Can you shift a section including underlying playlists?

[Zep Dude]

This is something I deal with often when doing arrangements in pro tools. I build up playlists of multiple takes of various instruments (guitar, vocals, drums etc). Then I decide, for example, to add 2 bars after the first chorus. I can easily highlight the entire song and shift, however how do I move all the underlying playlists as well.

The problem is, if I do this in several areas, and then I want to go to an underlying playist to retrieve a different take, it's completely out of sync with the song.

Can this be done?

[Steve MacMillan]

You could calculate the offset in timecode for the two bars and then change the start time of the session accordingly. Then open your original session and import the tracks that need to be shifted.

STeve

[jeremyroberts]

Steve, I think Zep is asking for a feature that many/most of us that do music would really find useful...

I believe his workflow is:

1. record to grid
2. use playlists for alternate takes
3. at some point, decide the arrangement needs to be edited by a bar or 4 at various places.

DESIRED GOAL: preserve underlying playlists to the EDITED timebase.

For example... let's say you decide to cut the reintro to 2 bars (from 4) -- BUT you have a guitar solo that has yet to be comped, and it is sitting on 12 playlists on one track...

Currently, if you cut 2 bars in shuffle mode, the underlying playlists will no longer line up -- they will be 2 bars off. Of course, the workaround is to break your playlists out to tracks, edit, then if desired, re-create your playlist -- OR -- do your edit as a many times as required for all playlists. Surely there should be a better way? In the old days, if we knew we were going to do an edit, we'd wait until the comps were all done... terrible workaround!

Zep's question is asked numerous times, over and over... There must be some reason Digi doesn't put this into the software. I would really like to know why!

[bublabs]

Oh yeah, this definitely needs to be a feature! Even being able to select which underlying playlists get moved.

[Tweakhead]

Yes, this a MAJOR oversight that I have mentioned thru official channels to Digi several times.

[hearttimes]

it's a problem in other sequencers as well (digital performer for example)

sure would be handy, 99% of the time when adding or subtracting bars i would prefer it to be global on all the tracks on the song, hidden or not.

[Rail Jon Rogut]

Try using Remove Time in the Event menu (or whatever it's called).

Rail

[Mark Wheaton]

Besides the use of alternate playlists as holding tanks for alternate takes, part of the intention of playlists is to allow alternate edits etc. In that instance, it would not be good to have all playlists locked. So I recommend opening out your desired playlists onto open tracks and moving them together using grouping. If there was an option to lock playlists when editing that could be turned off it might be desirable for some but dangerous for others. One way might be to have a special type of group that groups all of the playlists on a particular track, that could be activated when needed? Another option is to borrow a Logic feature which allows folding out alternate takes onto open tracks automatically.

The fact is there are many complicated needs and variations that are targeted for one or another group of users, and if the program allowed all of these to exist it would be very cumbersome. Digidesign has done a good job for the most part of balancing new features with ease of use.

[bublabs]

Try using Remove Time in the Event menu (or whatever it's called).

Rail

Well that's the thing, Cut Time does not affect hidden tracks or hidden playlists.