Hi all. New to forums but have been lurking as a user of X1 Producer for the last couple of years. I am a 95% happy ex-Logic and ex-Cubase convert and firmly believe the right DAW is a personal workflow/ inspiration choice for the individual. Sonar just fits my brain map perfectly so has been a great choice for me...
 
Except one small thing is bugging me... when I want to export a mix at the end of a project it seems I have to hold down and drag across the timeline once I have selected the tracks (which in itself seems a completely arbitrary step as I would mute what I didn't want to export...) but in order to select the time value implementing this method my window has to be shrunk down to such a degree that I cannot get satisfactory accuracy on my start and end points. So I zoom in to the resolution required but then I am dragging across for what seems like an age holding the mouse down until I get to the other end, sometimes having to try several times as my finger releases pressure from the mouse and forces me to start again.
 
Now this seems CRAZY to me so I assume I am missing some obvious functionality, yet the manual has offered me no solutions... surely I can't be the only person finding this a problem? Surely not everyone using X1 is exporting with a few seconds of silence at the beginning and the end and then having to trim down their mix in another editing platform? All I want is some accuracy on my start and end points, not a big demand for any DAW.
 
Now, I understand it defaults to the longest track length if no timeline is highlighted but this is no good either as obviously much of the time there are processing tails to consider.
 
Is there no way to create markers or loop points and then instruct the program to export between these values? This is the logical way to do it if you want any timing accuracy whatsoever. What have I missed?
 
Thanks all!
 

I think this is a great question.
 
best regards,
mike

There is a select module and marker modules in the tool bar that might be useful. Set select from and thru times in the select module. Or you could use the Select From and Select Through functions in the Edit menu. Add markers in the marker module then jump to a marker, set the appropriate selection option the jump to the next marker and perform the rest of the select.

Fatherjohn
Is there no way to create markers or loop points and then instruct the program to export between these values? This is the logical way to do it if you want any timing accuracy whatsoever. What have I missed?

 
http://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation/default.aspx?Doc=SONAR%20X2&Lang=EN&Req=Arranging.30.html
Search for 'To select a time range using markers'.
 
In Sonar 8.5 (don't own X yet) I always select all (Control-A) and then zoom in to the time ruler and left-click together with Shift (or is it Control...? Or Alt... bummer, forgot and I can't check it right now) on the desired endpoint and start point: this deselects everything outside of the area I want.

One of the reasons that mastering is easier using a wave editor. 
If you interested in "mastering" try a wave editor like Wave Lab Elements or a fee one like Audacity. Chopping the beginning and ending is very precise with no guess work. 
 
Another trick is to highlight the whole project with CNTLA and drag all the tracks, but now your measures are all off kilter, So don't save this. 

Insert a start & end marker.
 
Open the Markers View and just click & drag through the 2 you've just created

Is it not as simple as...... edit > select all > export audio in X1 ?
 
That's all I ever do (8.5PE) and it's always fine.

paulo
Is it not as simple as...... edit > select all > export audio in X1 ?
 
That's all I ever do (8.5PE) and it's always fine.

It can be, if selecting everything is what you want to do. It would appear that is not the goal of this exercise.

I usually leave a few open measures at the beginning of my songs.  I also, usually do the edit, select all method.  Once everything is selected and highlighted.  I click on the point that I would like the song to start, maybe a couple of 1/4 notes early (could be a marker) and then go back to edit select and chose the start at now, selection.  You can actually go back and select "though" or an end point as well.  That way I am choosing the start and end times of my project.  If you have any delays that carry on past the song, you need to listen in advance as to how far they carry out, before placing an end marker at that point.

If you have any delays that carry on past the song, you need to listen in advance as to how far they carry out, before placing an end marker at that point.

 
This! I do this on all of my projects, without fail