The information in this article applies to:

• SONAR (All SONAR Family Products)

The latest version of SONAR can load projects from any previous versions of SONAR, but projects that are saved in your most current version of SONAR may not be able to be re-opened in older versions. In case you need to open a project in an earlier version of SONAR, it is recommended that you always create a backup copy of the original project before you re-save the project in your current version.

Compatibility with older versions of SONAR:

Project files saved in SONAR 8 will not open in SONAR 4 if they reference or include any of the following types of data or information:

• 32-bit and 64-bit audio clips, including clips and tracks that have been frozen or rendered as 32-bit or 64-bit data.
• Audio clips that are not all of the same bit depth

Project files saved in SONAR 8 will not open in SONAR 5 if they reference 64-bit audio clips.

SONAR 8 project files may contain new features that will be missing if opened in SONAR 5 and earlier, including:

• ACT current context
• All AudioSnap data
• Automation Read Enable States
• Clip lock properties
• “Preserve mix between gang members” setting
• Synth Rack Assignable Controls
• Synth Rack Automation

SONAR 8 project files may contain new features that will be missing if opened in SONAR 4, including:

• Clip effects and clip automation
• Effects are removed
• Automation envelopes are orphaned
• Groups
• SONAR 7 groups are preserved but will not be completely functional in SONAR 4
• Controls may be removed from groups
• Groups can’t be added to or changed
• Group names will be truncated.
• SONAR 4 may add extra groups to the project.

Re-saving a SONAR 8 project file in an older version may permanently remove the project data described above.

Template files saved from SONAR 8 will not load in earlier versions of SONAR. This is because of changes made to SONAR's view persistence code in SONAR 8.

SONAR 3 can load SONAR 1.x and SONAR 2.x projects. However, projects that are saved in SONAR 3 cannot be re-opened in earlier versions of SONAR.