theres nothing that changes the appearance of the buttons that dramatically to make it appear like pro-tools. Alree has a set of Gel segmented meters which I'm currently using that can be found towards the end of the colour scheme thread and buddy has done some UI hacks for more visually apealing faders as well.

What would I like from the new version of Sonar?
It to be available over the counter next week, that's what i would like after having to stall my migration to x64 with Sonar7.

10Ten

rbowser


10Ten - While this thread is back at the top - I've been wondering if you noticed my follow-up on the C&P question.  I duplicated the error you get, and posted what I found out, in case it's helpful to you.

Randy B.

I already knew how to make it do it. I want it to do it right.

Alrighty then.  I thought perhaps you didn't know about clicking the track header since you said pasting was hit and miss, with you never knowing where the copy was going to be pasted.  At least I understand what you're talking about now.  The 2nd click is needed, in the header when selecting a clip directly instead of using the time line for your selection.

RB

Hi, I'm Chris Dunnett and I have been a Cakewalk user since 1994 and now have Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition. I am thrilled with the progress the programs have made over the years but having used many versions extensively, I do have some good suggestions for future updates/versions. I hope you will take these into consideration:
 
* Nuendo has a cool feature for zooming in/out but putting the cursor over the timeline and dragging up and down. I zoom in/out quite often and something like that would help
* An ability to bypass all plug ins at once would be GREAT for A/B comparisons. Often I have several plug ins on several drum tracks and have to bypass each and every one to A/B dry vs. processed. A global bypass would be very cool...as well as help with...
* A one click way to switch between "Record" mode and "Mix" mode. In other words, when recording I set latency to 4.0 ms but when mixing, I have to set it to 18 because of the amount of CPU the various plug ins take. Often while mixing, I'll decide to add a part or re-record something. So again, I usually bypass all or most of the plug ins and then change the latency. If there was a way to do all this in one click that would ROCK!!!
 
* Since Roland now owns Cakewalk...this may be more of a Roland issue but how about plug in versions of the FX from the Roland VS FX cards? Some of those FX are AWESOME! The algorithms are obviously written already so I would think that would not be difficult to do.
 
* I'm not sure if you are aware but (if the last tech guy I spoke with did as he said you should be aware...) that there is not enough room in the Inspector pane for a track to view the EQ plot if you have all the other fields in there as well...icons, panning, inputs etc...I'm not sure what the solution would be without making every thing else too small but it would be great to be able to fit everything in there. I know you can uncheck some items to hide them and then see the EQ plot but there should be a way to fit it all there?
 
* This was an old feature that I have requested brought back many times...the "info" window where you can type notes about the session etc...There used to be a little box on it that when checked, would make it automatically open when you open the session file. I know if you save the session with it open, it will be there when you re-open but, many times I had used that as a reminder of stuff when starting a session but it did not need to be open when I closed the session and therefore would not think of re-opening it to close the session. I would think this would be such an easy fix since it was there before and also something that if nobody else wanted, it wouldn't affect them?
 
* I don't believe there are any shortcuts for inserting plug ins? It would be great if there were. I use Melodyne quite often and a few other regulars and it would cool to be able to add them with fewer clicks/scrolls
 
* I know you can organize plug ins by type (although I confess, I need to explore this more) but, is there a way to organize them by usage or presets...for example, if I have a compressor preset I use for snare drum and save it as "my snare" in that plug in then have a reverb I use for snare and save it in another plug in as "snare reverb" is there a way to pull up any or all "snare" presets in various plug ins? This way all plug ins could be grouped or at least found based on the application.
 
As a faithful Cakewalk/Sonar user I wanted to voice these suggestions and again, hope you will consider them. I'm sure if they would be helpful for me that there are other users that they would benefit as well :). If nothing else, you can tell I use the program pretty extensively LOL. Cheers,
 
Musically yours,
Chris Dunnett
www.ChrisDunnett.com
www.MySpace.com/CountryRockerDude

An ability to bypass all plug ins at once would be GREAT for A/B comparisons. Often I have several plug ins on several drum tracks and have to bypass each and every one to A/B dry vs. processed. A global bypass would be very cool...as well as help with...

macthesword


Hi, I'm Chris Dunnett and I have been a Cakewalk user since 1994 and now have Sonar 8.5 Producer Edition. I am thrilled with the progress the programs have made over the years but having used many versions extensively, I do have some good suggestions for future updates/versions. I hope you will take these into consideration:

* Nuendo has a cool feature for zooming in/out but putting the cursor over the timeline and dragging up and down. I zoom in/out quite often and something like that would help
* An ability to bypass all plug ins at once would be GREAT for A/B comparisons. Often I have several plug ins on several drum tracks and have to bypass each and every one to A/B dry vs. processed. A global bypass would be very cool...as well as help with...

Hi,

you can bypass FX bin, right click in the FX bin and choose Bypass FX bin, or Bypass all FX bins of this type (global bypass).

