Struggling with selections and just plain moving around...

[swpowe]

I'm coming from Pro Tools (for audio) and Logic (for MIDI) and I'm really struggling to find quick ways to move around in DP. I see a lot of power and advantages to DP but I'm currently extremely slow. I certainly expect it to take some time for me to get familiar with DP but I could really use some help.

1 - I'm struggling with selections. I can't find a shortcut key that will allow me to select from the wiper or curser both back and forward. Normally when I'm editing, I need to grow my selection back or forward either to the next zero crossing, or next region, or next measure...anything using a key command. Currently in DP, I'm having to move to the mouse and switch to the i-beam tool and drag to select some audio or some MIDI and it's painfully slower than what I'm used to. Suggestions? I've tried many commands that seem relevant but so far no luck.

2 - The wiper. This kinda goes along with the last one I guess. It's really sluggish when I try to click on the wiper to navigate my playhead. It seems I have to click just right (not too high, not too low) to signify that I want to move my playhead (wiper I believe is the DP term) to start playback from a specific spot. Am I doing something wrong? I'm looking for something similar to ProTools and the smart tool. If I clicked on the top of any region, it was the "i-beam" tool equivalent and it would move my playhead. I didn't have to click on the very top of my session view.

3 - saving selections seems like it could be really helpful but I must be missing something cause it seems lacking basic functionality now. I like the idea of saving a selection that I've bounced out. So it'd have an in and an out and maybe even specific tracks selected so I could reference that selection with a bounced out file. I can't seem to update saved selections. There's an option to update but it seems I can only deleted a saved selection? Also, I swear the saved selections seem to change when I don't want them to. Anyone seen strangeness with these?

I've spent a lot of time scanning the manual, looking online, trying to find answers but I'm still just going painfully slow. I'd love any suggestions.

Thanks

[bayswater]

Look at the tips and tricks section of this board. Search for "Shooshie" did a series on selection that's about as comprehensive as it gets. Covers how to expand selections in various ways and how to save them. Pictures and everything. These are closer to the start than the end of that forum.

[stubbsonic]

As a long-time DP user, I have my workflows that I'm sure are different from, and possibly slower than what is available in PT.

1. In COMMANDS, there is "Set Selection Start to Counter" and "Set Selection End to Counter". On my system, it defaults to F5. You'll have to experiment with that one. For example, you can click where you want the end of the selection, and then tap F5 and the wiper will be the front. There are a bunch of other selection commands. Command toggles grid enable, so use that as needed.

2. It's right above the ruler. I usually start slightly above or below and pull toward until the cursor changes. I've gotten so fast at it, it never bothers me.

3. I don't deal with saved selections, so I can't help there.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

FWIW, I came from Studio Vision Pro and truly hated Performer (that was pre-DP name for the app). In particular, I had a hard time 'moving stuff around" as does/did the o/p. Once I did my homework (i.e. - ) things became clearer and now it's second nature.

My theory is this: the folks who program and decide on how an app works implement different aspects based on their experience and, probably, some experimentation. Everyone thinks different, so what seems intuitive is not as intuitive to others. Another case in point is Finale. When I bought it in 1996, I basically mastered the program in about 3 days. I attribute that to having a similar thought pattern to whomever was programming the app. Many felt/feel that Finale is overly complex. To me, it makes total sense. OTOH, I've tried Sibelius for a year and simply cannot wrap my head around it. Not on bit (no pun intended).

So it is entirely possible that the mindset of Das programmers is incompatible with the o/p's brain activity and he/she will never get the hang of it. I doubt it's that severe. As with me, it might just take a little time, work, and patience to learn new tricks. DO is a very able app and as far as I'm concerned, the best damn DAW E-V-E-R! YMMV

[seedylee]

I'm finding myself in the exact same boat. I just find that the mind-body connection isn't intuitive when it comes to Digital Performer. I'm getting there, but I'm questioning whether it's worth the effort.

I just regularly find that clicking on things grabs the wrong item, or doesn't do anything at all.

[magicd]

FWIW, I came from Studio Vision Pro and truly hated Performer (that was pre-DP name for the app).

You have my retroactive sympathy. MOTU and Opcode were the original arch rivals of the MIDI sequencer world. Opcode made a deal with the devil (Microsoft) to port OMS to Windows. That never happened and Opcode got sold off to of all companies - Gibson. I remember a NAMM show where everyone was wearing Save OMS buttons.

But yes, MOTU picked up quite a few Vision users.

Since I grew up with Performer and then DP, it makes total sense to me and I have no trouble making selections etc. I have one major gripe and I'll explain that in a moment.

I think there are a few things to know about selection in DP. You can select an object or a region. The mouse cursor is context sensitive and does different things in different places in different windows. I can see how that would drive someone nuts if they didn't know what was happening. Once you do get the hang of it it's actually very well thought out (IMO).

