Using Sonar
Thought this needed it’s own place:
Workthrough on how to enable Sonar’s EQ.
If not already on view you’ll need to edit your display in track view,
Look in following image,
Click white triangle on ‘Display’ to bring up menu,
Add a tick next to ‘Eq’
You should now be able to see an extended ‘Track’ strip with the EQ at the top just above ‘FX bin’
You can now enable your Eq,
Click the Band Semi Circle Thing and it will light up green.
By double clicking on the area shown in the image below you will bring up Sonars built in EQ.
You can then enable each band.
Related Reading:
If you’re looking for Phase inverting/Reversal VST Plugins scroll to the bottom of the page…
Before you go ahead I must point out that the following article was written in reaction to something I read, this being the internet please be aware that not everything you read is not an absoulute. As with experiments getting your hands dirty is half the fun.
Recently I setup my nice little 5watt Fender Champion 600 so that I could record using some new pedals.
On recording I started to hear a very distinctive ground hum.
Using EQ is the usual way to remove this kind of stuff but when I was investigating on the internet I came across a few forum conversations talking about this kind of thing.
First I needed to find out about Sonar 7 and phase inversion.
The image below shows the ‘Phase’ button encircled in red,
By clicking the above button you are now inverting the audio on that track.
I then went about recording my guitar.
First idea was to record a track with just the amp on with the guitar volume up as it would be during playing.
I then recorded a second track of me playing.
I inverted the phase on the second track and nothing happened.
So I split the track as shown below,
(click image to enlarge)
I copied the split portion onto track one.
I then inverted the phase on track one.
Voila – the hum was gone, well almost.
Take a listen to the recording below. (use headphones or transfer to a system setup with decent speakers otherwise you’ll not hear it.)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
You can hear where the cloned track ends as in the above image.
How do I use this?
If I want to edit out hum I can just split tracks and delete was I don’t need.
The top and bottom is that you need to record exactly the same recording for this to work, it needs the same peaks and troughs fo the phase to invert.
Therefore one tool you thing you can use it for is this.
When you have a track with hum on it removing simply using eq dosen’t always work.
Editing your track can also have it’s pitfalls.
So clone your recorded track, invert it’s phase and then edit out your playing leaving just the hum.
When you play quite you will then have no hum inbetween your playing.
You could also try using an eq notch on your second track, a low pass filter around 50 – 60hz should remove hum.
But as with all things these are just ideas.
For me it was something to mess with for a few minutes and could be a really good tool for carving out eq or removing noise without damaging the dynamics in my tracks.
For now though I’m just at the staring stage and maybe I’ll add some more info later.
-Recording setup-
Sonar 7
Dual Core AMD 2ghz Processor + 2gb Ram
Windows XP
Behringer 1622fx Mixing Desk
Sm57
Sm58
Fender Champion 600 5w Amp
Electro Harmonix Double Muff
Planet Waves Guitar Leads
Fender Telecaster (Mexican)
-VST Plugins-
RS Phase Reverse VST Plugin: http://www.roughsurface.com/index.php?id=104&L=1
Invada Records: VST Phase plugin: http://www.invadarecords.com/Downloads.php?ID=00000008
FREE OUTSIDER PHASE PLUGIN: http://www.vescofx.com/vfxFreeOutsider
Related Reading:
To increase workflow using the Korg Nanokontrol I decided that I needed to create a project that matches the Nanokontrol.
Please note this only uses 32 tracks(The maximum amount of tracks I limit myself to)
First create 32 tracks.
Now select first track hold ‘shift’ key and select track 9.
- ‘Move To Track Folder’ -> Create ‘New Track Folder’
Rename Track Folder ->
In the above I’ve renamed the folder to ‘Tracks 1 – 9′
Repeat the above to create 4 folders.
As above image shows 4 folders, these are split according to the NanoKontrols scene button.
You can of course split these how you like and name them how you want.
Now for the magic.
While in track view press ‘m‘ on your keyboard,
Uncheck – Tracks 1 – 9,
Press
‘OK‘
Your folder track for ‘tracks 1 – 9′ should now disappear!
To make them reappear simply check the box next to ‘Tracks 1 – 9′.
Now press ‘Alt 3′ to bring up console view.
(please note I’ve now renamed the 32 tracks as numbered so as to demonstrate)
Stretch window to fit tracks 1-9.
Now press ‘m‘ on your keyboard to bring up Track Manager.
We can see at the very bottom tracks 1 – 9 – uncheck the ‘Tracks 1 – 9′ folder and press ‘OK’
Now if you look at the bottom of the image you’ll see,
This way you can bring back tracks 1 – 9 by checking the folder.
