Hi guys, here's a slightly geeky gripe I suppose, but I work with a lot of clients and many other studios and DAWs, and I find the Sonar X3e export and bounce options limited.

For instance, why should one have to export Mono and Stereo tracks separately? Would anyone else agree that a simple "Export Tracks As Is.." option would be handy in the Export Audio menu?
 
I'd also like to see a system whereby one has the option of exporting the entire mix as separate tracks by playing the song in realtime, with the DAW recording each track's OUTPUT to a new wav file in a target folder. Why you ask? Because often a bounced or offline track sounds quite different to one playing in realtime, especially if you're dealing with plugins that are not very forgiving in the headroom dept. The realtime playback almost always sounds better.
 
ProFools has probably the best exporting options - can't be hard to just emulate it, surely?
 
I am going to make a feature request, but some support on this would be a good indication as to whether others want it too. Also, any other export options anyone can suggest?
 
Best,
 
Ludwig
 
 

I would love an option where discreet tracks would bounce down or out as separate tracks...making the rendering portion of pre-mixing a single process. Even if it had to do it sequentially and take a while it would be fine. But having to select each track, AND it's corresponding soft synth audio track...well it gets a little old.
 
Which reminds me, if nothing else, for the love of Pete please make selecting a MIDI portion of a soft synth track smart enough to include it's audio portion!! We don't all use instrument tracks, and we don't all use freeze. This item alone would make me very happy.

For instance, why should one have to export Mono and Stereo tracks separately? Would anyone else agree that a simple "Export Tracks As Is.." option would be handy in the Export Audio menu?
 

 
Yes that'd be handy
 

I'd also like to see a system whereby one has the option of exporting the entire mix as separate tracks by playing the song in realtime, with the DAW recording each track's OUTPUT to a new wav file in a target folder. Why you ask? Because often a bounced or offline track sounds quite different to one playing in realtime, especially if you're dealing with plugins that are not very forgiving in the headroom dept. The realtime playback almost always sounds better.
 

 
If I'm understanding you correctly you already can.
 
Select "Tracks" from the source category.
Select required tracks from the source/buss track list.
Set required options
Set target directory in the file browser section
Uncheck "Fast Bounce"
Select "Audible Bounce"
Select "Export"
 
 
HTH
 

Comparing PT and others, IIRC, fast bounce was a novelty in some recent update of PT, whereas others had had it for over ten years already. So, all  softwares take steps forward, but the steps are very different.

+1 for Wicked's post.
 
Funnily enough, the more I mix, the less I use Fastbouce. It sounds different and is full of unknowns and inconsistencies, including sometimes not including a track or synth in the mix. Probably a reason why others have left it off their menu. Most big shot engineers still swear by a live mixdown - and I can hear the difference too, even when just looping the output through my external interface back onto a stereo track. It's like the plugins sound better in realtime.. maybe the DAW is more forgiving when it has "momentum".
 
As for Audible Bounce, where does that file actually get rendered from? And is the DAW playing the track and recording it, or just giving the user an audio monitor feature? Can anyone at Cakewalk give some insight into this? I'd appreciate it for sure!
 

FastBikerBoy

I'd also like to see a system whereby one has the option of exporting the entire mix as separate tracks by playing the song in realtime, with the DAW recording each track's OUTPUT to a new wav file in a target folder...

 
If I'm understanding you correctly you already can.
 
Select "Tracks" from the source category.
Select required tracks from the source/buss track list...

 
I didn't realise until now that selecting the "Tracks" option when exporting resulted in separate output files for each track. I wish I'd known about it earlier. I had no idea.
 
And similarly with buses, which is even more useful.

We have had export tracks and buses independently forever - Several versions ago.
Realtime bounce is unnecessary in most cases since it produces identical results to fast bounce. You can test it yourself by phase inverting and playing it back with the original session.
 
All audible bounce does is tee off the final mix to the audio device. It has no effect on actual bounce.
The mono and stereo options are provided to allow exporting to stereo or mono wave files. Its not an uncommon requirement.

Noel, is it not possible to make have Sonar intelligently export Mono as Mono and Stereo as Stereo? It would save an awful amount of time.
 
But I can let you hear examples of where bouncing a clip sounds different to playing it out live. It might a plugin issue, but it happens..

You mean when source category is tracks or buses? It is possible but would need a new auto mode since some people may still want to force one type or the other. Send in a feature request.
Regarding sounding different it would definitely be a plugin issue. You should complain to your plugin vendor...
That's the only reason we have realtime bounce :)

Regarding sounding different it would definitely be a plugin issue. You should complain to your plugin vendor...

Fast bounces can fail through no fault of the plugin vendor. If you're low on RAM, sample-based virtual instruments can become garbled. I've seen this most often with Omnisphere, but occasionally with Kontakt as well. The bounce/export will complete with no indication of a problem, so you won't know the audio's been scrambled until you subsequently listen to it.
 
That's why I routinely use the slow bounce, since it almost never has a problem (the one exception: automation of Sampletank 2.5 once failed with a slow bounce but worked OK with the fast bounce).