Expanding SX3 workflow
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- KVRAF
- 5200 posts since 17 Aug, 2004
Any ideas to share. Maybe some screens. What is your fav. screen setup etc. I mean window order. Mixer order. Your fastest way to do some things. Maybe some tips for boosting workflow etc.
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- KVRAF
- 6478 posts since 16 Dec, 2002
just my area of expertise.
workspaces. Use them. Use them extensively. set them up with easy to access key commands, similar to logic. Map that row of 1-9 to them, and no alt-ctrl-shift crap. Dual screens make it even better but here's a suggestion
workspace1, main arrange window, full screen if possible.
workspace2, VSTi screen (mixer1 show only VSTi)
workspace3, VSTi mixer (mixer2 show only audio)
workspace4, audio mixer
workspace5, IO/group/aux/master mixer
workspace6, pool/arrange drag&drop editing
score
etc.
etc.
always on top seems to work well for plugins.
fix what works best for you, but know that SX3 still bugs out when trying to use piano roll in a separate workspace. You always need to access it from arrange by double click (otherwise you'll have linking bugs galore)
shortcut keys. If you have a keyboard that has an array of extra keys, and a mouse that has extra buttons, good. Use them. Map your most important functions here. quantise, quantise setup, automation modes (show all automation, hide), function keys work well for tool selection, zoom (in the mouse if possible), mute object (in the mouse!), mixer mode shorcut keys (they work really well, show inserts, show aux, show/hide hidden channels) show/hide inspector. select inspector mode.
study the keyboard shorcut preferences ASAP. There's a massive amount of unused editing features there by default. Get them to use. zooming, moving editing. forget the mouse drag for everything and set up easy to remember keys for important functions.
Clean up transport, and don't forget to hide it on those screensets where it's not needed.
numpad for markers. select marker by numpad, ctrl numpad for set marker.
home/end work well for step bar, step back bar.
if at all possible, never use ctrl/shift/alt for anything, but the absolute standard stuff(copy/paste/undo and a few others). There's plenty of keys to get things working without them.
change the colors to darker from the preferences. The default gui is a bit bright for long hours, and not that ergonomic.
workspaces. Use them. Use them extensively. set them up with easy to access key commands, similar to logic. Map that row of 1-9 to them, and no alt-ctrl-shift crap. Dual screens make it even better but here's a suggestion
workspace1, main arrange window, full screen if possible.
workspace2, VSTi screen (mixer1 show only VSTi)
workspace3, VSTi mixer (mixer2 show only audio)
workspace4, audio mixer
workspace5, IO/group/aux/master mixer
workspace6, pool/arrange drag&drop editing
score
etc.
etc.
always on top seems to work well for plugins.
fix what works best for you, but know that SX3 still bugs out when trying to use piano roll in a separate workspace. You always need to access it from arrange by double click (otherwise you'll have linking bugs galore)
shortcut keys. If you have a keyboard that has an array of extra keys, and a mouse that has extra buttons, good. Use them. Map your most important functions here. quantise, quantise setup, automation modes (show all automation, hide), function keys work well for tool selection, zoom (in the mouse if possible), mute object (in the mouse!), mixer mode shorcut keys (they work really well, show inserts, show aux, show/hide hidden channels) show/hide inspector. select inspector mode.
study the keyboard shorcut preferences ASAP. There's a massive amount of unused editing features there by default. Get them to use. zooming, moving editing. forget the mouse drag for everything and set up easy to remember keys for important functions.
Clean up transport, and don't forget to hide it on those screensets where it's not needed.
numpad for markers. select marker by numpad, ctrl numpad for set marker.
home/end work well for step bar, step back bar.
if at all possible, never use ctrl/shift/alt for anything, but the absolute standard stuff(copy/paste/undo and a few others). There's plenty of keys to get things working without them.
change the colors to darker from the preferences. The default gui is a bit bright for long hours, and not that ergonomic.
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- KVRist
- 157 posts since 15 May, 2005
For writing music around a beat, use the 'independant track loop' in the drum editor, minimise the part and the loop plays continuously with the project. That saves copy and paste, and allows quick editing of a one or two bar loop.
