S6 Workflow

[lucienpalmer]

All of there are really good suggestions, Jeff. Thanks.

When I first got my S6, I was leaving 'All' activated so it would always expand. The down side was not easily switching back to my 'Sends' in channel strips style view.

[lucienpalmer]

Just for the record, I'm totally nitpicking. The S6 speeds up my workflow a ton as it is. Frankly, it's the only control surface I've felt was easier than using a mouse. Keep it up!

[bergj00]

Hey Jeff - it would be great to have a customizeable expand zone where we could map parameters from both the channel strips eq and comp sections - a la S5 402 module.

[Brandonx1]

My config is a m10 24. fader, mtm/mam, fader, fader

I have 1 expand zone on knob module of the first bucket set to default to eq. I use layout excusivaly. I set pro tools to link edit selection and track selection. I set the board to link track selection and attention track. So when I make a selection in pro tools, the board attn the eq on that track on the expand zone and the DNS one on the mtm. The faders of the first bucket are laidout as my vcas and I have different layouts that basically spill my dx, mx, fx tracks onto the right most 16 tracks.

How I use this set up is: I make a selection on the pt timeline. This selects the track in pro tools and focuses all the plug ins I use on the board. Eq on the expand zone and cedar on the mtm. Pop pro tools into preview, adjust plug ins, roll to the beginning of the selections and hit punch preview. While I am writing the plug in automation, I write the volume auto with the fader.

[Marsdy]

Originally Posted by lucienpalmer

Interesting. I was thinking something different. I'm not sure I would want the last selected insert to automatically expand. In most cases, my last selected insert has already been adjusted, and if I go back to a track, then I'm probably going to adjust a new insert.

I was thinking more of a preference that lets you tell certain category of inserts to automatically expand. For example, every time I press EQ on the process module, it expands to the knob module. But if I press SENDS, I want sends to be collapsed so the first four sends only are shown for each channel in strips. For dynamics, it would expand like the EQ. Each category of plugin would have its own setting for 'auto expand view' or 'channel strip view'. Maybe give the option to 'groups' and 'bus' as well.

Technically the S6 already does a form of this. If I have a dedicated knob module, I could have my EQs expanded every time. But if I assign one of my existing modules to be a dedicated knob module, I loose it for other functions. It's not ideal for a configuration unless you have a dedicated module.

In my typical workflow, if I open an EQ to adjust it, I also want the plugin window to go away when I'm done. With having to press the expand button, it add a bunch of button pushes to the workflow. Example:

1. Press EQ on the process module
2. Press Exp on the process module
3. Adjust EQ
4. Press Exp again
5. Press Sends (mostly just to make the Channel Strip window close on the PT GUI)

That brings up another workflow issue: closing the plugin window. Maybe there is a softkey function for 'close currently targeted window' or something? Sometimes it doesn't close when I feel like it should. But I haven't payed close enough attention to know the circumstances where it does/doesn't.

I think we pretty much want the same thing!!! I'm suggesting there could be a list of Process Module functions in the User preferences on the MTM then it's up to the user to decide which functions "Auto Expand" when you select them on the Process Module. Then in your case you wouldn't select "Auto Expand" for Inserts so it behaves as it does now.

Also perhaps another preference so when you say had an EQ expanded and then select another function on the Process Module, it automatically switches out of Expand so you'd get your Send view again without the extra Exp button press?

Re. your last paragraph. Yeah, I've sometimes though, why is that plug-in window still open. I have the MTM User pref set so PI windows open and close automatically.

Also I think something has changed with regards to plug-in windows automatically opening and closing in Pro Tools. Since v2.2.1 I've been getting an occasional scenario where simply selecting a track in Pro Tools opens a plug in window in PT for that track without even touching the S6!

[Marsdy]

Originally Posted by creativecontrol

There is a Plug-In Window Close/Open Softkey as well as All Float Windows (think Big counter, session setup, etc) under the Session Management Softkeys 1 which defaults to the Master Module right quadrant.

I agree with the idea of minimizing the number of switches required to engage in expanded function views in which you are not leveraging the expand zones. There are several ideas circling that will make this more efficient. For now, here are the existing workflow possibilities just so everyone is aware:

Dedicate an attention zone in which you can specify the function view that populates when a channel is attentioned. To temporarily swap out one of he zones simply touch the MTM param you want then touch a knob in the zone. Discussions continue on simplifying the process of enabling and disabling this zone without needing to revisit the surface confit page.

Press ALL and put every channel into expand. Now pressing a function view on a channel is one button press and gets you to that expanded view for that channel. On a side, we are working on formatting pagetables for all other functions in a horizontally formatted expand fashion just like EQ and DYN for things like Sends, Inputs, etc.

Dedicate an On Attention behavior to populate parameters into the Master Module touch screen and adjacent 8 Knobs. We are working on an auto attention pref where pushing a channels function button automatically attentions it as well.