For zooming in, try key shortcut "Z" (at least I have under Z), small magnifier will appear as a cursor, and then select the area of one or more clips you want to be zoomed in. then the selected area will stretch to the screen. use "back to previous view state", or something like this, to "undo" the zooming level.

Trying to build credible tracks with five thumbs in both hands, step recording and a collection of MIDI clips is very slow, tiresome and frustrating.
I think a lot could be done to help us non-musicians.
 
The first step could be the ability attach 'scripts' to notes in the PRV. These scripts might for example:

• add grace notes, hammer-ons, other embellishments
• enable different articulations 
• generate chord strums of different kind
• generate realistic vibrato
• create parametric drum patterns

I could write a VST plugin to do these things but I'd prefer it to be an integral part of the DAW.
 
The next step might be a plugin system to support custom track views to properly support editing of different kinds of scripted 'extended' MIDI events.
 
Again, a VST plugin could do this but and integrated solution would be better.
 
 

From the Sonar Help File.
Global effects bypass
SONAR allows you to globally bypass all audio effects in a project. You can also choose to only bypass effects of a specific category (track, bus or clip).
With global effects bypass, you can:
●
Quickly compare (A/B) a dry versus a wet mix.

●
Temporarily bypass all inline plug-in delay compensation (PDC) effects in order to avoid delay compensation induced latency while tracking virtual instruments or input monitored tracks.

●
Temporarily reduce CPU consumption.

SONAR also has the ability to bypass effects at a per-effect level (effects bypass) as well as at an effects bin level (bin bypass). Any existing effects and bin bypass states are preserved when you globally bypass and unbypass effects.
You can selectively unbypass individual effects while in this global bypass state, whick makes it easy to quickly audition a single effect within a mix.

 
Note: You can only globally bypass audio effects, not MIDI effects.
To globally bypass all effects in a project
●
Do one of the following:

○
On the Process menu, click Global Bypass Effects Bins.

○
Press CTRL+SHIFT+Y.

All FX bins in the active project are temporarily bypassed. To restore the bins to their original state, simply toggle the state of the Global Bypass Effects Bins option.

 
Note: The Global Bypass Effects Bins option is only a temporary toggle, and is not saved with the project.
To globally bypass all track, bus or clip effects
1.
Determine which type of effects you want to bypass (track, bus or clip), and make sure at least one corresponding FX bin is visible.

2.
Right-click the FX bin and select Bypass Bins Of This Type from the pop-up menu.

All FX bins of the same type as the source FX bin are globally bypassed. To restore the bins to their original state, simply toggle the state of the Bypass Bins Of This Type option

Just a couple things on my "wish list":

MIDI Source "NONE" that is actually "NONE" - this has been just plain stupid from way back when.
If I want OMNI I will select OMNI - NONE should mean NONE!
This has NEVER made any sense to me on any level.

I would LOVE to see another sort of... "layer" to the markers function.
Depending on where I am in the process of recording/comping/editing/mixing, it would be very helpful to have the ability to say, jump to "CHORUS 1" or "VAMP 2".
I know that ican be done with the current markers, but when I am editing, for example, MIDI data, i work in 4 or 8 bar chunks with little regard to what the actual section of the track is, but when mixing I prefer to get a section done at a time.
This may just be the way I work, and I may be the only one that works this way, but it would be very helpful to me and save me time relabelling markers as I proceed through a project.

I think the step sequencer could use some work too, it's rather awkward and feels very kludged-on the way it is now - as though it was a third-party app and not as integrated as it should be into the workflow.

And, as a few have pointed out, some more visual configuration options, without having to learn XML or some other coding.

...just my 2 cents, and probably not worth even that

MIDI Source "NONE" that is actually "NONE" - this has been just plain stupid from way back when. If I want OMNI I will select OMNI - NONE should mean NONE! This has NEVER made any sense to me on any level.

LOL what makes you think we will understand it if it did work right? Its been so long now that none doesn't mean none that we would be lost it really was none. Its like CW is saying you guys really want none? How quaint!

An Arpeggiator pattern Editor.
 
An improved Staff view, some of us understand notation and struggle with piano rolls ! Ability to specify dynamics which affect output would be very useful. Ability to mute notes in staff view as well.
 
Ability to specify Keyboard cords in much the same way that guitar chords can be specified, and an ability to customise and create your own.
 
A metronome which understands compound time correctly e.g. 6/8 actually has two beats in the bar.  Currently metronome generates six beats with emphasis on the first beat. I would like it to correctly generate two beats with 4 much quieter sub-beats as an option.
 
Ability to directly specify default note velocity, Sonar drives me mad with it's assumptions sometimes.
 
Ability to include buses when performing actions such as delete, at the moment this can not be done correctly.
 
Option to prevent buses, feeding a bus being mono'ed from being mono'ed themselves as this screws up all the metering.
Also a mono button on main output buses.
BTW My obsession with mono is that I always check my mixes in mono to ensure phase issues etc don't cause instruments to disappear etc.
 
