Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by Frodo »

dave pine wrote:i think you're all spoiled little bitches, you need to go back in time and plug in all your fx with some good old patch cords with a patch bay. :boohoo:
Thanks, Dave.
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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by HCMarkus »

dave pine wrote:i think you're all spoiled little bitches, you need to go back in time and plug in all your fx with some good old patch cords with a patch bay. :boohoo:
Not to mention buy all the outboard gear.
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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by FMiguelez »

.

I took Dave's post as a good joke, but sprinkled with perspective. Never the less, I think his point was that, comparing to how things were done before, we really have it stupid easy these days.

What the OP wishes is a little workflow improvement, and Frodo's solution would be spot on if implemented by MOTU.

As DP evolves and improves, I wonder what we will be wishing for in a few decades from now... How much faster will we be able to work? How much easier will making music be?

I suppose the ultimate DP version will be the one that liberates us from mice, screens an the likes, and one that lets us compose by being able to translate the music that is in our brains into the computer, with some kind of brain-to-computer interface, in the most natural and straight forward manner.
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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by rickorick »

Hi All

I have been a member here for a while and haven't posted anything so this is my first...
What I would do is if I planed to have my mixer with
all the EQ or whatever I would make it as a template
and keep working from there. One long setup and you are done just keep tweaking the template.

Thanks
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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by Dan Worley »

dave pine wrote:i think you're all spoiled little bitches, you need to go back in time and plug in all your fx with some good old patch cords with a patch bay. :boohoo:
Hey, buddy, I still splice tape with my teeth. :mrgreen: :brucelee: :wink:

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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by Dan Worley »

FMiguelez wrote:.

I took Dave's post as a good joke, but sprinkled with perspective. Never the less, I think his point was that, comparing to how things were done before, we really have it stupid easy these days.
It's funny, but sometimes I actually find working with digital and "all this stuff" a bit harder then how it used to be.

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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by Dan Worley »

Frodo wrote:
Dan Worley wrote:... but when you have a project that has 56 audio tracks of music you never heard before, you're not going to know ahead of time what every track is going to need. So, I think, it would be helpful if we had something like Audio Assignments where we could select the tracks we want and apply a plug-in (or plug-in chain) to their inserts all at one time. So lets say we get into the mix and we go, "Oh, I need hi-pass on all the guitars and horns and vocals." Well, instead of dragging or assigning or Option dragging the hi-pass for 20 tracks, we could just select the horns, guitars and vocals tracks (or their track folders) and apply the hi-pass to all those tracks at one time. Sure, we will have to go in there and adjust them as the mix goes on, but at least the assignment part is done with quickly.
Dan, I think I understand.

If you know how many tracks of a given type are at issue in advance (ie: so many guitars and types of guitars, so many vocals, and so on), it makes sense to have some sort of template with inserts in place that serve your needs best.

If complete perusal of these tracks is not possible in advance, then the template/clippings approach is going to be your best bet.

There may now be the insert feature now that will copy insert settings from one track to another in toto, being able to do that in quantity right now whether or not there are soundbites on that track is not so easily automated.

To that extent, given that it may be difficult for the user to know what all will be needed in advance, it likewise follows that DP cannot know until the user knows. The template approach comes in handy. It's not that you're going to be able to set up a template with inserts addressing all of your vocal track needs as well as your guitar or drums or bass needs. I know you understand this.

What we need is a way to batch copy/paste inserts and settings into any given track. I honestly "heart" the conundrum.

The issue is whether we're debating a *feature request* or whether or not we're rooting you on to get you up and running with what we presently have to work with. We really are on your side, and always will be with no exceptions.

If incoming projects with varying sets of considerations are at issue, then any or all known considerations which could be known in advance *currently* could be set up in a template to minimize the twiddly bits required with setting up each an every project. The more you can reduce this setup process to just duplicating the track and its setup, the faster things will go.

Some of my favorite templates are not "complete project plug-n-play" templates. Many of my templates have one vocal track, one electric guitar track, and one string track-- each containing unique inserts on a best-guess basis. If someone sends me a project, I'll assess in advance how many tracks I need, then I'll build a project based upon those needs. If I jump the gun and start in on a project before making a full assessment, it only takes me a couple of minutes to rebuild the project.

This is coming from someone who has struggled immensely with how-tos. (Just look at my embarrassing post count!!)

So much of DP right now requires some modicum of advanced organization-- for good or ill. Should DP have an all-in-one menu where all of its track management options can be included? Of course, I would vote for that. However, let's petition MOTU for a way to copy multiple inserts to multiple tracks whether or not there is data in the the track/channel strip.

We really are on your side, Dan. The hurdles are undeniable-- even if some of them might be unavoidable, if you know what I mean.
Hey, Frodo...thanks, man.

I really don't have a problem with my work flow now (though it can always be improved), nor am I upset or frustrated or anything like that. It's just a feature that I've wanted for some time: A way to mass apply plug-ins to multiple tracks that already have content. It's really no big deal not having that feature now, but I've found myself wanting it many times in the last few years, especially when I'm mixing a project where I've received the tracks from another studio.

