S6 Tip ‘o the Day

[creativecontrol]

[ATTENTION MOST RECENTLY CLICKED DAW AREA]

Let's take a closer look at this most powerful preference which can be found under Settings > User > Attention on S4 or S6 systems.

Users can access these options directly by pressing the Settings switch on the Master Module or by using the QuickJump Shift + * then pressing the switch for Att-DAW.

The seven tick boxes determine how interactions in Pro Tools trigger the console to Attention and draw specific track data on the Knobs and Faders.



A few very important notes. All of the interactions and behaviors shown are specific to the latest version of S4/S6 software - 2020.11.1.10. Some of these behaviors, on the initial implementation, were not fully flushed out - so if you are using a previous version of software you will likely notice some differences.

The following tick boxes within the preference follow the user defined options for Expand Knob and Fader functions under the Home > Local Options (gear):
Track Name
Fader
Edit Window
Edit Selection Move Up/Down

The following tick boxes within the preference trigger explicit functions and so they will be drawn in the area on the console based on the preference Display Knobs From Most Recently Clicked DAW Area :
Plug-ins
Pan Controls
Sends


Track Attentioning from the DAW


Jeff

[creativecontrol]

[CREATIVE USE OF LOCKING & ZONES]

Let's take a closer look at workflows that link together several of the features we've been talking about so far including Spill Zones, Folders, VCA Masters, Locked Strips and Track Layouts. Features are great, but really understanding how and when to deploy them is likely more useful.

This one is going to be a bit more detailed and verbose than the previous, so buckle up.

Let's start with a few preferences:
Settings > User > Attention > Automatic Spill of Attentioned VCA: Spill Zone Right
Settings > User > Attention > Automatic Spill of Attentioned Folder: Spill Zone Left

We've declared two 8-Fader Spill Zones on our console, each split by the Master and Automation Modules living in the center. We're keeping the folders in general on the Left side of the desk and VCA's on the Right side. If I attention a Folder Track, the members are going to appear in the Left Spill Zone, and if I attention a VCA Master the members will appear in the Right Spill Zone.

From here - we're taking advantage of Locked Strips. Hold the Attention (triangle) switch while pressing the switch just to the right of Menu where Rec would normally live.

Locked Strips have the highest level of precedence, which means even if you restore spilled Folders, VCAs, Layouts or anything else, the Locked Strips will always be accessible in the locations you choose on the top of everything else.

Settings > User > Workstation > Open Windows on Knob Touch allows you to simply touch any Fader, Encoder or Joystick and have the appropriate windows display in Pro Tools. You can filter what is allowed to pop up with the option Open Windows When Editing Mode. We've chosen Plug-Ins only, however you can choose from Plug-Ins, Pan, and Sends.

Use Shift + Control while clicking on a track in Pro Tools to justify it on the desk based on Settings > User > Banking > Banking Justification Mode.

Once we've dumped a range of tracks onto the desk in normal banking mode, we made sure to enable from the Local Options (gear) of the Tracks page > Double Tap Assign to Copy Tracks from Banking Mode into Current Layout. That is indeed a mouthful. Close that menu and simply 2x tap the Assign button from the Tracks page and that track range should be placed into a Layout.

Use Shift + Setup Func X Y to start mapping custom X Y parameters to the Joysticks. These can be any parameters that are living on encoders on the desk for the Attentioned track. We showed an array of Sends as well as various Plug-in parameters for the effects on the Bass Amp track.

Remember how important the default function views you assign are in the Home > Local Options (gear) to determine what gets populated into the 1st Expand Knob, 2nd Expand Knob and the Master Module on Attention.

Creative Locking & Zones


Jeff

[creativecontrol]

[MORE ON LAYOUTS]

Yes, Layouts are back once again. Hopefully there are a few nuggets you can distill from this that will help you optimize the way you leverage them. We will be covering Track Layouts, but also Meter Layouts, which can be extremely useful.

