Topic: Preview: Mixer redesign

Just throwing in 2 Ideas:

Holding CTRL+SHIFT (or any other combination) while moving the gain fader knob in a mixer moves all other gain fades of all other tracks accordingly. So it’s possible quickly can turn down the overall volume of all other Gains while leaving the Master alone.
This is useful when inserting a new instrument and clipping occurs: Simply turn down the volume of all the other tracks while holding CTRL+SHIFT and moving the gain fader knob of the track.

‘HideAll’-option – when selecting a track, only its own mixer panel appears with all Bus Send/Returns used within its hirachy, all others (except the master) are invisible. Sometimes I can’t find the selected mixer panel since I used many tracks and then scroll to the end to adjust the Sends/Returns.
If a Bus is selected, it could display all tracks which send any amount to it.

Thanks 🙂

@Zynewave wrote:

Sometimes I can’t find the selected mixer panel since I used many tracks and then scroll to the end to adjust the Sends/Returns.
If a Bus is selected, it could display all tracks which send any amount to it.

This gave me an idea for a mixer docking feature. I’ve added a “dock master chain” option to the mixer:

This has a couple of benefits: The master output section is always visible no matter what audio tracks are shown in the scrollable section. Having the master chain separated also saves the space for the master group headers above the regular audio tracks.

I’m going to experiment with a “dock bus returns” option, which similarly separates any bus return track chains from the scrollable section and docks them at either right or left side.

Useful?

It sounds great to me from what I understand. I think the “dock bus returns” option would be necessary too to clean the mixer view up.

So, is this how it would look like in the end in the mixer view?:
-Left:
Master/Inspector
-Middle:
Track1: VSTi plugin XY
Track2: VSTi plugin XY
…(until)…
Track12: VSTi plugin XY
-Right:
ALL Bus Returns

So If I select Track12 (which would be out of view because it only fits lets say 6 panels in a row for example), the middle range would scroll by itself to its end and highlight Track12? So whatever track is selected, the mixer makes sure I will see all Busses/Returns related to it by autoscrolling each region?

@Zynewave wrote:

The mixer currently does not autoscroll to always keep the current track in view, but I could add an option for this. The docked bus returns would always show all bus return groups, so no scrolling needed for this section.

Fantastic! That’s a vote from me.

@Zynewave wrote:

This gave me an idea for a mixer docking feature. I’ve added a “dock master chain” option to the mixer:

This has a couple of benefits: The master output section is always visible no matter what audio tracks are shown in the scrollable section.

Very good, this will make things even clearer when working in the mixer.

Having the master chain separated also saves the space for the master group headers above the regular audio tracks.

I tend to have two tracks under the default Master output track.

A Pre master track with a mastering plug used from time to time as the project builds up and an Analysis track which is useful for either running Span or FreeG to monitor levels in more detail and monitor frequencies used in individual tracks that have the solo button enabled, a subgroup of tracks or even the whole project.

Both of these tracks are above all my other tracks so all other tracks feed into the Anaysis track > Pre Master track and finally > Master output track.

Or another way…

Master Output track
>Pre Master
>>Analysis
>>>All other tracks in the arrangement

So will my my Analysis track and Pre Master Track show up in the new dock master chain?

Is it user configurable?

I’m going to experiment with a “dock bus returns” option, which similarly separates any bus return track chains from the scrollable section and docks them at either right or left side.

That would be very helpful especially being able to dock the area on the right or left side. That sort of functionality may likely elevate Podiums mixer to a higher level of configurability than many hosts out there.

Would we also be able to dock the new master chain on either side of the mixer?

The mixer currently does not autoscroll to always keep the current track in view, but I could add an option for this.

Please do add this option Frits! Thanks!

The docked bus returns would always show all bus return groups, so no scrolling needed for this section.

Excellent.

@Zynewave wrote:

So will my my Analysis track and Pre Master Track show up in the new dock master chain?

Yes.

Is it user configurable?

Yes.

Would we also be able to dock the new master chain on either side of the mixer?

Yes.

Cheers Frits and sorry about the timing of my questions, I read your “Out of office” post over on the Support forrum after I had already submitted this post here on the Future forum! 😆 Thanks for taking the time to respond while “Out of office”. Enjoy your time away! 🙂

@sam c wrote:

Conquistador, i was looking at your set up description above. are your pre master and analysis tracks child tracks of the master track?

thanks

Hi,

Well they are Child Tracks but I did not use the New Child Track command… let me explain…

If you have a project with say 10 tracks and you then go to the Master out track or the top most track in the tree and attempt to create a New Child track it will appear under the 10th track in your project.

Not what you might want. Of course you could drag it into place but I simply created a template.

First the master out…
Then 2 or 3 new tracks underneath feeding into the next. Have a look at the picture…
Click for a larger image…

I actually use two Analysis tracks in this project. I then renamed the tracks and placed my mappings on them for any new projects in future. Of course now any track I create under those tracks will feed through them up to the master bounce track. 😉

I can easily enable bouncing on the Pre master to get a Pre view or snapshot of my mix in real time with any mastering plug I choose to place on that track… swap out the mastering plug with another and create as many different versions of the mix as I want. Of course I could have a full mastering chain of plugs by having 3 – 5 pre master tracks with mappings and work with that. 😉

I can then easily place those (if I want to keep two or three Pre master bounced versions that I like) at the bottom of the arrangement in new tracks and rename them accordingly.

Of course I can also tap the tree from any point and bounce enable any of the pre master tracks for instance to get any type of pre master version I want…very flexible. 😉

That is just my workflow…there is likely a quicker or more preferable way to do it for you or anyone else. 😉 Podiums high level of flexiblity easily allows for the track arrangement I use. 😉

The Pre Master and Analysis tracks feed into the Master track right at the top of the tree, so yes they are child tracks, but the New Child track command (as far as I know) will not create child tracks directly under the master out if you already have for example a number of tracks under the master out.

But the tree level will correctly be “2” (two layers or levels down) feeding directly into the master out so it will be a child but not visibly directly under the master track unless you drag it there.

I hope that helps 😉

o.k. the light went on!! i believe i now have a handle on it.

thanks!