MOTU Suggestion Box

[Shooshie]

This thread is a place to display actual suggestions sent to MOTU at:
The MOTU Suggestion Box

If you post a suggestion at MOTU, copy your text and post it here, if you like, and maybe some of us will post similar suggestions in support of yours. It's my thinking that if MOTU hears from several of us on one feature, they may be more inclined to add something to DP.

Shooshie

That link again:
http://www.motu.com/other/feedback/suggestions


Here's one I sent today:

• I'm Shooshie, and I've been contributing features to MOTU Products since Professional Composer Version 1 (1984) and Performer version 1.2 (≈1987). Dozens of my suggestions were used in a release of Performer and Digital Performer in December, 1997. I try not to bother you much, but things really need some fixing and improvement. Please give proper consideration to the following 7 suggestions for the MIDI Graphic Editor Window.
  
  1) We desperately need some keyboard shortcuts for the MIDI Graphic Edit Window, specifically for:
  • Lines Mode
  • Bars Mode
  • Points Mode
  
  2) and most of all:
  • Quickfilter
  
  3) Meanwhile, up the window a ways, we need something to tell us the track in which any selected data event is located. Select a note, see its track name in addition to the note info, such as:
  • [Solo Violin] 4|1|240 G5 \110 — 1/240
  4) And when we are showing multiple tracks in the MIDI Graphic Edit Window with a note or group of notes selected, please give us a command to hold down, such as CAPSLOCK, then drag the "active track pencil" to another track, to MOVE the selection to another existing track.
  
  5) Add the OPTION key to the same motion described above and COPY the selected data to an existing track. Add the SHIFT key to MOVE the data to a Similar New Track. OPTION-SHIFT-CAPSLOCK, would COPY the selection to a similar new track.
  
  6) When using the Reshape Tool, it should reshape only SELECTED & VISIBLE data. If data is hidden by Quickfilter, it should have no effect on it. Currently it reshapes hidden data too. It should not be necessary to set the data type in the menu to use the Reshape Tool. Just select from the visible data, and start reshaping. The data type menu could work for Reshape, if the data is not selected. Generally, the data type menu should be for the Pencil Tool.
  
  7) In addition to all the above, the following items should appear in a Graphic Editor Contextual Menu under the Control-key / right-click:
  • a) Quickfilter toggle (1st on list)
    b) Continuous data display mode (points, bars, lines)
    c) Continuous data view filter
    d) Insert Event Type
  
  Thank you for considering these features,
  Shooshie

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Best new thread if the decade! Thanks!

[Tidwells@aol.com]

Here is what I sent to MOTU:

It would be great to have video editing capabilities in DP 8. For use live on stage, I have to put all of my songs in one chunk to prevent audio gaps between songs because I mix our live mic channels in DP so they can be fully automated. I have to use DP 7.24 because the dv out via firewire function works. To send usable video footage to our on-stage projection screen, I have to first edit all of our video clips into one giant clip in iMovie. It is very cumbersome and hard to make any changes.

Some basic video editing capabilities in DP would be great along with the ability to import multiple video clips into the same chunk. This might make DP appealing to customers who purchase MOTU's video interfaces.

Also, I desperately need the DV video out via Firewire feature fixed in DP 8 so I can upgrade to DP 8 for live on-stage use.

Also, I could really use full automation capability of all MOTU plug-ins, both audio and MIDI. I was shocked to find that when inserting a transpose plug-in into a MIDI track for playing live, I can't automate the transpose function. This should be easy to implement, right?

Thanks for considering my suggestions!

[Dan Worley]

This thread is a fantastic idea!

People of MOTU,

Please add a key command for "Set To Selection Bounds." It is sorely needed.

Thank you

[Dan Worley]

People of MOTU,

I need some plug-ins to always stay on top of the other DP windows, please add a Float on/off checkbox to the plug-ins windows.

Thank you

[Dan Worley]

Automatic cross-fades

People of MOTU,

I had to do some work in another DAW the other day [gasp], and there was one feature that I really liked. When editing soundbites in a track, as soon as the edges of two soundbites met, an automatic cross-fade was created (the default type and length was set in the preferences). This saved tons of time. Please consider adding this feature.

Of course, others may not like this feature, so maybe it should be a preference that can be turned on/off.

Thank you

[stubbsonic]

I sent this feedback eons ago, to add a preference for the MIDI Graphic Editor to allow that ALL lasso selections are free (not snapped to grid).

I'm really good at lasso'ing what I want, and I NEVER EVER need DP to correct my selections for me. Never.

As it is set up right now, I must either ALWAYS hold down command for selections, or almost always hold down command for dragging. I remember the sweet days when selecting with my mouse didn't always require a keystroke.

[mikehalloran]

Of course, others may not like this feature, so maybe it should be a preference that can be turned on/off.

Thank you

Thank you!

[bolla]

Can the overdub settings for MIDI be set separately to the overdub settings for audio.


Gets me everytime.

Cheers, Bolla

[frankf]

I sent this feedback eons ago, to add a preference for the MIDI Graphic Editor to allow that ALL lasso selections are free (not snapped to grid).

I'm really good at lasso'ing what I want, and I NEVER EVER need DP to correct my selections for me. Never.

As it is set up right now, I must either ALWAYS hold down command for selections, or almost always hold down command for dragging. I remember the sweet days when selecting with my mouse didn't always require a keystroke.

If you do not want to use the command key, what about turning the grid off until you need it? I use the "g" key for that this. Both "free" selection options are available to me depending on how I'm working at the moment.


Frank Ferrucci

[stubbsonic]

Thanks, Frank.

When I'm in my workflow for editing, I always select notes with the grid off, and nearly always drag with the grid ON. Obviously, selecting and dragging are the bread & butter, and they naturally alternate-- so I have to press command for one or the other of those steps.

Most of the changes with DP over time have been ok & welcome. That's just one I never understood or adapted to because to me, I have never wanted/needed "help" with selecting. I already have a hand on the keyboard for other functions, but just don't like that added mental step.

I suppose I could program my mouse to command click with the right button. (Now I use it to option-click for naming-- but now I think that is probably not as practical.) On principle, it just seems like I shouldn't have to. I'd still have to "process" which mouse button to use. But I suppose that could become 2nd nature.