+1
 
I used take lanes rarely, but am finding them useful with the new comping tool. For me, every discreet input is its own track, "takes" are multiple versions of the same input (where the comping tool comes in very handy).

Anderton

Saxon1066
I don't want a "main" track lane in addition to the takes.  It takes up valuable screen space.

Well, this is a "to each his own"...I find it really handy to be able to see a unified, visual representation of the various clips I've selected. Then again, I seldom go above four takes when doing a part. If I don't get it right in four takes, I re-think the part and start over.

That's because you're a real musician.

Saxon1066
  If I audition takes by keeping lanes open and the main track lane closed (for the extra space), it requires three clicks to close up the entire track when I'm done.

It is a small thing but you can bind this function (Area = Track View, Function = Show/Hide lanes) to a keyboard shortcut and eliminate the mouse clicks completely.

djwayne
I did some demo recordings tonight, just me and my guitar thru the Roland Micro Cube direct in to the Fast Track then into Sonar X3...It was so easy, not one glitch and using the Pro Channel's eq and Breverb 2 and Concrete Limiter, got a excellent mix. I was able to make the recording and mix it in just a few minutes.
 
This program is wonderful !!

I've always felt that way.  Its good to see it reflected in others. Thank you for posting this. 

Saxon1066

Anderton

Saxon1066
I don't want a "main" track lane in addition to the takes.  It takes up valuable screen space.

Well, this is a "to each his own"...I find it really handy to be able to see a unified, visual representation of the various clips I've selected. Then again, I seldom go above four takes when doing a part. If I don't get it right in four takes, I re-think the part and start over.

That's because you're a real musician.

So are you!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're making music with Sonar. Sounds like a musician to me.
 
Our strategies for recording takes might be different, but so what? And FWIW, there are plenty of times I don't get what I want in four takes...and I find it's a lot easier to impose limitations on myself, hence the limit. For some reason if I limit the number of takes, it's more likely I'll get what I want sooner.
 
Some of the musicians who've had the most impact weren't "good" by conventional standards. Is David Byrne of Talking Heads a great singer? Lou Reed? Bob Dylan? Was Syd Barrett or Joni Mitchell a virtuoso guitarist?
 
Emotional impact is what it's all about. Be yourself and you are automatically a "real" musician.
 

One of my most favorite recordings is Janis Joplin singing "Me and Bobby McGee" on a rough demo recording with just one acoustic guitar. I'm not sure if it was her playing or not, but the song was loaded with emotion and just fell apart at the very end...as if she was crying. The moral to the story is, you don't need to have lots of instrumentation or 10 part harmony to make a good song work as a great recording. The tools to make a great recording are all found in Sonar, it's up to you to come up with a great performance to make a quality recording.

...and don't overestimate what it takes to make a great performance. I'd rather listen to someone expressing real emotions, no matter how unpolished, than something that sounds perfect but is devoid of meaning.

djwayne
So what's stopping you from putting different takes on different main tracks ?? I mean you have unlimited tracks to work with. If I wanted to make multiple takes, I'd just make more tracks and mute the ones I don't want to hear, or solo the ones I want to give a more targeted listen to. Then delete the ones I don't like.

Thats exactly what I do in X2. Hoping take lanes have got better in X3 so I can change my work flow. Surely there's got to be a better way with all this toggling and setting up? X2 asked the question and delivered half baked functionality. Has X3 fully baked this now or is this still a useless and confusing turkey?

Anderton
...and don't overestimate what it takes to make a great performance. I'd rather listen to someone expressing real emotions, no matter how unpolished, than something that sounds perfect but is devoid of meaning.

Finally some sanity..... Exactly.

The only think I don't like about take lanes - and automation lanes - is the crazy, unwieldy placement of the show / hide buttons. They absolutely merit a place on the minimised track header. When working with comps, I pretty much only expand the track header to access those buttons, then minimise it again. Turning what could easily be one click into a multi-stage click-and-drag fiesta. Maybe I lack imagination, but I can't think of a single argument for the current placement of them.