In preferences the default settings are: ( in the audio data)
record bit depth: 16
Render Bit depth: 32
Import: original
 
I want the best, but unclear. I have accepted these default values for the year that I have had sonar platinum. I have a new computer (i7 7700) and a scarlet 6i6. What should I change these too for future recordings? And when exporting, should the values remain the same in the export window options? Longtime songwriter......short term engineer! Thanks
 
also: would changing the bit depth now matter to already recorded material?
 

I think the general consensus is that 24bit provides more than enough headroom for the vast majority of purposes so I would change the recording bit depth to 24.
 
The render bit depth is used internally and can safely be left at 32.
 
Leaving imported files at "original" bit depth makes sense because you can't improve the signal to noise retrospectively and Sonar handles audio of different bit-depths in the same project quite happily.
 
AMB
 

There's no practical reason to record and render at more than 24 bits of resolution. It would be an improvement to record at 24 bits instead of 16.
 
Exporting depends on the delivery system. For example if you're going to create a CD, there's no need to export at more than 24 bits. For a sample library, 24 bits is the most common option.
 
Any changes you make now will not affect material that was recorded, but will affect older material you render in the future.

Current settings are probably not good...
Record bit depth should be audio interface record bit depth. If you use 16bit, 16bit there is fine.
But normally there is no reason to not record with 24bit. 6i6 can do this, that give you hight tolerance against low recording level. So you can record with let say -20dB and still do not loose quality (6i6 is <20bit precise).
So: record - 24, render - 32 (it is floating point, so 24bit precision. Some render at 64, but that is overkill for almost any material), Import: original (you will not improve anything but importing with hight bit depth).
 
Setting Record bit depth to the audio bit depth has 2 additional advantages: it free CPU from converting and avoid strange "sound is changed when track is armed" effect observed by some users...

Thanks for the answers. Applying
 

Setting Record bit depth to the audio bit depth has 2 additional advantages: it free CPU from converting and avoid strange "sound is changed when track is armed" effect observed by some users...

I dont mean to hyjack thread..i have a quick question refering to this quote..i have an issue, im curious if it relates to this..when i playback my recordings..i start getting odd anomolous sounds and fuzzyness..if i pause or stop recording..globaly arm record then globaly unarm record then continue playback...its then sounds fine again..could this be a bit depth issue ?
Ty..and again if ive intuded i apoligize

You loose nothing if you try, unlike frequency, these settings can be changes any time without re-building the project.

What about exporting 24 bit track audio for importing into another DAW for mixing / mastering?  Stick with 24, or move up to 32?
 
What about exporting 16 bit track audio for importing into another DAW for mixing / mastering?  Unfortunately, most of my projects over the last 20 years has been 16 bit. Any advantage at all to exporting at 24 bit for those?
 
 

That is material and purpose dependent. If you lower the volume -40dB and export 16bit WAV, you will notice the music is significantly distorted. Export the same with 24bit - you will not hear the different on all material. 32bit - you can not hear the difference at all.