Simplify track processing with FX chains

OBJECTIVE: Create “virtual racks” of effects plug-ins, called FX Chains, so you can save and load groups of effects.

BACKGROUND: Sonar allows for creating track presets, which can contain multiple pre-loaded effects. However, until Sonar X1 introduced FX chains, you couldn’t save or load the combination of effects themselves separately from the track.

1 Go View > Browser, click on the Plug-Ins tab, then click on the Audio FX button.

2 Decide on the effects you want in the FX chain, then drag them from the Browser into a track effects bin.

3 Right-click anywhere in the effects bin (including on an effect), then select “Save FX Chain Preset.”

4 After naming the effects chain, save it into the FX Chain Presets folder.

5 To load the FX Chain Preset into a different track, right-click in the track’s FX bin and select “Load FX Chain Preset.”

6 The FX Chain Preset loads as a single entity, but to extract the individual effects, right-click on the effects bin and select “Extract FX Chain Plugins.”

Tips

• Step 3: It’s not necessary to save to create a chain; you can create a chain temporarily by selecting “Convert Bin to FX Chain” instead of “Save FX Chain Preset.”
• Step 6: When you recall an FX Chain, the effects parameter values are the same as when you saved the chain.