My "Wouldn't it be nice..." list. (1st post updates)

[amplidood]

...the Strip Silence function used a decibel threshold instead of a percentage.
The percentage setting has never made sense to me and there's no way to ever get to a workable sensitivity. Audio is always getting cut off when it shouldn't.

[Movies]

Perhaps this is possible and I just haven't figured it out, but I think it would be awesome to have multiple marker folders or sets -- that way, when mixing a film or a bunch of different sorts of audio, one can just switch on "just music markers" or "just film-audio markers" or "just sound-design markers" to keep things from getting too cluttered.

[Dwetmaster]

Perhaps this is possible and I just haven't figured it out, but I think it would be awesome to have multiple marker folders or sets -- that way, when mixing a film or a bunch of different sorts of audio, one can just switch on "just music markers" or "just film-audio markers" or "just sound-design markers" to keep things from getting too cluttered.

Going in that same direction, a non obtrusive way would be to include the markers in DP's take functionality.

Right now, if you change takes on the conductor track, all the items execpt the markers will switch takes...

[Movies]

Ah yeah. That would be great!

[FMiguelez]

It would be AWESOME!

I've lost count of how many times I've written about that wish here. Overhauled Markers! YES!

[zed]

Hey FM! Long time no "see"...

I'm with you folks on the markers. Just yesterday I was working on a project where I wanted to have markers for the regular sections of the song, while retaining other markers that told me where some drum data was coming from so that I could refer to it again later. I would love the option for stacked markers in different colours (user decides what the markers are for, the colours used for each marker set, and the number of markers in the stack--and an ability to hide a set of markers when it is not currently relevant).

It should be pretty easy to implement. Hopefully we will see something like that in DP8 since it has indeed been requested numerous times.

[FMiguelez]

Hey FM! Long time no "see"...

I'm with you folks on the markers. Just yesterday I was working on a project where I wanted to have markers for the regular sections of the song, while retaining other markers that told me where some drum data was coming from so that I could refer to it again later. I would love the option for stacked markers in different colours (user decides what the markers are for, the colours used for each marker set, and the number of markers in the stack--and an ability to hide a set of markers when it is not currently relevant).

It should be pretty easy to implement. Hopefully we will see something like that in DP8 since it has indeed been requested numerous times.

Hello, Zed!
Hope you're doing great, my friend

I want this marker thing implemented so badly that I've actually tried, with little success, to implement it myself by making clippings of the markers... but it doesn't work because you need to delete the ones you don't want, make the clipping, and bring them over. But since they are all the same color, and since they get added to whatever markers you already have in the CT, then it's a mess of markers that is unintelligible.
Too much effort for very poor results, so I gave that up.

I can think of at least 3 different kinds of markers:
- Film Scoring markers (most likely locked)
- Form markers
- Navigation markers
- and probably "comment" markers

Regarding the notation windows, I really think MOTU should do the equivalent of a "Finale-lite" notation thing. I think that would be enough for most purposes (we can't realistically expect to have a full-blown notation app into a DAW). And if they somehow "unite" QS and the notation window it would be great because we'd then have 2 different aspects of the same thing.

[amplidood]

...track folders weren't automatically included when using the "View Selection in Sequence Editor" command.
I didn't highlight anything from any track folders. Don't assume I'm going to want to peek in any of those.

I need this to happen so badly it's not even funny anymore. I don't keep a full sequence editor window open with all tracks as it's just graphically too overpowering for the system. It's mainly my "highlight a few tracks from the tracks overview and zoom in to edit" window.

Every time I do that, however, every damn folder that's in the sequence is displayed in the SE. I have to constantly disable them and resize what I *did* select. This is driving me crazy with programming sessions where I've got dozens of disabled VI's tucked away in folders.

PLEASE guys, is it possible to have the SE only display what I've highlighted and leave all the folders hidden?