You should be able to tell if an entire soundbite is selected or just a region. If I want to select all objects in a range without having to be precise, I hold down Control and Option to get the Lasso tool.

Dragging in the ruler to make a selection selects everything visible within that selection.

Double-clicking in the ruler will snap the wiper to that position.

Option-dragging in the ruler zooms to that selection. I find that invaluable. I use key commands to zoom back out.

But the thing I really wish MOTU would add is the ability to select everything to the right of a given point. I do a lot of editing and I need to move things left or right but keep all the edits in place. I can do this in Premiere but I can't do it in DP. Anybody know a trick for doing this?

Keep asking questions!

Dave

[seedylee]

All good suggestions, thanks!

I feel part of the issue is the documentation. It's not bad, per we, but it focuses too much on the wrong things. The getting started guide doesn't discuss keyboard (or mouse) shortcuts nearly enough, and I feel they might be critical to getting the most out of DP. I also think they talk too much about how to perform very specific tasks, rather than the overall ethos of the design. I'd love a guide that explains why things are laid out the way they are, and how the particular design can be used effectively, rather than detailed descriptions of how to perform common tasks.

[magicd]

All good suggestions, thanks!

I feel part of the issue is the documentation. It's not bad, per we, but it focuses too much on the wrong things. The getting started guide doesn't discuss keyboard (or mouse) shortcuts nearly enough, and I feel they might be critical to getting the most out of DP. I also think they talk too much about how to perform very specific tasks, rather than the overall ethos of the design. I'd love a guide that explains why things are laid out the way they are, and how the particular design can be used effectively, rather than detailed descriptions of how to perform common tasks.

I can't help you with the documentation but...

Both the Commands window and the Preferences window will teach you a great deal about how the program is working and what you can do to customize it. There are many commands that are not even initially assigned to key strokes.

Dave

[Tritonemusic]

But the thing I really wish MOTU would add is the ability to select everything to the right of a given point. I do a lot of editing and I need to move things left or right but keep all the edits in place. I can do this in Premiere but I can't do it in DP. Anybody know a trick for doing this?

I'm not sure if this is quite what you're looking for, but if you make a selection, you can try the "Grow Selection To End" command.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

But the thing I really wish MOTU would add is the ability to select everything to the right of a given point. I do a lot of editing and I need to move things left or right but keep all the edits in place. I can do this in Premiere but I can't do it in DP. Anybody know a trick for doing this?

I'm not sure if this is quite what you're looking for, but if you make a selection, you can try the "Grow Selection To End" command.

That does it, however I changed the key binding to the normal (default) Mac keys to select everything to the right (and left) using CMD-SHIFT-Arrow (L or R).

And whatever you do in DP, DO NOT try to search using the normal Mac key combo CMD-F and then hit return to dismiss the dialogue box. It calls up the Filter page and the return keys selects all, so you won't see any data. You'll HEAR your tracks, you can record, play, and save your tracks, but you will not SEE your tracks until you enter the Filter dialogue box again and elect the data you want to actually see.

It's a useful feature to be able to hide stuff like that, but it's kind od an Easter Egg and easily remedied by MOTU. Just change the damne key command! Duh!

[stubbsonic]

But the thing I really wish MOTU would add is the ability to select everything to the right of a given point. I do a lot of editing and I need to move things left or right but keep all the edits in place. I can do this in Premiere but I can't do it in DP. Anybody know a trick for doing this?

Well, the trick I just discovered from tinkering for this thread--

In order to select everything to the right of the wiper-- you have to reverse the order, clicking the right-most point first. Here are the two steps:

1. For an individual track, go to lower part of the soundbite (cursor as cross-hairs) and click the right-most horizontal point of your selection. For all tracks, go up to the ruler and get the I-beam cursor (just below the wiper cursor point), and click the right-most point. NOTE, you may need to press COMMAND before you click to enable/disable grid snapping as desired.

2. Now press F5 to set cursor to counter. This makes the selection (for one or all tracks based on the above steps click).

Try this and let us know if it works as you need.

[bayswater]

But the thing I really wish MOTU would add is the ability to select everything to the right of a given point.

Hold down I key and click on the given point if the insertion point is not already there, and then Grow Selection to End (Alt-Shift-Return)?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

NO! YOU HAVE TO DO IT MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY!

[magicd]

Holy Cow! I can't believe I didn't know about this one.

Grow Selection to End is exactly what I needed. You guys have just saved me a ton of time and work.

Just goes to show, you can call yourself a power user and still learn new tricks.

Thanks!
Dave

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Holy Cow! I can't believe I didn't know about this one.

Grow Selection to End is exactly what I needed. You guys have just saved me a ton of time and work.

Just goes to show, you can call yourself a power user and still learn new tricks.

Thanks!
Dave

True, but you can't do that while employed at MOTU. It's like wanting to grow up to be a musician. You can't do both...