I see it mentioned a couple times.

BTW... your vids have been invaluable to me, Karl. Very glad I snagged them (X2/X3 Complete and Producer FX). Just gotta get the synth one and I may actually figure out what I'm doing with all this stuff.

fireberd
I mix down to a new track as I use Ozone 5 to "master".  

Pretty much the same here, though I use Ozone less than I used to.

Beepster

FastBikerBoy

Bristol_Jonesey
FWIW, I always select Nothing when doing a mixdown (ctrl + shift + a)

That's my preferred method. If there's a previous timeline selection Select all will select all tracks for that timeline selection. Select nothing ensures that the entire project is included in exports.
 
Having said that I've never had select all not select all tracks even with a timeline selection  

I literally JUST watched your entry in the SWA series on exporting this morning and was wondering about that.
 
When I do a "Ctrl + Shift + A > File > Export > Audio" Sonar complains that there is no audio selected for the export. I always end up having to make a selection of some sort for the Export dialog to pop up.
 
Of course I'm probably doing something wrong. Just thought I was misunderstanding what you were saying in the vid but now here I see it mentioned a couple times.

 
 
I'm not sure why that would happen. Selecting nothing in Sonar is effectively the same as selecting all for most purposes. That works for export, quick grouping, etc. 
 
Not sure why it complains for you unless you are inadvertently selecting something after the Ctrl+Shift+ A.
 
 

Beepster
BTW... your vids have been invaluable to me, Karl. Very glad I snagged them (X2/X3 Complete and Producer FX). Just gotta get the synth one and I may actually figure out what I'm doing with all this stuff.

Thanks for the kind words. Glad you've found them useful.

Beepster

FastBikerBoy

Bristol_Jonesey
FWIW, I always select Nothing when doing a mixdown (ctrl + shift + a)

That's my preferred method. If there's a previous timeline selection Select all will select all tracks for that timeline selection. Select nothing ensures that the entire project is included in exports.
 
Having said that I've never had select all not select all tracks even with a timeline selection  

I literally JUST watched your entry in the SWA series on exporting this morning and was wondering about that.
 
When I do a "Ctrl + Shift + A > File > Export > Audio" Sonar complains that there is no audio selected for the export. I always end up having to make a selection of some sort for the Export dialog to pop up.
 
Of course I'm probably doing something wrong. Just thought I was misunderstanding what you were saying in the vid but now here I see it mentioned a couple times.

I use to do that many many moons ago but I also ran into problems. I now, and for a long time now use my master bus as the only source for a mix down or export. I works very well. 

@John, Karl...
 
Right on guys. I always seem to get what I need to done in the end as far as exports but despite all my obsessive studying over the past few years each time I get to that export dialog I get all confuzzled and anxious. There are just so many things to consider. What I usually end up doing is a master bus export then I open it into a new project for some final EQing and trimming. Far less confusing getting my final product together that way with just one track to work with.
 
I am going to try to make the Select None thing work just because I hate it when something is SUPPOSED to work but it doesn't. I usually find something wonky in my procedure and end up learning something. Ideally though I think my best/least confusing bet is to do a range selection and export my Master bus because that is really I'm assuming since that is what I am hearing as I mix that is what I want. I've tried using the main outputs which logically makes sense to me but it produces multiple files, the audio and then some weird other thing I have no idea what it is (which again makes me a little anxious).
 
Entire Mix weirds me out a little too because I'm always worried maybe there is some oddball stuff that will get added (my projects tend to be crazy and messy) that aren't audible through the master or whatever.
 
Probably overthinking things a bit and I should really know this stuff in and out by now but really exporting is one of those things that I hardly ever do in comparison to all the other tasks in Sonar.
 
Just goes to show how often I ever actually complete anything despite how much I screw with stuff. lulz
 
Cheers.

Entire Mix weirds me out a little too because I'm always worried maybe there is some oddball stuff that will get added (my projects tend to be crazy and messy) that aren't audible through the master or whatever.

 
You can get unpredictable results when using Entire Mix, most noticeably when you have more than 1 pair of audio outputs feeding into your interface.
 
I ran into a problem with this several years ago, because my mixes were ending up 6dB louder than what I was seeing on my master meters.
 
For every pair out outputs enable, you will get a further 6dB increase in level.
 
For this reason I have ALWAYS and without fail, used Main Outs as my Export source. This only picks up the one stereo pair which is exactly what you want.
 
 

Bristol_Jonesey

Entire Mix weirds me out a little too because I'm always worried maybe there is some oddball stuff that will get added (my projects tend to be crazy and messy) that aren't audible through the master or whatever.

 
You can get unpredictable results when using Entire Mix, most noticeably when you have more than 1 pair of audio outputs feeding into your interface.
 
I ran into a problem with this several years ago, because my mixes were ending up 6dB louder than what I was seeing on my master meters.
 
For every pair out outputs enable, you will get a further 6dB increase in level.
 
For this reason I have ALWAYS and without fail, used Main Outs as my Export source. This only picks up the one stereo pair which is exactly what you want.
 

Cool. Thanks for confirming the possibility of oddness because I thought I was just being paranoid.
 
The nice thing about my interface (Scarlett 18i6) was that back when I had absolutely no idea what the heck I was doing when I bought it and first set it up it worked immediately so I've essentially just forgotten about it aside from messing witht he latency settings.
 
The "bad" thing is because it was a "set it and forget it" type situation I have really had to bother understanding the full relationship the device has with Sonar or all the neato routing stuff it does.
 
I've done Main Output exports before but as I said it seems to want to create multiple files. IIRC initially it wanted to force two mono wavs (for left and right) when I just wanted a stereo mixdown. Pretty sure I figured out how to export just a stereo wave but I cannot remember. However it's that third file it creates. It doesn't seem to do anything except scare me so now I just pick a bus (or busses) to do exports and that works fine. If I need individual mono tracks that's easy enough as well.
 
When I step outside the safe haven of what is happening in Sonar though and the strict confines of bus or track outputs my logic starts breaking down. I really need to do some more studying on it but you know how it is. Always trying to figure out tons of finicky fiddle faddle WITHIN the project then seemingly basic but hyper important concepts get lost in the shuffle.
 
I think I would REALLY like to see cake release a definitive video all about the export dialog and post it for free in the CakeTV section. Make it a half hour or however long it needs to be explaining EXACTLY what and how and when and fart and those settings do. Show the settings being done, show the results, explain when to do what, etc.
 
Despite all the videos out there (many of which I have watched) I still find it all a little mysterious and it would be an invaluable service to the customers especially considering export is pretty much one of the most important steps in the engineering process. Heck... I'd make one myself if I actually knew what the heck I was doing.
 
Sorry for the blathering. I just hate feeling helpless and stupid over something so "simple" after all these years of constant studying and tinkering.