SONAR 8

(Windows XP, Windows Vista)

README.RTF
Copyright 2008 Twelve Tone Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Cakewalk is a registered trademark, and S!A"
is a trademark o# Twelve Tone Systems, Inc.
This file contains supplemental information on SONAR, Version 8.0.0. It was prepared on
September 8, 2008.
Contents
Top Issues in SONAR 8
User Account Control and SONAR installer

To install S!A" in $indows %& &ro#essional and 'ome (dition or $indows )ista, yo* m*st
+e logged in as a *ser with administrative privileges.
nce yo* have installed the prod*ct yo* may then log in as a standard *ser and *se the
application witho*t administrative privileges ,yo* may also choose to log in as the same *ser that
installed the application i# yo* pre#er-. &lease re#er to the notes on .ser Acco*nt Control
elsewhere #or more in#ormation on r*nning S!A" #rom m*ltiple *ser acco*nts on the same
comp*ter.
At the time o# this writing, the only S!A" component that re/*ires administrative privileges, is
the &entagon I synth. $hen *sing $indows )ista, yo* m*st choose 0"*n as Administrator0 when
la*nching S!A" in order to *se &entagon I.
Disable Anti-Virus/Spyware Sotware
&lease disa+le any anti1vir*s or spyware so#tware +e#ore installing S!A". .tilities s*ch as
2Spyware 3octor4 have +een known to inter#ere with the S!A" installation. S*ch *tilities
need not +e *ninstalled or removed #rom yo*r system, only temporarily disa+led.
SONAR !"#
S!A" 5 was the first DAW application to provide a 64-bit audio engine in a 64-bit binary
application. Both a 32-bit and a 64-bit version of SONAR 8 are included on the SONAR 8 DVDs.
The following features are not supported in SONAR x64 at this time:
6 ReWire support for 32-bit clients like Project 5 V2, Reason 2, and Fruity Loops
6 32-bit DirectX plug-ins
6 Receiving MIDI output from VSTi plug-ins
6 DreamStation DXi2
6 MPEX time/pitch stretching. A 64-bit library is not available for the MPEX time/pitch
stretching algorithm, so this feature is not supported in SONAR x64. Use iZotope Radius
or SONARs internal time/pitch stretching instead.
6 Apple has yet to release QuickTime for Windows x64, so QuickTime import/export is not
yet supported. Note: MPG 1 movie files can be imported.
2
$ac%wards Co&patibility
SONAR 8 can load projects from any previous versions of SONAR, but projects that are saved in
SONAR 8 cannot be re-opened in SONAR 1.x or SONAR 2.x. In case you need to open a pre-
SONAR 8 project in an earlier version of SONAR, it is recommended that you always create a
backup copy of the original project before you re-save the project in SONAR 8.
Project files saved in SONAR 8 will not open in SONAR 4 if they reference or include any of the
following types of data or information:
6 32-bit and 64-bit audio clips, including clips and tracks that have been frozen or rendered as
32-bit or 64-bit data.
6 Audio clips that are not all of the same bit depth
Project files saved in SONAR 8 will not open in SONAR 5 if they reference 64-bit audio clips.
SONAR 8 project files may contain new features that will be missing if opened in SONAR 5 and
earlier, including:
6 ACT current context
6 All AudioSnap data
6 Automation Read Enable States
6 Clip lock properties
6 Preserve mix between gang members setting
6 Synth Rack Assignable Controls
6 Synth Rack Automation
SONAR 8 project files may contain new features that will be missing if opened in SONAR 4,
including:
6 Clip effects and clip automation
o Effects are removed
o Automation envelopes are orphaned
6 Groups
o SONAR 7 groups are preserved but will not be completely functional in SONAR 4
o Controls may be removed from groups
o Groups cant be added to or changed
o Group names will be truncated.
o SONAR 4 may add extra groups to the project.
Re-saving a SONAR 8 project file in an older version may permanently remove the project data
described above.
Template files saved from SONAR 8 will not load in earlier versions of SONAR. This is because
of changes made to SONAR's view persistence code in SONAR 8.
3
'indows Vista
The following issues are known problems with Microsoft Windows Vista (as of Vista SP1):
6 In WDM or WASAPI mode for some audio devices, SONAR reports an "Unable to
Open..." error when attempting to record w/ multiple input drivers. This may occur when
SONAR attempts to open more than one input for recording when "Allow Arm Changes
During Record Or Playback" is selected in Transport | Record options. This problem is
most likely caused by the driver disallowing multiple inputs to be used simultaneously.
6 As of Vista SP1, WaveRT drivers for onboard audio devices do not work in Vista X64
while running the 32 bit version of SONAR. This is due to a problem with WOW64 in
Windows Vista X64 that has been reported to Microsoft.
4
Audio (eror&ance Issues
The #ollowing iss*es concern improving and tro*+leshooting a*dio per#ormance in S!A".
