If you want a more limited approach you might try X2 studio or X2 essentials.

For audio export, just select the required timerange and everything within you wish to hear- then export, it's not that hard really.


Timstretch algo is Izotope Radius

Yes, if you have recordings you want to import and don't want to modify their pitch or tempo, simply import the files. They will be left at their original pitch/tempo and not stretched by default.

It probably helps to know something about where Sonar came from. Originally Cakewalk was a MIDI sequencer, and they added audio recording later. You can see the affect of this paradigm even now- each project starts with a default tempo and meter. These might be meaningless numbers for live recordings, but they are there always.

Sonar was also not made primarily for live performance/composition like Ableton Live- thus no default tempo stretching.

I haven't used Studio One yet. It sounds like a simple to use, well thought out DAW. My impression was that the first version had a lot of limitations/things they didn't implement, but that version 2 is a big step up. Curious to hear about your experience.

Peace,

Tunes

tunekicker


Yes, if you have recordings you want to import and don't want to modify their pitch or tempo, simply import the files. They will be left at their original pitch/tempo and not stretched by default.

It probably helps to know something about where Sonar came from. Originally Cakewalk was a MIDI sequencer, and they added audio recording later. You can see the affect of this paradigm even now- each project starts with a default tempo and meter. These might be meaningless numbers for live recordings, but they are there always.

Sonar was also not made primarily for live performance/composition like Ableton Live- thus no default tempo stretching.

I haven't used Studio One yet. It sounds like a simple to use, well thought out DAW. My impression was that the first version had a lot of limitations/things they didn't implement, but that version 2 is a big step up. Curious to hear about your experience.

Peace,

Tunes

That makes sense. I do really like X2. Clearly, there are a lot of pro features I may or may not require, but this is why I'm asking questions :)
 
Studio One is now at version 2. It is a very focussed experience. Excellent for mixing in actually, and has been pretty bulletproof for me in terms of any bugs. It is a modern bit of kit. Point upgrades can be downloaded and installed from within the software, it supports new standards like VST3 and was built from the ground up to be a slick experience. Yes, it does lack some features, but it also has little clutter to get in the way. If X2 is the first version of Sonar to 'get out of the way', then Studio One was built completely with that in mind. It's use of drag and drop is extensive and intuitive. The mixer is not as complex as Sonar's, but then bus routing and sends are arguably easier to setup too. Just CTRL select all channels to send to a bur or sedn and then just ccreate one and they will all be routed.
Multi channel VSTs are also a breeze. You can just cloick a little button to add or subtract them yourself. Mixer strips can be moved, widened, narrowed or hidden from view. I would say that a fair few of the features of X1 were possibly based on the original Studio One...at least that's how it feels.

backwoods


If you want a more limited approach you might try X2 studio or X2 essentials.

For audio export, just select the required timerange and everything within you wish to hear- then export, it's not that hard really.


Timstretch algo is Izotope Radius

I have Producer Expanded, so I may as well get used to it. Yeah, I did eventually use CTRL A to export the entire mix, it's just not especially intuitive. It should honestly be the default setting in the export dialog without having to select everything. The other options are useful, but they should just be options to turn on when required and not clutter the dialog box. That's my POV of course.
It just seems that Export audio, as a function, should simply export the entire mixdown without having to masage it a little first. I wouldn't expect the save dialog in MS Word to ask me first to select all the words in the document before I save a file now would I? :)
 

Good to know about Studio One. Their implementation of the ARA standard is also of interest to me since I use Melodyne. Would be great to have that in Sonar.

You mentioned buss routing so one more detail in Sonar. You can Create/Edit/Remove sends for all selected tracks by holding CTRL when you do it. You can also modify the outputs of all selected tracks together by holding CTRL while you do it. This should get you a bit closer to what you're used to.

Peace,

Tunes

It's hard to believe you upgraded from X1 and ask some of the questions you do. 

CTRL+A isn't going to capture all the effects reverberating around after that time selction- you simply select the time range required, select the things you want to hear and export.    

You can customize what you want shown/hidden in the mixer view. The options reside at the top of the mixer view.       

I would like a simpler export, too. Something that defaults to exporting all non-muted tracks from where the first clip begins to where the last one ends, with a few seconds' buffer at the end for reverb tails after the recorded clips fade out. (Unless a specific range was selected, then it should export the range by default.) It should also default to stereo output from the mains (which it does now), but with a button for "More Options", perhaps with a checkbox to "show this all the time." That way the rest of the options for "Tracks, Busses, etc" could be hidden for beginners. This would be virtually the same for advanced users once they choose to show the advanced options and show them every time.

This would be an improvement on the current functionality for sure.

backwoods


It's hard to believe you upgraded from X1 and ask some of the questions you do. 

CTRL+A isn't going to capture all the effects reverberating around after that time selction- you simply select the time range required, select the things you want to hear and export.   

If you read the OP, you would also have read that I did not use X1 extensively. I could look on youtube or read the manual, but I could also come here to a community forum and get to know other users. I think that's a fair reason.
 
Well, whether it captures them or not, it did capture the final reverb tails in my case. My point is that it is not necessarily an intuitive way to export a mixdown.
 
Yes, select the time range and then selct all the clips to hear. I see that there is a neat use here if you want to hear a mix without certain channels, but like I said, it's not an intuitive process. It's liek selecting all or some of the words in a document before saving it.

CTRL+A isn't going to capture all the effects reverberating around after that time selction- you simply select the time range required, select the things you want to hear and export.    





Good point Backwoods. I'd argue a little with "simply", but that's semantics. 


Personally I think if no time range is selected Sonar should export from the beginning of sound to the end of sound for all un-muted tracks, with no accidentally missed fades at beginning or end, and no accidental reverb tails from the last instance of playback bleeding into the beginning of the export. If a time range is selected then Sonar should export all un-muted tracks for that time range. Then again, I haven't actually exported from X2 yet, so I could be missing some improvements there.

Perhaps an option then? 

Assuming a default of exporting everything from the main output:

1. Export sound from all unmuted tracks (default)
2. Export sound only from the tracks I have selected (with the ability to select/de-select them from the export interface)

Having this option would make it so track solo states could be ignored in the export. I can't think of a reason to export audio from only solo'd tracks that exporting only selected tracks couldn't handle.