Press the Layouts Mode switch near the top of the Master Module physical buttons, then press one of the Soft Key switches to recall a specific layout.

Navigate to Settings > User > Soft Keys to define how the Layouts are presented on the Master and Automation Module soft keys. System Soft Keys Display Mode chooses the location for these which can be single or dual quadrants on either the Master or Automation Modules. Untick Auto Close Surface Recall Soft Keys if you want to keep your list of Layouts persistent on the surface after you trigger them.

Hold Shift (track color switch on any Fader Module) while pressing the / switch on the numeric section of the Automation Module. This will bring up the first 12 Track and Meter Layouts on the lower-right Soft Keys panel of the Automation Module.

It is also possible to access the Tracks page and press Recall to bring up a grid of existing Layouts organized vertically. Simply Touch a numbered / labeled block from the grid to recall that specific Layout.

On the Tracks page, just below the toolbar containing Attention, Select, Assign.. you can now find the name of the current Title File the layouts are being saved to as well as the current Application and Workstation associated with the Blue Star to transport the Auto-Load data.

More on Layouts


Jeff

[creativecontrol]

[EXPAND FADERS]

Let's take a deeper dive into one of the single most powerful and creative functions on the S4 & S6: Expand Faders.

First, access the global options via Settings > System > Auto-Load From Titles And Sessions. Make sure that you have Expand Faders ticked so that when you work on a session or template and re-open it, the Expand Fader maps are restored. If you also tick Merge Recalled Expand Faders With Current Faders, the existing maps are preserved and the system will only additionally load the newer maps from the Pro Tools session file.

To perform a map, hold the Attention (triangle) switch from a strip then press the Exp switch - either from a Process Module on S6 or from the middle function section of the S4 Channelstrip Module. This should be done while you are actively viewing the function you want to map on the channel strip: Insert Parameters, EQ, Dyn, Pan, Sends, etc. The Exp switch should start to flash blue and the adjacent Clear switch will light up red. Touch an encoder from the Knob Module then touch a fader on the Fader Module to map a single parameter. Repeat for all 8 faders. Optionally, press User 2 to jump to page 2 - then map 8 more parameters. Return to page 1 via User 1. When finished, press Exp a final time to complete the mapping process. While in edit mode, press Clear to remove the existing map.

Enable Auto Expand Faders from Settings > User >Strips to have the console instantly bring up Expand Faders in addition to the Expand Knobs, if a map exists when Exp is pressed.

Expand Faders


Jeff

[creativecontrol]

[MTRX MONITORING]

Let's take a closer look at several different overlapping ways to control MTRX or MTRX Studio based Control Room monitoring functions from the S4 in combination with MOM. We'll examine the Master Module Touchscreen and associated physical encoders, the physical encoders and switches on the lower section of the Master Module, Soft Key panels on the Automation and Master Modules, plus for good measure, we'll fold in some MOM.



S4 has the ability to speak to the Monitor Profile loaded into DADman and control the Control Room, Monitor A, Monitor B, Monitor C and Monitor D. If you need additional functionality to control more than five monitors or simply want to have additional remote control in parallel, MOM may be a solution to augment your setup.

MTRX Monitoring in Depth


Jeff

[creativecontrol]

[LESS OBVIOUS FUNCTION VIEWS]

Let's take a closer look at local & expanded local function views on the Channelstrip Module of S4. For this example, we are accomplishing all of the parameter control locally from the encoders on the CSM - and not using any dedicated Attention Knob Zone Modules. The middle section of the CSM in between the encoders and faders includes a row listing all of the function views in addition to functions like Expand and Clear. Once a channel has been targeted using the Focus switch, the function views presented in an expanded view apply to that channel as illustrated on the display module callout.

