To Those Who Find Sonar Overwhelming...

...here's a little story.
 
It’s the early 90s, and you’re about to do your first album. Amazingly, you’re given a price of a mere $4,000 to record an album from start to finish—with unlimited studio time!—in a world-class recording facility. You can’t believe your good fortune.
 
You walk into the studio, and see two 48-track Sony DASH machine synched together for a whopping 96 tracks, feeding into a giant console with more channels than you can count. What’s more, there’s per-channel automation with moving faders and behind the console is a wall of rack mount gear with dozens of sophisticated signal processors. Even better, there are several guitar amps, cabinets, stomp boxes, and over 20 synthesizers and other keyboards sitting around to help flesh out your tracks further.
 
Of course, you’re thrilled...until the person who let you in says “Well, gotta go. Good luck!” And there you are, all by yourself, with a mountain of equipment you’ve never seen before. You’re not even sure where the on-off switch is.
 
Panic sets in. How can you possibly record, let alone be productive or inspired, under those circumstances?
 
Well, you can’t. But the studio scenario I’ve just described is almost exactly what you get with a Windows computer and Sonar X3. Panic sets in. How can you possibly record, let alone be productive, under those circumstances?
 
Well, you can’t, any more than you can walk into a music store, buy a guitar, and expect to play like Jimi Hendrix by next Tuesday. So it’s no wonder many people are flying blind. How any times have you seen threads like “This software sucks! It doesn’t record!”—until the person realized you need to record-enable a track first. What’s more, today’s musicians have to struggle with operating systems, latency, sample buffers, and more. How are you going to become an instant expert on something like how to apply EQ?
 
People used to accumulate knowledge over time. I see people with hundreds of plug-ins who haven’t mastered any of them. So learn one dynamics processor, one multiband EQ, and one reverb—you’re covered for 90% of your signal processing needs. Learn a program’s basics, like input and outputs. Eventually, you’ll figure out automation.
 
You don’t learn how to play an instrument in a day, a week, or even a year. So cut yourself some slack, and expect to take some time to learn how to “play” a virtual studio, too. It's not Sonar's fault, and it's not your fault. You're not trying to learn a program; you're trying to learn the equivalent of what used to be a multi-million dollar recording studio.

I don't find Sonar X3 to be overwhelming at all, because I've been reading Scott Garrigus's series of Power books and they explain the program very well. Many things carry over from one Sonar version to another. I was pretty fluent with X1 and X2, so when X3 came out it was no problem, and everything went very smooth for me. Now I'm planning to take some time and read up on X3...because I know it'll help me get the most out of X3. As with most things in life, you get out what you put in to it...taking some time to learn the program will stick with you for life. 

Excellent post Craig. In the beginning I was reluctant to leave my trusty old Akai DPS24 for computer based recording. I had tried Cubase SX1 or 3...? I forget but long story short it was a nightmare and turned me off instantly. Then some time later Sonar LE came bundled with a piece of hardware I bought so I decided to give it another shot. I was amazed at how easy Sonar was to start recording with compared to that version of Cubase. Although I've tried a few other DAWS over the years Sonar remains my number one companion (Well aside form my Wife that is... ) not only because I think it's great software and sounds incredibly good, but also because of how easy it is to use.

I think Mr. Anderton is primarily thinking in terms of new users to DAWs in general.  

In a different post I've described my 'Way Of The DAW' from its humble beginnings using atari ST512 with midi only.

Back then it was still bewildering learning midi cc, sysex, patch changes etc, with only the manual (my notator manual was a good 2-3 inches thick if I recall).
 
I can imagine that anyone using the most basic DAW today will encounter a bewlidering array of options.... at least the internet is about to provide places like this, you tube tutorials, et al

That is  a great post, Mr. Craig Anderton!
 
I, especially, like and find applicable, to me, the advice on learning to use plug in effects. I think it's really useful and valuable to have access to video tutorials covering DAW related stuff such as using effects plug ins and even using your DAW software of choice. There really is so much involved in music production through using a PC based DAW, and big parts of it involve being an efficient PC operator/maintenance guy, the audio/recording engineer, as well as assuming the increasingly more common role of being the instrument performer/artist for multiple instruments. Assuming these multiple roles are a manifestation of being even more than a one man band!
 
In view of all of this, I find DAW related video tutorials to be very valuable and very helpful to take on the endeavor of music production using a PC based DAW. I am so glad for video tutorials. :)
 

Like serious -way to put it in perspective Craig
Personally, I've been at this since 1987 after attending the great "Recording Workshop" in Chillicothe, Ohio and I'm still always learning something new.
 
Yes indeed - it takes time and lot's of hands-on and making mistakes - but keep trying and learning and making more mistakes, etc... 

John
I think Mr. Anderton is primarily thinking in terms of new users to DAWs in general.  

Yes, I wrote that because of the many threads where people are having problems with even the most basic elements of getting a DAW to work, like recording or setting interface parameters. A lot of these people are clearly in over their heads, so I wanted them to realize they're undertaking the process of "piloting a 747," and it's going to take a while to figure things out.
 
It seems particularly relevant because Sonar X3 is getting such a strong "buzz" that it's picking up new people to not just the program, but DAWs in general. I thought they might be encouraged by a little perspective on the situation.

