PlugIns /Muting / CPU

[HCMarkus]

Note that unless CPU is a problem, muting is better than disabling. Muting just changes the output level to zero. Disabling removes the resources for the signal path, so when you enable the track again, there will be a delay and probably some glitches while the signal path is re-established.

I sort of disagree here... one approach is not "better" than the other; they have very different purposes. As OP JSMith notes in a follow up post:

This is terrific as I can now keep all sorts of parallels loaded and just enable them if I need them.

If one is using a large template (as many do), keeping unused tracks disabled until they are needed is the best approach. We can set up a large number of disabled custom VIs and Audio tracks with plugins in our templates without concern. Once a need becomes apparent, enabling the track quickly brings it online. No sense in devoting system resources to VIs or plugins that may not be used in a project. Also, if one wants to be absolutely certain a track is not somehow contributing to a mix via sends or some other mystical or long-forgotten signal path, disabling the track is the answer.

That said, muting tracks is clearly much better for dynamic situations, where a track that is being used in a project may be muted and unmuted periodically. Muting/Unmuting is instantaneous and can be automated.

One other handy use for the Enable Button is restoring a VI to proper operation if it starts misbehaving. I've noticed this happening occasionally with certain VIs when shuttling back and forth while working on a project file. Disabling and Re-Enabling a VI will cause the VI to re-load and thus take care of any anomalies that develop as a track is being worked on.

[bayswater]

Note that unless CPU is a problem, muting is better than disabling. Muting just changes the output level to zero. Disabling removes the resources for the signal path, so when you enable the track again, there will be a delay and probably some glitches while the signal path is re-established.

I sort of disagree here... one approach is not "better" than the other; they have very different purposes. As OP JSMith notes in a follow up post:

This is terrific as I can now keep all sorts of parallels loaded and just enable them if I need them.

I’m referring to the case where you just want to A/B a passage with and without a track without stopping and starting. I’d say mute is better than disable in that situation. If you have a template, particularly with VIs you might not use, no doubt disable is the better option.

[JSmith1234567]

Note that unless CPU is a problem, muting is better than disabling. Muting just changes the output level to zero. Disabling removes the resources for the signal path, so when you enable the track again, there will be a delay and probably some glitches while the signal path is re-established.

I sort of disagree here... one approach is not "better" than the other; they have very different purposes. As OP JSMith notes in a follow up post:

This is terrific as I can now keep all sorts of parallels loaded and just enable them if I need them.

I’m referring to the case where you just want to A/B a passage with and without a track without stopping and starting. I’d say mute is better than disable in that situation. If you have a template, particularly with VIs you might not use, no doubt disable is the better option.

Man I really have to thank you!

Discovering the enable /disable feature I never saw before, but with this last post it has me thinking about disabling the VI's I have in my DP template until I need them in a project.

I never would have thought of that.

I've been using DP forever, and I stopped looking regularly at this forum for a long time until recently, and it's interesting that lately I sort of feel like I can learn allot of cool things that makes creativity more transparent and less technical from all of you.

[James Steele]

Discovering the enable /disable feature I never saw before, but with this last post it has me thinking about disabling the VI's I have in my DP template until I need them in a project.

I never would have thought of that.

That's indeed a VERY good way to preserve CPU power. I think I've been doing that a while. I may render a VI as audio and then disable the VI track so it no longer uses CPU. If I decide I need to come back and revisit the part, I can enable it and re-render the audio. A lot of time's I'll just have a track folder for that stuff.

Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure If I was concerned about cluttering up my Track Overview, I could in theory create a Project Clipping window, and drag the selected VI track to the clipping window and then delete the track out of the chunk entirely. Then if I needed it again, drag it back on to my Track Overview from the clipping window. It should retain all settings, right? Hmmmm.

[JSmith1234567]

Discovering the enable /disable feature I never saw before, but with this last post it has me thinking about disabling the VI's I have in my DP template until I need them in a project.

I never would have thought of that.

That's indeed a VERY good way to preserve CPU power. I think I've been doing that a while. I may render a VI as audio and then disable the VI track so it no longer uses CPU. If I decide I need to come back and revisit the part, I can enable it and re-render the audio. A lot of time's I'll just have a track folder for that stuff.

Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure If I was concerned about cluttering up my Track Overview, I could in theory create a Project Clipping window, and drag the selected VI track to the clipping window and then delete the track out of the chunk entirely. Then if I needed it again, drag it back on to my Track Overview from the clipping window. It should retain all settings, right? Hmmmm.

That sounds cool, but I still have enormous problems with clippings.

Most of the time it crashes DP for me when trying to save a clipping.

And I do notice that there are some things that don't really take well to clippings, like for instance attaching a MIDI controller to a fader or something. Things like that lose their setting/attachment as a clipping.

I really do wish that Motu would look at clippings and custom-consoles after all of these years with the next iteration of DP.

They could such HUGELY useful features, but only if they actually work (custom-consoles also consistently crashes DP for me), and with a redesign of custom-consoles that would include a new GUI, new features like meters, etc.

[James Steele]

Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure If I was concerned about cluttering up my Track Overview, I could in theory create a Project Clipping window, and drag the selected VI track to the clipping window and then delete the track out of the chunk entirely. Then if I needed it again, drag it back on to my Track Overview from the clipping window. It should retain all settings, right? Hmmmm.

That sounds cool, but I still have enormous problems with clippings.

Most of the time it crashes DP for me when trying to save a clipping.

Well that's what I get for just sort of spontaneously "spitballing" potential solutions for a problem on the fly. I don't think I've experienced the same problem with crashing when saving a clipping. I'll have to check it out...

And I do notice that there are some things that don't really take well to clippings, like for instance attaching a MIDI controller to a fader or something. Things like that lose their setting/attachment as a clipping.

Something I never do. So as always, YMMV.