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SONAR FAQ
Please post any comments / suggestions on the bottom of the thread and i'll include them. thanks Steve
SONAR FAQ CONTENTS
- BUYING SONAR (where can I buy, version, features, reviews)
- HARDWARE / SETUP (what soundcard, PC, OS, mics)
- TROUBLESHOOTING (setup, common problems, recording settings, shortcuts)
- GENERAL STUDIO (monitors, layout, tutorials)
- GLOSSARY
- LINKS
- CREDITS
BUYING SONAR
- Where can I get a demo version of SONAR ?
You can download the demo version of SONAR 3 by filling in your details on the Cakewalk website http://www.cakewalk.com/download/download.asp?Action=DL&PID=300 and the demo version includes the full online help.
- Where can I buy SONAR ?
Direct from Cakewalk here http://store.yahoo.com/cakewalkdirect2/sonar3producer.html , or you might be able to get it cheaper from your local music store.
- Can I sell my old version of SONAR when I upgrade ?
Under the terms of the EULA, you are the only person licenced to use your copy of SONAR, and you cannot sell or give away your copy of SONAR at any time, even when you upgrade.
- I've lost my serial number / manual / CDs !
Contact Cakewalk directly for help. Details on this page: http://www.cakewalk.com/About/contact.asp
- Whats the current version of SONAR ?
3.1.1. Its a free upgrade for all users of SONAR 3, but you will need to be a registered SONAR 3 user to download the patch from the Cakewalk website.
- Is SONAR 3 compatible with previous versions ?
You can load projects from previous versions of SONAR into SONAR3. However you cant load SONAR 3 files directly into earlier versions. If you need to do this, you can use other means though (OMF, or wave file import/export - see below).
- Whats the difference between SONAR 3 Studio and Producers Edition ?
Producers edition comes with a few extras, including
- a bunch of FX plugins from Sonitus, including an integrated per-track EQ plugin (that are actually quite good)
- Lexicon reverb (which is so-so)
- VSampler (a software sampler)
Whether or not you want these extras will justify the additional price.
- How do I install the software on CD2 and CD3 of SONAR 3 Producer ?
Put CD1 back in your CD-ROM and re-run the installation program. You will see options in addition to Cakewalk to install the VSampler and other content which is on the last two CDs.
- Whats the difference between SONAR 3 and SONAR 2 ?
Major SONAR 3 changes include:
- VST wrapper. You can now use VST plugins with SONAR. This is a popular format, and there are many free ones on the web.
- New bus design. This allows you to create any number of busses, group and send audio between them and send to as many outputs as you like.
- New user interface, with many small tweaks to make it easier to use.
Check the Cakewalk site and reviews below for the full version: http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/new.asp
- Are there any press reviews of SONAR 3?
http://www.studio-central.com/review_of_Sonar_3.htm
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov03/articles/sonarnotes.htm
- How does SONAR compare with Pro Tools ?
The general opinion is that SONAR is much cheaper, easier to support/upgrade and has much better MIDI support than ProTools. In terms of audio quality there is no difference, as the applications just mix the digital audio tracks directly without any sound coloration. There is a comparison of audio tracks between different sofware on the forum http://www.cakewalk.com/forum/tm.asp?m=82511&mpage=1
- How do install SONAR 2 on a PC with DirectX 9 ?
Theres a patch on the SONAR website for registered SONAR 2 customers. You'll still need the original CD to install.
- Can I use SONAR live ?
Yes. Any PC software may not be as reliable as dedicated hardware, but it's possible to use SONAR for live recording, or playback of softsynths etc. Just make sure your PC is powerful enough, as you'll want low latency for live playback and mixing. Many users on the forums use SONAR Live for:
- making multi-track live recordings of bands
- playing softsynths in realtime at a gig
- using FX plugins in realtime at a gig
- Can I record different tracks at different sample rates ?
The short answer is no. Within any single project you are limited to recording all tracks at the same frequency/bit rate.
- What else do I need to buy to make music ?
SONAR is a fantastic music package, and includes most things you will need to start making music. On top of this you will need at least:
- a Windows PC
- a soundcard
- headphones or speakers (speakers are often called "monitors" in studio terms)
You may also want to get:
- software or hardware synths
- a MIDI keyboard to play the synths and record general MIDI data
- a microphone if you want to record singing or acoustic instruments
See below for more details on all these components
HARDWARE / SETUP
- What Soundcard should I buy ?
This will depend on your exact requirements. How many channels do you want to record ? Do you need mic pre-amps ? What other hardware will it interface with ? Just asking the question "whats the best soundcard?" is like asking the question "whats the best car?". To some it will be a Ferrari, to others a Ford Transit.
