waveform editing

[peter mumme]

Hi All

I recall - about 140 years ago - DP had a 'play to' (an edit selection) and 'play from' (the edit selection); the play times were set in the waveform editor mini menu and, as well, the functions were accessed via a couple of keyboard shortcuts

This was a really useful and, when doing a lot of detailed editing, almost indispensable

But it's gone; or at least gone somewhere I cannot find it

I think the last I saw of this was in DP3 (?); MOTU don't give any clear answers as to how it might be re-implemented; does anyone here know ?

Cheers

Peter Mummé

[zaratero]

Could "Ctrl-Space bar" or "Alt-Space bar" be it?

[FMiguelez]

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You should look in the window that appears when you press Shift-L. They should be there, along with many more.

Zaratero gave you already a couple of very good ones

[newrigel]

Key commands are for word processors... how do you remember all those commands when your writing and focusing on music? I just use the mouse. Something has to give in that scenario... focus on remembering the key command or what your doing musically. I just mouse to what I need... forget typing. Might as well just use terminal then... what's the GUI for? I noticed things have moved in the newer versions that were just fine and consistent within the GUI... why did MOTU do that? I hate using a keyboard. I'd rather use spoken commands if I'm going to use any at all. It all becomes subliminal I know but when they threw a wrench in the mix and changed the GUI in 6, they really did it there because old habits are hard to break when attaining a workflow after so many years of a consistent GUI, then just changing it like that. The only key command I use is save... and very often!

[FMiguelez]

Key commands are for word processors... how do you remember all those commands when your writing and focusing on music? I just use the mouse. Something has to give in that scenario... focus on remembering the key command or what your doing musically. I just mouse to what I need... forget typing. Might as well use terminal!

I always read with great interest your posts, especially the tech ones. You are very often right, but in this case, I really don't think so, my friend!

Key commands speed up my writing, orchestrating and mixing by 100000%!!!!!

It might be a preference thing, but I couldn't imagine mousing around looking for things in the menus... THAT is work flow disturbing.

Believe me, after a while, you don't even "think" about the key commands. They come out as naturally as walking, talking or writing. Most of them are "fingered", as if I was playing a chord on the piano.
I know dozens, if not hundreds, of them and I don't even think about what the command is... I just press it and Bam! Instant results!

I suppose it's a matter of really wanting to speed up your workflow. And not only for DP. I use keyboard shortcuts for ANY app I use. I invariably end up learning and using the shortcuts, and enjoying the speed with the results I get.

Newrigel:
Let me put this in terms you can understand. Knowing all your shortcuts would be like taking a floppy disk out of the system and replacing it with an extra fast SSD and having 32 GBs of extra RAM!

[newrigel]

Key commands are for word processors... how do you remember all those commands when your writing and focusing on music? I just use the mouse. Something has to give in that scenario... focus on remembering the key command or what your doing musically. I just mouse to what I need... forget typing. Might as well use terminal!

I always read with great interest your posts, especially the tech ones. You are very often right, but in this case, I really don't think so, my friend!

Key commands speed up my writing, orchestrating and mixing by 100000%!!!!!

It might be a preference thing, but I couldn't imagine mousing around looking for things in the menus... THAT is work flow disturbing.

Believe me, after a while, you don't even "think" about the key commands. They come out as naturally as walking, talking or writing. Most of them are "fingered", as if I was playing a chord on the piano.
I know dozens, if not hundreds, of them and I don't even think about what the command is... I just press it and Bam! Instant results!

I suppose it's a matter of really wanting to speed up your workflow. And not only for DP. I use keyboard shortcuts for ANY app I use. I invariably end up learning and using the shortcuts, and enjoying the speed with the results I get.

Newrigel:
Let me put this in terms you can understand. Knowing all your shortcuts would be like taking a floppy disk out of the system and replacing it with an extra fast SSD and having 32 GBs of extra RAM!

I can see keyboardist doing these things because they have the hand dexterity... I can barely type (chicken peck) and when the mac came out with the GUI, I said yeah! I don't have to type!!!
But I fly with a mouse! I'm already there on it and you have to reach over to your KB... still, I'm so focused on my music (I don't do MIDI stuff, I'm focusing on vocal takes and I can't just add a note or change the velocity of a vox track he he) and I can always go edit the MIDI later but I need lightning access to the transport. I have to go and actually place my hands on the keyboard and type... I can mouse over (I have a really nice mouse and it's so intuitive, smooth and ultra fast tracking) but I'm so involved time wise with writing music... I don't have the time to read up and retain key commands... I have to retain music and lyrics etc. so I do it with the mouse. I have been doing this for years and I do use the save command but like I said, might as well be in terminal! For you keyboardist, it's probably more intuitive for you since your right there using your hands anyway. I don't know, it's a preference really.

