Would be nice to have alternative numerical or letter names of mixer tracks to have them "organized" in consecutive manner, in order they appear in mixer for shots, holds etc. 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 E 6 F 7 G (possibly more in future?)
What we have now, where there is a choice In the track names between default letters for track instruments or, alternatively, the first letter of the patch selected for each track, gets confusing when entering the excluded tracks in chord holds, shots, and rests, since you must use the defaults there.
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Having said that, requesting the capability to rename tracks is what led to the messy and awkward track naming situation we have today where users see one track name but have to use the abbreviations for the default track names to get things accomplished.
My personal preference is for the five arrangement tracks to have default labels of T1 to T5 starting from top of the mixer downward. The five arrangement tracks should be able to be relabeled by the user on a song project-by-song project basis. No matter if an arrangement track displays a default or custom name the program should use the displayed name.
Leave the Melody, Soloist, Audio and Thru track names alone. Each of those tracks have unique characteristics that separate them from the five arrangement tracks.
Jim, I think we are talking about slightly different things. I am not suggesting changing the "names" how they appear on the mixer, but something close to what you referring about "labels". I do want those consecutive "label" names respond to shots, holds, rests.
The mess you are referring to is a number after the instrument on the label? Like Guitar2 (which could be on the mixer track 4,5etc.) correct?
If yes, then I see why it could create potential boo boo, and I do like your idea of T1, T2..etc labels going down the mixer. +1!
But I do not see why shots, holds can't be attached to these numbers. So it would be written as: Em..1,4,16 and you will know that these will correspond to Mixer Tracks 1(T1), Track 4(T4) and maybe one day Track 16(T16)
It should make things more organized and logically sound.
Well, I think Jim is referring to what I mentioned, and he is right. Some years ago we requested to have the tracks use the name of the patch selected, rather than be locked into the single-letter scheme BIAB uses where it has B for Bass, P for Piano, D for Drums etc. It's arguably better because now you can have a soprano sax on the Strings track etc. But even that is confusing as implemented, because there are two S entries (Strings and Soloist, or Soprano and Soloist etc.). In some ways it got worse, because only part of the new scheme to use the first name of the patch was implemented. You still have to use the old defaults in rests, shots and holds. And now, for example, if all your patches started with S, you could get mighty confused. Try explaining all this to a new user (I have). I repeat this background info because it occurred before you joined the forum.
So I'm quite sure Jim knows all this, and is agreeing with the concept that the naming needs another convention. He and I may just not be sure yet what the solution is. In general, I work on identifying the problem but, as a programmer and system analyst, I let the developers consider the best implementation because only they know the big picture.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Yes I was going to say what Jim said. If they left a letter on the track (that can't be renamed) pertaining to the track hold letter, maybe in front of the nameable part ???
B for Bass
D for Drums
P for Piano
G for Guitar
S for Strings
I remember asking for C...(track number) years ago for RealBand but what I ended up doing was generating what track I needed in say the BB G Guitar track with the Holds C... then moved that track down to a blank track then did the same in the BB G Guitar track with another instrument, so I could have 12 tracks with holds.
Now with Biab if you want more tracks added in the future you would have to put all those track numbers after the chord hold/shot/rest to be exempt.
I had suggested this for Track Naming some years ago, which actually got some traction in terms of implementation. I'm not sure if this is the same as the current request though.
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VideoTrack. Yes, I think it is very close. This is how I see it. And for pushes, holds etc. option to use numbers: Em..1,4,16 and you will know that these will correspond to Mixer Tracks 1(T1), Track 4(T4) and maybe one day Track 16(T16)
Yes, essentially we're working from the same page.
+1
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Please correct me where ever I make an error but allow me to restate your idea.
You want a user to be able to state in one statement, or command, a single, or multiple, bar locations for a shot, hold or rest to be inserted into a song project.
The same statement, or command, should state each track, or tracks, on which to apply the statement or command.
Reference mixer track numbers 1,2,3,4,5.... for typing shots, holds rests instead of B,D,G,S
As of now, to exempt instruments, you adding their letters following the break. For example, typing C.bd So the requested "wish" same expression would look like this: C.1,2
Even if you change first mixer track to piano, banjo, violin RT or anything else - If it remains on first track, it would be always referenced as T1 and expressed as 1 in shots, rests, holds. etc.
Numerical expression will help to clarify which exact Mixer track you want to follow these rests, stops, holds
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