To help you decide, I've broken the question down into a number of separate topics. Hopefully at the end you'll come out with the soundcard that is right *for you*.
A - What type of soundcard should I get ?
There are 3 general groups of computer soundcards:
1) Cards for Games / Built-in.
Popular cards are the Creative Soundblaster range, AC 97. These are low-fideltiy sound cards that are mostly designed for playing games and movies on your home computer.
2) Prosumer cards
Popular cards are the M-Audio, MOTU, Presonus, EMU ranges. These are designed for home/project studio use, and feature better quality A/D converters, pre-amps, mulitple in/outs and low-latency drivers, and usually record at 48khz/24bit and higher.
3) Professional cards
Apogee, Mytek etc.. These are top-quality cards for use by professional studios.
In general you should use a card from category (2). You can also try category (3) cards if you're feeling rich, or *really* serious. Many people have reported problems with category (1) soundcards, like driver incompatibilities, random crashes, inability to record, MIDI timing errors etc.
Also one word of warning - avoid ProTools hardware (Digi001 etc.), as some users have reported compatibility problems with SONAR.
B - How many I/O ports do I need, and what type ?
The most obvious difference between cards in the same range is the number and type of I/O (input and output) ports.
1. Input ports
You need one input port for each instrument that you want to record *at the same time*. So if for example you plan to record live drums or a bunch of musicians playing together you will want enough input ports to be able to connect all the mics/gear. Bear in mind that in many studio situations you may want to only record one instrument at a time, in which case there is less need for multiple inputs.
If you want to connect microphones, you will need inputs with mic pre-amps, or an external pre-amp. A normal "line-level" input is not sensitive enough to just plug in a mic.
Also bear in mind that some microphones require phantom powering, so if you plan to use these check your soundcard supports them, or budget for a separate mic pre-amp. See the "which mic" section below for more info.
2. Output ports
Note that the number of output ports on your soundcard doesnt affect the number of simultaneous tracks you can *playback* in SONAR. Multiple outputs just give you more options with regards to routing sounds to external effects or mixing hardware. Unless you have existing external effects or samplers, you may only need a headphone output and a single stereo line out on your soundcard.
3. MIDI ports
Another factor is whether the soundcard includes a MIDI interface. If you use any external synths, samplers, keyboards or controllers you will need a MIDI interface. You can buy a separate MIDI interface if you card doesnt support it, but in general you should avoid the MIDI interface on category (1) cards, as they have been known to cause problems.
4. Digital I/O ports
Note that several soundcards come with digital I/O. You will only need to use these if you have existing gear that supports digital I/O. There are a few different standards, but optical or coaxial SPDIF and ADAT are the most common. Note that if you record digitally you will only be able to record at the frequency of the device that you are recording from (eg. if you are recording from a Korg Triton with a 48Khz digital output, you can only have a project at 48khz - not 44.1khz or 96khz).
C - What frequency / bitrate does the card support ?
See the section below for more about this debate. Normally you only need a card that supports 44.1hkz if you are recording to CD. Also bear in mind the point about digital I/O above. If you want to record from a digital source (CD, module etc.) your project will probably be limited to 44.1khz or 48khz anyway.
D - How should I connect the soundcard to the PC ?
Another factor in your purchase is the computer interface type. Computer soundcards use either PCI, USB, Firewire, or PCMCIA. In general, there is little difference between the interface types. In theory PCI is faster than Firewire, which is faster than USB etc, but in the real world, you are much more restricted by your hard drive and CPU than soundcard/interface performance.
So before you buy, you should check that the interface used by the soundcard will work with your PC. If you have a laptop, for example, you wont be able to use PCI cards.
Summary
At the end of the process you should have a soundcard that:
- Has fast stable WDM or ASIO drivers
- Has a computer interface that is compatible with your PC
- Has enough input and output ports to cover all your recording needs
- Supports MIDI if you need it
- Supports mic channels with/without phantom power if you need it
- Does SONAR support multiple soundcards ?
Yes, although normally you should stick to soundcards of the same make/type. If you mix soundcards (expecially if one of them is a consumer card) you might get latency and audio problems on *all* cards in the system. Several users are running with multiple MOTU, M-Audio cards OK though.
- Which PC should I buy ?
Multi-track sound recording, especially when done in conjunction with computer based digital FX, and software synths can be very demanding on your PC. Normally you should get the fastest machine you can afford.