Edited - I had a bunch of stuff written, but really Mr Anderton's post and the above additional posts already say what I had written, so never mind.
 
Have a BLAST with Sonar.  It's a lifetime process of doing, redoing, and learning to do better, with challenges and frustrations and great happiness along the way.
 
Bob Bone
 

Having somewhat limited experience with other DAWs (and the previous one I used extensively was very old) I gotta ask the more seasoned/well rounded folks...
 
Am I mistaken in the impression that Sonar X series is a completely different animal compared to some of the other major players? Based on my limited experience and many video tuts that employed these other platforms they all seem to share some very similar themes and procedures.
 
I'm just wondering because I know when I first started with Sonar it seemed like everything was kind of strange and confusing until I learned my way around things. Personally I think once those growing pains are done with it's actually more intuitive, especially with X3, but I feel perhaps that is what trips a lot of newcomers up. I mean we even see a ton of pre X series users flipping out about how radically different things are until they figure things out and start singing it's praises.
 
I may have had a bit of an advantage in the sense that I was, for all real intents and purposes, a n00b so I wasn't breaking years or decades long habits when I made the switch. I think I would freak out much worse than an old timer engineer trying Sonar the first time if I was trying to do stuff on one of the more "traditional" DAWs. A perfect example is how busses are handle in some of those other programs. That crap just looks annoying as all heck.
 
Also Sonar users seem to have a MAJOR advantage as far as free learning resources. The company really does seem to provide what you'd have to spend thousands on college courses to learn about the other programs... and then there is this forum which is the fastest moving of all the company provided discussion boards.
 
Meh... just some thoughts and queries from a "n00b". I've only been at it two years and those two years have been filled with MASSIVE distractions which kept interrupting my studies but I really have no problems accomplishing anything with Sonar now. If I stumble I just do a google search. If that fails I annoy you guys. It always gets done though.

Hi, Brundle. The user's manual does need some serious editing by someone with the patience and obsessive nature to comb through everything contained in it step by step. There are quite a few inaccuracies and redundancies. I think it could be trimmed down by at least a few hundred pages if not a full thousand.
 
I made it to about page 700 of the X2 manual before life started getting the better of me and I had to stop but even in that first third it was very apparent it could be trimmed, cleaned up and generally explained better. Not to say it isn't useful but it is quite unnecessarily cumbersome.
 
At this point I think Mr. Karl Rose would be the best choice for such a review/edit. That guy just seems to have a knack for peeking in every single corner of things and loves doing it. Some might say "What about Scott? What about Craig? What about Eli?" but they all have more "just get you there" styles and a lot of other crap on their plates. Karl rips crap completely apart without unnecessary opinion, suggestion or subjectivity and it is extremely linear. Not to say "just get you there" isn't a great quality for tutorials or other learning resources and all those dudes are awesome but a manual is meant to be dry, concise and thorough. I think Karl could pull it off and clean things up to make the manual much more useful.
 
But that's JMO.

Great post.  
 
People don't usually *start* learning to fly in a 747 though.   They start in a Cessna or something.  I think a lot of 'complexity' too many features that get in the way of the 'basics'.  Of course users WANT all the features (or think they do) so it's a tough balance. 
 
I think one of the big challenges in DAW software is offering enough capability and features and balancing the level of the user interface to not overwhelm.   Seems like as soon as the UI gets in the way you really loose that creative energy.  Less of an issue if you're producing, more if you're the artist AND the producer at the same time.
 
(Sidebar:  One of the reasons I still miss P5 was that it's UI was so unobtrusive that it never got in the way of creativity.   At some point though, it started lacking the extra 'features' and I would move it into SONAR.)
 
Anyway, great post.  We all need to slow down sometimes and learn instead of struggling and forcing it.
 
 

Your entire post is outstanding Craig...
 
These following quote is something even the seasoned user can remind themselves of...

Anderton
I see people with hundreds of plug-ins who haven’t mastered any of them. So learn one dynamics processor, one multiband EQ, and one reverb—you’re covered for 90% of your signal processing needs.

 
The quote below (from the same paragraph) is something every beginner needs to take the time to learn...

Anderton
Learn a program’s basics, like input and outputs. Eventually, you’ll figure out automation.

 
 

One thing worth mentioning - Everyone learns differently. Each student is unique. 
In the olden days we punished students who were  "slow" learners and put them in a corner with a "dunce" hat on. We now have learning assistance specialists that can optimize each students abilities. Lets just say there might be around a dozen learning personality types. 
 
So with that in mind, we will have a few people who can read a book or watch a video and comprehend it and learn, but more than a few people who cannot. These people will be the most frustrated. I am among the lucky ones who can get a lot from a well written instruction book, but be kind to those who struggle..their's is a much harder road to understanding.  
 
Good post Craig,, and a huge +1 to the age old wisdom of " learn how to walk before you run". I have not gone beyond using 6 EFX's and 4 soft synth's because that's all the time I have for learning new "instruments". I'd rather work on my Mandolin chops...
 
 
 

Cactus Music
 I have not gone beyond using 6 EFX's and 4 soft synth's because that's all the time I have for learning new "instruments". I'd rather work on my Mandolin chops...
 

...and i bet your music is better because of that   A well-played mandolin is a joy.