Thanks all for the continued interest and advice. I didn't take any of it harshly; I think maybe I'm not coming across clearly.

Maybe I need to clarify-- I'm not entirely talentless, just at certain things, like solos as I mentioned. Even after many years goofing around on acoustic guitar (rhythm only) I am just now starting to really understand chords... so forget weaving a solo through them. Not there yet and maybe never will be. Thank God for BiaB and RB!

I won't argue with what others hear vis-a-vis the drums, but trust me: I even muted them in Sonar and the entire song is still hard panned left (at least 20%). The problem isn't occurring in the original compositions (usually done in BiaB) but in Sonar specifically after I bring in the audio clips. There are no visible settings causing this, and it is 100% consistent from song to song. The Ozone 4 plugin (multiband stereo imaging tool) is the only thing I've found that lets me correct it-- faders just mask the problem instead of correcting it. Ozone is where I see the balance problem: it's very clear in the stereo tool. Adjusting delay left several points pulls the balance back to center.

There is no reverb on the drums per se, but I am using a touch of 'verb in Ozone.

Anyway the mystery of the persistent balance issue is frustrating but at least I have a workaround, and I like what I can do with Ozone in general. I hope to have a new mix of this song soon to show the difference, if the singer is willing to update it (he has been doing the voice and instrumental mixing).

Freelance Rider Company
http://frco.wordpress.com/