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astur
06-17-2004, 03:12 AM
Hi to everyone.
I am a new SS user (although i know SAW since the beginning in IQS), playing with the demo and there's a simple question I'd like to do for the moment.

Is there a way to configure a session to have less tracks? I mean let's say i know that i won't need more than 20 tracks, 2 returns and 4 outs, can i make my multitrack and mixer to show only those? I would be easier to navigate that way, not showing so many empty tracks

Thanks.


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Astur, Oviedo, Spain.

Shawn
06-17-2004, 03:47 AM
These posts are taken from another thread here, explaining just what to do, thanks to Dave Tosti-Lane. :)

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Regarding your meters question - one thing you can do is to move the output (or return) track up into the visible range of your full mixer -

Say you have 16 tracks in your mix, feeding two output tracks.

To move your output tracks up under your 16 mix tracks (and move their faders and meters over on the Fmixer), first hit the big "O" to go to the output tracks, then left click on the track numbers on output tracks 1 and 2. Now hold down the SHIFT key, and left click on one of the two selected track numbers.
Next, hit the big "I" button to go back to the input section, and finally, hold down the SHIFT key again, and left click on input track # 17. Presto, your two output tracks have moved up to be between Tracks 16 and 17, both on the multitrack, and on the F Mixer. So now, you can see your output track meters on the Fmixer alongside your input tracks.

(Oh - if also, you should unselect the two output track numbrs - just left click them again - if you want independant control over the faders)

You can save this as a template, by going to File/Mix Template/Save, and giving it a name. Then you can quickly set it back up when you want to.

To restore the track arrangement, just hold down CONTROL and left click any track number.

Dave Tosti-Lane

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Also, I forgot to mention you can also just drag the output tracks up by hloding the shift key and left-click-dragging them. The whole step about selecting the two tracks is only necessary if you want to move multiples - if you are only using a single stereo output track, just SHIFT-Left-Click-Drag it into place.

Dave Tosti-Lane

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astur
06-17-2004, 06:19 AM
Thanks for your quick answer Shawn,

Although i'd prefer to choose my own number of tracks for every session, this is at least a solution for having the out and return tracks more at hand and not very far from view, mainly in the mixer.

Bob L
06-17-2004, 08:46 AM
You can simply create a mix template with all tracks re-ordered to any configuration and then open that template for a session with 8 tracks, 16 tracks or whatever. You can also use one of those templates as your defaults.

You can also make various sets of F-Key WorkSpaces to see only so many tracks in all views if you want and load them on the fly at any time.

But, as you are new to SAWStudio, you will probably find there really is not much navigational benefit to goiing thru all these gyrations once you actually become more comfortable with navigating around the interface... to any track at any time with numerous methods of instant access.

Also, once you get comfortable with using the F-Key workspace views, you will find that a lot of thought was designed into navigating around so many tracks and mixer modules, and you can see precisely what you want to see, quickly and easily, even with all 72 tracks available.

There is no gain in performance by only having 8 tracks as opposed to 72 tracks available (unlike some other apps)... as the engine automatically removes unused tracks from the playback loop.

Besides, trying to choose how many tracks a project will have, ahead of time, is very limiting, in my opinion, because as sessions mature and develop, you may find that you quickly need another track for this, and this and this.. etc.

Let go of worrying about the blank tracks... and learn the navigation functions designed into the interface, and my guess is that you will be excited in the near future about not having to be limited at the start of each session by deciding how many tracks you think this session will ever use. :)

Bob L

TotalSonic
06-17-2004, 12:32 PM
I whole heartedly agree with Bob here - to me it is much easier to navigate around SAW (especially with the F keys) than in many apps that add tracks one at a time (such as Orion, which I also use a lot).


Best regards,
Steve Berson