How do I turn up the volume on a track in Sonar?

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justcrash

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Ok guys, I am an extreme newb here. :( I just recorded, my first ever track on any digital recording ever.. thats how new I am. Anyway, when I armed hit, if I hit my strings as hard as I could, it only went to about half way up on the meter. So I recorded it (guitar into sansamp into soundcard, and when I play it back, its barely audible. Is there a way to turn it up?
 
There is. Expand the track view so you can see the box called volume. Using your mouse, move your cursor over it and click and drag until it increases up to the maximum of gain of +6db.

However, it sounds to me that your recording wasn't recorded at sufficient volume in the first place.

When you arm your track, before recording, you should adjust all your levels (guitar, amp, soundcard input volume, windows mixer)so that when you play normally, the indicator does not go over into the red zone.

If you cannot get close to that line, you are not recording at sufficient volume.

And that could be because of a number of reasons.

What is your soundcard and are you taking using a line out from your amp to the line in on your soundcard? Or are you using a microphone, or are you going directly from your guitar into your soundcard?
 
Paul881 said:
There is. Expand the track view so you can see the box called volume. Using your mouse, move your cursor over it and click and drag until it increases up to the maximum of gain of +6db.

However, it sounds to me that your recording wasn't recorded at sufficient volume in the first place.

When you arm your track, before recording, you should adjust all your levels (guitar, amp, soundcard input volume, windows mixer)so that when you play normally, the indicator does not go over into the red zone.

If you cannot get close to that line, you are not recording at sufficient volume.

And that could be because of a number of reasons.

What is your soundcard and are you taking using a line out from your amp to the line in on your soundcard? Or are you using a microphone, or are you going directly from your guitar into your soundcard?
Click to expand...

It is a Live sound card, and I am going into my sans amp ( a little direct box) right into the sound card.
 
Sound Blaster Live?

You must be explict, when it comes to information. ;)
 
When you record your material, make sure it is as "HOT" as possible, without clipping. ;)
 
The s/b has two inputs. Line in and mic in. Which one are u using? The best one for u is Line in. Make sure your leads are working okay. Try plugging headphones into the socket on the sans amp to test sound levels.

Have u checked the s/b mixer input levels are maxed? Have u checked the windows mixer levels, that they are maxed?
 
Paul881 said:
The s/b has two inputs. Line in and mic in. Which one are u using? The best one for u is Line in. Make sure your leads are working okay. Try plugging headphones into the socket on the sans amp to test sound levels.

Have u checked the s/b mixer input levels are maxed? Have u checked the windows mixer levels, that they are maxed?
Click to expand...

Im using it with a Live Drive 2 and Im plugging the sans amp into that. How do I check to make sure my SB levels are cranked?
 
So you are plugged into the front panel and have turned the input gain know up as far as youn can (I can't turn mine up full as it distorts too much.)

Smewhere you will have the s/b live mixer. Mine hangs out at the top of my screen just out of sight. If I take my cursor to it, a hand appears and I can then click and display the Creative launcher which has the mixer listed.

Another way is start>programs>creative>audio HQ>mixer.
 
Paul881 said:
So you are plugged into the front panel and have turned the input gain know up as far as youn can (I can't turn mine up full as it distorts too much.)

Smewhere you will have the s/b live mixer. Mine hangs out at the top of my screen just out of sight. If I take my cursor to it, a hand appears and I can then click and display the Creative launcher which has the mixer listed.

Another way is start>programs>creative>audio HQ>mixer.
Click to expand...
Ok, I disabled mine in the startup group so I will have to go to the mixer. :) Do they make 1/4 adaptors so I can go to 1/8th?
 
Yes, they make every adaptor known to mankind, some have flying lead connectors. What are you thinking of doing with them?
 
I have all the Creative mixer stuff disabled. It wrought havok with my last system, so I didn't chance it this time. The Windows mixer (I hate to say) is an integral part of the signal chain here. Learn it. There is an awesome explanation of it on the cakewalk site. It explains a way to view both recording and playback mixers at the same time. I'm in a good mood today because I just got my Delta 1010, so here is the link I just mentioned...
http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Lessons/WindowsMixer.htm

FYI - At the Cake user group the other night, some people were saying that they were in the practice of normalizing their tracks before final mixdown. Keep in mind this will add noise as well as volume. If I need to do that I usually tweak it 3db at a time. YMMV.
One more thing: I myself am guilty of going straight from my guitar efects to the sound card (but with some pretty good results, I must say). I don't know if the SansAmp has the kind if gain my RP5 does. You should consider a preamp of some sort. That can even mean a mixer channel.
 
Paul881 said:
Yes, they make every adaptor known to mankind, some have flying lead connectors. What are you thinking of doing with them?
Click to expand...

Well, if for some reason I couldnt use my live drive 2, wouldnt I need them to go from my 1/4 to the sound card? Im sorry Im so stupid. :(
 
Yes you would. But use some kind of mixer or preamp before the sound card (in either case). Don't worry about your questions. This software is a mountain. I encourage you to use the manual and the online help, as well as the cakewalk website. A lot of this stuff is explained and diagrammed in these places.
 
ChuckU said:
Yes you would. But use some kind of mixer or preamp before the sound card (in either case). Don't worry about your questions. This software is a mountain. I encourage you to use the manual and the online help, as well as the cakewalk website. A lot of this stuff is explained and diagrammed in these places.
Click to expand...
A preamp, such as a POD or Sans amp?
 
Yes, or a Zoom or a Boss effects (fx) processor box/pedal.

And don't worry about your questions, as Chuck says, learning all about this software is a big mountain to climb. And when you have done that, you have recording and mixing/mastering to leanrn too. So lots of fun and games to come yet:)
 
Paul881 said:
Yes, or a Zoom or a Boss effects (fx) processor box/pedal.

And don't worry about your questions, as Chuck says, learning all about this software is a big mountain to climb. And when you have done that, you have recording and mixing/mastering to leanrn too. So lots of fun and games to come yet:)
Click to expand...

Damn... in a "patience is a virture" setting, I must comfront my greatest nemisis... patience! lol. :D Thank you guys for al the help you have given me thus far. Now Im trying to get help w/ Fruity Loops. :(
 
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