Very new to Sonar artist, where to start?

Hello Everyone, I am very new to this, and I've been clicking around on my new program for about 5 hours now... and I have figured out close to nothing..  LOL.
 
Is there any place I can get basic how to videos?
thanks for all the help
something I noticed too, when I playback a recording that I have recorded, the "bar" that moves across the track isnt matching up to whats being played out? I recorded a 12 second test vocal track, but it only shows up as a 6 second track. any reason for that? it will play the whole track, but on blank space inside the track scroller.

You can also search on Google.  Everything in the manual can be found there.  You could print it out, but that thing is like 2,000 pages!!
 
When I started with Cakewalk I just picked a few basic things to learn, such as how to record audio or how to record midi.  Then when I felt comfortable with them I started adding other tasks such as how to add effects to audio or how to edit midi.  The truth is SONAR is a VERY DEEP program, but the basics are easy to learn and if you give yourself a few days you'll be able to do quite a lot.
 
Lastly, don't give up!!  Come here whenever you need help, the guys on this forum are very helpful, and every problem I've ever brought here has been resolved.
 
Best of luck to you with your music!! 

Welcome to the forum Cseybert. This forum will be at your side as you learn Sonar. It may seem daunting at first but it will get better over time. It is worth the work needed to become proficient with it. This forum can help you get over the parts that you get stuck on.  
 
Sonar comes with a manual and an extensive help system.  Don't neglect them.  

cseybert
Thank you all!
 
      I really appreciate all the help, And I will really try to exhaust all googling before I come here. I'm thinking the "white play bar" that goes across the channel that's playing is tied to the Metronome somehow, whenever I change the tempo, the whole track time changes, which shortens or lengthens my audio recording.
 
I really wish I would have listened to the Amazon reviews that said "DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU ARE NEW TO RECORDING" LOL, I am not THAT new to recording, but what I was using before (freeware like Audacity) is like playhouse compared to this.... however, I have a lot of work to do.
 
Thanks again!

It is not shortening or lengthining the actual recorded audio. The audio you recorded is "fixed"... as in it is a set duration of time (so if you recorded 2 minutes that audio "clip" will always be 2 minutes unless you do some fancy alterations to it that allow it to be time "stretched/warped").
 
So that clip will (if unaltered) will have it's own tempo. That would be whatever tempo you, yourself, play it on your instrument as. So if I record a guitar clip at 120bpm... that clip is 120bpm (unless I manipulate it using fancy audio stretching tools).
 
What happens is if you change the tempo in Sonar then the PROJECT tempo changes but your audio clip does not. So it may look like the your clip is getting longer/shorter but what is actually happening is that the "Timeline" in Sonar is stretching or contracting thus making the audio clip take up more or less measures on the timeline.
 
Soooooo... you should be deciding on a tempo for your song BEFORE recording your audio tracks then using the Metronome feature in Sonar to record to. Stick with that tempo throughout the project.
 
You CAN use some of the more advanced feature in Sonar to make it so that audio clips will follow tempo changes (this would normally be done by converting the audio clips into "Groove Clips" or using other time stretching methods) BUT whenever possible you should record live audio at the tempo you want the final product to be in (because stretching digital audio can cause "artifacts" which is essentially audible glitches that are unpleasant and need to be managed/mitigated).
 
Everything I typed above pertains to "audio" clips. Now if you are recording "MIDI" clips that are feeding "Virtual Instruments" then the MIDI clips WILL expand and contract to your tempo changes and then trigger the synths their feeding at the new tempo. That is because that is all done inside the computer and MIDI clips are merely instructions that are much more felxible than real world audio (like a guitar or vocal track recorded with a mic or live input).
 
As for learning the program... Star by opening Sonar and pressing F1. This will open the Help files/Reference Guide. Navigate to the very beginning of these files and look for the "Tutorials". There are a series of tutorials that will walk you through all the common functions in Sonar using content Cakewalk provided with your download/install (if you installed everything correctly).
 
Once you have completed those then you will have a better understanding of how things work. Then I also highly recommend taking a look at the Youtube vids posted above by JonD as well as taking a good long look at the CakeTV section of this site.
 
Good luck and don't feel weird about asking questions here. The only thing is you'll get a lot further if you do these tuts and learn the basic concepts and terminology first (as best you can). That makes it easier to ask questions and have us understand what you are asking.
 
Good luck... and welcome.

Thanks again guys, I have made a short video explaining my  whole "now time" bar issue
 
as you can see in the vid, as im recording the bar moves faster than the recording, and during playback, same thing.
 
I hope this makes it clearer... :D
 
oops, can I not post youtube links?
 
 

cseybert
Thanks again guys, I have made a short video explaining my  whole "now time" bar issue
 
as you can see in the vid, as im recording the bar moves faster than the recording, and during playback, same thing.
 
I hope this makes it clearer... :D
 
oops, can I not post youtube links?
 
 

Nope. Not until you have 25 posts.
 
Please list your system specifications (including your audio interface, operating system, Sonar version, etc).
 
Could just be a graphical glitch or you are misinterpreting what is happening.

It seems like a graphical glitch of some kind. Does it record what it should?
It will be easier to give advice when we know your setup / specs.
All the best.
 

I was just doing a voice over type thing to test, I am using my headset mic right now, because my other mic is not here yet, I am very aware that this might be WAY too much for what I am trying to do, basically just record and edit my songs, really mostly acoustic type stuff, maybe mixed with video.
 
system specs:
windows 10 64-bit
AMD fx-8120 CPU 8core
8 GB ram
all running from single SSD
 
using WDM/KS Driver Mode
 
hopefully once I get my new mic it will support asio?
 
thanks again all!
 
 
 

Ps. Your pc is very much up for the task
 

Heh... yeah unfortunately there's a few hoops to jump through at first to get set up properly with a DAW but once you do... well then I guess there's a bunch more hoops to jump through... but with any luck they're much more fun/interesting hoops because you are making music/getting things done.
 
Cheers.