So a quick summary of usage:
Alt 3 - to bring up console view
To use tracks 1 – 9 – do nothing
To use tracks 10- 18 – ‘m’ – track manager.
uncheck ‘tracks 1-9′ and press scene on NanoKontrol once.
To use tracks 19- 27 – ‘m’ – track manager.
uncheck ‘tracks 1-9′ and ‘tracks 10-18′ press scene on NanoKontrol twice.
To use tracks 28- 32 – ‘m’ – track manager.
uncheck ‘tracks 1-9′ , ‘tracks 10-18′ and ‘tracks 19-27′ press scene on NanoKontrol three times.
———————————————
This is only setup for 32 tracks.
You can set this up how you want.
You can name folders and tracks how you want.
Related Reading:
Within Sonar there are some very cool little tricks which go unseen at first.
One of these is the ‘Envelope’ feature.
With the Envelope we can control the parameters of a track such as the ‘Volume’ and ‘Pan’.
There are more parameters but we’ll stick with just these two to start with.
To add an envelope,
Right Click on track,
From the screen shot above,
Envelopes -> Create Track Envelope -> Volume.
The red arrow points at a vertical light blue line, this is the newly added volume envelope.
To add control we need to add ‘nodes’ – these are like slit points in the line.
:::To Add Node:::
Hover above the blue line and double click on area where you want the ‘node’ to be.
- Or choose a point and right click,
At the top of this box you can see there are 4 choices of node.
Jump, Linear, Fast Curve and Slow Curve.
I’ve chosen Linear. – Try each one to see how they affect the track.
The arrow in the picture above points at the newly created note.
You can add as many nodes as you like.
As I said before these control the envelopes parameters.
Click on the node, it turns white.
Drag the node.
Volume: goes up and down as you would expect.
Pan: goes left (up) and right (down).
EQ is a bit more involved and requires a bit of knowledge about EQ settings and parameters.
You can also create an envelope to control the amount and pan level to you ‘effect send’
:::Automation:::
If you want you can record your volume changes on the fly.
Have a look at the above screen shot – look for the ‘W’ button – the Automation Write button.
Click it and it should turn red as shown in the picture below – Automation Write is now enabled.
Now if you press play and move your volume up and down you’re movements will be recorded.
Note you don’t have to add an envelope to do this. It will add one automatically.
Have a mess with it and see what happens.
Be cool , see ya later.
Related Reading:
Want complete control of your VST effects in Sonar?
Being musical doesn’t just come down to be able to play cool riffs or spiky licks, it comes down to using every tool available to you.
One very cool tool is the ability to control a tracks effects bin by using envelopes.
:::Here’s how:::
Start a new sonar project.
You’ll have 2 audio tracks and 2 midi tracks as usual.
Add a flanger effect to an audio track.
- I’ve added mine to track 2 and I’ve used Kjaerhus’s free flanger vst plugin.
Now import or record an audio file to the same track.
- I’ve used a stock sample of a bassoon played continuously.
:::Get Control:::
Highlight your clip, click on recording or imported item.
‘right’ click on the audio track,
Choose,
Envelopes -> Create Track Envelope -> Classic Flanger 1- (choose your flanger)
Once you’ve chosen the effect you want to automate another screen will appear.
This box contains all the parameters that are available to be controlled using the envelope.
Tick each of the the ‘parameters’ you want.
At the bottom right side of the box you can ‘Choose Color’ for each envelope or it will do it automatically for you.
For mine I’ve chosen ‘Delay’, ‘Rate’ and ‘Depth’ – you can choose whatever, experiment.
As you can see from the above picture I now have 3 lines running vertically across the track.
These are the three envelopes I created.
If you hover you’re mouse the ‘envelope’ Sonar will bring a small message informing you what each envelope does.
To edit the parameters we now need to add something called ‘Nodes’ if you know what this means then you’re good to go, so go.
The above can also be applied to individual clips, add an effect to your chosen clip, right click to add envelope choose ‘create clip envelope’ and follow through in the same way.
If you don’t know what a ‘node’ is then you need to read about using envelopes.
Now if you’re still here there’s another cool feature here in envelopes.
The ‘Automation Write’ feature allow you to record you’re parameter changes in real time.
Next to the ‘ACT’ button there are two more buttons.
‘RD’ and ‘W’
If you click the ‘W’ button it will go red.
Try it now.
Press play and move the ‘parameter’ knob on your vst gui. Make sure it’s the one you set your envelope to control.
You’ll see that your movements are recorded.
That’s it really.
If you have a midi controller mapped properly even better.
Anyway hope you enjoy it.
Fini