Keycommands and macros are immensely useful for speeding things up.
Creating templates for the kind of work you do saves a lot of time messing with adding tracks etc.
On my system I have the mixers on the second screen 'always on top', and they tend to be open all the time. But I have F3, Shift F3, and control-F3 set up to open the three mixers.
If you want to lose unawanted tracks to save screen space, then the devide track list feature is great, just move the tracks to the top pane and make it as small as possible.
Macro's can save a lot of time. Even simple ones. I use one for voice over work, that sets the locator for recording at the end of the current selected part/event. With loads of punches to do, that saves me hours.
If you are into Midi work the logical editor and it's presets can be used for remapping controllers, and doing all sorts of wonderful things with MIDI. If you use a function a lot, then assign a keycommand.
Save keycommands as presets so you can have keys assigned for different functions when working with film or Midi etc.
As with all hosts, learn as much about the tools as possible. The more you know, the more ways you can find to speed up tasks.
For a lot of work Mixing from the Inspector can be useful, so set up the best view for your needs (inserts Channel and sends for example).
Control-click on a pane in the Inspector opens/closes it leaving the others unaffected.
Keycommands and macros are immensely useful for speeding things up.
Creating templates for the kind of work you do saves a lot of time messing with adding tracks etc.
On my system I have the mixers on the second screen 'always on top', and they tend to be open all the time. But I have F3, Shift F3, and control-F3 set up to open the three mixers.
If you want to lose unawanted tracks to save screen space, then the devide track list feature is great, just move the tracks to the top pane and make it as small as possible.
Macro's can save a lot of time. Even simple ones. I use one for voice over work, that sets the locator for recording at the end of the current selected part/event. With loads of punches to do, that saves me hours.
If you are into Midi work the logical editor and it's presets can be used for remapping controllers, and doing all sorts of wonderful things with MIDI. If you use a function a lot, then assign a keycommand.
Save keycommands as presets so you can have keys assigned for different functions when working with film or Midi etc.
As with all hosts, learn as much about the tools as possible. The more you know, the more ways you can find to speed up tasks.
For a lot of work Mixing from the Inspector can be useful, so set up the best view for your needs (inserts Channel and sends for example).
Control-click on a pane in the Inspector opens/closes it leaving the others unaffected.
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- KVRist
- 157 posts since 15 May, 2005
When working with VSTi's move the VSTi automation lane and the VSTi mixer automation below the Midi track. With the range tool select the required Midi section, and control-click on the Automation lanes (which selects the same range on those tracks) then the VSTi automation, Midi data, and Channel automation may all me moved/copied in one go.
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- KVRist
- 157 posts since 15 May, 2005
IF working with many samples across projects, create libraries. The clips in the libraries may be processed (non-destructively) so you have quick access to samples that are edited for your needs, in any project.
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- KVRist
- 157 posts since 15 May, 2005
Actually, no host has workflow. Users create a workflow of the tools at hand.Lance wrote:It has workflow?
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- KVRist
- 391 posts since 28 Apr, 2002
For quickly getting around in any window, use the 3rd mouse button (downclick on the mouse scrollwheel) to access the "pan" tool. It works just like in Photoshop to move a window around in any direction. I like using it when I'm chopping audio. I zoom in close enough to see where I'm gonna cut, then it's Cut, move a little, cut, move a little and keep going. It's also great when moving around in the piano roll editor. It also works in the mixer, but the behavior is somewhat different. You can click down on top of anything. As long as you're using this tool, it won't edit or select anything, it'll just move the window in any direction, diagonal included. Pretty cool.
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- KVRist
- 157 posts since 15 May, 2005
Click on the timeline in the project of editors and drag down to quickly zoom the view.
If playing the project, use shift-click and drag and the song cursor will not jump to that position, but will carry on playing.
The ALT-GR (right hand side ALT key on a UK mapped keybaord) sends control-alt, which makes defining keycommands with that as a modifier much more user friendly.
If playing the project, use shift-click and drag and the song cursor will not jump to that position, but will carry on playing.
The ALT-GR (right hand side ALT key on a UK mapped keybaord) sends control-alt, which makes defining keycommands with that as a modifier much more user friendly.