Hello all,
 
I was working in my Sonar X3 and was deciding on which one of my compressors to select.  I then noticed the External Insert just sitting there and then wondered, when was the last time I even attempted to use this feature of Sonar?  I have to say it was with Sonar 8.5 and I didn't like the way it worked back then.
 
Today, I used the External Insert to plug in an outboard reverb unit. I must say the External Insert worked flawlessly and the instructions on the Cakewalk Knowledge base page were spot on.  I currently use a patch bay with my outboard gear so, I most likely won't continue to use the External Insert with my gear, but it's good to know that this is working right.
 
Are you using the External Insert in Sonar, or is it just sitting there?
 
Peace,
 
Jesse G.
 
 
 
 

I use it all the time. Literally every project. I mean, I have patchbays too, but they don't compensate for latency, and if I can only have my phase one way, I prefer "in" 
 
Generally works pretty well 'round here, but there are certainly some bugs (but no showstoppers) and I keep hoping for an update at some point.
 
Dean

Razorwit
I use it all the time. Literally every project. I mean, I have patchbays too, but they don't compensate for latency, and if I can only have my phase one way, I prefer "in" 
 
Generally works pretty well 'round here, but there are certainly some bugs (but no showstoppers) and I keep hoping for an update at some point.
 
Dean

What are you use the External Insert for?

mudgel
What are you use the External Insert for?

Hi Mike,
Generally outboard compressors, but often to go to saturation or even (via a Line2Pre) through one of my preamps. For example, my Tonelux's have a built-in tilt EQ that I like quite a lot and so running a signal through them gives it some color as well as giving me some EQ options.
 
The latency compensation really comes in handy when going through multiple mics on an instrument like a drum kit. If I were to drop, say, an 1176 on a snare, a TLA-100 on a kick, distressors on the OH's and then route the drum bus through the SSL bus comp, the latency introduced at each round trip through my converters would turn my phase relationships into a mess. E.I. in the FX bin solves that problem.
 
Dean

I used to use it a lot but since I invested in my current interface (A & H ZED-R16) there's no need. I can now use that for exactly the same thing but zero latency as I'm monitoring that directly. My main use was outboard compression and a couple of fx units, mainly for the reverbs.
 
Having said that since the X series and the PC I haven't used that method much either. The thing that used to send me crazy was trying to keep track of all the UI's while tweaking. The PC alleviated that and of course the new FX recycling has helped a lot as well.
 
So I guess for me it now just sits there.

I still occasionally use my Nanoverb because I know exactly what to dial in to get what I'm after, so it's just a means to get a particular quick reverb I'm after. Mostly, in the end I delete it and find a better one when I get to the mixing stage. But then again I have had songs that worked well with that sound and I've left it that for mix down.

Wow...really no one uses outboard? Damn...I never thought owning all my analog gear would make me feel like that guy that still owns a rotary telephone (look it up, kids).
 
Dean

I still use outboard from time to time but route it directly througn my mixer rather than via th EI plug. 

I used it once. For a Vocal harmonizer. I still sounded like  sh!te. Now it just sits there.

Yes I still do. I only have one bit of outboard gear but it's one I really like



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