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Hi,
In Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic, there's a setting to have the playhead to return the position where it starts playing, instead of stop at where it stops.
In DP, I know we can do auto-rewind, but: In mostly other DAW, you can just start playing and it will return to where it starts playing so you can quickly start playing anywhere, but in DP, you'll have to click the auto-rewind bar and drag it... I mean , in pt cubase or logic, you can just click on the bar measure and starts playing , in DP, you'll have to find that auto-rewind bar and drag it to the position where you want it to play. Not a fluent workflow as other DAWs... What's your way of doing this

Thanks

Use F1.
Wherever you press it, even while playing back, will be the point of return.

The F-x series have some very useful transport functions. Check them out in the Shorctus window mentioned above to learn what they all do.

You can double click on the timeline and the curser will jump to that point. You can also grab a region and with the return function on it will automatically go back to the beginning of the region when you press stop.

I’ve been in performer so long I have a habit of just hitting the period and type the measure number I want to start without even thinking about it but I know those others work.


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I haven't come across a way to make it work like, for example, Logic, not that I've tried to find one. In DP, I have memory points set with memory cycle and auto rewind turned on. The starting point for the loop can be moved with a keyboard shortcut (e.g. CMD left/right arrow), and the auto rewind marker moves with it.

Not sure exactly what you're seeking, but you could try "Link selection to memory" and "Link playback to memory" - both located just under the transport controls. Using either or both of those affect playback in different ways.

The first automatically sets your memory locations to whatever you last selected without affecting the playhead location.

The second locks your playback positions to the memory cycles you set via F1 and F2 or by dragging the memory markers, independent of anything else you've selected.

If you use both, DP will play the duration you select, then stop (be advised the playhead will disappear when you're not playing, at least it does for me). Used in conjunction with the loop button, this'll let you do things like click on a single measure in track view and hear that loop, then click on a different one and immediately jump to it. Very handy if you're, say, working on drum parts or ostinati.

+1 to all of the above comments. I also use ctrl-left and ctrl-right to go to previous or next marker and shift-left and shift-right to go to previous or next measure, then click to where I want to go and hit F1. Best way if you can remember you measure numbers is the 10-key period key. You can also go to marker with a short cut key. I have tons of markers so I number them starting at 101, then a few key markers I number 1, 2, 3, etc. so I can quickly to go 2nd chorus or whatever.

Thank you guys, very helpful notes.

But here's the thing troubles me:

After hit F1 to set the start location, when I press space bar, at first it will start Not at the start location, but at the position where it was. Press space bar to stop it, and press it again now it will play from the space bar. How can I press space bar just once to toggel start/stop from the F1 location?

mesayre wrote:this'll let you do things like click on a single measure in track view and hear that loop, then click on a different one and immediately jump to it. Very handy if you're, say, working on drum parts or ostinati.

Great thoughts, but you'll have to NOT click on the audio region . When you click on the audio region you wanna hear and loop play, it will not set the play start position there... Correct me if I'm wrong

Hi rockman413

DP has so many ways to play from a ‘selection’

Shooshie has made here extensive and illuminating tips and tricks about Selections.. must-read lessons and tips detailing the myriad of ways to approach Selections and Playback

A while back I learned that any type of insert ….in a MIDI or audio track….is considered by DP to be a Selection start

As mesayre points out, hitting "Link selection to memory" and "Link playback to memory" together enables you to make a selection that simply plays the selection from the spacebar…in this case I have a dual key command on Kensington Expert mouse that enables both those commands at one time…it works great for instant playback of selections if you like to work like that

But, taking that idea one step less, as it were, you can simply select an insert point in the lower third of an audio track and then hit your hot-key assigned Command ( I use ‘x’ ...thanks bleach30) to Play From Selection Start…. check it out… you don’t make any length of selection. The key to understanding this for me was to understand that an insert is considered a Selection Start in DP

So you click an audio file in the lower third of the track with the Arrow tool crosshair .. and then hit ‘x’ (your assigned key) … DP plays back from that point every time

In a MIDI track you could Cntrl click anywhere …but not make any further time length selection… then hit your hotkey for Play From Selection Start…. bang…. every time you hit the x key (or your assigned key)…. the sequence plays straight from there. Alternatively you could use the Insert key ‘I’ to make the ‘Selection Start’ point… and, again, just keep hitting ‘x’

You might find some interesting info in these threads here:

Re: Set to selection bounds shortcut

Also

Re: Is there a way to start playback within a Memory start/e

And Shooshie’s tips are essential imho

Hope this helps

Best

Great Infos!

Except, in MIDI editor, Link to Playback or Link to memory does not work.... I will have to carefully move my mouse to the upper half of the ruler or I have to double click to move the mouse....

In the MIDI editor you can just select any note and ....yep....press x....yaaay

which, if you're editing MIDI is not exactly what you want.

After all that I do tend to just use the F1 key and spacebar... it's a bigger target to hit accurately for a task which is so often used

The 'spacebar plays last wiper position' would be handy I agree... would make it easier to work within a memorized region ...

Bleat

Musing on this interesting question and now recognising that the ‘x’ key’s utility as a high-use transport control is somewhat hobbled by being too small to be accurate and at ease with.…. So I thought to try assigning the Spacebar itself to ‘Play from Selection Start’ … It required turning off the Play Stop/Start toggle assignment

Wow…. this might be fun to work with for a while! ( : … just briefly trying it now I think I’m enjoying it a lot for editing. As mentioned earlier, if in the regular Pointer tool mode simply click with the crosshair in the lower third of the audio waveform display or use Cntrl - click in a MIDI window to set the “selection” start point (or select a MIDI note in MIDI Edit window....or hold 'I')…. Now every hit of the Spacebar starts playback from that point... fast, relentless...

As the sequence no longer stops with a toggle press of the Spacebar, you need to use the 0 key on the number keypad for that…hmmmm.... not a great inconvenience

I recall Logic had ‘2’ assigned to the numeric keypad for this purpose I think….maybe assigning it there would be familiar to some and a good use of the easily customizable Transport navigation section DP lays out on the numeric keypad of the Apple keyboard

I want to try it some more…

Cheers and thanks for your thread

Great posts, love seeing others workflows, lots of stuff there I had forgotten about.

Maxxy wrote:In the MIDI editor you can just select any note and ....yep....press x....yaaay

exactly, thank you Maxxy, YAAAAY!