Newbie struggling......

Hi
If anyone is willing to help I would be most grateful. Unfortunately, due to work, I can only check the forum in the evenings.
I bought Sonar when it first came out - had a couple of months of playing with it then had to pack everything away for seven years. So, I have just updated from Sonar 1 to Sonar Producer X1. Yes, I know, a huge leap and I am unhappy to admit that I am in way over my head. I have looked at some of the 'get started' videos but they don't seem to apply to the problems I am having.
 
I am happy to work my way through the thing but my initial problem is that I cannot open any of the bundled sample files. When I have them in the browser window and click on them there is nothing behind the title. I can't open any of the .flac, RX files or many of the others. I often get a message that Sonar doesn't recognise the files...... Surely that can't be right.
 
In desperation , I loaded Winamp but that won't play them either - even with the Flac plugin.
 
Odly, there are a few files that will play if I click on them but when I try to drag them into a track they won't drop in.
 
Trouble is, I am now at the limit of my understanding and don't really know what to do next.
 
I have a mountain to climb with Sonar but if anyonbe could give me some pointers on trying to resolve this issue it would be a tremendous help.
 
I am using XP Pro -SP3 with 2gb of Ram and a UAE-25X Interface.
 
I have searched the forum/internet but can't find anything that, if it does apply to my problems, I can understand.
 
Many thanks indeed to anyone who might be able to help.
 
Best regards
 
Steviecat.

Stevie , sign up for this

http://www.groove3.com/str/mt30.html

get a cup of coffee, sit back and watch.. it'll be a MASSIVE primer on how to use X1

but I would say , when Scott's Power book comes out , that'll be beneficial.

if you remember the basics of sequencing from back in the ST days, even that is a small help

Fog


Stevie , sign up for this

http://www.groove3.com/str/mt30.html

get a cup of coffee, sit back and watch.. it'll be a MASSIVE primer on how to use X1

but I would say , when Scott's Power book comes out , that'll be beneficial.

if you remember the basics of sequencing from back in the ST days, even that is a small help

I agree. I paid or it... if I remember it is 30 something bucks once you use the discount code. I have been watching it and it really is good. I am watching a little it each day and then I plan to watch it again and get Scott's book when it become's available: http://www.garrigus.com/
 
Also there is the X1 PDF reference guide: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=2168001 
if you have a Kindle or other e-reader you can load it up and read through it... it is too long to read on a computer screen, IMO.
 
I am taking my sweet time because I know all too well what it is like to be so frustrated that you get nothing done and then lose interest for a time... then come back and find that you have forgtten what little you did learn... i'm not doing that again.
 
Hang in there...
 
Julien

Don't get discouraged.  Home recording (or doing a good job with it, anyway), entails every aspect of the music business except the sales part.  Not only do you have to play (the better - the better), but understand orchestration, not to mention writing if you do original songs.  Those were many times different people well versed in their area.

Then there is the stuido part - tracking, mixing and mastering are all different art forms, and have pros doing just one of those jobs.

Worst of all is the technical part of it.  Not just getting the computer to run well, but beating your interface into submission, too.  Then there is learning the programs.  Not only do DAWs replicate the recorder and mixing board, there is simply so much more editing wise than you could every do with a razor blade and two tape machines.

So take it slow - and remember how long it took (takes?) to learn your instrument.  Recording is the same process.  Even if you have the best equipement, until you learn how to use it you are like a student learning how to pick out "Sunshine of your Love" or "Inagadadavida" - remember how those sounded.  So have fun playing and then start fooling with SONAR etc., not expecting your attempts to sound like something on the radio.  That was one of the good things about the recording studio system - you got to watch someone else work and ask questions (usually after the session was over if you were smart).  Think demo, and keep the help pdf handy.  it will come, but slowly.  Just keep working.

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