I&pro)in* Recordin* (eror&ance
+nableCac,e'riteT,ru-./ or 012 deault - 0
This AUD.INI variable enables disk write thru caching, on by default. When write thru caching
is on, data recorded to wave files is written to the hard disk immediately, circumventing the
hardware disk cache. Having write thru caching off can be more efficient for disk I/O but can
result in data loss if your system crashes.

Cancelin* C,an*es 3ade to Real-ti&e (lu*-ins
+nable(lu*inCancel$utton-./ or 012 deault - /
In SONAR 4.0.2 and earlier, opening the property page of a VST plug-in during playback could
result in a slight disruption in playback.
The cause for this problem has its roots in the little "Cancel" button that sits in the top right
corner of the plug-in's property page. The purpose of this button is to allow the user to cancel out
of any changes they might have made to the plug-in, restoring back to whatever state the plug-in
was in before they opened the GUI window. To make this work, SONAR would need to take an
initial snapshot of the plug-in's state, and some pl*g1ins with large amo*nts o# preset data co*ld
ca*se an a*dio hicc*p i# the data was capt*red #or the Cancel +*tton.
To address this iss*e, S!A" 7.0.8 ,and later- does not take a snapshot o# the pl*g1in9s state +y
de#a*lt, and the Cancel +*tton is not availa+le. There is a new CA:($A;:.I!I varia+le to +ring
back the Cancel button if desired, but be aware that this may also result in hiccups when opening
VST plug-ins during playback.
This varia+le sho*ld +e set in the <$inCake= section. >or e?ample@
[WinCake]
EnablePluginCancelButton=1
5
D4i5s 6 7oo%-a,ead (rocessin* at 8i*, 7atencies
Some pl*g1ins, s*ch as the Sonit*s@#? A*lti+and and other dynamics processors, *se a look1ahead
+*##er mechanism, which res*lts in a short delay +eing introd*ced to the o*tp*t signal when the
pl*g1in is *sed in real1time. S!A"Bs a*tomatic delay compensation ,A3C- takes care o# any
delays, +*t yo* may e?perience some anomalies when *sing s*ch a pl*g1in to process the o*tp*t
o# a 3%iCespecially i# S!A" is con#ig*red to *se a high mi?ing latency. The symptoms
incl*de a*dio that appears to drop o*t, andDor missed notes ,#rom the AI3I track that is assigned
to the 3%i-. Again, this is more prone to occ*r with higher latency settings.
This may happen i# S!A" doesnBt p*mp ahead eno*gh AI3I data to compensate #or A3C. To
#i? this pro+lem, go to Options > Global > MIDI and increase the Prepare Using [n]
Millisecond Buffers val*e.
+!ternal Inserts and 'D3 Dri)ers
'a)eIn$uers-.9 - 812 deault - 8
In WDM mode when you use an external insert plugin alongside the original dry signal, you
might notice a flanging or flamming effect. To minimize this effect, we recommend that you set
the WaveInBuffers AUD.INI variable to 2.
Note that setting this value to 2 might have an adverse effect with certain audio hardware, causing
recording to drop out. If this occurs please reset the value to 8 and try using ASIO drivers if your
hardware has ASIO support. Also note that this variable only applies when using WDM drivers;
ASIO performance is unaffected by this setting.

To set this variable to 2, please add/modify the following line to the [Aud] section of AUD.INI:
[Aud]
WaveInBuffers=2
+!ternal Insert Delay Oset
The Delay Offset controls in the External Insert increase or decrease the number of Samples of
delay compensation. The ++ and buttons increase or decrease the delay compensation by
10 Samples. The + and - buttons increase or decrease the delay compensation by 1 sample.
Clicking the center button allows a numeric entry. The number of samples in the offset is saved
as part of the presets.
6
3IDI (repare $uer Si:e and Auto&ation
If your project contains several track/clip automation envelopes, setting your MIDI playback
buffer size too low (in Options > Global > MIDI) can cause audio to crackle if your audio
latency is also set very low. This problem will be somewhat worse if you enable multiprocessing
in the audio engine. To minimize or eliminate these crackles, please be sure to keep your MIDI
playback buffers at or above the default setting of 500 msec.
Control Surace Reres, Rate
Control s*r#aces are re#reshed +y posting a windows message every E5 milliseconds.
CtrlSuraceReres,3S-.;/ < ;///1 =deault->;?
Fo* may wish to increase the val*e o# this CA:($A;:.I!I varia+le i# yo* are e?periencing
sl*ggish .I responsiveness when *sing a control s*r#ace and playing +ack high C&. proGects.
Also, i# yo* are *sing a control s*r#ace that is not +i1directional, the s*r#ace does not need to +e
re#reshed at all and yo* can sa#ely increase the val*e.
This varia+le sho*ld +e set in the <$incake= section. >or e?ample@
[Wincake]
CtrlSurfaceRefres!S="#
7
@eneral
The #ollowing topics cover general iss*es in S!A".
