Difference between Folder Track and Submix Track?

[JordiTR]

Regarding layering synth, it's true, sorry, it's something complex enough for a new thread.

[jonatello]

So now I'm a little confused again, because i just realized I CAN apply effects to folder tracks. So I'm back to being fuzzy on the functional difference.

What do you mean by "apply effects to Folder tracks"? Do you mean the individual tracks within the Folder or the Folder track itself? Individual tracks can have effects - it doesn't matter if they're in Folders or Submixes.

Adding FX plugins to the Folder track (not the tracks within the Folder) will automatically convert it to a Submix. The Folder master track gets a single volume/pan plugin and that's it.

All tracks within a Submix MUST route through the Submix master track. Tracks within a Folder can be routed to wherever.

Yeah, i meant applying FX plugins to the Folder track. After this reply, I went back and noticed that it does indeed change it to a Submix track, just like you said...which left me still wondering what can a Folder track do that a Submix can't do (since Submix also organizes). As I'm rereading this reply, I notice what you said about routing differences. Is that basically the main advantage of a folder over a submix?

[Watchful]

A submix is designed to process sound across multiple tracks in parallel. A folder doesn't. That's about it. There are some overlaps, as folders can contain submixes and submixes can contain folders. It's all in how you want to organize it.

I believe--could be mistaken--that folders were introduced in Waveform before submixes were.

Again, if I want to treat a group of tracks equally with processing, I'm using a submix. If I'm just organizing related tracks, I'll use a folder.

[pough]

As I'm rereading this reply, I notice what you said about routing differences. Is that basically the main advantage of a folder over a submix?

The Folder came first. The Submix was created later. Maybe you can think of Folders as being a software-type concept and Submixes as being a hardware-type concept. In Waveform's early days the developer was big on avoiding the limitations of hardware and exploring the things software can allow.

You can make something like a Submix in a Folder - just make an extra track in the Folder (or out of it, if you prefer) and route all the other tracks to it. Folders are more flexible, Submixes have less fuss (it does routing for you).

[HansP]

if people like it, so be it.
this is just unimportant me, but I never understood why bother at all.
I always have a complex, nested tree structure, so everything is grouped up and up and up and up until we have our stereo bus.
plugins and effect sends get placed where they are needed. volume faders are present on every level anyway.
I use colors to scroll really fast. the bus tracks have different intensities of red, and they follow right under their contents.
to jump from orchestra to guitar section takes a second.
in rare cases, if there is a thing with 30 gang vocal tracks, and 30 orchestral tracks, I put them into closed folders, but they will output to a gang vocal bus track etc., where most of the plugins will go, and it stays visible.
I grew up in the analog era, but hated the restrictions, and just want to forget about it. what is obsolete, cannot tie down my mind.