How do I hook up the effect and the interface? SONAR’s External Insert plug-in inserts in an FX bin, and diverts the signal to the assigned audio interface output. We’ll use the TASCAM US-4×4 interface because it has extra I/O and low latency, but the same principles apply to other audio interfaces.Ģ.
What do I need to interface stompboxes with SONAR? You’ll need a low-latency audio interface with an unusd analog output and unused analog input (or two of each for stereo effects), and cords to patch these audio interface connections to the stompbox. Fortunately, with just a little bit of effort you can make SONAR think external hardware effects are actually plug-ins.ġ. Plug-in signal processors are a great feature of computer-based recording programs like SONAR, but you may have some favorite stompboxes with no plug-in equivalents-like that cool fuzz pedal you love, or the ancient analog delay you scored on eBay. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and now you have answers to five questions about panning laws. One of SONAR’s many cool features is that it will likely be able to match it. If you import an OMF file from another DAW or need to duplicate a mix from another DAW, ask what panning law was used in creating the file.But use what you like…after all, I’m not choosing what’s “right,” I’m simply choosing what I like. This is how I built hardware mixers, so it’s familiar territory. I prefer -3 dB center, sin/cos taper, and constant power the signal level stays at 0dB when panned right or left, but drops by -3 dB in each channel when centered. So try mixes with different laws, choose a law you like, and stick with it. The pan law you choose can affect a mix’s overall sound if you have a lot of mono sound sources (panpots with stereo channels are balance controls, which is a whole other topic).So there are really only two crucial concepts: The online help describes how the panning laws affect the sound. This sounds complicated, and is making my head explode-can you just tell me what I need to do so I can go back to making music? SONAR provides six different panning law options under Preferences, so not only can you choose the law you want, the odds of being able to match a different DAW’s law are excellent. Although the sin/cos and square root versions may seem to produce the same results, the taper differs across the soundstage between the hard pans and center. The tracks are in the same order as the descriptions in SONAR’s panning laws documentation and the listing in preferences. Note the difference in levels with the panpot panned to one side or centered. This is why duplicating a mix on different DAWs can yield different results, and lead to foolish online discussions about how one DAW sounds “punchier” or “wimpier” than another if someone brings in straight audio files and sets the panning and faders identically.Ī mono signal of the same level feeds each fader pair, and each pair is subject to different SONAR panning laws. Why does this matter to a DAW like SONAR, which doesn’t have a hardware mixer? Different DAWs default to different panning laws. Some didn’t drop the center level at all, and some did custom tweaks. Come to think of it, it wasn’t a specification or even a “recommendation.” Some engineers dropped the center level a little more to let the sides “pop” more, or to have mixes seem less “monoized” and therefore create more space for vocalists who were panned to center. Isn’t that the end of it? Well, it wasn’t really a “law,” or a standard. If that doesn’t make sense…just take my word for it, and keep reading. This gave an apparent level that was constant as you panned across the stereo soundstage. To compensate, hardware mixers used non-linear resistance tapers to drop the level, typically by -3 dB RMS, at the center. If a pan control had a linear taper (in other words, a constant rate of resistance change as you turned it), then the sound was louder when panned to center. Panning laws date back to analog consoles. What does a panning law govern? When a mono input feeds a stereo bus, the panning law determines the apparent and actual sound level as you sweep from one side of the stereo field to the other.īut why is a “law” needed? Doesn’t the level just stay the same as you pan? Not necessarily. Let’s dispel the confusion surrounding this sometimes confusing topic. It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law…panning law, that is.