Anyway, thanks for your help and all your ideas, and good luck with the Stuck Notes Project (SNP). I have confidence you'll pull the right people and information together to figure it out.

c-ya,

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burn em
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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by burn em »

FMiguelez wrote:
dave pine wrote:i think you're all spoiled little bitches, you need to go back in time and plug in all your fx with some good old patch cords with a patch bay. :boohoo:
:lol:

I know! But hey, that's DP's fault... it has spoiled us all! 8)
What a bunch of grown brats we are.

Putting things into perspective, I think you've got a point.
How about every track having every plugin on it... just turn on the ones you want. :banghead:

Seriously though. What's wrong with option click dragging? Sheesh!

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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by Dan Worley »

burn em wrote:
FMiguelez wrote:
dave pine wrote:i think you're all spoiled little bitches, you need to go back in time and plug in all your fx with some good old patch cords with a patch bay. :boohoo:
:lol:

I know! But hey, that's DP's fault... it has spoiled us all! 8)
What a bunch of grown brats we are.

Putting things into perspective, I think you've got a point.
How about every track having every plugin on it... just turn on the ones you want. :banghead:

Seriously though. What's wrong with option click dragging? Sheesh!

(Currently shopping for my third patchbay and building my wiring.)
Gotta say I don't understand the attitude. It's just a feature request. Should we all get off the internet and go back to rotary phones? Sheesh yourself.

c-ya,

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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by Dan Worley »

Here's my idea for this future feature:

1. In the mixer, have a Select button for each track. You can select a track with a click on its Select button, or you can select multiple tracks by Shift clicking or Command clicking, as per usual. These Track Select buttons would come in handy for other functions, too.

2. From the track you want to copy the inserts from (doesn't matter if it's selected or not), click on the Inserts Setting menu at the top of the channel strip. From the drop-down menu select "Copy Inserts to selected Tracks" and it will copy and paste the occupied inserts to those tracks.

3. If you only want to copy one insert from a chain, Control click on the Insert you want and from the drop-down menu select "Copy Insert to selected Tracks."

That's it!

The inserts would only paste into like tracks. For instance, if you had both stereo and mono tracks selected, and you copied inserts from a stereo track, they would only be pasted to the stereo tracks.

Now the question is what would (or should) happen when you try to paste into Inserts that are already occupied? I don't know. Either they will be moved down to the next available slots, and slots will be added as needed; or they wouldn't paste at all; or they would replace the plug-ins that are already in those slots (the latter being the worst choice, I think).

Anyway, just an idea.

c-ya,

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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by dave pine »

speaking of rotary phones, have you tried to use one lately?
it's just about impossible, really, it's really really hard to do, i ground off the ends of my fingers trying to dial a number, it ain't like riding a bike.....
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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by Tritonemusic »

In Pro Tools, if you instantiate a plug-in while holding the Option key, it will insert the same plug-in on every track. It can be handy at times.
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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by monkey man »

dave pine wrote:speaking of rotary phones, have you tried to use one lately?
it's just about impossible, really, it's really really hard to do, i ground off the ends of my fingers trying to dial a number, it ain't like riding a bike.....
... Aahh... that's where Rotary Clubs come in handy, Davo. :lol:

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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by carrythebanner »

emoney1 wrote:Is it possible to setup multiple instances of the same plug-in on an insert across multiple tracks in the mixing board? For example if I had 6 guitar tracks and I wanted to put an MW equalizer on insert 1 for all 6 at once, is it possible? I know I can option drag plug-ins to different tracks, but that isn't as quick.
Apologies if someone already mentioned this (I just skimmed the thread), but there is an easy way to do this *if* you are talking specifically about MOTU's included EQ and dynamics plug-ins.
  • Under the Mixing Board mini-menu, show the EQ Controls section.
    In the EQ Controls section, choose the desired EQ plug-in from the drop-down menu on the right side (downward facing triangle).
    Click the enable button on the left (pale green button) and swipe across your tracks.
    Voila — instant EQs!
The same process would apply with the Dynamics Controls section. And again, this only applies for MOTU's included EQ/dyanmics plug-ins, and only instantiates the plug-in in the default state.
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Re: Multiple Plug-In Instances at once in Mixing Board?

Post by Dwetmaster »

carrythebanner wrote:Apologies if someone already mentioned this (I just skimmed the thread), but there is an easy way to do this *if* you are talking specifically about MOTU's included EQ and dynamics plug-ins.
  • Under the Mixing Board mini-menu, show the EQ Controls section.
    In the EQ Controls section, choose the desired EQ plug-in from the drop-down menu on the right side (downward facing triangle).
    Click the enable button on the left (pale green button) and swipe across your tracks.
    Voila — instant EQs!
The same process would apply with the Dynamics Controls section. And again, this only applies for MOTU's included EQ/dyanmics plug-ins, and only instantiates the plug-in in the default state.
WOW!!! Thanks a lot!!! I might finally start to use these EQ Graph and Control afterall...

Once again thanks...
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