CPU: Pentium 4 2Ghz+, Centrino 1.5GHz+, or AMD Athlon
RAM: 512Mb, or higher if you plan to use software samplers
Disk: 60Gb, 7200rpm drive or higher if you plan to record a lot of live instruments (and see the next post below)
See the SonarTest thread: http://www.cakewalk.com/forum/tm.asp?m=34827 for a rough comparison of difference processor performance (lower CPU usage at lower latency is better)
Id also recommend a DVD-R drive for making backups. Project files with multi-track audio can get big fast, and you want to backup all your hard work, right ?
- Does SONAR support dual-processor or hyperthreading CPUs ?
With version 3.1.1, SONAR has a new audio engine that supports multiple CPUs. In cases where there are no compatibility problems, enabling hyperthreading or dual processors can give a 20-50% improvement in performance.
However, some dual or HT CPUs have been known to cause problems with some plugins. If you experience problems, you can disable multi-threading in SONAR from the Tools menu. In the worst case, you can disable HT or multi-threading from your BIOS.
- Does SONAR support networked PCs ?
SONAR doesnt directly support networks of PCs, however you can use FXTeleport www.fxteleport.com or similar programs to run plugins, such as software synths and samplers on other PCs. Also if you other PCs have MIDI-compatible soundcards, you can do this via MIDI.
- What hard drive should I buy, and how should I set it up?
A separate hard drive will give you better performance. Failing that, a separate partition for the audio data on your existing hard drive will be better. If you keep your audio data on the windows drive, you will find that files quickly become fragmented (chopped into little pieces by Windows and sprayed at random around your harddrive) and performance can be affected as the system continually accesses the drive to save temporary files, use virtual memory etc.
You should *not* enable file compression on any audio drive, as it will drastically reduce performance.
You should format all audio drives using the NTFS file system (avoid FAT or FAT32).
You should regularly defragment your harddrive to keep the performance running as smoothly as possible. To do this, right-click on the drive in Explorer and select properties. Click on the Tools tab, and select defragmentation "Defragment Now", and hit the "Defragment" button in the Disk Defragmenter window.
If you are considering using SATA drivers, read this post first http://www.cakewalk.com/forum/tm.asp?m=45491 as it seems that unless your motherboard directly integrates SATA support, you may have problems using these new drives.
You might also want to delve into the world of RAID, as it can potentially give double the performance of single drive systems and can be configured for automatic data redudancy. For more information on RAID, what it is and how it works you can check http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/product/markeditorial.html?sess=no&language=English+US&cat=%2fTechnology%2fRAID&prodkey=talk_about_raid
- How much diskspace do I need ?
As a rule of thumb, one minute of stereo 44khz/24bit audio will take up roughly 15mb of disk space.
So just multiply up by the number of tracks / minutes to get an idea of the diskspace needed eg. a 4 minute 10 track (stereo) song will need approx 600mb.
- Which headphones / speakers (monitors) should I buy ?
Speakers
This will largely come down to personal preference and budget. Note that several different terms are used for studio speakers: "monitors" or "reference monitors" are just general terms for studio speakers. "nearfield monitors" are speakers that are specifically designed to sound good at close range (ie. if they are just a couple of feet in front of you).
In terms of monitors there are two different general types:
Passive Monitors
These are like normal HiFi speakers, and will need an amp for them to work. You can use a studio "power amp" or even a normal HiFi amp.
Active Monitors (also called Powered Monitors)
These are speakers with built in amps, so you can just connect a line signal to them directly.
Monitors that are designed for studio use will often sound very different to other types of speakers. Although in theory you can use computer speakers, or normal Hifi speakers, the sound that you get is not ideal for recording music. Computer speakers for example have poor mid-range response, so if you mix your song to sound good on computer speakers it will probably sound too loud in the mid-range when played back on something else. Hifi speakers too are designed to make music "sound nice" which isnt necessarily what you want. They frequently include filters that eliminate low bass frequencies, etc. so again a mix made on HiFi speakers might not sound great if played back on a different set of Hifi speakers.
So as a summary, you will want either
- a pair of active monitors
- a pair of passive monitors, and a power amp
Jonas has some nice demos for you to try if you're shopping for speakers http://www.audiorecordingandservices.com/speakertest.html
Headphones
Again choosing headphones comes down to personal preference. The standard is probably set by Sennheiser which makes a large range of professional HiFi headphones. The sound quality that you get from these is vastly better than a typical walkman headphone. The good thing with headphones is that that normally your soundcard will include a headphone output, so you dont need any separate amp, and they are much cheaper than monitor speakers.