Let's also examine a few of the less obvious functions such as:
Input (Input + Mic Pre Control)
Bus (Bus + Output path assignment and multi-assigning)
HEAT (If enabled and activated, individual and global controls)

Less Obvious Function Views


Jeff

[creativecontrol]

[AUTO-EXPAND INSERTS SELECTION+]

Let's take a closer look at a few preferences on the console - this time through the lens of the channel Display Module.

Access Settings > User > Display > Layout to define the view format for your Display Modules. Essentially, you are allocating screen real estate between all of the following:
Meters (matches PT Scale) + Gain Reduction
Waveforms - Real-time streaming out of Pro Tools
Functions: Pan, EQ or Dynamics plots
Routing: Input/Output, Group+Color, Parameter Name+Page

Use Shift + Display 1 or Shift + Display 2 from the Master Module switches to toggle through the display formats.

Access Settings > User > Strips > Auto Expand Functions to locate the Inserts Selection option.

When enabled, pushing on an encoder representing a top level Insert will jump into parameters view and also expand that view by taking over all of the encoders on the Knob Module. Pressing the Ins switch again will return back to the Inserts Chain view and exit expand mode. It's a great option especially when you have a large number of processors on a single track that need to be controlled quickly.

Access Settings > User > Knobs > Send / Insert / Input / Bus Knobs Reversed to change the orientation of Sends and Inserts from Top-Down to Bottom-Up on the Knob Module. This can make it more efficient if you are constantly grabbing for a particular effect send which happens to live on the topmost row.

Auto-Expand Inserts Selection


Jeff

[creativecontrol]

[CUSTOMIZING NUMPAD SWITCHES]

Let's dig into an example showing how to repurpose switches on the console which you may not be using regularly. I've chosen to reprogram the numeric locate or numpad section - which is located on the right side of the Automation Module. The default behavior for these switches is literally to trigger numbers 0-9, period and Enter. I find myself using the QWERTY keyboard often for this type of numeric entry, so let's remap them!

Here's a simple diagram showing the switches and functions which were remapped on the numpad:



Customizing Locate Switches


**Update**
If you want to play, here are the example XML Soft Keys you can simply Import to test out the functionality. Hit Factory to get back to the Factory Default Soft Keys. As always, backup anything you have customized first!
Custom Nav Switches


Jeff

[creativecontrol]

[MANAGING MANY INSERTS]

Let's take a closer look at managing a large number of Inserts added to a single track from the console. Let's also examine how the Cycle operation works for the EQ and DYN functions - when you have multiple plug-ins on a given track which identify as EQ or Dynamics.

We will also look at customizing the behaviors under Home > Local Options (Gear) to define the behaviors for how to populate the various sections on your console.

You will find that a given plug-in - such as the Sonnox Inflator, can be controlled from several different methods. Find the control that makes sense for your workflow:

Directly from the docked encoders on the Master Module
Locally in a vertical orientation on the Channel Encoders
Locally in an expanded view on the Channel Encoders
Touched from the Master Module -> to an Attention Knob Module
Custom XY Mapped to either side of a Joystick Module

Managing Inserts


Jeff

[creativecontrol]

[MACRO CHANNEL VIEW]

Let's take a super close look at some of the functions on individual Channel Strips of the console - including toggling one or multiple Automation Modes, Auto Match Indicators, Gain Reduction, Selecting and more.

We'll examine working with both Routing and Basic Folders - which are extremely useful - both in Pro Tools and on the S4 / S6. Enable the preference under Settings > User > Strips > Synchronize Folder State With Spill to have Pro Tools and S4 follow each other when folders are expanded or collapsed.

Use Shift + Option (either from the Track Color Switches or from the QWERTY Keyboard) to cycle Automation Modes (A) for only the Selected Tracks. On cycle, Write is always omitted. Hold Write from the Automation 1 Soft Keys while pressing a channel's Select switch to engage Write mode.

To quickly toggle multiple tracks in or out of Record or Input, use Option while pressing the Rec or Input switch from that group's VCA Master.

Macro View of the Channel


Jeff