Dummy Newbie Question....

[oceantracks]

Hi,

I'm using the 30 Day demo of DP, and just got it yesterday.

I'm really trying to figure out some basics, and just wanted to ask one thing for the moment.

In Logic or PT, if you import audio to be added to your "timeline" or "arrange window" or whatever, you import it (using an import audio command or by dragging from the Finder), then...if you are in Logic, it shows up in an audio bin (like the Soundbites window/list)....then you can choose to "Add to Tracks Window" and the selected audio is added to wherever your cursor is. In Pro Tools, importing audio brings up a handy dialog that asks whether you want it on the timeline or just added to the session audio bin.

I can't figure out how DP handles this. I can drag WAV files from the Finder into the Soundbites window on the left of my Consolidated Window, but I can't find a command for adding it to the actual Sequence window. So do I assume that I just drag it to the Sequence window?

I send music out a lot to vocalists, who send back their vocals, sometimes they send me back 16 tracks of vocals, which I want to line up easily to the music bounce I did for them. So this business of adding audio to my session, and having it go to specific times in the session, is important.

Thanks for your patience, I'm trying to consult the manual but am just a little excited and trying to get things going just enough to do some very simple basic things, so I can judge workflow, etc.

TH

[bayswater]

You can drag audio to the Soundbites window, or to the left side of the Tracks Overview window. DP will create an appropriate track type and position the file according to it's internal time information. (New users often avoid using the Tracks Overview but it's really useful and worth learning.)

If you drag it to the Soundbites window, you can drag it from there (using the "wave" symbol) to the track and sequence windows, as long as you drop it on a track that is of the correct type.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

If you drag it to the Soundbites window, you can drag it from there (using the "wave" symbol) to the track and sequence windows, as long as you drop it on a track that is of the correct type.

That took me about 2 weeks to figure out in the first version of DP I had. 2.7 or 3 (which ever had audio - I think it was 3). I thought I was the only one who had a problem with that.

<--- didn;t do me much good for some reason.

[oceantracks]

Thanks all.

The thing that is REALLY driving me crazy is trying to figure out this consolidated window. It's VERY cool, but just when it is doing what I want, all of a sudden, I lose a couple windows. Like right now I was trying to create a bunch of tracks, and folders, etc. I went to look at how the Mixer window was starting to look, and for some reason, now it only shows ONE fader (Track) instead of all the tracks I've created. It just seems hard to get handle on. See image attached....any ideas?

[bayswater]

any ideas?

Yes. Use the Track Selector, either the general version, or the one associated with the mixer to tell DP what tracks to display.

[cuttime]

Thanks all.

The thing that is REALLY driving me crazy is trying to figure out this consolidated window. It's VERY cool, but just when it is doing what I want, all of a sudden, I lose a couple windows. Like right now I was trying to create a bunch of tracks, and folders, etc. I went to look at how the Mixer window was starting to look, and for some reason, now it only shows ONE fader (Track) instead of all the tracks I've created. It just seems hard to get handle on. See image attached....any ideas?

Create some Window Sets!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Click the bottom left of the "one track" window (a little "v"). You're probably at a V-Rack. It should revert to the mixer again.

I use the CW all the time (hated it for years) but in full screen mode it's awesome. What you can also do is pop the mixer out of the CW and it will free float. It can even be in the 2nd monitor with the CW in full screen mode. When you want to quick reference the mixer, hit shift-m. Pop it in and out of the CW by hitting ctl-1. That works with almost every window in DP. I set the MIDI editor to as large as can be (free floating) and pop it in and out of the CW. Same with the movie window (shift-v). Pop it out of the CW tot eh second monitor full screen for scoring to picture, then back in to edit audio, etc.

I'd also set up a "home base" window set and have that as your starting point for when things start getting out of hand.

[Michael Canavan]

Thanks all.

The thing that is REALLY driving me crazy is trying to figure out this consolidated window. It's VERY cool, but just when it is doing what I want, all of a sudden, I lose a couple windows. Like right now I was trying to create a bunch of tracks, and folders, etc. I went to look at how the Mixer window was starting to look, and for some reason, now it only shows ONE fader (Track) instead of all the tracks I've created.

Just so you know, DP unlike most DAWs has a dynamic show/hide feature in the mentioned "Track Selector", once you figure it out it's near one of my favorite DP features. For instance I don't do a lot of MIDI fader work on at least half my songs, so being able to hide all the MIDI tracks is helpful.

[oceantracks]

Well so far so good, very impressive, and I love David Das YouTube videos on different aspects of DP.

The thing I'm having the most problems with after working in PT and Logic is the simple act of getting around during playback.

I was using Adjust Beats to map the session tempo to some existing audio. I would drag a bar line to where it should be, then want to hear the result (with my click on), but I couldn't figure out how to go back quickly just a bar or so....it kept going back to about 3 or 4 bars earlier. I'll figure out. Hopefully....

TH

[philbrown]

<<<I couldn't figure out how to go back quickly just a bar or so....it kept going back to about 3 or 4 bars earlier. I'll figure out. Hopefully....

TH

Numeric keypad 4

[Prime Mover]

Consolidated Window is a little dated, IMO. Most programs I use have much more customizable pallet docking systems. Probably one of the few things I think DP is a little behind on. But yeah, I would recommend popping the mixing board out of the CW, it seems to work a lot more smoothly on its own that way.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I don't think I'd like pallet docking in DP. Hate it in CSuite.

[bayswater]

What does pallet docking get you, once you've set up window sets and remember all the keyboard shortcuts to the windows and set you use? If you're new to an app, I can see some advantage.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Pallet docking gets you the advantage of having to go over to the side of the screen (a PITA on a 2 screen system) to get the window that CW parks in front of you for instant access. IOW, there is no advantage IMO (unless you like having another PITA in the studio).

[bayswater]

(unless you like having another PITA in the studio

I had one, but then I got a good chair.