'indows 3edia Video ='3V? (roiles
S!A" 8 incl*des several pro#iles #or e?porting $A) #iles. Fo* can a*thor yo*r own $A)
pro#iles i# yo* wish to *se speci#ic settings. To do so, yo* need to download and install the
$indows Aedia &ro#ile (ditor, which is incl*ded with the $indows Aedia (ncoder H Series.
3ownload #rom here@
http@DDwww.microso#t.comDwindowsDwindowsmediaDdownload

In ISelect 3ownload@B choose 0$indows Aedia (ncoder0
In ISelect )ersion@B choose 4H Series4

The set*p program will install the $indows Aedia &ro#ile (ditor *tility.
I# yo* a*thor yo*r own pro#iles ,.&"% #iles-, they m*st +e placed in the J3oc*ments and
SettingsJAll .sersJApplication 3ataJCakewalkJS!A" 8 &rod*cer (ditionJ$A) &ro#iles
directory in order to +e availa+le in S!A".
!ote@ i# yo* *se S!A" St*dio (dition, s*+stit*te 2&rod*cer4 with 2St*dio4.
+!ternal DV Output =I+++ 0AB#/Cirewire?
S!A" relies on the Aicroso#t A)DC drivers to comm*nicate with 3) devices that are
connected to a I((( K8H7 >irewire +*s on yo*r comp*ter, in order to control and preview video
to digital video devices.
I# another so#tware application overwrites or disa+les these drivers, the Preview to
Firewire and Print to Tape #eat*re may not #*nction correctly. I# yo* are going to install a
so#tware application that *ses 3) devices connected to the I((( K8H7 >irewire +*s, please check
with the so#tware vendor a+o*t 3) device drivers it may install. Also, please check with the
man*#act*rer o# yo*r 3) device #or A)DC1compliance in#ormation. The #ollowing devices have
+een tested and known to work properly with S!A"@
6 A3S &yro AD) ;ink 3) transcoder
6 Canop*s A3)C1K00 3) transcoder
6 Canon L"185 mini3) camcorder
!ote@ when *sing 3) A)I movies, the transcoding *nit m*st +e set to the same #ormat ,!TSC or
&A;- as the video #ile, or Preview to Firewire and Print to Tape will #ail to work properly. Also,
8
C&. cons*mption will +e lower when the so*rce material is in 3) #ormat, since the #ormat is
native to the >irewire device and doesnBt inc*r a C&. hit #or transcoding video.
Ca%ewal% +!ternal +ncoder Coni* Utility
S!A" 8 s*pports e?ternal command1line encoders, s*ch as ;AA(, gg )or+is, AonkeyBs
A*dio, etc. I# an e?ternal command1line encoder is installed on yo*r machine, the ICakewalk
(?ternal (ncoder Con#igB *tility allows yo* to add the encoder to S!A"Bs list o# availa+le #ile
#ormats when e?porting a*dio ,File > Export > Audio-.
To *se the *tility, start S!A" and go to Tools > Cakewalk Ext Encoder Config, then speci#y
the proper settings or the encoder yo* wish to *se.
!ote@ the S!A" 8 3)3 incl*des several pre1de#ined pro#iles #or vario*s encoders. These
pro#iles can +e #o*nd in the J.tilitiesJ(?ternal (ncoder &ro#iles #older. Fo* can *se these pro#iles
as a starting point when creating yo*r own pro#iles. Simply do*+le1click the appropriate ."(M
#ile to add the in#ormation to the $indows registry, then *se the ICakewalk (?ternal (ncoder
Con#igB *tility to speci#y the correct install path o# the encoder.
AudioSnap (alette Auto 7oad

Auto7oadAudioSnap(alette-./ or 012 deault - 0
By default, the AudioSnap palette appears automatically whenever you enable AudioSnap on a
clip. If you prefer to never auto-show the AudioSnap palette, you can change this behavior by
adding a variable to the CAKEWALK.INI file.
This varia+le sho*ld +e set in the <$inCake= section. >or e?ample@
[WinCake]
A*to;oadA*dioSnap&alette=$
Alp,a-blended $ars on Slip-stretc,ed Clips
Alp,aStretc,Indicator-./ or 01 =deault-0?
$hen an a*dio clip is slip1stretched, a yellow alpha1+lended +ar is displayed on the clip. This
may a##ect per#ormance on some systems i# there are many slip1stretched clips. There is a new
CA:($A;:.I!I varia+le to disa+le the alpha1+lended +ars, and instead only show the percent
val*e in the lower right corner o# the clip.
This varia+le sho*ld +e set in the <$incake= section. >or e?ample@
9
[Wincake]
Al%aStretcIndicator=$
Reset All Selected AudioSnap Transient 3ar%ers
S!A" has a /*ick way to reset transient markers. This may +e *se#*l i# yo* have pre1S!A"
N.2 proGects that e?hi+it these symptoms with A*dioSnap clips@
6 The wave pict*re shows a #lat line in strange places
6 (?treme timing iss*es when +o*ncing the clip
r, yo* might G*st want a /*ick way to revert yo*r e?periments with A*dioSnap +ack to the
original data.
