Reference Guide

1434 New features in SONAR X3

Take lane and comping enhancements

Comping and Take lanes have been drastically enhanced in SONAR X3. It is easier and faster than

ever to create a final composite take from multiple takes.

• Record multiple takes with the new Comping record mode.

• Quickly isolate the takes you want to keep.

• Use the enhanced Smart tool or new dedicated Comping tool.

• Automatically apply editable crossfades between takes.

• Easily audition individual takes or entire Take lanes.

• Quickly get rid of unused takes and empty Take lanes.

• Flatten isolated takes to a new Take lane. Create unlimited alternate comps per track.

Flexible comping methods

There are three primary methods you can use to comp in SONAR:

• Comping record mode. The default recording mode in SONAR is called Comping. When

recording, previously recorded material on the track is not heard. When a recording is done, the

newly recorded material is unmuted and all other takes are muted for the duration of the new

material. Each take appears on its own Take lane, with the newest take on top. For details, see

“Comping record mode” on page 397 and “Recording modes” on page 278.

• Manual comping. When Take lanes are visible on a track, you can use the Smart tool or

Comping tool

to isolate overlapping takes. Simply click or drag across a take, and all other

overlapping takes in the same track are muted. The updated Smart tool and new Comping tool

greatly enhance the comping workflow. For details, see “Comping with the Smart tool and

Comping tool” on page 400.

• Speed comping. After recording multiple takes, you can audition any individual take, use

keyboard shortcut keys to audition other takes and then select which take you want to use. For

details, see “Speed comping” on page 404.

You can use one or more of the different methods to create a perfect comp. SONAR will even apply

configurable crossfades between takes automatically, and you can quickly “flatten” the final comp to

a new Take lane and mute the original takes.