Ability to customise all track envelope colours, also option to make nodes snap to boundaries like notes. Less tedious envelope editing.
 
Better transport control:-
 

Ability to specify where YOU want the end of the project to be as a marker.
 

Ability to specify skip points with markers (useful to hear what a piece would sound like if you delete a section, or perhaps if you want to create an edited version).

 

Ability to have multiple loops with markers. i.e play this section twice etc. Maybe also specify Codas, Segno etc.

 

More Jazz Patterns with Session Drummer, we don't all write hip hop ! Infact more awareness of Jazz in the product overall.
 
There are probably many more, but overall I like what we have already.
 
 

 
 

I should have said "Also a mono button on the Main outputs"
 
I currently get around these mono issues using the "Channel Tools" audio effect on an appropriate bus and setting it to the mono preset.  I then turn the effect on or off as needed.
 
Sonar's mono/stereo button behaviour on busses seems a bit weird to me.

beejeh
 
A metronome which understands compound time correctly e.g. 6/8 actually has two beats in the bar.
 
Currently metronome generates six beats with emphasis on the first beat. I would like it to correctly generate two beats with 4 much quieter sub-beats as an option.

 
I agree that the metronome should accent the 1st and 4th beats, otherwise it feels like 6/4 instead of 6/8.  But if you just need two accents, then simply set the metronome to 2/2 or 2/4 and the same click for all beats.  6/8 has two accents, yes, but it does not have two beats per measure.
 

Also a mono button on main output buses.
BTW My obsession with mono is that I always check my mixes in mono to ensure phase issues etc don't cause instruments to disappear etc.

 
Unless you're using a surround setup (or other complex setup), you could simply create a Sub Bus, but route everything to a Master Bus. 
 
Then you can simply press the interleave button found in the Master Bus to check for mono compatibility.
 

Ability to customise all track envelope colours, also option to make nodes snap to boundaries like notes. Less tedious envelope editing.

 
You can customize envelope's colors in two ways:

1. Via Color Scheme presets (Option::Colors...).
2. When inserting an envelope for a plugin, you have the option to change its color.

 
Envelopes do snap to boundaries just like notes as long as you have the correct settings in the Snap to Grid window.  Make sure the mode is set to "Move To" and that the magnetic strength is set to "High".  Then use the envelope tool ("E") to edit envelopes.  It will make your life MUCH easier.
 
 
HTH
 
 
 

I mentioned the Sub Bus because I didn't know how you route your Tracks/Busses, since everyone has their own setup.  But anyway, since you route everything to the Master Bus, then you should expect the levels to increase when switching the Bus' interleave to mono.  That is normal behaviour since you are summing the left and right channels, and thus creating an increase of ~3dB in level (depending on the panning law).  There's nothing wrong with how Sonar is handling this.

beejeh


An Arpeggiator pattern Editor.
 
An improved Staff view, some of us understand notation and struggle with piano rolls ! Ability to specify dynamics which affect output would be very useful. Ability to mute notes in staff view as well.
 
Ability to specify Keyboard cords in much the same way that guitar chords can be specified, and an ability to customise and create your own.
 
A metronome which understands compound time correctly e.g. 6/8 actually has two beats in the bar.  Currently metronome generates six beats with emphasis on the first beat. I would like it to correctly generate two beats with 4 much quieter sub-beats as an option.
 
Ability to directly specify default note velocity, Sonar drives me mad with it's assumptions sometimes.
 
Ability to include buses when performing actions such as delete, at the moment this can not be done correctly.
 
Option to prevent buses, feeding a bus being mono'ed from being mono'ed themselves as this screws up all the metering.
Also a mono button on main output buses.
BTW My obsession with mono is that I always check my mixes in mono to ensure phase issues etc don't cause instruments to disappear etc.
 
Ability to customise all track envelope colours, also option to make nodes snap to boundaries like notes. Less tedious envelope editing.
 
Better transport control:-
 

Ability to specify where YOU want the end of the project to be as a marker.
 

Ability to specify skip points with markers (useful to hear what a piece would sound like if you delete a section, or perhaps if you want to create an edited version).

 

Ability to have multiple loops with markers. i.e play this section twice etc. Maybe also specify Codas, Segno etc.

 

More Jazz Patterns with Session Drummer, we don't all write hip hop ! Infact more awareness of Jazz in the product overall.
 
There are probably many more, but overall I like what we have already.
 
 


+100 for Staff and Jazz Awareness
 

Ok, yes I agree about the 3 db increase, but ONLY on the bus called master, i'd expect the other buses to remain in stereo at their normal levels i.e. Sonar should only sum the left and right channels of the bus called master if I change it's interleave to mono. If I set the main mix on my hardware mixer to mono, it does not set all my subgroups to mono so why should Sonar behave the way it does ?