I've got several vocal tracks that were recorded on separate days with very different recording levels all on one track.  I used to be able to edit the audio inside Sonar, choosing +/- dBs, or normalize or even edit them inside Adobe Audition.  I don't see that options anymore so I'm unsure what the best method is to deal with the difference in volume on one track.  
 
I know I could do an automated volume control, a plugin or should I break these up into separate tracks or is there a better option?

Whew, there's several ways to skin this cat.
 
Me personally, I would move the different takes to their own tracks so I could use the gain staging to get them in the ballpark to each other. It makes SONAR's native tools that much more powerful since there's a few different places to adjust these levels.
 
Alternately, you could use Clip Gain envelopes on each clip to help get these vocals roughly in the same volume zone. I do this all the time with full vocal takes of a song, and by doing so you don't have to compress as much, and can use the compressor more for character than for correction.
 
You COULD use a volume envelope over the entire track, but that might get a bit laborious, and I think that envelope is post-fx (double check me on that).
 
Of course, you could just compress the entire track, but I wouldn't. Finally you could do it destructively, and use the Process|Gain or Process|Normalize functions to "hard code" your audio to do these edits. 
 
 

If you prefer to use Audition it may be added to SONAR. The Tools section of the main menu may be extended to add editors, other programs and documents. Just about anything may be added to the Tools menu. There is a knowledge base article specifically addressing editors  but if you do not want to work directly with the registry I wrote a utility to simplify the process. The SONARToolsEditor is available from this post. It is about a third of the way down the post.

Personally, I'd keep all the recordings on one track
 
Split them up into different clips representing the different volumes (if they're not already) and apply clip gain envelopes on each clip to bring them all to s similar volume.
 
Volume (track) automation is post FX/Pro Channel so I wouldn't go this way as you'd never be able to set up any sort of dynamics processing reliably due to an ever changing threshold/input level.

I'd just break the sections into clips, and normalize peaks (Process > Apply Effect > Audio Effects) to a common level. This will get them close, and then you can fine-tune with automation, or of the average levels are off, apply a little bit of limiting to the clips with low average levels.

Thanks for the response.  Think the different tracks makes the most sense.  I'll give that shot.  Thanks again!

I'd select all clips and normalize them to.. maybe -3dB via the process menu. Any clips being too loud after this I'd use the clip volume envelope to reduce the volume of these.

I wouldn't split them up to different tracks. If they don't overlap I see no reason why. Since the idea (I presume) was to make them sound like the same recording, you'd have to send all tacks to a bus or create an aux track for processing it all the same. I also think I'd get annoyed by all the extra channels. But that's just my thought.. Everyone likes different workflows.

HI:)
 
I always do this by in- or decreasing the gain. Cause there are no Hotkeys in Sonar I made some with Autohotkey!
 
I have:
7 - Decrease Audio by 3 dB
8 - Decrease Audio by 1 dB
9 - Increase Audio by 1 dB
0 - Increase Audio by 3 dB
 
Very fast, instead of 
1. Alt +M
2. Enter
3. G
4. Select f.e -3 dB with the mouse
5. Enter
 
just press "7" and you got it!
 
Here's the link to the Autohotkey File: 
 
https://1drv.ms/f/s!Al2mKojzOW0Mk4dl9uPrMg1snovs5Q
 
You have to install Autohotkey before using it!
 
Bassman.
 

Hi Heinz,
We have an area in the Software forum (the first thread, called a sticky) http://forum.cakewalk.com...tilities-m3392713.aspx for sharing all sorts of useful information, programs etc that have been created by the forum members.

I'd like to do that with your AutoHotKey script, if that's Ok?

SONAR will export clips from a track as individual broadcast waves, but the version I have will not batch import to the same track (not sure if this was ever added). If the file count is small, you can export as above, run a batch loudness conversion in Audition, then drag them into a new track (you can bring them back into SONAR one at a time on the same track, just not all at once).

When that export was introduced, I asked if import existed, but at that time was "no." The OP hit upon the reason I had asked way back when.