These symptoms are the res*lt o# vario*s A*dioSnap iss*es that have since +een #i?ed in S!A"
N.2.
To reset transient arkers!
K. Select all clips yo* wish to reset.
2. &ress CtrlOAlt and click the "eset +*tton on the A*dioSnap &alette. This +rings *p a
dialog asking i# yo* want to Clear All A*dioSnap Aarkers. Clicking Fes will delete all
the e?isting edits and restore clips to the analyPed transients.
!ote@ this gest*re is not *ndoa+le, so make s*re yo* really want to reset the transient markers.
An alternate sol*tion is to t*rn o## A*dioSnap on the clips and then *se Edit > "ounce to Clip#s$.
'owever, this will also render any clips #ades.
Scrubbin* Audio at Unity @ain
In SONAR 4.0.0, the Scrub function would automatically scrub at unity gain. This has changed in
version 4.0.1 and later, where audio scrubbing is performed at the mix level (volume and pan
settings are applied). You can also scrub at unity gain by holding down the Alt key while
scrubbing.
Toolbar $ac%*round @radient
DrawToolbar@radient-./ or 01 =deault-0?
Qeginning with S!A" E, glo+al and view tool+ars are drawn with a +ackgro*nd gradient. I#
yo* pre#er a #lat +ackgro*nd, yo* may disa+le the gradient drawing +y adding the #ollowing entry
to the CA:($A;:.I!I #ile in the $inCake section@
10
[WinCake]
&ra'(oolbar)radient=$
Console View Auto-Resi:in*
Qy de#a*lt, the Console view will a*tomatically resiPe itsel# vertically as mod*les are shown or
hidden. I# yo* pre#er, yo* can keep the Console view #rom a*tomatically resiPing +y holding
down the Shi#t key as yo* click on a mod*leBs ShowD'ide toggle ,le#tmost pane in the Console
view-. This will preserve the c*rrent Console view siPe witho*t resiPing the view to #it all visi+le
mod*les.
Trac% View Control Si:e and 7ayout

It is possible to alter the default size and layout of the controls in the Track view. This requires
adding entries to the CAKEWALK.INI file.
This varia+le sho*ld +e set in the <$inCake= section. >or e?ample@
[WinCake]
(*BoldStri%+a,es=$
Qelow are the varia+les that a##ect the control appearance@
TVControl8ei*,t-.nu&ber o pi!els12 deault - 0>
Specifies the height of controls. The default height is 17 pixels. This value shouldnt be changed
more than 1 or 2 from the default value, or you may experience unexpected results.
TVControl'idt,-.nu&ber o pi!els12 deault - #0
Specifies the width of controls. The default width is 41 pixels.
TVControlSpacin*4-.nu&ber o pi!els12 deault - A
Specifies the horizontal space, in pixels, between controls. The default spacing is 3 pixels.
TVControlSpacin*D-.nu&ber o pi!els12 deault - A
Specifies the vertical space, in pixels, between controls. The default spacing is 3 pixels.
TVSpacin*4InCluster-.nu&ber o pi!els12 deault - 9
11
Specifies the horizontal space between each button in a cluster. The default value is 2 pixels.
The following controls are grouped into clusters:
6 Mute, Solo, Arm for Recording (MSR)
6 Automation Read, Automation Write
6 Phase, Interleave (mono/stereo)
TV$oldStripNa&es-./ or 012 deault - 0
Specifies whether track/bus names use bold (value=1) or regular (value=0) font style.
TV7ar*eStripNa&es-./ or 012 deault - 0
Specifies the size of track/bus names. The default size is large (value=1).
3IDI Note Velocity Colori:ation
(RVColori:eVelocity-./ or 012 deault - 0
MIDI note colors are tinted depending on their velocities. Notes will appear darker for higher
velocities and lighter for lower velocities.
This feature may be enabled (1) or disabled (0) in the [Wincake] section of the Cakewalk.ini file.
For example:
[Wincake]
PR*Colori-e*elocit.=$
SONAR and Screen Readers or Vision I&paired Users
SONAR has a special Accessibility Mode which can be helpful for vision impaired users when
working with screen readers (Window-Eyes, JAWS, etc.). The Accessibility Mode is enabled by
adding a key to the Windows Registry (WARNING: only do this if you are comfortable with
editing the Windows registry; you may wish to back up the registry first), and allows screen
readers to receive various information from SONAR that may otherwise not be displayed on the
screen (names, values, etc.).
The key is:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\8.0
Note: if you are using SONAR 8 Studio Edition, substitute Producer with Studio.
The Value is:
12
AccessibilityMode
It is a DWORD. Value can be 0, 1, 2 or 3:
0 - no accessibility (default)
1 - put the access string in the TrackView Cview's caption
2 - put the access string in the CWACCESS window
3 - put the access string in the CWACCESS window and make this window visible
Up*radin* to SONAR ro& an +arlier Version o a Ca%ewal%
(roduct
S!A" S(T.& does not overwrite yo*r e?isting MA%TE&'I(% #ile. That #ile contains the
instr*ment de#initions that S!A" loads every time it starts. S(T.& installs new 'I(% #iles #or
each s*pported man*#act*rer. These #iles contain the latest complete set o# availa+le instr*ment
de#initions.