However, mixing on headphones can cause problems when the mix is transferred to playback on speakers. Often their bass response is not as good as full size speakers, and you dont get the same frequency response that you do with soundwaves travelling through the air. In general, to get the best sounding mix you should use headphones in conjunction with good monitors.
- Can I use SONAR on a laptop ?
Yes. However, if you want to record lots of tracks and use plugins and softsynths you will need a fast Centrino or P4 CPU, a big-ish harddrive, and a soundcard that supports PCMCIA/Firewire/USB. Its also recommended that you disable all those laptop features such as PCMCIA, wireless LAN, Bluetooth, Power control etc. if you are not using them.
- Which version of Windows should I use ?
There seems to be little difference between Windows 2000, Windows XP Home, and XP Pro. All seem to work fine with SONAR, however there are some differences between the versions.
Windows 2000 and XP Pro give you dual CPU support (which you'll need if you have dual CPUs). XP Pro gives Remote Desktop sharing (which you might want if you want to access your PC from other locations in the studio), and some additional network support http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp
Otherwise just use XP Home.
Windows 2000 has a limitation in that it can natively only handle 16 audio i/o lines. This may be a problem if you have a soundcard that supports more than 16 individual or paired i/o lines, or are using multiple soundcards where there is a total of more than 16 ports. Some grouped interfaces such as the MOTU 2408 may not be affected by this limitation, so you might want to check first.
- How can I get maximum performance from Windows XP ?
There are several sites devoted to disabling all the add-ons that come with XP that slow down the machine. Try www.tweakxp.com or www.musicxp.net
In general, if you have a dedicated PC (or a dual-boot machine with a separate SONAR installation) you should disable as many of the background services and add-ons as possible to get maximum performance.
- Should I use ASIO, WDM or MME drivers ?
You should use ASIO or WDM drivers if your soundcard supports them. They offer much better performance than the older MME standard. Any difference between ASIO and WDM will be down to the individual soundcard. You will need to go with WDM if you want to use multiple soundcards in the same PC.
- What Anti-Virus is good to use ?
In general, you should avoid running any other programs on your SONAR PC, and that includes anti-virus. A better solution is to install a dual-boot machine or have a separate PC if you want internet access. Also dont forget to make regular backups of your projects for the next time something nasty attacks.
- Which Mic should I buy ?
That depends on what you want it for, and what your budget is. Good mics can cost anything from $100 to $10,000. A mic that is designed for vocals wont sound great on a kick drum. A kick drum mic wont sound good on a trumpet.
There are two common types of microphones that are used in the studio:
Dynamic mics
These use a diaphragm with a moving magnet inside a coil. Soundwaves in the air cause the diaphragm to physically move, and the coil converts the energy into a tiny electrical signal. These mics are typically fairly cheap to make, and fairly hardy. However because they work by physically moving the diaphragm they are not very sensitive, particularly at high frequencies.
Condensor mics
These use a diaphragm that is itself electrically charged. As such there is no need for a coil or magnet to be attached, and so the sensitivity is much higher than for a dynamic mic. However, to charge the coil many condensor mics will require a battery or a phantom power source (this is a 48v power supply sent from the amplifier to the microphone).
If you have a mic that requires phantom power, you should make sure your soundcard or pre-amp supports it.
As a general guide, a few "old classics" are:
Dynamic: Shure SM57 (instruments), SM58 (vocals)
Condensor: Rode NT1 (general)
- Do I need a mixer/control surface ?
(from neilius)
This will depend on exactly what you want to do... if you have a soundcard with enough inputs and mic pre-amps you wont need a separate mixer.
However if you wish to record many sound sources at once (say, an entire band), a mixer might be helpful as most mixers include multiple mic preamps and line inputs. To record all these inputs at the same time onto multiple tracks, it would need to be coupled to a multichannel sound card. Also remember that adding more things in the signal chain will degrade the quality of your audio going into the PC - you want the most direct route possible. Good mixers are also expensive and many people choose them for nothing more than the 'wow that looks cool!' factor.
If you are only recording one thing at a time, e.g. overdubs, then a control surface would be more suitable. A control surface, which looks like a mixer (this is where the similarities end) just sends controller data (usually via MIDI) to Sonar and will allow you to control the faders and pots in its own internal mixer. It will feel just like a real mixer and is a lot better than using the mouse to mix. Sonar is perfectly adequate for mixing audio once it is in the computer.
Also if you are interested in going this route, some of the high-end mixers combine a full mixer (with pre-amps, EQ etc.) with a MIDI control surface and even a PC compatible output, in which case you can record direct from the mixer without even needing a soundcard.
- Can I use an external effects unit with SONAR ?
