I'm at my wits' end, please help.
 
I've read elsewhere about many chronic exporting issues and now am having them myself. I'm running mastering software on my master bus that shows my RMS at around -9. That should be comparable to commercial music. My tracks sound great in Sonar - full of punch, no clipping, sounds great on my studio speakers. My instrument tracks are all sent to my master bus. My master bus volume is a -0.
 
However, when I export, the .wav is about half as loud as other .wavs. Nothing about the way I've set up my track says the track should be at whisper volume. If anything, the way it hums on my system, it should possibly be too loud. I've even toyed with turning all my system and interface volumes up to see if that would have an effect, but nothing. It's like Sonar just ignores all the processing and plug-ins when mixing down.
 
We're not talking just a little quiet, we're talking I have to turn the volume up twice as high to hear it the same as commercial tracks.
 
Is there some quirk to Sonar or exporting that I'm missing? I'm so fed up I'm about to switch to another DAW.

Just to be sure, I took the exported track that I measured at -9, inserted the .wav into a new Sonar file, and measured using the same mastering software. The .wav was playing at -19, had severe distortion and clipping that wasn't present in the mix I created, and ran several BPM slower than what I had produced. I'm starting to think that Sonar doesn't produce viable .wavs, which would make the program a waste of time. But hopefully I'm just missing something. Anyone have some ideas?

Not sure what is going on but I can assure you Sonar is perfectly capable of producing viable wave files. There would be uproar on the boards if that wasn't the case - probably led by me.
 
Having said that Sonar also has a very versatile export system so it is easy to get settings wrong for what you are trying to do.
 
First thing I do if I'm exporting a whole project is to press Ctrl+Shift+A which deselects everything. For export purposes that will ensure the whole project is exported as opposed to a selection which might not be the whole thing.
 
For the whole mix the "Entire Mix" option from  "Source category" is probably the best option but make sure that the choice in the Source Busses/Tracks pane is correct.
 
Set your other format options as required and make sure "Wave" is selected as file type. That should get you sorted, you might be exporting a different buss to your master buss or group of tracks.

If the exported file ran slower, then you have a sample rate mismatch somewhere, to start with. 
It's 100% sure SONAR produces high-pro quality stuff when used correctly, no question about it.
It's actually a bit silly to even doubt it, but I understand your frustration. I've never read about chronic export issues, and I've never experienced any during my 20 year CW-use. IMO, export has always been a very straight forward and simple process. Then again, I'm still on 8.5.
 
Does your export process include dithering etc? What is the project sample rate and to what sample rate are you exporting? What is your exact workflow for export? What is the mastering software you are using? We should know what you're doing in order to start trouble shooting.
 
I assume there was no FX in the new project where you opened the exported file? (It's happened to many that they accidentally double-process)

Not sure if this is a bug, how it works, or just some wrong setting but I just went through something very similar... long story short I found that the "entire mix" export seemed to be very quiet versus selecting to export "bus output" (or something like that, going from memory) and choosing "Master" as the only bus selected seemed to produce a wav file with volumes exactly as the master bus meters displayed. Might be something very simple I (and possibly you) have set wrong but there is a definite big difference in the two where I would have thought those two options would yield the same results...

chrisby
Not sure if this is a bug, how it works, or just some wrong setting but I just went through something very similar... long story short I found that the "entire mix" export seemed to be very quiet versus selecting to export "bus output" (or something like that, going from memory) and choosing "Master" as the only bus selected seemed to produce a wav file with volumes exactly as the master bus meters displayed. Might be something very simple I (and possibly you) have set wrong but there is a definite big difference in the two where I would have thought those two options would yield the same results...

(Not saying that there couldn't be a bug somewhere, but) it depends on what you have in the project. If every track in the project is routed through Master Bus, then AFAIK "Entire Mix" and "Master" as the source should give identical results. If anything is routed directly out from track, they're different, if there's any FX in the Master Bus or if the output level of the individual tracks (not going through Master) are different from that of the Master.

I normally export using the master buss only. I have never been surprised by doing that. My sample rate is the same as I record at, 44.1kh. Bit depth is 24 bits. Dither is on. I also have all effects on as well. And I usually export to wave.
 
The exported file is exactly what I heard before I exported. It has the very same meter reading too.  

You obviously have some routing issues if this is happening to you. Sonar will not change the level of your sound and it will not change the sound of your track/song hen exporting. The only way it will do this is if you tell it to, but having a level or export property configuration set up that way.
 
Make sure your routing is like this:
All Tracks go to the Master Bus
All Sends on the track level (if you have them) go to a bus.
All Buses go to the Master Bus
The Master Bus goes to the Main Outs
 
Exporting Properties that will yield a mix exactly how it sounds in Sonar, when your Routing is correct.
Make sure you select 'Entire Mix' or 'Main Outs' as the source in the export properties.
Dither can be any of the POW's
If you are burning to a CD, select 16bit and 44.1kHz as you bit rate and sample rate.
 
There you go,
CJ
 

Just to follow up on the above few posts... I'm not at my DAW but while I'm not 100% sure I have all tracks routed to (or ultimately routed to via busses) the Master I'm about 99% sure. Plus I really don't think that would be it as it appears there is some weird limiting going on. I have a limiter set at -.2db  last in the chain on the master bus. The mix is such that it is not constantly engaged (but when I look at the wav file the limit is clearly visible on many peaks). The "Entire Mix" looks similar only everything is scaled down and the limit looks like it's at -12db. That's why I thought it was some other setting (or possibly a bug). If it was just misrouted tracks then the sound should be altered (stuff missing) and not just simply attenuated across the board. I'll have a look tonight when I get home though just to be sure...
 
ps - I should also probably note that this project was started under x3b and is currently running on x3c so it may just be an anomaly (as possibly the OP's is) due to that. 

Its not a bug, as i would have seen it in the hundreds of exports i have done in the past month. no one else is seeing your issue either. So a bug is not the cause. It clearly a routing issue and/or a setting in your export issue or maybe even a setting in your limiter
 
I would check your routing when you get home