To learn how to import any o# these .I!S #iles, see the online 'elp topic titled "Importing
Instrument Definitions
13
Enown Issues
The #ollowing topics cover known iss*es in S!A" that may +e addressed in the #*t*re.
Session Dru&&er 9 Issues
3IDI Dra* and Drop ro& Des%top Captured by SONAR
Dragging a MIDI file from the Desktop into Session Drummer 2 will cause a new MIDI project
to be created in SONAR.
To add a MIDI pattern to Session Drummer 2, you may use its built-in MIDI Pattern Browser, or
you may drag and drop a MIDI clip from SONAR.
Session Dru&&er 9 3ay 7ose Sync wit, SONAR Durin* See%in*
If the global 0Set !ow Time with >*ll "eset0 option ,Options > Global > General- is disa+led,
Session 3r*mmer 2 may lose sync with S!A" i# Session 3r*mmer 2 is a*to1playing a pattern
while yo* seek in the S!A" time r*ler.
I# yo* are a##ected +y this iss*e, the sol*tion is to ena+le 0Set !ow Time with >*ll "eset0.
R(N +)ents Stop Session Dru&&er 9 Audio Output
If a MIDI track that is routed to Session Drummer 2 is transmitting RPN events, Session
Drummer 2 will no longer output audio.
To fix this, open the Session Drummer 2 property page, click the VST Preset Options button
next to the preset controls, then select Plug-in Properties. Finally, enable Do not intercept
NRPNs and click OK.
87( Ciles Cannot be Opened in 'indows Vista
$indows )ista does not ship with the $indows 'elp ,$in'lp82.e?e- help program, which is
re/*ired in order to open 821+it help content #iles that have the .';& #ile e?tension. This a##ects
';& #iles #or a #ew legacy pl*g1ins that are incl*ded with S!A". $e will *pdate S!A"Bs
online 'elp in the #*t*re to address this. In the meantime, please see the #ollowing Aicroso#t
:nowledge Qase article #or in#ormation a+o*t a sol*tion@
http@DDs*pport.microso#t.comDk+DHKEN0E.
14
(lu*-in 'indows Clic%er or don5t Display (roperly
I# yo* have any pl*g1inBs that #licker or donBt display properly, please see the 0%1"ay $indows
!ot Compati+le $ith Some &l*g1ins0 topic +elow.
4-Ray 'indows Not Co&patible 'it, So&e (lu*-ins
%1"ay $indows is not compati+le with pl*g1ins that *se 3irect3raw to create their windows,
s*ch as many recent pl*g1ins +y $aves. I# a pl*g1in is not compati+le with %1"ay, the pl*g1in9s
window will either #licker or not display properly. I# yo* have any pl*g1ins that are a##ected +y
this, yo* can e?cl*de the pl*g1n,s- #rom %1"ay +y #ollowing the instr*ctions +elow@
K. pen the Cakewalk &l*g1in Aanager ,Tools > Cakewalk )lug*in Manager-.
2. In the &l*g1in Categories window, select the category that the pl*g1in yo* want to
e?cl*de is in.
8. In the "egistered &l*g1ins window, select the pl*g1in that yo* want to e?cl*de.
7. I# the pl*g1in is a 3irect% e##ect or an A>%, write down ,or select and copy- the C;SI3
val*e that9s in the C;SI3 #ield at the +ottom o# the dialog.
5. I# the pl*g1in is a )ST or )STi, write down the )ST I3 val*e that9s in the )ST I3 #ield
at the +ottom o# the dialog.
N. Close the &l*g1in Aanager dialog.
E. .se !otepad to open the %"ay(?cl*de.ini #ile that9s in yo*r S!A" program #older
,C@J3oc*ments and SettingsJR*sernameSJApplication 3ataJCakewalkJS!A" 8
&rod*cer (dition-.
!ote@ i# yo* *se S!A" St*dio (dition, s*+stit*te 2&rod*cer (dition4 with 2St*dio
(dition4.
8. At the end o# the #ile, #ind the <(##ect&rops )iew= section.
Fo* will see entries s*ch as the #ollowing@
; Waves SSL EQ Stereo
XRayExclude11=1397510483
XRayExclude12={E451379E-F7E1-4E82-98D9-BEB87AC45E90}
H. (?cl*de yo*r pl*g1in +y creating a +lank line +elow the last entry in the <(##ect&rops
)iew= section, and then typing@
;[name of your plug-in, but without brackets]
XRayExclude[type the next available number in XRayExclude
list, but without brackets]=[VST ID number, with no
brackets, or CLSID number, with curly braces at start and
finish]
>or e?ample, i# the last entry in the <(##ect&rops )iew= section was@
15
; Waves SSL EQ Stereo
XRayExclude11=1397510483
XRayExclude12={E451379E-F7E1-4E82-98D9-BEB87AC45E90}
I# yo* wanted to e?cl*de the Cakewalk >?3elay #rom the %1"ay $indows #eat*re, a#ter
creating a +lank line yo* wo*ld type@
; Cakewalk FxDelay
XRayExclude13={985DAF67-589F-4B8D-8BBC-D7AD651B9022}
I# there was also a )ST version o# the Cakewalk >?3elay, yo* wo*ld add another line@
XRayExclude14=[some VST ID number, with no brackets]
K0. Save and close the %"ay(?cl*de.ini #ile, and restart S!A" to implement yo*r changes.
