scook - I too have had to learn German to work in SAP - quite entertaining when the client is asking why it switched our demo session into a foreign language, at $250 an hour.  THAT sure was fun.
 
I do think that for lots of folks, hitting F1 for context help is of use, and also agree that most of the settings, for most folks, likely do not not need to be visited on any sort of recurring basis - with the exception of ASIO Buffer Size, and possibly inputs/outputs.
 
Further, separate users would generate separate settings files, so that would seem to adequately deal with most situations that come up, regardless of the current layout across multiple pages for some of the interconnected parameters.
 
And, I think that resource limitations impacting allocation for developers is a big part of what gets worked on and what does not.  The coding changes needed to rework the preferences would be really an exercise in development with no particular added functionality, and that means it is cost for which the product does not move technologically forward.  Those kinds of things do not often make it into happening, from a business perspective.
 
Bob Bone
 

Going back to storing multiple preferences..

This is one of the reasons why AUD.INI should be abandoned and that data transferred to the registry.

System settings would go under HKEY LOCAL MACHINE and user settings would go under HKEY CURRENT USER allowing for multiple user presets.

INI files are a hangover from WIN 3.1 days. Storing settings in the registry is standard practice nowadays.

Cheers..

worstcaseontario
 That's actually amusing. But on whose face does this put egg on? The users who are asking for features they already had, or the Word guys for allowing this to happen?  

As I said on my twitter feed recently, "Definition of power user: Someone who reads the manual."

robert_e_bone
And, I think that resource limitations impacting allocation for developers is a big part of what gets worked on and what does not.  The coding changes needed to rework the preferences would be really an exercise in development with no particular added functionality, and that means it is cost for which the product does not move technologically forward. 

 
Good points.

Thanks, Craig.
 
I didn't invent reality, I just rely on it.
 
Bob Bone
 

I think this is a case where the solution is more complicated than the problem. While I appreciate your input, I'm not looking forward to managing a bunch of AUD.INI files and remembering which to rename and which exact settings each contains. It is not all that hard to change my settings as it is right now. I just don't think the menu structure is very streamlined. The OP was asking if anyone shared his opinion and I do. I understand the impulse to defend the program we all love and I don't want to pretend like this is some kind of big problem. I have no problem with the bakers spending time on other things and I've said so multiple times now. But when I say the menus are a little messy the solution really isn't to use a bunch of Win 3.1 INI files, however well intended.

 I read the Sonar manual more than I read the SAP manual, that's for sure. Because it is WAY more interesting.
 By now, anyone reading this thread can easily tell that they could drive  cement trucks through the holes in my computer technology knowledge, but you all mercifully are only driving scooters through them ( some of them even battery powered, which is a friendly, and environmentally friendly gesture that has not gone un noticed by me).
 Member scook, (or anyone, really) please clarify something for me. DOS equals windows? I thought that DOS was kind of a command-line precursor to Windows. Go a head and drive a sub-compact or something through that hole, if you think my ignorance deserves it.
 @ Member robert_e_bone. I was sent to the client's (Rolls Royce Canada) Main Office to take a week long orientation on SAP. The first question I asked the head-honcho-Super-User running the course " What does SAP stand for?" He answers " I don't know".
 Thank you very much for the spot-on-topic comments, Member CakeAlexS. This is what I am talking about when I say I want to learn more about this "Legacy" we seem to be "Supporting".
 This thread, if I have anything to do with it, will not turn into a "Sonar Bash". Sonar is great. I do not really ask for anything to change, I am asking for perspectives to help me understand it's mechanics.
 
respek 

scook
AUD.ini is a simple text file stored with the rest of the user files in C:\Users\yourUserDirectory\appdata\roaming\cakewalk\yourVersionOfSONAR. Multiple versions can be stored and replaced at will. Whether what you want to do in entirely is the AUD.ini I cannot say. If the AUD.ini is not found when SONAR starts, a new one is created. How are SONAR and SAP comparable?

 It worked a treat. This is kinda a revelation. I still don't know exactly what does what because I decided to save an appropriate template for my ReRoute projects that I can keep in the folder with the modified AUD. I then moved my templates to the Sonar X3 app data folder. With a windows shortcut in the same folder I keep my ReRoute AUD, I can just drop the AUD and tempates into Sonar X3 app data folder, settle some conflicts, then open Sonar into 128 stereo channels of ReRoute fun. Then put it back just as easy. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you guys all of this, and you all know how windows works, but I'm just so excited.

VERY happy you are happier with it all.
 
I went back to read your initial post, because someone had mentioned something about your having just asked if anyone else had shared your opinion, but I confirmed you were looking for some guidance after all, so I felt better about my earlier post.  :)
 
As had been noted, by scook, the aud.ini is located within the Cakewalk Application Data  (appdata) for Sonar X3.
 
Another way of handing multiple aud.ini files would be to create a new Windows user account, and Sonar would then create a new aud.ini file and others, when that user first launched Sonar.  Then, any changes to aud.ini would be automatically picked up when you ran Sonar while logged on as this new user account.
 
Using the above fashion, you could create some sort of helpful user account name to help you remember things.
 
(were Sonar to ever move things from aud.ini to Current User Registry keys, as Alex had suggested, that would accomplish the same kind of thing, but the above IS able to be done now, as opposed to waiting for some future product enhancement)
 
And, in any case, without just telling you to read the manual and such, there is likely context-sensitive help doc available for Preferences, which you would access by hitting F1, which might help you with some of the parameters if you either forget what they do, or how to change them, or where they are located.
 
Bob Bone

Glad the OP was helped with this approach! I certainly didn't mean to turn this into my personal annoyances thread.