The title about sums it up. I created an audio track in the songs I've worked out, and it sounds good -- just like the individual MIDI instrument tracks (I've been using mostly Cakewalk's TTS-1, but I'm also using a couple of other soft synths).
 
So I selected the Export . . . command from the File drop down and basically just gave the export a file name. I didn't change any of the parameters that were mentioned there. The Exported file sounds fine, except it's lost a lot of the lows. Mids and Highs are good, but the lows have basically taken a hike.
 
I got the bright idea to delete all the MIDI tracks in SPlat, so that just the audio track was left, and then I was hoping I could save the file as a .wav file. But nope. SPlat only offers Cakewalk and MIDI file names. So I got nowhere with that.
 
And now I've run out of options, so I thought I'd ask the forummind how it's done. Maybe artificially boost the lows so that the exported file will sound normal? Haven't tried that one yet.
 

First, you sound like you exported correctly as the default will work. But a few things you might want to change first. Also playing back the file in Sonar make sure you are always using your master buss and not going directly to your Audio interface. Then make sure the App you use to play the song outside of Sonar does't have any EQ or audio vodoo happening. 
 

Right. You can't save an audio song as a .wav in SONAR (but the .cwp and .cwb folders will contain the .wav) , just as .cwp or .cwb files, but you can export the .wav to a folder of your choice.

Normally, the exported audio will sound exactly the same as it did while you were playing it back within SONAR. Assuming, of course, that nothing external to the DAW is changing the sound.
 
Because SONAR will not alter the EQ during an export, the most common reason for differences is that the playback software you're using is altering the EQ.
 
That's not the only cause, but it's the only one that doesn't come down to user error. Here's some advice for eliminating user error:
 
1. Route all of your audio tracks to one bus, usually named "Master". Verify that all your tracks go there by muting the master bus during playback - everything should go silent. The output of the master bus (and nothing else) should go to the hardware outputs. 
 
2. When exporting, make sure "Entire Mix" is selected, and all the checkboxes under "Mix Enables" are checked except "audible bounce" and "live input". However, if you do check "audible bounce" you'll be able to hear what's being exported and thus verify that it still sounds the same.
 
3. If you do the above and are still getting an audible difference, you can determine if the exported file is being altered by the following:
- add an audio track to your project
- import your exported file into that track
- either route that track to the hardware outputs, or route it to the master bus and disable any effects you might have on the master
- solo the track and play it back. If it doesn't sound different, then the problem is with the software and/or playback device you're using to audition the file. If it does sound different, revisit steps 1 and 2.
 
This is based on the assumption that you're comparing your export on the same speakers and in the same room where you'd been listening to your project. Just in case I'm assuming too much...
 
Mixes often sound different - sometimes drastically so - when you play them on other systems, e.g. a portable player or smartphone, or in your car. That's not the fault of your mix. It's just that different systems, playback devices and - most important - the various spaces in which you might be listening will always sound different. What sounds good on your studio monitors may sound like crap on your hi-fi or in your car. It might still sound OK, but it will definitely be different. But that's a topic for another thread.
 

57Gregy
Right. You can't save an audio song as a .wav in SONAR (but the .cwp and .cwb folders will contain the .wav) , just as .cwp or .cwb files, but you can export the .wav to a folder of your choice.

 
Just to be clear.. CWP and CWB files contain only the project info -settings and the midi data. They do not contain any audio, the audio is found in a folder which is hopefully within your projects folder along side the CWP icon. 
 
 

A CWB does contain audio, if the project contains audio. In fact, the file may be played like a wav. SONAR must first unpack a bundle into its project and audio files before using it.

Thanks for all the responses, y'all. I'll give your suggestions a try.
 
As for the audio player, I selected one that I had hoped would be nuetral in the mix department -- Micrsoft Medai Player. My system is configured such that MMP is the default player for any .wav file.  I don't recall a difference in sound quality when I've exported audio from other DAW software, like Band in a Box, for example. Its tunes sound the same when they get played through MMP.
 
Well, I'll delve into this a bit deeper. Thanks again for all the advice.

scook
A CWB does contain audio, if the project contains audio. In fact, the file may be played like a wav. SONAR must first unpack a bundle into its project and audio files before using it.

 
Whoops, my bad, I actually know zero about CWB files obviously. I tried one once but that was probably a midi only project. 
 
Yes WMP if normally is a good way to proof mixes.  That's what I use and I've never found an issue. 
I think the sound enhancement issue is more to do with certain on board audio cards. I always use my interfaces for all things audio. 

bitflipper
Normally, the exported audio will sound exactly the same as it did while you were playing it back within SONAR. Assuming, of course, that nothing external to the DAW is changing the sound.
 

Agree with Bit... one thing that I do to ensure that my mix is exactly like my project sound is:
 
I. High Level View
 
A. I'm a stem oriented guy, and tend to mix to stems (submixes) all of which collapse to a single two bus (Music we're talking here not film)
 
B. I can select my Master Two Bus as my bounce source since everything I'm hearing is routing through that Master Bus.
 
C. I don't export the audio - rather I bounce that Two Bus Mix to a track.  Bounce to Track creates an audio file on your disk (and in your project) in exactly the same way File Export does.  However - before I change Sample Rate / Word Length / etc .. I want to make sure that EVERYTHING is in my two bus.  Once I have bounce my two bus mix to a track - I rewind the CTI, flip the phase of the bounced track and listen .... I should hear silence.  With the rare plugin that generates random algorithms in its processing 99.99% I hear silence which proves that my Bounce/Export is a mathematical exact duplicate of the summed audio from the individual tracks.  This is also an excellent way to ensure that nothing is improperly routed around a stem or not through the two bus.  In Film Projects and some pop mixes I've done, there are well over 100 tracks.  Every once in a while the move from production to post has an errant routing - this catches it every time.  In my classes I call this null sum differential.  It's the same process I use to check processing distinctions in plugins and mix choices since only the differential is revealed. 
 
Many years ago in this forum I had a detailed post with screen captures and the workflow detailed out.  Thanks to Kev999 for finding the post
-D
 

DonM
...Many years ago in this forum I had a detailed posts with screen captures and the workflow detailed out.  I couldn't find it...

 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=1418967
Was it this one?