'splain please.

Aaron Cheney

Aaron Cheney

Favorite Chord: C 6/9
I have two questions:
In certain windows (piano roll window, e.g.) there is a little padlock icon in the upper right, next to the maximize/ minimize/ close buttons. Clicking it alternately locks/ unlocks the padlock. The problem is, I see no funtional difference. What am I supposeldy locking? What the heck does it do?

Also, version 1.31 added this feature, which is covered nowhere in the printed manual:

Dual Mode Gain and Pan Controls - Allows mix to be adjusted independently from envelopes.

I have seen that enabling it immediately sends all pan and volume settings back to 0 db. Explain please.

Aaron
http://www.aaroncheney.com
 
Aaron,

> there is a little padlock icon in the upper right

That "locks" the window so if you right-click on another clip and select View .. Piano Roll, it will launch a new window instead of placing that clip into the current Piano Roll window.

> Dual Mode Gain and Pan Controls ... enabling it immediately sends all pan and volume settings back to 0 db. <

That switches the controls to "offset" mode. The volume and pan values are still as you had set them earlier, but now the same sliders serve as offsets that globally change the entire track.

Suppose you created a volume envelope and carefully went through a track raising and lowering the volume as needed. Then later you realize the volume changes are good, but you want to raise the entire track a few dB. When you switch to Offset mode the slider now shows the offset, so you can raise it a little. Then you can switch the sliders back to Normal view.

--Ethan
 
Thanks, Ethan.

Got the padlock concept, but let me make sure I understand track offset:

So, if I create a pan envelope and carefully tweak it throughout the length of a song, and then go into "offset" mode and adjust the track's pan offset to 20% R, and then go back to normal mode, the virtual "center" for that track now becomes 20% R? Anything panned 100% L by an envelope would acutally play back at 80% L? And I assume that something panned say, 98% R via an envelope would just be offset to the right until it hits the 100% wall, effectively narrowing the pannable range of that track?

And similarly, if I lowered a track's offset volume by 20%, it's virtual 0db is 20% lower, and any signal level set at 20% or below by an envelope would play back at 0%, or in other words, I would hear nothing?

Now, I understand that offset is a tool used for very small adjustments on a mix, and the scenerios I'm laying out may be extreme. I just want to make sure I'm getting the concept.

THanks,
Aaron
http://www.aaroncheney.com
 
Aaron,

> So, if I create a pan envelope and carefully tweak it throughout the length of a song, and then go into "offset" mode and adjust the track's pan offset to 20% R <

I've never played with pan offsets, but that sounds about right. Just to be sure, play with a test track and vary the pan by a lot using both envelopes and the offset, to verify.

> And similarly, if I lowered a track's offset volume by 20%, it's virtual 0db is 20% lower <

Those controls are calibrated in dB. not percent. So if you have envelopes that make the track start at -10 dB. and then it goes up to 0 dB. and then back down to -10, setting to offset to -5 dB. will now make the track go from -15 to -5 and back to -15 again as it plays.

--Ethan
 
Thanks again, Ethan.
Last question: What then, is the "Trim" slider's purpose? Is it only for adjusting the input level?

By the way, sorry if I'm behind the curve on SONAR. I'm just getting it up and running on my new system. I'm sure I could figure this stuff out on my own, but why bother, with a great resource like this BBS at my disposal? It's so much quicker just to ask!

Aaron
http://www.aaroncheney.com
 
Aaron,

> Last question: What then, is the "Trim" slider's purpose? Is it only for adjusting the input level? <

No, you should always control the record level using the gain control on your mike preamp, outside of Sonar.

The trim control is for when you have a few tracks for which you have grouped the volume controls so they go up and down together. Suppose you have three background vocal tracks that you want to control with one slider, You right-click each slider and assign them all to the same "colored" group. But then you realize one of the background vocal tracks is overall a little louder than the others.

> By the way, sorry if I'm behind the curve on SONAR. <

Nothing to apologize about!

> It's so much quicker just to ask! <

No problem, I'll send you a bill. :)

--Ethan
 
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