Yes. The normal way to connect an external stereo effects unit is to connect a pair of soundcard outputs to the inputs on the FX box, and the stereo out of the FX box back to a pair of stereo inputs on the soundcard.
Next create the following in your project:
- a bus, called "Effect Send" with output connected to the soundcard outputs that connect to the FX box
- an audio track, called "Effect Return" with input echo on and Input set to the soundcard input pair, output to the Master bus.
Then to route any tracks to the external processor, create a send to "Effect Send" on the track. Enable the send, and adjust the send volume to change the wet/dry mix.
DOCUMENTATION, DOWNLOADS AND GENERAL QUESTIONS
- Where can I download free plugins / softsynths ?
Search the web. One place to start is http://www.kvr-vst.com/. VST plugins only work with SONAR 3, or in conjunction with a third party VST-DXI wrapper.
Try here for some more:
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/audio.htm
http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-series.php
Another good plugin is SIR - a great sounding reverb (although its CPU intensive): http://www.knufinke.de/sir/index_en.html.
Also check this thread for some more links: http://www.cakewalk.com/forum/tm.asp?m=122868
A simple sampler: http://www.manytone.com/3s.htm
A replacement tuner: http://www.more-k.com/ktuner/ktuner.htm
- How do I reduce the amount of CPU usage ?
Here are some pointers:
1) Share effects such as reverb. Instead of inserting a separate effect on each track, create a single plugin on a bus. Eg. for reverb, create a new bus called "Reverb", insert your reverb plugin in the bus FX bin and set the bus output to your Master bus. For each track that was using the reverb, delete the plugin from the track FX bin, and instead create an Aux send to the "Reverb" bus. Remember to click the green aux send button on each track to enable the send.
2) Archive old audio tracks. If you just mute a track it will still run in the background. Instead right-click and select "Archive" from the menu. You can unarchive later if you need it.
3) Bounce to audio. You can temporarily create submixes of audio (eg. replacing 6 audio tracks for a fully miked drum kit with a single stero mix) while you are working on other parts of the arrangement. See the manual for more details.
- Task Manager reports my CPU at 90%+, but SONAR reports only 5%, which is correct ?
SONAR is correct in this case. What happens is that SONAR processes typically reserve more CPU than they need, so that Windows reports a higher value than is actually being used.
- How do I use VSampler ?
The website is here:
http://www.maz-sound.com/index.php
There is also a user forum here, although it's not heavily used.
http://www.dog-on-blues.co.za/forum/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=24&sid=707a7344104df592b75d931cc74cdd0d
- How do I use Session Drummer ?
http://www.kvr-vst.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42292
- Any good shortcut keys to know ?
M - This opens the track manager, which allows you to easily show/hide multiple tracks.
Another tip is to remap the "space" key (to start/stop playback) to something else like F12. This allows SONAR to read the key at any time (even if you have a different window focussed).
- How come the song rewinds every time I press the stop button ?
This is a setting that is switched on by default. To prevent the auto-rewind on stop, go to Options/Global and untick the "on Stop, Rewind to now" option- the last one.
You can also use ctrl-space to achieve the same thing.
- How do I add comments to my project, such as instrument settings ?
Right-click on the track and select Track Properties from the menu. There is a small text window that you can use for adding your own comments to each track.
- How do I manage my projects, audio files, make backups or send projects to other people ?
There are a few different options here. The first thing that I'd definitely recommend, is to keep all audio files in a per-project subdirectory. You can switch on this function from Tools.. Global.. dialog and select Audio Data tab. Tick the "Use per-project audio folders" checkbox. For backups, just zip the Cakewalk file along with the contents of the relevant subdirectory. You can also send files this way to users with the same version of SONAR.
An alternative for backup, or sending to other SONAR3 users, you can save the project as a "Cakewalk Bundle" file from the File.. Save As dialog. This packages all the audio and tracks together into a single file. Its only compatible with the same version of SONAR though.
A third option is to use the Export.. OMF option, which will allow you to save multi-track files that can be imported into other software that supports the OMF format such as ProTools, or SONAR 2XL.
A final option, which I've had to resort to in some cases, is to manually map each track to a separate bus, and export the audio (one track per bus). This creates a set of wave files which can be imported into pretty much any audio program.
- Can I change which controls are shown for different tabs on the track view ?
Yes - although you'll need to edit the .INI files by hand. There is a file in the Sonar folder called README.RTF which explains this. Look for the heading "Track View Widget Reordering".
