Instruction Manual

120 Tutorials
Tutorial 3—Recording Digital Audio
The Normal template has several audio tracks in it already, which you could
use to record with. You don’t have to insert a new audio track to record with
if your project already has one or more empty audio tracks.
Next Step: Checking the Input Levels.
Checking the Input Levels
Before trying to record, you need to check and adjust the audio input levels.
If your audio input is too low, it will be lost in the background noise. If it is
too high, it will overload the input channel and be distorted/clipped. Before
you check input levels, make sure that the record meters are set to be
displayed in the Track view. Click the right arrow next to the Show/Hide
Meters button and in the menu that appears, select the Track Record
Meters command if it is not already checked.
You may need to drag the splitter bar that separates the Track pane from
the Clips pane to the right to see all the buttons in the Track view toolbar.
Note: SONAR has a button called the Audio Engine button in the
Transport 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 in your new audio track. The track’s meter
becomes a record 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 enabled.
If you still don't see any movement of the audio meters, you may have
an audio input problem. I Can’t Record Any Audio.
3. If the input level 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 overload or clip (indicated by red), decrease the input
level.