Another 4.0 idea(s)

[aludra]

Hey Bob,

Like you dont have enough on your 4.0 list already but here goes.....I pretty much think what I'm asking will not be possible because the way the engine is designed but would it be possible to "Automate" the output Assign buttons to switch in and out on the fly???The way I mix sometimes that would be a very useful feature. Also, would it be possible to incorporate into the SRP button a "right click" on it that would put whatever tracks you have set to record on input but not actually go into record until you press record??Now I know your response will be well setup a track on input further down the console and monitor that way, but I use the RME autoswitch function. And one more thing...On my old analog 2 inch machine and even my Tascam MX2424 I was able to arm and disable record tracks on the fly while the machine was running and put them in & out of record on the fly. It is a very useful function to punch several musicians at different spots without stopping the machine and going back to pick up somebody else. I know all these functions are currently LOCKED out but was curious if they were at all possiblities????Thank you so much for your considerations and again thank you for the great sound of SAW:)

Mike Bridges
Germantown Studio Nashville

[AudioAstronomer]

You could set various duplicate tracks to different ouputs and mute automate them for now as a workaround.

Im not sure I understand the recording quesiton, but that already exists if you turn off srp latch?

[Bob L]

The current engine design uses the assign buttons as a way to determine what tracks are active so the engine performance can be improved by not including unassigned tracks in the loop... therefore... all assignments must be done before the engine is started.

I'm not sure if I will change that.

Robert's idea is a good one... double assign to various out buses and simply mute things on and off to accomplish your bus switching.

The live tape/input switching is one of the main features of the new 4.0 engine... so you will see this when it's released.

Bob L

[aludra]

Thanks Bob for the reply....Yes I figured out early on how to double the track bus assignments. I was just hoping for a quicker easier solution. On the record front...what I was asking for was not so much input/tape switching(which will be a nice addition) but a way like the analog days or some other hard disk recorders a way to punch a track in and out of record on the fly while your already recording tracks. It is a BIG timesaver that is missed when you have lots of fixes and lots of songs to record in a 3 hour session time. Just a thought.:)
Thanks
Mike

[UpTilDawn]

...On the record front...what I was asking for was not so much input/tape switching(which will be a nice addition) but a way like the analog days or some other hard disk recorders a way to punch a track in and out of record on the fly while your already recording tracks. It is a BIG timesaver that is missed when you have lots of fixes and lots of songs to record in a 3 hour session time. Just a thought.:)
Thanks
Mike

I've been wondering about/wanting that for a long time too, Mike.
It's been such a long time since I worked with a machine that could do that I was beginning to think that maybe I had been wrong.


I would love to be able to maybe arm all the tracks I am likely to need, but then turn individual ones on and off on the fly as they're needed...
This would be especially helpful in those non-stop concert situations, where the instrumentation changes from song to song, yet you need to continue recording to keep the continuity (say while someone is speaking to the audience). It would save a lot of wasted track time and make cleanup faster.

Is this a possibility Bob?

dant

[Bob L]

It is something I considered... but there are so many open files and links when tracks are armed... of course you can now punch in and out on the fly, but you cannot disarm certain tracks during the process.

We'll see... but I never felt it was really imporatnt... since in the end... its a simple matter to simply delete and clean regions.

The idea of saving a track or two of hard drive space is not the most efficient way of using the software... you should have plenty of HD space available... drives are cheap these days... never push a project to the edge of the HD.... In the end... the session can be trimmed and archived removing unneeded files and regions in the process.

Bob L

[aludra]

of course you can now punch in and out on the fly, but you cannot disarm certain tracks during the process.
Bob L

Hey Bob,

How??? When I am in record I am LOCKED out from arming any more tracks to record. My issue is not saving tracks or cleaning regions, , it is saving time and not making musicians waiting on others to fix their mistakes. As it is now....its like the old Adat machines where you can only fix one musician at a time. If there is a way to punch in and out on the fly I would love to know how!!! Thanks for any insight!
Mike

[Bob L]

Punch in and out on the fly is as simple as pressing the SRP button to start playback... then pressing the REC button to punch in... then punching the SRP button to punch out again while still keeping playback active... you can do this all the way down the timeline.

