Setting the track outputs

The next important step is telling SONAR which output on your sound device you would like audio tracks to play on. In some cases, it is desirable to have tracks playing different outputs (such as if you are using external hardware processing for effects). In this scenario, you’ll want to set all of the audio tracks to the same output.

Let’s start with the Bass track. Locate the track named Bass in the project. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the track’s controls. If the track controls are not all visible, you may need to expand the track to see them all.

To expand a track to make all of its controls visible

1.	Point the cursor to the bottom edge of the track.

2.	Click and drag down to reveal all track controls.

Tip: You can also double-click an empty space in the track strip to maximize/restore the track strip.

Tip: If you do not see all the track controls, click the Track Control button to the left of the Track view time ruler, and select All from the menu. You can also hold down the SHIFT key and press the Left ARROW and RIGHT ARROW keys to cycle through the available control layouts. For details, see To configure track and bus control layouts.

Control	Description
	This is the Mute button. It is used to silence a track during playback. Any tracks that are muted will not be heard.
	This is the Solo button. It is used to silence every track except the one that is soloed. This can be handy for isolating a particular performance or recording for monitoring or mixing purposes. SONAR allows you to solo multiple tracks simultaneously.
	This is the Arm or Record Enable button, which must be enabled on any track that you want to record onto. For more details, see Tutorial 3 – Recording vocals and musical instruments.
	This is the Input Echo or Input Monitor button. When clicked, this enables the track’s input to be heard directly through its output. For more details, see Tutorial 3 – Recording vocals and musical instruments.
	This is the Read Automation button. It is used to enable/disable automation playback.
	This is the Write Automation button. When enabled, changes to adjustable track parameters during playback are recorded. For more details, see Tutorial 7 – Mixing and adding effects.
	This is the Freeze button. It is used to temporarily convert a synth or instrument track into an audio track to conserve CPU power.

Locate the drop-down list for Output and click the small arrow to show all available outputs. Select the output that your speakers or headphones are connected to. If you can’t find the Output drop-down list, make sure you have expanded the track fully by dragging it down.

 

Note: Your options will be different from the preceding image. Select the output that corresponds to your sound card or audio device.

Next, you will want to repeat the above process for all of the tracks in your project.

Tip: If you need to change multiple outputs simultaneously, select the tracks, then hold down the CTRL key while you change the Output setting in any selected track. You can also click a track’s Output control and choose Selected Track Outputs, which opens a dialog box that allows you to change the Audio and MIDI outputs of all selected tracks.

 

See:

Playing the project