This is my first post. I could read the manuals but need better advice from real users.
I am trying to do a series of educational videos. I have barely a musical bone in my body but can play something of a flute and can keep rhythm on an acoustic drum. Thrilled at the possibilities ahead.
 
Sonar was recommended but there are so many sonar products. With a limited budget, where can I enter at the best price to meet my needs.
My questions. Does sonar support video import MOV or AVI. There are also effects that can be purchased for a greater price than the recorder itself. With a need for very basic effects, does Sonar include these or would I have to invest heavily into a black hole with other companies.
Namaste
Jyotishvarii
 
 

Here's a comparison of each edition's features: http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Versions
 
Here's a little demo showing video features under SONAR 8.5, which is an older version but the new one's very similar.

Welcome to the forum. Can you expand on what you mean by making educational videos? Specifically,
 
1) How are you recording? Screen captures, camera, etc. Have you tested capture already with a free program?
2) How are you recording audio? Do you have an audio interface? Have you tested this method already using a free voice program?
3) Are you also adding music (background) tracks? I.e., are you planning on more than the vocal track?
4) How much experience do you have with recording/editing/assembling videos?
 
SONAR is geared for audio, so video requires a bit more. Your intended usage is more important than simply asking which version of SONAR. There are free programs out (and trials of the not free ones) specifically geared for video.
 
 

The help is good from both of you.
Recording video is with a good quality Olympus camera saving to the MOV format. Audio to this time has been only with the camera mic. I do have a Sony editor that can align video with computer recorded sound which would be a voice track and at most an additional soft recording of a flute. My purpose is more to get a good quality audio two track mix requiring minimal processing. I have a decent mic and a preamp but will for awhile rely on the Realtek PC card before investing in an external audio hardware.
I am quite new at this but do have a friend who knows his way around the Sonar program if our schedules in life could connect.

Thank you for the clarification. Are you referring to Sony Vegas? I have not used that but "assume" that it records audio. Have you tried recording audio there? When you mention "minimal processing" I wonder if that you may already have what you need.

On a cell here, so apologies for the curt response.

You may want to edit your initial post and title it "Video workflow recommendations?" and move the detail of what you are trying to achieve into that initial post. There are quite a few Sony Vegas users here that do what you are intending on a daily basis - it will help to focus the title and first post to get them to read and offer advice.

My video software is the lesser of the Sony products Home Studio Platinum 12.  I had been told at one point that the on board audio effects were not up to a professional standard and thus to record audio in a better software. Sonar was recommended. Video support in Sonar is nice but not essential.
 
I do have two questions and then promise to download the demo and to read the manual.
 
There are a lot of discussions here about effects from third party sources. Do you feel that the effects included in Sonar out of the box are up to a professional standard or is Sonar and entry point needing a lot of further expenses. My needs right now would be tone control and reverberation and possibly an echo and light flange for the flute.
 
Part of my project is to include audio clips of voice recorded in the 1940s and 50s. The quality is terrible. Does Sonar have an audio restoration function. The passages will never be pristine but anything will help.
 
Jyoti

The plugins included with SONAR are more than adequate. As with many things, it is not always the tool that makes the difference, but the proficiency of the user. There are also numerous free vst plugs on KVR, most do "one task" and are rated by users, so you can try out things without having to invest extra money. As with anything, asking others is a good way to learn.
 
Regarding audio restoration, SONAR does not have native ability to do that in any depth (in particular, being able to remove noise based upon a noise print capture). iZotope RX and Adobe Audition are probably the two best for this particular purpose (neither are free), and the best free option is probably ReaFir (part of Reaper's Plugin Pack - which are usable in any DAW).
 
As you are working with only a couple of tracks for audio, SONAR Home Studio may be all that you need.
 
As far as audio restoration, how much audio do you need to fix? I have Adobe Audition, and can take a stab at one of them for you if you want to see how much can be done with them. The actual noise removal for consistent noise is simple, it is repairing transient noise that is more involved.

Mettelus and Bitflipper,
My thanks again and to Mettelus for hanging in there with me and for advice that rings true. I think you have given what is needed for me to move forward with this. Good karma comes back to those who share their knowledge and reach out to help.
My tapes are copies of copies of old discourses on deteriorating cassettes and in very bad shape. Wow and flutter and dropouts. Dogs barking, babies crying, cars honking and people coughing and sneezing as the talks are delivered. Parts are unintelligible. The media is not currently here in America but with my family overseas. I have requested it to be sent and when it arrives may take up your offer and bug you to see if any level of restoration is possible.
 
Jyotishvarii

Hey Jyotishvarii,
 
Hope you got this sorted out. Just a couple comments...
I had the same type situation some time ago. Trying to restore degraded lectures from the tape era.
Bitflipper took a copy of my files and did an excellent job with Izotrope. Requires expenses however.
 
Saw the reply from Mellatus, and amazed at how much good advice can be contained in a single post.
 
Without Adobe Audition of Izotrope, the same noise leveling abilities are definitely with the free Reaper plugins as advised. Sonar will pick up ReaFir as a vst extension at no extra cost. As Mellatus said, constant noise is the critical factor. Adobe, Reafir or whatever needs to sample the noise floor. This will require a section of the tape recording, optimally 2 seconds at least to analyze what is to be removed. If there are dogs barking and babies crying, you do not want to use that section or the removal profile will include good data as well.
 
When applying Reafir, even under the best of conditions, you will lose some of the basic audio. The plugin allows you to back off the intensity of the effect, preview and then commit for the best balance.
 
Only thing I would add to the excellent expert advice already given.
 
Once everything is cleaned up as good as possible, you can go back in and add some harmonic content that may have been sacrificed. Artificial, but can make some of the recordings more legible with a bit of experimentation.
 
Harmonic generators are either costly, or the free ones which narrow onto one band. This may or may not be helpful. Better minds than mine may have better alternatives, but Bootsy's ThrillseekerEXC can rebuild some of the audio taken out by ReaFir. Free and download from here:
 
https://freevstblog.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/thrillseekerxtc-vos/
 
Best of luck with your restoration project.
 
John

Thank you John