I find the Offset function in Sonar extremely confusion and after many threads on this forum still do not understand it.
 
Isn't there something—similar to a Find/Change command or a CAL script—that will just adjust all the automation?  For example, if I wanted to lower everything 1.5 db, isn't there something better than editing every node?
 
Thanks.

Why not use the gain pot on the master bus?

I'm not sure what the mystery is about the offset mode.  Highlight your track, hit the letter O, lower the track 1.5db, hit O again and you're done.  That will lower all the nodes in your envelope by the desired amount.  Just don't forget to hit the letter O after you make your adjustment, or you will be confused at some point.  You can also position your cursor at the top of a clip and drag the entire envelope up or down when in clip automation mode, but that's time consuming if you have many clips to adjust.  That's my understanding of how the offset mode works.

Hi Konradh . . . what I've found useful for moving entire automations is using the "automation lanes".
for example: If you turn on the automation lane for a track and set the edit filter to volume, then click just to the left of the read (R) icon . . . there's a button there that selects all the nodes of an automation, then the whole automation can be adjusted by dragging it up or down (I usually also hold down shift key)
 
 . . . only problem is, I see in your signature you're still on version X1d, and I'm not sure that version had this feature ? Think it might have been added in X2.

noynekker has a good method.
 
There is also a hotspot at the top of the track in track view you can use to reduce all automation at once. Like noynekker, I use the shift key to prevent drift on the x axis.

noynekker
 . . . only problem is, I see in your signature you're still on version X1d, and I'm not sure that version had this feature ? Think it might have been added in X2.

Yes, SONAR X1 can do that. Check out this video... it talks about selected data, but it should work the same if you select the entire envelope...
* Cakewalk SONAR: Automating Data Selections
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/video.asp?ID=6
 
And more videos on my site: http://www.garrigus.com/
 
Best,
Scott

--
Scott R. Garrigus - http://garrigus.com - SONAR X2 Power! - http://garrigus.com/?SonarX2Power
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar and Sony Sound Forge Power book series: http://garrigus.com/?PowerBooks
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar ProAudioTutor video tutorial series: http://garrigus.com/?ProAudioTutor
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Thanks, guys.  I think the excellent information above will do what I need.
 
Regarding Offset, if you really want to know why I am confused, I will tell you.
 
• It is not clear to me if the changes you make in Offset mode are still there when you leave Offset mode.
• Or, is it that making a change in Offset mode is only good as long as you are in Offset mode?
• Does Offset affect the whole track, just a selected region, or....?
• Would Offset change the perceived volume while leaving the automation nodes in the same place?  For example, would my fader be at 0 but I would really be hearing -4?
• Is Offset global or per track?  If I hit O on the keyboard, and three tracks are selected, are those three tracks in Offset, or is only one in Offset, or are all tracks in the project in Offset?  I THINK Offset only works for one track, but I am not sure.
• Check out this passage from the Sonar help to see why I am confused:
 
"In Offset mode, you “offset” the current automation in a track using a parameter’s controls. For example, if a pan envelope is set to hard left (100% left) and you adjust the pan in offset mode to 100% right, then the pan parameter is now set to hard right. Setting the pan in offset mode to 50% right would set the pan to the center."
 
Don't feel obligated to explain if you don't want to.  I just thought I would explain why this thing people say is simple is not clear to me.

Offset is global. When in offset mode Every track parameter is in offset mode -- pan volume etc.
When you turn offset mode off, all offsets remain but now you are no longer in offset mode.
Example: In regular mode on track 1 you set offset to -3db. When you return to track one, wherever the fader is or you move it, it will be 3db less.
Changes effect the entire track. So far as I know you cannot record offset changes on automation lanes, but I haven't tried.
All changes are per track. so you can raise the level of 1 track and lower the level of another.
When you have used offset to modify a parameter on the track, the presented value will appear with a plus next to it to indicate that it is modified by offset. This is similar to the wavy line next to parameters that have automation envelopes.
 
Changing gain isn't the same as changing offset because gain happens before the level is fed into your FX like compressors. You don't really want to use gain to control output level. The volume fader is best for controlling output level. And lets say you need more than +6dB boost on the output... you could enter offset mode and boost another +6dB. I've never needed this, but it would work to give you more headroom at the top of your volume envelope.

Very good explanation, Geoff.  Thank you, sir.