Track Color strategies...

[Prime Mover]

I've never really spent a huge amount of time developing track coloring schemes, partially because no matter what I do, I still find myself momentarily getting tracks mixed up. The way I see it, there are two approaches: color code everything by section/type, which has the advantage of making it easier to descend between groups of tracks. Unfortunately, we often find ourselves working heavily on microcosms of tracks, in which case, color coding a whole section the same doesn't help at all. The other option it to label everything within a group different colors to separate from each other, but then that becomes confusing when working between groups.

One of the options I wish they had, and there's no simple way of setting up is stripes, alternating colors between every other track, in order to clearly tell the difference when viewing lots of them. It becomes much easier to recognize which track is which when scanning from the track name column to the track itself. This is especially true for DP because of the very zoomed-out tracklist window.

What are various strategies that people around here use?

[FMiguelez]

No matter what I do, I always end up changing colors as I go, so I simply use it to find instruments quickly.
This works during the composition stage, but when I start editing MIDI, I aways need to change them (i.e., when viewing 2 or more instruments in the GE).

In my template there are 32 ready-to-use channels for each synth, so Stylus, MachFive and Kontakt each get its own color.
For orchestral instruments I always color code them using the SATB scheme.

V-Rack tracks, subgroups, aux tracks and Fx tracks get unique colors to be immediately obvious.

My color scheme consists of 3-4 different ones with my favorite colors (including black).



- I wish we could have different colors in the same tracks.
- I wish the mixer had a color indicator dent at the top of the mixer too, or that the whole channel strip showed color, like in PT.
- I wish there were easy ways to change color schemes for each production stage

[mikehalloran]

Percussion, Vocals, Primary Instruments, Sweetening (when applicable)

I keep it pretty basic.

[Alfred Zigoma]

aux Subgroup always the black, aux FX always the white

[Klaus]

snip

- I wish the mixer had a color indicator dent at the top of the mixer too, or that the whole channel strip showed color, like in PT.
snip

++++1
or is there a custom 3rd party solution ( schemes ? )
Best

Klaus

[frankf]

Once I picked a scheme and stayed with it, colors became a great way to visually ID track types. For me it's coding VI MIDI tracks by instrument group, FX return tracks by another, mixed tracks by another, aux returns, etc, all in a template. Whatever works for you.


Frank Ferrucci

[Phil O]

...color code everything by section/type, which has the advantage of making it easier to descend between groups of tracks. Unfortunately, we often find ourselves working heavily on microcosms of tracks, in which case, color coding a whole section the same doesn't help at all...

That's the approach I use, but I've made a custom palette that has several shades of each color. For example I usually use red for vocals (bright red for leads, darker reds for backup, and a few pinks for misc. stuff). Electric bass is usually green. Not too many instances of multiple tracks there, so I only have two shades of green - and so on.

On my wish list is some sort of track dividers. A simple heavier line between tracks would suffice. I think something that could visually block off sections (without the use of color) would be useful.

Phil

[mikehalloran]

On my wish list is some sort of track dividers. A simple heavier line between tracks would suffice. I think something that could visually block off sections (without the use of color) would be useful.

I like that! Have it port over to the Mixer, too.

[Phil O]

Yes, all windows would be ideal.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I just need color differences in the SE and would love to have an option to always have random but different colors in editing windows with multiple tracks.

It might be interesting to have additional options for not just color but pattern differences and even user created backgrounds like icons, pictures, custom patterns, etc.

[frankf]

On my wish list is some sort of track dividers. A simple heavier line between tracks would suffice. I think something that could visually block off sections (without the use of color) would be useful.

Phil

I use white unassigned MIDI tracks with blank names as dividers. Works like a charm in cleaning up visual clutter, especially in the Track Overview window.


Frank Ferrucci

[sonus]

snip

- I wish the mixer had a color indicator dent at the top of the mixer too, or that the whole channel strip showed color, like in PT.
snip

++++1
or is there a custom 3rd party solution ( schemes ? )
Best

Klaus

I agree...It would be nice if we could have that !

[HCMarkus]

One color for all tracks to enhance the randomness of my creativity.

[doctormelodious]

I use white unassigned MIDI tracks with blank names as dividers. Works like a charm in cleaning up visual clutter, especially in the Track Overview window.


Frank Ferrucci

+1 for this, except rather than white I make mine the same color as the background of the row, so that the color square effectively vanishes. Of course, the appropriate color will vary depending on what theme you might be using.

DM

[Shooshie]

First of all, I set up QuicKeys key sets for about 30 color schemes. I use "sticky" commands, so that I can type a command with my left-hand, then I can quickly run through all the keys on the numeric keypad to see how various color schemes look. The sticky command lasts for about 5 seconds, so I can really see about 4 different color sets for each time I type the initial sticky command. (if you don't know how these work in QuicKeys, let me just explain that it enables me to use the Numeric Keypad over and over in completely different sets of commands. The initial "sticky" command opens up the entire keyboard for a whole new set of commands that don't have to compete with existing commands.)

Are you still with me? So, being able to audition a few dozen color sets in a very short time has enabled me to find those that work best in various situations. Sometimes I just want my track colors to harmonize with the Theme I'm using in DP. That theme is usually either "Gotham" or "Oxidized" by AmpGUI Themes. While I don't know most of my color sets by name, I think the ones I use the most are probably Calico or Pottery. (something like that, anyway)

But when I'm working, sometimes I find a need to get more or less contrast in a certain track or track group. Rather than going to each track and trying to find a color in the list that works for it, I can quickly run through about 5 or 6 color sets that I know will yield something like what I'm looking for.

Come to think of it, a year or so ago I made a video of this very process. I'm not sure why I was using Mellow Gold (also an AmpGUI theme), but I think Gotham wasn't quite ready for DP8 at the time. Here is that video. I recommend watching it at full screen so that you can see things a little more in focus.

The video also shows what you can do with the saturation and lightness controllers for both the waveform and the background colors. As you might infer, colors are important to me. For some, black & white would probably suffice. Twenty-odd years ago it's all we had on the Mac, so I've been there and done that. These days, color is very important to me. I won't go into all the reasons, but you can see that I've made it easy to have my choice of a lot of colors, and you can be sure that I use them. Anyway, I recommend watching the video.

Shooshie