Choosing A Surround Format - CAKEWALK SONAR User Manual

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• 6.0 (Music/Alternative)
• 6.1 (Film/Alternative)
• 6.1 (Music/Alternative)
• 6.1 (SMPTE/ITU)
• 7.0 (Heptagon)
• 7.0 (Film/Alternative)
• 7.0 (Music/Alternative)
• 7.1 (Film/Alternative)
• 7.1 (Music/Alternative)
• 7.1 (SMPTE/ITU)
• 8.0 (Octagon)
• 8.0 (Film/Alternative)
• 8.0 (Music/Alternative)
• 8.1 (Film/Alternative)
• 8.1 (Music/Alternative)
• 8.1 (SMPTE/ITU)
5.1 (SMPTE/ITU) is the default template.
The Surround Format templates are hard-coded, and cannot be deleted. However, you can freely assign
any enabled audio output port to any surround channel, and save the configuration as a preset.
Surround settings are per project. Surround speaker assignments default to unique audio output
channels when you choose a new template.
You configure your surround settings in the Project Options dialog on the Surround tab (use the
Options-Project command and click the Surround tab).

Choosing a Surround Format

Using the Options-Project command and clicking the Surround tab displays several fields of surround
options. Choosing a surround format sets the number of speakers your project is using, and lets you
choose a specific sound card output for each speaker. Here you can also choose parameters for bass
management, and for downmixing, which means converting a surround mix into a stereo mix.
The group of sound card outputs that you choose on the Surround tab of the Project Options dialog
make up the "Surround Main." The Surround Main becomes a choice on the Outputs menus of tracks
and buses as soon as you insert a surround bus into your project. You won't see a "Surround Main"
output module in the output modules section of the Console view, because it's just a term for the group
of sound card outputs you choose for surround mixing. The pan control on any track or bus that outputs
to the "Surround Main" controls which hardware outputs receive the signal that the track or bus sends
to the "Surround Main."
SONAR saves the surround settings you choose on the Surround tab of the Project Options dialog with
your project, including your downmixing parameters. If you have some particular settings you might
use again, you can save a group of settings as a preset (except for downmixing parameters—you can
change these, but they aren't saved in presets). To save a group of settings as a preset, type a name in
the Presets field and then click the Disk icon that's to the right of the field. When you want to use this
preset in a project, just choose it from the Presets dropdown menu.
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