Recording Digital Audio - CAKEWALK SONAR User Manual

Note: SONAR has a button called the Audio Engine button
toolbar, which you click to stop any feedback you may experience if there is a loop
somewhere in your mixer setup. Whenever you play a project, SONAR
automatically enables the audio engine, which you can tell by watching the Status
bar—whenever the audio engine is running, the Audio Running indicator in the
Status bar lights up. The Status bar is located at the bottom of the SONAR
window.
To check the audio input levels:
1. Click the Arm button
a record meter. You may need to use the Vertical Zoom Control in the lower
right corner of the Clips pane to see the track's meter.
2. Perform as you would during recording. Watch the meter respond to the
sounds you produce. If the meter does not respond, you may need to raise the
volume of your plugged-in instrument. Also, make sure that the Audio Engine
button in the Transport toolbar is depressed.
If you still don't see any movement of the audio meters, you may have an
audio input problem. Refer to "I Can't Record Any Audio" on page 645 for
troubleshooting hints.
3. If the meter never comes even close to the maximum, increase the input level
by using the Windows mixer or your sound card's software mixer (or if you are
recording your instrument through an amplifier or mic preamp, turn up the
amp or preamp).
4. If the meters even occasionally reach the maximum, decrease the input level.
The idea is to try to get the input level to rise as high as possible, but without ever
reaching the maximum. That way, you get the strongest possible signal without
distortion.
SONAR's meters are extremely adjustable for the kind and range of data they
display. For more information, see "Metering" on page 436.

Recording Digital Audio

It's time to record!
1. If you haven't already set up the metronome, follow the directions in "Setting
Up the Metronome" on page 61 to set the metronome for a two-measure count-
in.
2. The track is already armed for recording.
3. In the Transport toolbar, click Record
keyboard.
You'll hear two measures counted in by the metronome, then playback and
recording begin.
in your new audio track. The track's meter becomes
, or press r on your computer
in the Transport
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