"Preview To" functionality like on Roland VS workstations?

[DAWSearcher]

I am interested in migrating from Roland VS workstations (most recently the VS-2400CD) to a software DAW that supports synchronized audio and MIDI recording and editing. However, I do a lot of comp editing, and for the past 10 years have made heavy use of the VS workstation's "Preview To" and "Preview From" buttons in my editing process. Here's a description of this functionality from the Roland VS-2400CD user manual:

Basic Controls and Navigation Tools (Page 44)

3—PREVIEW TO Button
Press PREVIEW TO to listen to the last few moments leading up to the current location of the now line—you can set how much you want to hear.

4—PREVIEW FROM Button
Press PREVIEW FROM to listen to what occurs just after the current location of the
now line—you can set how much you want to hear.

PREVIEW TO and PREVIEW FROM work together, and are all described in detail in
“Preview” on Page 177.

To audition the project just before and after the current position of the now line, press PREVIEW FROM and PREVIEW TO at the same time for the PREVIEW THRU feature.

Retaining this functionality is important to me, yet I've already determined that Cakewalk SONAR does not support a "Preview To" function, and am now concerned that maybe no software DAW does.

So basically, I'm now looking for any hardware or software DAW that directly supports "Preview To" / "Preview From" functionality, via either physical or soft controls, and also supports MIDI recording and editing (the lack of the latter being why I am abandoning the VS gear).

Does any such DAW exist? Does any Pro Tools version support these functions?

[PeterScherr]

I think pre and post roll should do this for you nicely. You can set exactly how much pre and post roll you want in the transport window.
Pete

[Ling]

...and then you'd need a command that played only the Pre-roll section. Does that exist?

The post-roll, "play from" function is pretty much taken care of by the default playhead behavior of returning to start when you hit stop. (Cmd/Cntl N turns that on/off btw).

I also migrated from a VS workstation...about nine years ago...but there were a number of nice functions I could never replicate in PT; although, I gained a lot more than I lost.

[daeron80]

Absolutely. I use those every day. There are even keyboard shortcuts for it. Say you've selected a range of time from A to B. You also have a pre-roll time set - let's call it PR - and a post-roll time PO. With simple keyboard commands, you can play from A minus PR up to A, or up to B; or up to B+PO from A or from B; or from A minus PR to B+PO. See the keyboard shortcuts PDF for your chosen platform. It also works if no time is selected, but then, of course, there are only three choices: up to play marker (the "now line") by PR, from play marker to PO, and from PR to PO. Pre/post-roll do not have to be turned on for this to work. They just have to have amounts of time set.

To give a concrete example:
Say you've selected a range of time from bars 10 to 12. You also have a pre-roll time of three bars set, and a post-roll time of five bars. With simple keyboard commands, you can play from bar 7 (10 minus 3) to either bar 10 or bar 12; or you can play from either bar 10 or bar 12 to bar 17 (12+5); or from bar 7 to bar 17.

With no time is selected and the play marker at bar 10 (same pre/post roll amounts), you can play bars 7-10, bars 10-15, or bars 7-15. All done with two modifier keys and two arrow keys.

[DAWSearcher]

Thanks for the explanation. Can the approach you describe work just as well for auditioning pre-roll and post-roll ranges at two separate points in time, such as potential edit points in two different takes within a given project? This is where a comp edit begins - in determining that a given point in a performance across two takes is a good candidate for a splice. Then comes the fine-tuning to dial in to the exact 'out' and 'in' edit points.

This comp edit process was made simple on the VS workstations by setting and then adjusting Markers, and using the "Preview To" and "Preview From" buttons and Scrub button to fine-tune the edit points (defined by the Markers).

[daeron80]

Originally Posted by DAWSearcher

Can the approach you describe work just as well for auditioning pre-roll and post-roll ranges at two separate points in time, such as potential edit points in two different takes within a given project?

Two different places at the same time? No. But I can't imagine what use that would be. Here's how comping works in PT. Each take is at the same place in the timeline (obviously, because it was played with the same music) but on a different playlist. You switch to playlist mode, and there are all your takes, one underneath the other. You solo a take and decide you like a certain phrase. You highlight that phrase in that take, press a key command (exactly what depends on your platform) and, presto, that phrase from that take appears in the track's main playlist. It's a lightning fast way to work. I don't think there's anything else out there in hardware or software that comes close to the convenience and speed of PT's comping method. See p. 618 in the PT Reference Guide PDF.

[DAWSearcher]

To clarify, I meant a back-to-back, "A/B" comparison of two different points in a single recording where some sections are repeated by the (solo) performer (i.e., a single "take" that contains repeated sections). Separate takes can also be comped as you described, and I recognize that is the more common scenario.

It is the ability to quickly select and audition the audio immediately adjacent to two distinct points in two separate performances (and quickly switch between them for comparative purposes) that I was inquiring about.

Thanks again for the feedback; it sounds like this can be done. I will go find the recommended material in the PT Reference Guide PDF.

[daeron80]

Oh, I see. Sure, you could use Location Markers to jump back and forth, or else type in the bar numbers if it was something that starts on a bar. But since it would be ideal to hear the other piece with the accompaniment you're auditioning it for, it would probably be better to make a duplicate playlist and spot that phrase to the location of the other, then use the normal comping method.