[Shooshie]

In the TO, I wish there was an indicator for the track folders that would let you know if there was a record enabled track in a closed up folder. It would be really helpful, especially in very large templates where you're trying to limit endless scrolling by closing folders.

I can't tell you how many times I've been recording something over and over and then later realize I've also been recording over another track that was hidden in a closed folder.

A little red dot on the folder would do the trick.

When in doubt, record enable a track while holding the Option key. That deselects record on all other tracks. Not sure it crosses over between MIDI and Audio, but you can find out quickly. When I want to deselect any such option, I Option-Click, then just Click. That turns off Record on all tracks. Or Solo, or Automation Play, and so on.

Shooshie

[amplidood]

Updated the list... it appears MOTU actually reads this and considers our feedback! Thanks so much guys. I know that coding to every whim of your users is a a near impossible task. Your hard work is very appreciated!

[amplidood]

Added martian's brilliant suggestion for automatic safety break point insertion...

[Killahurts]

In the TO, I wish there was an indicator for the track folders that would let you know if there was a record enabled track in a closed up folder. It would be really helpful, especially in very large templates where you're trying to limit endless scrolling by closing folders.

I can't tell you how many times I've been recording something over and over and then later realize I've also been recording over another track that was hidden in a closed folder.

A little red dot on the folder would do the trick.

When in doubt, record enable a track while holding the Option key. That deselects record on all other tracks. Not sure it crosses over between MIDI and Audio, but you can find out quickly. When I want to deselect any such option, I Option-Click, then just Click. That turns off Record on all tracks. Or Solo, or Automation Play, and so on.

Shooshie

Wow Shoosh, this is GREAT! Thanks for that. All these years (Decades) with DP and I never knew..

I would still love to have a little read indicator on the closed folders, though.

[labman]

[quote="Killahurts"
Wow Shoosh, this is GREAT! Thanks for that. All these years (Decades) with DP and I never knew..

I would still love to have a little read indicator on the closed folders, though. [/quote]

+1 on both counts. Thanks guys

[Arceo]

...the Mixing Board would not respond to selections from other windows.
If the Mixing Board is closed, and you have some tracks selected in an edit window, the mixer will only show those tracks when opened. Don't know when I'd need that feature.
DP 8 feature. Thanks MOTU!

Well, all I can say is to each their own...!!!
Since I don't use consolidated window I heavy relied part of my workflow to that very mixer behavior (that now has been suppressed!).

Don't know when I'd need that feature.

I'm going to tell you how I needed that feature...

Something like 10 years ago I discovered that if you have the mixer opened, no matter what tracks you select in TO, it doesn't change. BUT, if you just close the mixer and reopen it (3 key commands: 1 Shift-M to bring it in front / 2 Command-W to close it / 3 Shift-M to open it again) then it shows the TO selected tracks.

So I made a series of macros with QuickKeys that rely on that very feature.
I have a macro that just does the 3 key commands afore mentioned because I find easier to select tracks in TO that in the Mixer Track Selector. So I just select a bunch of tracks in TO and press my QK shortcut to have them in my Mixer.
Then I have a macro that after the 3 key commands press "w" two times in a row so that, when I need to temporary group of a bunch of tracks, all I have to do is to select them in TO and press the correspondent QK shortcut.

Is there anybody that found useful that feature and found a workaround to get it back?

Disclaimer: my DP8 upgrade came yesterday from my MOTU local dealer and, since I'm in the middle of a project, I won't be installing it in the next three weeks.

TIA
Arceo

[amplidood]

I think it really depends on what kind of work you're concentrating on. The better solution, honestly, is to make the mixer scroll to the track you've selected, rather than hide everything else. It works this way in the CW, so I don't think it would be that hard to make it work that way when it's out of the CW.

Most of the time I have all tracks visible, or a very specific set (which is constantly morphing). If I closed the Mixing Board (out of habit) before DP 8, my heart sank because I knew I was going to have to set it all up again.