Reference Guide

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Mixing
External Insert plug-in
1. Create an audio track and record or import some audio.
2. Clone the track (including the audio) to a new track.
3. Insert the External Insert plug-in on one of the tracks.
4. Assign the Send and Return to any available input and output on your audio hardware.
5. Patch an audio cable directly between the assigned input and output on your audio hardware.
6. Press Play in SONAR.
You should hear both tracks out of time with each other.
7. Carefully match the levels of the two tracks.
8. Click the Phase button on one of the tracks to invert the phase.
9. In the External Insert plug-in, click the Delay Measurement control to measure the round-trip
delay through your audio hardware.
The round-trip time for the signal to return is measured and displayed on the button.
10.Press Play in SONAR again.
You should hear the track play significantly quieter and thinner sounding.
11.To confirm if the delay is measured as accurately as possible, adjust the manual offset by one
sample in either direction. Press Play after each adjustment and note if the sound gets louder or
quieter.
In almost all cases, the sound will be quietest with no manual offset. In some rare circumstances,
you may have hardware that requires an offset of a sample or two. If this is the case, you will want to
always add that offset when you use the External Insert plug-in.
If your hardware requires a manual offset, you will only need to adjust the offset once for any
particular sound card.
When to measure the delay
Several things can change the delay of the External Insert, including:
• Changing audio ports.
• Changing audio driver model.
• Changing audio device.
• Changing SONAR's buffer size.
Tip: While adjusting levels, refer to the numeric peak indicators on the track strip. It is important for
this test that the levels match as closely as possible.
Tip: The manual offset can be saved in a preset for the External Insert plug-in.