(N.B. It's actually an entry in the cakewalk.ini file, not AUD.INI)
Just add this section to cakewalk.ini, and edit it as desired:
[Midi Widgets]
W0=Channel
W1=Pan
W2=Trim
W3=FX
w4=Reverb
w5=Chorus
W6=Volume
w7=Bank
w8=Patch
W9=Output
W10=Input
w11=Key
w12=Time
- How do I set defaults (track view, settings, meters etc.) so that they are the same for every project ?
SONAR uses template files to allow you to save default project settings, etc. First make a backup copy of the normal.cwt file. Then, create a new project using the Normal template, and set it up as you like with whichever settings you want (view, meters, etc.). Then just use File..Save As.. to save the project back to the normal.cwt file. Overwrite the file, and from that point on, all new projects based on the normal template will have your settings.
TROUBLESHOOTING AUDIO PROBLEMS
- I dont hear any sound at all !
The first thing to check is whether other software (Windows Media Player etc) work fine ? If Windows doesnt work either, its not a SONAR problem.
If WMP is working correctly, but SONAR is not, check the following:
- That you can see the soundcard under the Audio Options dialog, and there are no error messages.
- The Output setting on each track, and the master track is set to the correct output on the soundcard.
- That you have the latest version of your soundcard drivers
- Try deleting the AUD.INI file and rebooting.
- That you reboot your PC if any settings on the card have been changed (eg. record/playback frequency or bitrate)
- That you try all different versions of your soundcard driver in SONAR Audio Options (ASIO, WDM, MME)
- That the audio is actually running (doesnt say "Audio Stopped" at the bottom of the screen). If the audio has stopped, increase the latency settings (see below).
- That the tracks/master bus are not muted, no hidden track is soloed, and the volume and trim settings are set to 0db.
- That you actually have some audio data (not MIDI data) on the tracks.
- I dont hear any sound from my softsynth !
You need to follow the instructions in the manual for adding softsynths to your project. Make sure you have one MIDI track (to trigger the sound) and one Audio track (to mix the sound coming out fo the softsynth back into the project).
- I turned on the metronome, but cant hear anything !
The metronome in SONAR is midi-only. That means you need a MIDI module or softsynth to be able to hear it. There are a few work arounds, such as the PingDXI plugin, creating an audio track as a click track using drum samples etc.
- What frequency / bitrate should I record at ?
Most good quality soundcards support multiple frequency recording and playback (typically 44.1kHz, 48Khz, 88kHz, 96kHz, 192Hkz). In theory, the higher the frequency, the better the accuracy of your recording. However bear in mind that higher frequency recordings use a lot more CPU, memory and hard drive space, and unless you are using a very high quality soundcard you may not hear any difference.
Some soundcards give you the option of recording at bitrates higher than 16-bit (24bit for example), which is definitely worthwhile. The additional bitrate will give you a wider dynamic range to record and mix in, which is especially useful when recording in the digital domain.
In general, if you are aiming to produce a CD directly from your final project, you should use 44.1Khz/24bit recording if possible. If you plan to use a professional mastering studio or have high quality A/D converters on your soundcard (read Apogee or equivalent) you may want to try recording at higher rates.
- How can I load audio recorded at a different sample rate into my project ?
Just drag and drop the wav file from windows, or use tools/import. SONAR will convert whatever format your wave file is to the current project audio format (shown on the status bar in SONAR).
- When I record I get a delay between playing my instrument, and hearing the sound coming from the computer !
Welcome to the world of latency. Your computer and soundcard require some time to process the audio that you are recording. The lower the latency, the shorter the delay. Try making the following adjustments but bear in mind that as your reduce latency, it uses more and more CPU time. If you reduce it too far, your CPU will be overloaded and SONAR will not be able to play back audio.
1. Use the Buffer Size slider under the Mixing Latency section of the Options...Audio dialog in SONAR. Slide it to the left to reduce the latency.
2. Reduce the number of buffers used from playback. Again from the same dialog, reduce the Buffers In Playback Queue setting to 2 (minimum).
3. Your soundcard software should also allow you to reduce the DMA Buffer Size, which will give you lower latency values too. Typically its set to something like 512kb, but can often be reduced to 128kb or lower. Check the helpfile for your soundcard on how to do this.
- Audio playback is slow and out of tune !
This can happen if SONAR is set to a different sample frequency/bitrate to your soundcard eg. SONAR is set to 96k/24bit, but your soundcard is set to digitally sync with an external 44.1k source.
Another possibility is that your audio has been imported as a groove clip. This type of audio information has embedded pitch and timing information, which you'll need to override to get the clip to fit with your project. Double click on the audio from the track view and check that the "Follow Project Pitch" button is enabled and "Enable Stretching" button is disabled.
