3 Questions (Zero a fader, move in timeline, plugin/playback focus)

[Mark R]

Right. Three down. I feel a bit dumb though as I should have clocked this one a bit sooner!

The 'cursor / playback position' thing is related to the AutoRewind button (green arrows) option in the transport. This makes playback return to the original position after you stop. I had set this on as I usually like to return to the start position for auditioning edits/regions/clips, or making adjustments to EQ etc. It seems obvious now but I hadn't realised these two things were related. When clicking anywhere along the timeline during play, with this setting engaged, it almost acts like a 'stop' and tries to return to the original position. In fact if you hold your mouse pointer at the exact location of that start point, it will go back to that point. If you move the pointer it will go to a slightly different place. Interesting behaviour.

Anyway, this is working now and I understand it. Clicking a position along the timeline in playback, with AutoRewind off, now takes me to that position.

Thanks to UpTilDawn who said this should be how it works, and everyone else with your good advice. I'll remember to use that setting only when needed and not as a static setting as I had it set. The manual actually says this can be activated/deactivated during playback which is great.

Cheers!
Mark

[UpTilDawn]

...
In fact if you hold your mouse pointer at the exact location of that start point, it will go back to that point. If you move the pointer it will go to a slightly different place. Interesting behaviour...

Ha! This is so interesting to me, because I've actually never engaged the auto rewind button. Instead, doing exactly what you've described here on a regular basis... I might have to see how using the rewind button can benefit my workflow now.

[Mark R]

Yeah it's actually really useful having that button right there in the transport to quickly switch between the two behaviours. I can't remember it being that easy and prominent in other DAWs.. At least Reaper, and probably Samplitude, Cubase, etc, bury that setting in a Preferences window somewhere pretty deep. I used these DAWs a lot (still do) before getting more into SAW and that might explain why I 'set it and forgot it'!

It's cool that SAWStudio has some real depth to it that takes a fair while to figure out but when you do it all just seems really intuitive.

[Mark R]

For moving in time, I tend to stop transport with space-bar and either click on the waveform or more often; tab, shift-tab through regions. Control track cues are really handy to move around with you can tab through them or click on them too - also during playback. ctrl-l/r-arrows are handy to snap to marked beginning or end. The locate points can be used too. Home key.

Thank you, this is all great info. I do like Tab as well to move to region beginnings/ends. I'll have to look more into the Control track, never really used that.

Also love the ZBK, ZEK workflow (which I think you also mentioned, jmh) to mark and cut out regions at zero crossings. Very slick.

Cheers

[jmh]

It's cool that SAWStudio has some real depth to it that takes a fair while to figure out but when you do it all just seems really intuitive.

You can do most anything without too many hurtles - the high one is knowing it all - because after decades, I'm still asking these question and picking things up from these threads.

Also love the ZBK, ZEK workflow (which I think you also mentioned, jmh) to mark and cut out regions at zero crossings. Very slick

I didn't mention z&k but have to agree. u is a fantastic key to tweak region borders if you are not a user...

[Mark R]

You can do most anything without too many hurtles - the high one is knowing it all - because after decades, I'm still asking these question and picking things up from these threads.

I didn't mention z&k but have to agree. u is a fantastic key to tweak region borders if you are not a user...

Sweet! I've been using Alt+Drag but U is very slick.

Cheers

[Todd R]

Control Track is a godsend for long form. I use the location points for "chapters" and Control track for all kinds of things- very often for a list of fixes/ to do. I also use Control track for VST engage/ bypass automation notes. Since VST automation has no way to show which VST the automation event relates to beyond the engaged/ bypass state of the VST, it is easy to get lost very fast. Using the control track can help identify what the automation events are doing. It's completely manual, yet has saved me often.

I never use the AutoRewind...like, never

ctrl+TAB / ctrl+shift+TAB to automation events is the bread and butter of SAWStudio!

[Todd R]

1- Left/Right click on the fader with the mouse will zero the fader (or faders when part of a group).

20+ years and I never learned this until now; Thanks for this