When editing audio files at my church, we use template files for the various types of recordings we do (worship, sermons, etc...) However, there are a few things about the way SONAR handles template files that make it really frustrating to try to train new volunteers.

The first one isn't really a big deal, but is very annoying: If you open SONAR by double clicking on the template file itself (instead of opening it from within SONAR), I get an error message saying Windows cannot find the file. The reason this isn't a big deal is because the program still opens just fine. The error message is just irritating.

If you choose to open the template file from within SONAR, template files won't show up under Files of type: "All Cakewalk", you have to choose "Cakewalk Templates" from the drop down. Why aren't template files included in "all cakewalk"?

Then, when going to save a project or bundle file, it will ask if you want to save changes to the template. Which I of course say "no" to, so that my template file isn't affected by the recording. Unfortunately it's difficult to get people to hit "no" to a window that pops up after they hit a button. In general, people blindly hit "yes", myself included. I'd love it if I could get rid of this prompt.

wish I had some answers for you on this but I don't,
unfortunately though, sonar 8.3 is some years old and as well is windows xp.
that operating system will soon be phased out by Microsoft and no further updates made available(if they haven't already phased it out.(I know they said sept of 2012 but they usually go a l little longer.

I totally understand where your at and im sure money is as always the biggest issue.
even the new sonar x2 will not run on windows xp or vista,it wont even install.

I hear where your at though and I wish you my very best.
a word of advise, take it as you'd like though.
don't let technology leave you in the dust.

I don't know the curcumstances as to why your using 8.3(it is a great sonar though)
but getting help is tough  :(

well if anything I hope I have given your thread a bump so someone else may have a look and give some reall advise to help you out on your adventures.

my very best to you,sincerly mean that.

Charlie

Windows XP still has "extended" support (whatever that means) until April of 2014.

The church spent $1000 on SONAR PE 8.3, and an Edirol FA66 firewire interface about 4 years ago, and they'd prefer to continue using it since they spent that much on it...

Were it up to me I wouldn't even be using SONAR, and I certainly wouldn't be using XP, but that's what I have to work with.

You might want to consider marking all of your template files as "Read Only" to avoid accidentally altering them. Making a backup copy in another folder is also a good idea.

A solution to all of the issues , which I too find very irritating, so I do not always use templates, but save a template as a CWP file instead. 
Think about it for a minute. They're the exact same thing. 

Then all your have to do is make sure you hide a few back ups out of harms way. 
Then the "save as" is your only friend. 

Open the blank CWP project ( has all your presets etc. ) 
Record to it or import the audio
SAVE AS new name. A done deal.
 I  would direct it to a new folder too. 


PS don't use bundle files, they are leftover from the past an are known to become corrupted easily. 

We save all of our recordings on to an external drive. The bundle files generally have the entire service, while the waves and MP3s only really have the "meat" of the message. It's nice to have a backup of the entire (unedited) service just in case.

Any suggestions on how to setup saving and archiving on to the external drive with project files instead of bundles? I've only been using the bundles because that's how I was trained. I'm totally open to more efficient methods.

wow, i gave you a bump man,
nothing like a thanks for nothing...

your welcome

Dude, chill out. Seriously. You have absolutely nothing to be upset about.

Kingrazor


We save all of our recordings on to an external drive. The bundle files generally have the entire service, while the waves and MP3s only really have the "meat" of the message. It's nice to have a backup of the entire (unedited) service just in case.

Any suggestions on how to setup saving and archiving on to the external drive with project files instead of bundles? I've only been using the bundles because that's how I was trained. I'm totally open to more efficient methods.

why yes,
edit/preferences/project, you need to set the project files to E:/cakewalk/sonar8/projectfiles
if you want to set up an external hard drive to save all your project files on an external HD you need to tell sonar where to save them, not on C:/cakewalk/sonar8.
but take caution changing this path because if you don't change it back or there is no external HD connected and goes to make the save sonar 8 will have a spaz and crash.
 
see this part of the forum is very desolate, not many people in here anymore, I'm one of a small handful that still come in here to help.
I just hate coming in here helping people out and feeling like they don't appreciate it.
so I can understand how you want me to chill out  :)   im chill, and I wont be bothering you anymore.

Thanks for the tip. I've been an active forum-goer (on other forums) for a long time now and a "bump" tends to be considered pretty meaningless. I didn't have anything personal against you, I simply addressed the parts of your post that I thought were relevant to the discussion and tried to give more information about my situation. I don't tend to say thanks/you're welcome over forums or email, don't know why just seems like it's a very mechanical method of communication so I tend to approach it that way. Again, wasn't anything against you personally. Had we been talking in person I would have said thank you probably without a second thought.