- I cant get my Creative / Audigy / AC 97 card to work !
Many users have problems with these cards. If you can afford it, you should upgrade to a prosumer card (see FAQ above).
For Soundblaster users, there is a third party driver library http://kxproject.lugosoft.com/index.php?skip=1 which offers much better performance than the standard Creative driver.
- I get crackles and distortion when I connect using digital inputs/outputs !
In the digital world, all the devices that use digital ins and outs need to be synchronised. If you are just sending a digital out from a rack module or pre-amp to your soundcard, you should be able to set the sync to "external" in your soundcard software. Check your soundcard manual for details.
- Help ! I erased all my files, how can I get them back ?
Assuming you make regular backups, just restore the files from the DVD backup that you made.
If you didnt make a backup, some of the software in this thread might help: http://www.cakewalk.com/forum/tm.asp?m=158412
- Whats this envelope automation problem I hear so much about ?
Some plugins (specifically those that use a feature called delay compensation that is used by several popular plugins including some of the Sonitus ones and SIR), cause a bug in automated envelopes in SONAR 3. Envelopes can be recorded, but if the song is played from part-way through, the envelopes dont work or play back erratically. Cakewalk has announced that this bug will be fixed in SONAR 4.
In the meantime, there are a few workarounds for this. Try any one of the following:
1. Bounce any tracks that contain effects with latency compensation, then automate the bounced track(s)
2. Disable delay compensation on your plugins
3. Use a different plugin that doesnt have delay compensation
4. Try using an input bus envelope instead of an output bus envelope
5. Try deleting duplicate plugins
For more information see http://www.cakewalk.com/forum/tm.asp?m=35107&mpage=1&key=envelope&anchor#35107 and http://www.cakewalk.com/forum/tm.asp?m=144304&mpage=1&key=
MIDI PROBLEMS
- I have a MIDI keyboard controller and a rack-mount sound module. How do I wire them into SONAR ?
Connect a MIDI cable from the "OUT" on the Keyboard to the "IN" on your PCs MIDI interface card. Connect a second MIDI cable from the "OUT" on your PC to the "IN" on your sound module. Connect an audio lead from the audio outputs of your module to the audio (line) inputs on your PCs soundcard.
- I dont hear any sound from my MIDI track !
MIDI tracks need a MIDI compatible instrument to make a sound. This means that you either need a softsynth or an external MIDI module to make sounds. See below, and read the softsynth guide in the manual.
- I dont hear any sound from my MIDI hardware module !
You'll need to do some troubleshooting here to find out where the problem is. Check that
- MIDI cables are connected correctly (MIDI out from computer to MIDI in on module)
- Audio cable is connected too (from Audio output of the module to the audio line input on the soundcard)
- MIDI channel is set to OMNI, or at least the same channel on both SONAR and the module
- A MIDI indicator (if supported) is flashing on your module, indicating that its recieving MIDI messages. If not, check that the MIDI cable is connected correctly to the right MIDI output port on the soundcard and try changing the MIDI cable.
- If there is any sound coming out of the headphones socket (if supported) on the module. If headphones work, but you dont see anything in SONAR you probably need to enable monitoring in your soundcard software, or enable input echo in the corresponding audio track in SONAR
- I connected my MIDI sound module, and can hear it but it doesnt record. Also if I bounce to track or try to export audio I get nothing !
You'll need to record the sound coming from your module. To do this, add an audio track connected to the outputs from the module. Playback the MIDI and record the audio output from your module onto the new audio track. After that you can export the audio.
- I recorded a MIDI drum track as one track. How can I split it into separate tracks for each instrument ?
There is a utility provided with SONAR for this written in CAL (Cakewalk Application File). To run the utitlity, highlight the track, select the Process.. Run CAL from the menu and select the track split CAL file.
- The timing of MIDI devices is all over the place !
Lowering your midi resolution makes timing in soft sequencers like Sonar much better. The default is the maximum value - 960 ticks per beat. Try lowering it to 480 or even down to 120.
- The timing of MIDI devices gets worse the longer I play !
In this situation, when you first start SONAR you get an instantaneous response from MIDI, but as time goes by there's a greater and greater lag between pressing a key and hearing the note.
To fix this problem, close SONAR, open TTSSEQ.INI, find the [Options] section and add the line IgnoreMidiInTimeStamps=1 (or set the value to 1 if the line already exists).
GENERAL STUDIO/RECORDING QUESTIONS
- Where should I put my monitor speakers ?