But, again... this is my definition of punchin in and out... this is different than arming and disarming tracks on the fly... currently SS forces you to arm all tracks before starting the process... and the tracks stay armed during the entire punch in and out process... so all armed tracks are being punched.

I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish... but not sure I would do it the way you may be wanting anyway... its extremely easy to ctrl-close the record meter setup (to create a record template in memory)... then simply re-arm a track or two for an overdub fix of a rythm section for a few players while not disturbing the other tracks... then to reopen the entire meter setup by ctrl-clikcking any track to rearm them all... so I am not sure what else is really needed.

And fixing one muscian at a time seems to be the most efficient method anyway of fixing rythm track mistakes... trying to concentrate on the drummer fix and bass fix most often than not results in many region stacks and punch in attempts while one player continues to miss the mark.

The idea of keeping 10 meters armed and being able to bypass one track record for a temporary fix is certainly a potential useful idea... but it is certainly not anything I have missed in the last 5 years of recording with SAWStudio... in fact it is not something I found myself thinking about at all in session after session from small rythm group sessions to full blown horn and string session overdubs... but I said I would take at look at the option for 4.0.

My guess here is that you are not familiar with the many design options for manipulating and navigating the SS interfeace and therefore waiting and expecting it to operate in a certain manner... and thereby missing many other options that in many cases may be far more efficient ways of working.

Bob L

[aludra]

Hey Bob,
Thanks for the expansive reply. Perhaps I am not explaining myself very well here. When I do demo's here in Nashville the musicians are very fast and run through the song once or twice then cuts it. When we go back to fix things, the guitar player may want to fix a few bars in the 1st verse, the piano player may want to fix a few bars in that same verse but his starting point might be during the middle of where the gutar player is fixing his part. So the only way I can see accomplishing that task is to record them one at a time, where as the old analog days and my tascam MX2424 you could arm and disarm tracks on the fly and record parts in and out and only have to make one pass through that section and save time because if the guitar player didnt get his fix done right away...the piano player will have to wait until he does, where as punching on the fly the piano player fixed his part and he does not have to wait on the guitar player to get his part fixed. By the way just to remind you I have used SAW since 1996 and very much understand and appreciate and love your way of doing things. This was just a feature that I have always missed and the musicians would give me a hard time about it. Any consideration on your part is always very welcome. Thanks:)
Mike

[Pedro Itriago]

Why not use layers. One layer for each take. Isn't saw able to change layers on the fly while recording? Then all you have to do is blend the layers for the best takes, no editing.

[UpTilDawn]

I don't believe saw will change layers on the fly while recording....... of course i may believe wrongly.:rolleyes:

[Bob L]

Well Mike... I would still be doing it very quickly as I mentioned... I would ctrl close the meters then re-arm the guitar and piano track... jump instantly to the section they want to fix and go... both would be recorded... if the giutar player messed up but the piano did fine, then I would simply close the piano meter and jump back to get the guitar fixed... again... I don't see a problem... or that this is holding up the musicians in any way... after all... the musicians screwed up in the first place if we find ourselves needing to re-record their performances. :)

Then... closing the last of the meters and Ctrl-Clicking the first track again sets up all meter assignments ready to record the next track with everybody playing... personally hard to find any way to be more efficient from the engineering standpoint, in my opinion.

Anyway... I said I would look into a temp record bypass option for an armed meter... so hopefully you will be able to do what you want in 4.0.

Bob L

[aludra]

Thanks Bob....The support you provide does not get any better...What you have done for me over the years and what I read that you do for others constantly reaffirms why I love Saw so much...not only for the way it sounds and flows but most importantly YOU and how your dedication to improve your products makes it exciting for what you come up with next. Thanks for all the fun and making the music biz as rewarding as you do.:)
Warmest Regards,
Mike

[UpTilDawn]

Anyway... I said I would look into a temp record bypass option for an armed meter... so hopefully you will be able to do what you want in 4.0.

Bob L

That is very generous of you Bob. Thanks for checking it out.
It could go a long way for me.

DanT

[mikebuzz]

How about individual auto punch areas for individual tracks ! you know be able to select an area of a track for autopunch in/out for separate tracks ??

Just a thought

Later
Buzz

[Bob L]

A complicated thought at that... :)

Bob L