[FMiguelez]

.

Yeah, it's a preference, I guess. I admit being a pianist really helps with memorizing them fast (like a piece of keyboard music). I fly like this because I don't even look at my hands, I don't even glance at the keyboard. When I'm editing, the left hand is either, in the keyboard controller playing music (my Fatar) or the computer keyboard typing shortcuts for the edits. Recently, they are starting to be in my new Novation controller... in this case not very successfully, BTW, but that's another thread.
Either way, I think of commands as playing "a chord progression". Sometimes they are clusters (switching Solo mode). Some times they sing like cheerful melodic fragments (switching tools in to edit in the SE)

Sometimes I can't remember the commands if I'm away from a keyboard. But by just looking at it, or putting my hands on it then everything comes back instantly, as if by "osmosis", almost like playing a shortcut Sonata

Some guys take this even further. MLC and Shooshie come to mind. They use, in addition to shortcuts, that app (whose name I just forgot) that is like keyboard shortcuts macros on steroids or something... what is it called?

But anyway. Those shortcuts the OP was seeking should be in the Commands window.

[zaratero]

For me it´s a matter of how fast I get to edit and listen again to the piece I was working on. Lately I have to mix 1 hour of material a day. If Quickeys, (FM: that´s the program you were talking about I believe) allows me to go through all the hassle that Izotope RX, for example gives me (say 3 clicks to get to the edit window), then I´m all for Keycommand madness. I program those keycommands and learn to use them in my spare time, then they earn me more spare time. Of course, it´s a matter of taste, but they don´t get in your way...they become your way....

[FMiguelez]

If Quickeys, (FM: that´s the program you were talking about I believe) allows me to go through all the hassle that Izotope RX, for example gives me (say 3 clicks to get to the edit window), then I´m all for Keycommand madness.

Nice!
You really must be flying with that thing! And yup. That's the one I meant.

It's been on top of my to-buy list, but I always end up pushing it down because of x more needed things.

This thread makes me want to put it back up again

[newrigel]

Of course, it´s a matter of taste, but they don´t get in your way...they become your way....

I guess in your situation where there are things going on where you have to fix it... I don't have to fix anything here, they are pristine takes and that's where the focus was. Edge editing a soundbite, fades etc. are just trivial but if your doing batch processes and tons of stuff to files to fix them in RX... well, that says it there.

[peter mumme]

Thanks for the responses; may I pull it back a little and expand on the original request ?

DP used to have a 'play to' and a 'play from' function that played audio for a (chosen) time up 'to' the start of an edit 'selection' in the waveform editor, as well it played 'from' the end point - again for a chosen second or two; it also (as now) played just the edit selection (using option-space) plus playing continuously from the edit start point (control-space) - as noted by zaratero and FMiguelez ..

It's the original 'to and from' bit I can't find any more; I have looked through all the command (shift-L) lists
This function was very useful, quick, intuitive and gave you the 'right' info needed to edit clicks, bumps and other artifacts in the waveform editor

'Shortcuts' are useful tools - eg 'play selection' (option-space) - if using the same techniques repeatedly in particular stages of a piece/project ..

Any more clues ?

Cheers

Peter Mummé

[Dan Worley]

If you want to, type "Play" in the Commands window's search box and review your choices by hitting the search button repeatedly. Most of the commands you're looking for are in the Transport and Region sections. I would also suggest printing out the Commands window and looking the list over to get familiar with what's available. It's all there... well, almost.

c-ya,

Dan Worley

[bayswater]

Play from selection start and end are CMD-4 and CMD-6
Play from memory start CTL-ALT-SPC

and so on.

Is that what you mean?

[peter mumme]

Thanks Dan, thanks bayswater; yes it is what I mean and it is nearly all there ..

Peter Mummé

[James Steele]

Key commands speed up my writing, orchestrating and mixing by 100000%!!!!!

It might be a preference thing, but I couldn't imagine mousing around looking for things in the menus... THAT is work flow disturbing.

Agreed. At least for me anyway. I find knowledge of shortcut keys can speed up things tremendously over doing everything with the mouse/trackball.