Usin* 3ono VST (lu*-ins on Stereo Trac%s 3ay Cause Out o
Sync Audio
When using a mono plug-in on a stereo track (interleave set to Stereo), the left and right channels
will be out of sync. The left channel is processed by the mono effect, and delay compensation is
applied, while the right channel is not processed and does not have delay compensation applied.
The signal will look something like this:
Left channel: Wet signal (delayed)
Right channel: Dry signal (no delay)
A mono VST plug-in will work correctly if "Enable Mono Processing" is checked in the VST
Plug-in Properties dialog and the track interleave is set to mono.
Note: "Enable Mono Processing" is enabled by default in SONAR 8. If you are playing back a
legacy project in SONAR 8, and notice the project does not sound the same, try to disable
"Enable Mono Processing" for any mono plug-ins used in the project.
Fuic%Ti&e Issues
In order to importDe?port T*ickTime #iles in S!A" 8, yo* m*st install +oth the #ilters A!3
T*ickTime. Qelow are some other known T*ickTime iss*es@
6 T*ickTime ImportD(?port re/*ires version N.5.K or higher o# the T*ickTime &layer to +e
installed. The T*ickTime &layer is not incl*ded with S!A", +*t can +e downloaded
separately #rom AppleBs we+ site ,http@DDwww.apple.comD/*icktimeDdownloadDwin.html-.
6 A*dio mi?down to T*ickTime m*st +e set to KN +its stereo or mono, or the res*lting
e?port will create a *n*sa+le #ile or a+ort with an error.
6 A*dio mi?down to T*ickTime m*st +e set to 78 :'P or less or the res*lting e?port will
create a #ile that plays +ack incorrectly.
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6 $hen e?porting to T*ickTime, the #rame rate o# the T*ickTime video compressor will
de#a*lt to 0+est possi+le.0 Since not all movies in a S!A" video proGect correctly report
their #rame rate, the +est practice is man*ally enter the desired #rame rate. This is done in
the video settings o# the T*ickTime video compressor.
6 (?ports to T*ickTime #rom a S!A" video proGect created #rom an A)I *sing the Indeo
video compressor will create a movie with white #rames.
6 (?ports to T*ickTime may have an e?tra white #rame on the last #rame o# the movie.
This e?tra #rame can +e removed with the T*ickTime &ro &layer or another T*ickTime
editing application.
Aany o# these limitations will +e addressed in a #*t*re *pdate to S!A".
+nablin* 3ono on a $us/3ain 'ill Aect Upstrea& 3eters
I# yo* make a !us or main out mono +y toggling its AonoDStereo switch, any 2*pstream4 meters
Cthat is, meters on any tracks or +*ses that are assigned to the mono +*sDmain o*t11#rom the
+*sDmain o*t will also display as mono.
Note: this only affects the meter display, not any audio that is bounced or exported.
3ono Audio Clips 3ay be Increased by Ad$ in Certain Scenarios
There are some sit*ations where the level o# a mono clip will +e increased +y 8d+ i# the track9s
o*tp*t interleave ,monoDstereo toggle- is set to mono@
K. I# the track has mi?ed stereo and mono clips
2. The track has a synth selected as its inp*t so*rce
8. Inp*t (cho is ena+led or the track is armed #or recording
In s*mmary, whenever the track o*tp*t interleave is mono and the data interleave is stereo, mono
data will +e increased in level +y 8dQ.
This iss*e will +e addressed in a #*t*re release.
Addin* 3IDI De)ice 3ay $rea% Control Surace Support and
3IDI Eey $indin*s
$hen adding a new AI3I 3evice in Options > MIDI De+ices, control s*r#ace s*pport and AI3I
key +indings may no longer work properly. "estarting S!A" will solve this pro+lem.
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8i*,-Resolution Audio $oosted by "d$ w,en Stretc,ed Usin*
3(+4
$hen *sing a sample rate o# 88.2h:P or higher and per#orming any operation that *ses A&(%
timeDpitch stretching, the stretched a*dio will +e +oosted +y NdQ.
Re'ire and Cast Corwardin* in SONAR
$hen there is a "e$ire application loaded into a S!A" proGect, the S!A" >ast >orward
+*ttonDcommand only works i# there is a clip at the end o# the S!A" proGect or i# 0Stop at
&roGect (nd0 is not checked.