Keep the ideas coming!

Jeff

Thanks for this Jeff.

Dedicate an attention zone in which you can specify the function view that populates when a channel is attentioned. To temporarily swap out one of he zones simply touch the MTM param you want then touch a knob in the zone. Discussions continue on simplifying the process of enabling and disabling this zone without needing to revisit the surface confit page.

Did you mean dedicate an Expand zone? Will definitely give this one a try.

[creativecontrol]

Yes, Expand on Attention - dedicated Zones declared in the Surface page under configs. M10 can define 1 knob module for a single zone and M40 you get 2 - which most folks configure for DYN & EQ. The S6 software prefs refer to this dedicated view as Expand Knob Functions. Expand Zone is probably a good way to refer to it. Under the Local Options (gear) for the Home Page (exploded view) you can specify a primary and backup function view to populate each of these defined expand zones. This means if your normal function (EQ) doesn't exist on an attentioned channel (think effects return) it will go to the backup function (think insert parameters).




Jeff

[creativecontrol]

Originally Posted by lucienpalmer

Interesting. I was thinking something different. I'm not sure I would want the last selected insert to automatically expand. In most cases, my last selected insert has already been adjusted, and if I go back to a track, then I'm probably going to adjust a new insert.



I was thinking more of a preference that lets you tell certain category of inserts to automatically expand. For example, every time I press EQ on the process module, it expands to the knob module. But if I press SENDS, I want sends to be collapsed so the first four sends only are shown for each channel in strips. For dynamics, it would expand like the EQ. Each category of plugin would have its own setting for 'auto expand view' or 'channel strip view'. Maybe give the option to 'groups' and 'bus' as well.



Technically the S6 already does a form of this. If I have a dedicated knob module, I could have my EQs expanded every time. But if I assign one of my existing modules to be a dedicated knob module, I loose it for other functions. It's not ideal for a configuration unless you have a dedicated module.



In my typical workflow, if I open an EQ to adjust it, I also want the plugin window to go away when I'm done. With having to press the expand button, it add a bunch of button pushes to the workflow. Example:



1. Press EQ on the process module

2. Press Exp on the process module

3. Adjust EQ

4. Press Exp again

5. Press Sends (mostly just to make the Channel Strip window close on the PT GUI)



That brings up another workflow issue: closing the plugin window. Maybe there is a softkey function for 'close currently targeted window' or something? Sometimes it doesn't close when I feel like it should. But I haven't payed close enough attention to know the circumstances where it does/doesn't.

I think perhaps if we make the process of enabling and disabling expand zones easier it might help everyone's workflow. I agree with you that I mostly always want EQ and DYN to be expanded, however I am also wanting an expanded horizontally formatted Sends so that in the near future you can easily flip a row of fx sends for a channel down to the fader module. I also want to see all sends as you said in a linear vertical view (default view).

Pressing expand the last time on your EQ should in fact get rid of the plugin window. Let me test this out.



Jeff

[lucienpalmer]

Originally Posted by Marsdy

I think we pretty much want the same thing!!! I'm suggesting there could be a list of Process Module functions in the User preferences on the MTM then it's up to the user to decide which functions "Auto Expand" when you select them on the Process Module. Then in your case you wouldn't select "Auto Expand" for Inserts so it behaves as it does now.

My mistake. We are saying the same thing. You said 'Inserts' earlier and I read Inserts = EQ, Dyn, etc. I wasn't thinking of the 'other' Inserts on the Process Module. You're absolutely right. Having a preference for 'last selected insert' for inserts would be good. Actually, I would take it a step farther. Jeff mentioned they are developing the option to cycle through multiple plugins in each category (i.e., pressing EQ multiple times will change from Channel Strip EQ to EQ3 if both are loaded on that track). Marsdy, I would suggest taking your preference idea and applying it to all of the processes. That way, pressing EQ automatically goes to the last one you accessed (presumably the one you want the most) instead of just opening the first one loaded. This would be especially helpful with Dynamics, because sometimes I want a compressor, but I get the DeEsser instead.

[lucienpalmer]

Originally Posted by creativecontrol

I am also wanting an expanded horizontally formatted Sends so that in the near future you can easily flip a row of fx sends for a channel down to the fader module. I also want to see all sends as you said in a linear vertical view (default view).

Pressing expand the last time on your EQ should in fact get rid of the plugin window. Let me test this out.

Vertical view of a channels sends isn't something I would use. I'm usually adjusting a reverb send for several tracks at once, so the current default view works great for me. Just my 2 cents.

It would be great if pressing EQ again closes the plugin window. My brain expects that to happen, so I always press it when I'm done. Then when nothing happens, I remember it doesn't work, and I press Sends to make the Channel Strip plugin window close.

I like your new function of having multiple presses of the EQ button cycle through all loaded EQ's. When you press it after the last EQ, the window should close.
That sounds very useful.