Conventional wisdom says that you should place monitors in the centre of the shortest wall. Dont place them in the corner, or you will get low quality stereo imaging, and resonant bass frequencies.
- How can I get rid of the echos / resonant frequencies in the room that I record/mix in ?
There is a whole spectrum of solutions from a DIY approach (stuff mattresses in the corners), to a high-tech professional approach (helmholtz resonators, tuned bass traps). Popular "prosumer" products are Auralex from www.auralex.com (foam tiles that you place on the walls to cut down on echos and bass frequencies) and Real Traps from www.realtraps.com (bass traps that are specially designed for absorbing bass frequencies). Both websites give some good general information about acoustic treatment.
- Whats the difference between Balanced and Unbalanced connections ?
(from Wogg)
Unbalanced signals require only two wires, signal and ground. In order to use the signal, the ground must be used as a reference.
Balanced signals require 3 wires, signal +, signal - , and ground. The signal is carried on both the + and - wires exactly 180 degrees out of phase. The + and - wires are all you need to use the signal, the ground is for shielding only.
For long cable runs and environments with a lot of electromagnetic noise, balanced connections are far superior because of the way noise is picked up or induced on the cables.
Any wire in an electromagnetic energy field will pick up noise. In a unbalanced system there is no choice but to have that noise end up in your signal. Usually shielding minimizes this effect until you run a long, low level, signal.
Because the balanced system has 2 signal wires, the same noise is picked up on both wires, in phase. The way the differential pre-amps or transformers work that recieve the balanced signal, in phase signals on the + and - wire are rejected (called common mode rejection ratio). Since your desired signal is out of phase, it is amplified while the in-phase noise is rejected.
That way you can run a XLR mic cable (balanced) for 50+ feet in a room full of neon lighting and still get a clean signal when it reaches the mixer.
Microphone signals are typically very low level and benefit from balanced connections, typically through XLR connections. Line level signals (most guitars are near line level, my bass is actually higher than line level) are higher level and more tolerant of noise so may not be balanced, but can be. Line levels can be phono, 1/4" unbalanced, 1/4" balanced, or even XLR balanced.
- Do I need to buy expensive cables ?
This will probably come down to a matter of budget. Cheap cables will do the job, but may well be noisy (you hear a lot of hiss and crackles when you plug them in) or have poor frequency response (bass or high treble sounds fade or sound distorted). Better quality cables use gold plated plugs (this is to stop them from rusting and so prevent crackling), better sheilding (to prevent hiss) and thicker higher quality copper wires (to get better frequency response).
If you are on a budget then you will probably want to spend your "cable allowance" on the input side of your setup. Low output sound sources, such as mics and electric guitars will benefit from good cables more than line level sources such as hardware synths.
- Where can I learn more about recording, mixing and mastering ?
There are lots of resources on the internet. Please see the links section below.
LINKS GLOSSARY What do all these words mean ?
- A/D converter = Analog to Digital converter. This is the part of your soundcard that takes an analog signal (eg. from a mic, guitar or line input) and converts it into digital format for use with the computer.
- D/A converter = Digital to Analog converter. This is the part of your soundcard that takes a digital source from your computer and converts it back to analog (eg. to a speaker, headphones, or aux output).
- EULA = End User Licence Agreement. This is the legal agreement that you entered into with Cakewalk when you bought their software.
- Latency = This is the time it takes for your soundcard to process audio. A lower latency is better. Powerful PCs running with prosumer and pro soundcards can have latencies lower than 5ms with 10-20 audio tracks and mulitple FX and softsynths.
- Mastering = The process of taking a finished mixed stereo song, and adding the "sheen" that makes it sound like a professional recording.
- MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Interface. This is a standard interface for controlling digital musical instruments such as keyboards, samplers and effects units. The MIDI standard doesnt actually support audio, instead it sends control messages such as "start playing C# in the third octave" to the target machine. You still need to wire the audio from the machine back into your soundcard if you want to record anything.
- Mixing = The process of balancing all the tracks in your song, adding effects.
- Phantom power = This is a special type of microphone connection that sends out a 48v power supply from the pre-amp. Many condensor mics require this power supply for them to work correctly.
- Softsynth = Software synthesiser. A program on your PC that emulates a traditional keyboard or synth, and plugs into SONAR.
CREDITS Thanks to Mike Fisher, koolbass, sven450, Susan G, jlgrimes, otto, wogg, neilius, Muzical_Love, Godfrey, Jimsey, billkath and anyone else i've forgotten for their hints and tips.
< Message edited by Rousseau -- 7/28/2004 1:40:33 AM >
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