Re'ire Trac%s Silent ',en Usin* 3etrono&e Record Count-in
$hen *sing a metronome co*nt1in and recording, any "e$ire tracks will +e silent at the start o#
recording. The silence period will e/*al the co*nt1in d*ration. To #i? this iss*e, disa+le
metronome co*nt1in ,go to Options > )ro,ect > Metronoe and set I"ecord Co*nt1inB to Pero-.
Runnin* Reason wit, SONAR on Vista
Reason 3.04 requires a ReWire update in order to run as a ReWire device in SONAR 8 on a
Windows Vista system. The installer for this update can be downloaded from
http://www.propellerheads.se/download/index.cfm?fuseaction=get_article&article=vista_installer
TTS-0 D4i Does Not Support 88G9 %8: Sa&ple Rate
The Cakewalk TTS1K so#t synth s*pports 77.K k'P, 78 k'P, and HN k'P sample rates, +*t not
88.2 k'P. The a*dio engine will not engage i# S!A" is con#ig*red to *se a sample rate o# 88.2
k'P while TTS1K is loaded and connected,
Usin* Ca%ewal% Einetic @roo)e Synt, in SONAR 8
I# yo* are a Cakewalk :inetic c*stomer and yo* are *sing the :inetic Mroove Synth in S!A",
please +e advised that any saved S!A" proGects that make *se o# the Mroove Synth can no
longer +e opened i# yo* *ninstall :inetic. Attempting to open s*ch a proGect may res*lt in a crash.
The :inetic *ninstaller is removing the Mroove Synth sample #ile, +*t not the act*al synth. Qoth
m*st co1e?ist or yo* will r*n into the iss*e a+ove. To address this, make a +ack*p copy o# the
&5antom U.3AT #ile +e#ore *ninstalling :inetic, then copyDmove &5antom U.3AT #ile +ack to its
original location a#ter :inetic has +een *ninstalled.
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Successi)e Snaps,ots Do Not Update +n)elope Node Values
$hen taking m*ltiple a*tomation snapshots at the same !ow time, new envelope nodes are
created instead o# *pdating any e?isting envelope nodes. To address this iss*e, *ndo the previo*s
a*tomation snapshot +e#ore per#orming a new snapshot.
(otential H(ops5 ',en Usin* Surround Auto&ation =SONAR
(roducer +dition Only?
I# yo* record IAngleB s*rro*nd pan a*tomation, please note that a pop may occ*r as the angle
parameter G*mps #rom 0 degrees to K80 degrees. This may occ*r i# the G*mp is not instantaneo*s,
and can +e easily solved +y Pooming in the envelope a*tomation and moving the top and +ottom
nodes so they are aligned in time ,tip@ ena+le Snap to make it easier to align the envelope nodes-.
3ono (lu*-ins on Surround $uses =SONAR (roducer +dition
Only?
Aono pl*g1ins may not work properly when inserted in a S*rro*nd +*s e##ect +in. A common
symptom is a "*ntime error message.
Sta View Cont 3ay ReIuire Reboot Ater SONAR is Installed
S!A" installs a #ont that is *sed +y the Sta## view. This #ont is only installed temporarily when
S!A" is installed, and +ecomes permanently installed a#ter the machine is re+ooted.
n some machinesCeven i# the Sta## )iew #ont is s*ccess#*lly temporarily installedCsome
#*nctions that re#erence the #ont may #ail *ntil a#ter a re+oot. The pro+lem is easily identi#ied +y
corr*pt Sta## )iew graphics.
Di*idesi*n 3bo! and 3ultiprocessin* +n*ine
A crash may occ*r while recording with the A+o? i# S!A"Bs m*ltiprocessing engine is ena+led
,I.se A*ltiprocessing (ngineB in Options > Audio > Ad+anced- on a 'yperThreading or m*lti1
processor system.
This pro+lem appears to +e ca*sed +y the A+o? driver.
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Di*idesi*n Di*i //9 and 3ultiprocessin* +n*ine
$hen *sing the 3igi 002 in ASI mode, a crash may occ*r i# all o# the #ollowing steps are
#ollowed@
K. The m*ltiprocessing engine is ena+led ,9.se A*ltiprocessing (ngine9 is checked in
Options > Audio > Ad+anced-
2. A so#t synth is inserted in an a*dio trackBs >% +in.
8. The a*dio track is e?ported as a track template.
I# yo* are a##ected +y this, temporarily disa+le the m*ltiprocessing engine +e#ore saving the track
template.
3-Audio 3idisport 8!8 Co&patibility
The A1A*dio Aidisport 8?8 driver ,as o# v. 7.K.2K- has a limitation that only allows yo* to *se
*p to K5 AI3I inp*t ports sim*ltaneo*sly.
