Hi All
I have recorded 8 tracks with various guitar parts and I want to put the same plugin on each track.
Is there a way to do this without putting the plugin separately on each track.

Investigate sending to a bus. The bus should have your effect inserted in it.

This may be the quickest way to handle it (create a new bus):
https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR&language=3&help=Mixing.13.html
 

Thanks -so if I set up a bus I can send all the guitar tracks to that bus then I just add
the plugin once.
Excellent thanks.

Yes indeed. But it may produce different results it just depends on what you want and the techniques you want to adopt.
 
Consider though in some scenarios keeping the individual plugs, and editing and/or bouncing down to a stereo track (or something) and then archiving off some of the tracks leaving just one stereo guitar track (or whatever).
 
Cheers.

I agree with the Bus idea as well but you haven't said why you cant put the Guitar plug in on each track.
This isn't 1994 when we had 214MB of RAM using a Pentium 1.
 
If its an Amp Sim I highly suggest you don't try using a Bus.
Amp Sims need to be put on each individual track because of separation purposes (especially distorted guitars). 
It will sound like mush.
 
 

Another thing to investigate is freezing tracks:
https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR%20X2&language=3&help=Mixing.23.html
 

Select the tracks in question. Hold down CTRL-SHIFT together. While continuing to hold down CTRL-SHIFT, use your mouse to insert the desired effect. The chosen effect will be inserted into each track. - Not that this feature is is the New Sonar and I don't recall just when if it was implemented back in the X1 - X3 days.

asimmd
Is there a way to do this without putting the plugin separately on each track.

 

bitman
Select the tracks in question. Hold down CTRL-SHIFT together. While continuing to hold down CTRL-SHIFT, use your mouse to insert the desired effect. The chosen effect will be inserted into each track. - Not that this feature is is the New Sonar and I don't recall just when if it was implemented back in the X1 - X3 days.

Good tip but that that puts the plugins separately on each track doesn't it?

As said it all depends on the effect as to where it will work the best. 
Ambient effects like Reverb, Delay and even chorus work well on a buss because you want to share the ambient "space" across your tracks. More than one "space" is confusing t the listener. 
But tonal effects like EQ, compression and overdrive belong in Pro channel or the track bin. 
 
Think of it like this,, you wouldn't want to share your guitar amp with the other guitar player. But you will share the same "stage" and room ambiance. That said, rules are made to be broken and as always you could say-- what ever sounds right to you.. experiment with different set ups. 
 
Using multiple instances of PLug ins- it's easy to save pre sets so you can share the same settings. Or use a Track template where you have you effects in Pro Chanel or the Bin. Drop the audio or open the template before you record the new part. That's what I do. 
 

Cactus Music
 
But tonal effects like EQ, compression and overdrive belong in Pro channel or the track bin. 
 
Think of it like this,, you wouldn't want to share your guitar amp with the other guitar player. 
 

I disagree - it's quite commonplace to bus something like multiple guitars to an aux and then apply a little bus EQ or glue compression. Even a little light saturation across the whole bus can achieve a glueing effect.