What tips do you guys use on Sonar, or woudl you guys utllize external plugins??
Im liking the qaudcore on Soanr X3 . However, Im still fighting with the dirty bass on vocals. How do they make the vocals so smooth, ne tips?
 
By the way, I do not use any external plugins, just in house-i.e the plugins that come with X3.

Are you fighting to build dirty bass on vocals or to get rid of it? :o) Well, I read it you're aiming at smoothness.
First thing first: Is it due to the microphone or mic technique?
Are you double tracking the vocals, artificially or  real?
What's your workflow/FX chain like?
 
I'm just an amateur, but as there is no one trick, you need to give us some idea of what and how you're doing things.

Some people prefer external EQs for various reasons, but there is no reason you shouldn't be able to get good results with the QuadCurve. It sounds like you have a lot of proximity effect going on in the recording. As was already suggested, different mic technique can help. If that is no option you can try rolling off a lot of lows and automating when. Alternatively, you could try a MultiBand compressor like the Sonitus one and set it to compress the lows.

I don't think it matters, really, which EQ you use. Knowing fully how to use them is the tricky part.  They all do the same thing, it's just how they do it.
 
My advice would be to head over to Groove 3 and check out their video series, EQ explained. There are plenty of free stuff on Youtube and plenty of articles to be read as well. There is no easy answer though once you understand the nuances, it's easier. A Carnegie chart is another helpful tool.
 
 

Hofa Iq-Eq You won't beleive how good this thing is

My full points to DDMF for price/quality -ratio. Excellent EQs.

Here's an article with plenty of EQ tips.

Guitarpima
I don't think it matters, really, which EQ you use. Knowing fully how to use them is the tricky part.  They all do the same thing, it's just how they do it.

+1,000

Assuming that the vocals are already tracked and cannot be re-tracked, here's a few things I'd try:
 
Add an EQ and steeply roll off the bottom end below 200Hz using the High-Pass filter in the Quad EQ.
Place a multi-band limiter on the vocals (preferably Waves with priority thresholds), and set the limiting threshold of the low end to much lower than the rest of the vocal spectrum. If using Waves, set the Priority setting of the low end to the lowest of the spectrum. That will allow the rest of the vocal to "survive" the dirty-bass frequencies, instead of "pumping" the vocal.
You may need to add another roll-off EQ after the limiter.
Don't overlook the use of a the 76-type compressor pushed really hard. In harder-edged bands, I believe vocals are super-compressed over even the more dynamic mixes (although most modern mixes are slammed to the wall, anyway).
 
After all this, if the vocal needs a little warmth, then add some Tube Saturation or a favorite color using a modeled EQ.

Without hearing the vocal, everything is just guessing.  But in general, if the recording sounds bad, it is better to retrack it.  Fixing it in the mix is a half-measure.  So,
 
1.  A decent room.  Even if you are close micing it will still pick up the tone of the room.  And if the room has resonances and build up, the mic will put them into the recording.  Listen to the room and hear how it interacts w/ the acoustic being recorded.
 
2.  1.  A decent mic.  Even a cheap Chinese condenser or solid dynamic can work.  You haven't told us what you've used.
 
3.  An external preamp can help.  This doesn't mean you need to drop $1000s on an old Neve (doesn't hurt), but if your room is OK you don't have to swallow the mic.  Once you back it off you get a more even sound (see proximity effect) in frequency and volume.  Also, slight movements don't effect the tone so much.  Most built-in preamp are OK, but don't have a lot of gain.  Look at any recording session at a pro facility and the singer is around 2 feet away from the mic - or more.  There is a right balance of distance for any singer/mic combo and your preamp has to provide enough gain to utilize it, without crapping out at sudden increases in volume.
 
4.  Mic technique from the engineer and artist.  Use a pop filter.  It keeps the talent from swallowing their mic, which they've seen all the singers do in a live show where gain w/o feedback is the key.  Just like finding the right distance, finding the right angle can be important.  Above, angled down, is a good starting place for a condenser, so the talent (or not talented) isn't blowing directly into the mic.
 
As far as your problem today, dirty bass on the vox.  It sounds like proximity effect (which happens w/ all cardioid mics - a heart-shaped pick-up pattern) and/or being overdriven.  If it is distortion there is not much you can do.  But in general, on most voices in most styles of music you use a high-pass filter to diminish all the lower frequencies.  There is no useful info below 100 dB or higher for many instruments, only ac rumbles, trucks on the streets, moving air, etc.  It eats up headroom.  Set your HPF to a steep cut off and start raising it while listening to the track.  Do this soloed and in context w/ the music.  At some point you'll hear it cut into the meat of the vocal and then back it off until you don't.  You can also fiddle w/ the cut off slope.  It is a technical skill that gets easier as you learn and develop your own ear about what sounds right.  This technique also works for all EQing and other effects.  Overdue it, and back off.
 
Still, the best method is to capture the right sound at the source.  This is a craft as much as anything, a set of techniques that have worked for you before through trial and error.  The art part is knowing beforehand what the right sound is for the song before you even start tracking.
 
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