3-Audio Delta 0/0/ Distortion 'it, ;G8&s 7atency
When using the M-Audio Delta 1010 set at 128 sample buffer size (configured in M-Audio Delta
control panel), setting the mixing latency in SONAR to 5.8 milliseconds may results in distortion
if either or both of the following is true:
K. An effect is patched into a track and the track is armed for recording.
2. An effect is patched into a track and Input Echo is enabled on that track.
Crontier/Tasca& ASIO Dri)ers
The >rontierDTascam ASI drivers install two #lavors o# the ASI driver in the registry@ a 271+it
one and a KN1+it one. S!A" may have pro+lems trying to pro#ile +oth drivers. The sol*tion is to
remove one o# the drivers #rom the registry.
Crontier Desi*n Tran:(ort Issues
Trac% Ar& $utton Conlicts wit, SONAR 3IDI Eey $indin*
The track arm +*tton on the TranP&ort *ses AI3I :ey C0, which in S!A", is the de#a*lt shi#t
key when AI3I :ey Qindings are ena+led. The workaro*nd is to disa+le AI3I :ey Qindings in
S!A" or reassign the Shi#t :ey to a di##erent :ey ,like 3+0-.
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SONAR 8an*s on Deletin* Control Surace ',ile Tran:(ort is Connected
Occasionally, more than one instance of the Tranzport will appear in the Control Surface dialog.
Unfortunately, SONAR hangs if you try to delete one while the device is connected.
To remove the duplicates, close SONAR, unplug the Tranzport, re-open SONAR, go to Options
> Controllers/Surfaces, and delete all but one instance of Tranzport.
At this point you must close SONAR, re-connect the Tranzport and launch SONAR again in
order for the Frontier MIDI drivers to become available so the surface will work.
Selectin* an arc,i)ed trac% causes a second non-arc,i)ed trac% to be selected
I# the TranP&ort 0Skip archived tracks0 option is ena+led, clicking on an archived track in
S!A" may also ca*se another near+y non1archived track to get selected.
CanJt (rint i Sta View is Cloatin*
It is not possi+le to print the Sta## view i# the Sta## view is #loat1ena+led. I# necessary, temporarily
disa+le #loating i# yo* need to print #rom the Sta## view.
RICC/3ID 'ill Not 7aunc, SONAR ',en Double-clic%ed
3o*+le1clicking "I>> AI3I #iles and Standard AI3I #iles will #ail to la*nch S!A" even i#
these #ile types are associated with S!A".
AutoTune # =@rap,ic 3ode? as Clip +ect
$hen *sing A*toT*ne 7 as a clip e##ect, its Mraphic mode may not track clips properly i# A*to
T*neBs 2Q*##er Seconds4 setting is not set high eno*gh. >or e?ample, i# 2Q*##er Seconds4 is set to
K00, its graphic mode wonBt +e a+le to track pitch a#ter K@70 ,real time, not A@Q@T- in the proGect
i# it is +eing *sed as a clip e##ect.
I# yo* e?perience pro+lems with tracking, try to increase the Q*##er Seconds setting. >or instance,
in a N min*te proGect, yo* wo*ld want this setting to +e at least 8N0.
3IDI Note 'ill Continue to (lay I Now Ti&e is 3o)ed
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Changing the !ow time while a AI3I note is so*nding will ca*se S!A" to play the #*ll
d*ration o# the note. This +ehavior was introd*ced in S!A" 7.0.8, and is necessary as a res*lt
o# addressing vario*s gapping iss*es when editing AI3I data d*ring play+ack.
I# yo* pre#er a slight hicc*p instead o# hearing the #*ll note d*ration, yo* can change the de#a*lt
+ehavior with the 2Set !ow Time with >*ll "estart4 option in Options > Global > General.
!ote@ moving a AI3I note event d*ring play+ack is a##ected +y this same iss*e.

Arpe**iator 3C4 'it, 7ow Rate 3ay Aect (laybac%
$hen *sing the Arpeggiator A>% AI3I pl*g1in and setting the 9"ate9 parameter to K AI3I tick,
play+ack may +ecome very sl*ggish. This is primarily an iss*e i# yo*r AI3I hardware cannot
handle the n*mero*s events that are generated +y the Arpeggiator e##ect.
Standard AVI Audio Codecs Do Not Support 3ultic,annel Audio
!one o# the standard A)I a*dio codecs s*pport m*ltichannel a*dio. $hen e?porting
m*ltichannel a*dio to an A)I video #ile, do not select an a*dio codec ,no compression-, or *se a
codec that is known to s*pport m*ltichannel a*dio.
No 3TC Sync wit,in 0 3inute o 3idni*,t Roll-o)er
S!A" will not sync to ATC within one min*te o# roll1over ,1 minute before midnight;
23:59:00:00 - 23:59:59:xx). To address this, use a SMPTE offset that doesnt require you to
trigger the midnight roll-over.
Dual Video 3onitors Set to Dierent Color $it Dept,s 3ay Aect
(eror&ance
I# yo* are *sing a d*al monitor system and e?perience sl*ggish per#ormance when selecting and
dragging clips in the Clips pane, con#irm that +oth monitors are set to the same IColor T*alityB +it
depth.
//END OF DOCUMENT
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