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Old 08-18-2021, 09:25 PM   #1
Shrubs
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Default How to leave an empty slot at the top of an FX chain?

I have a default track template with a ReaEQ and ReaComp loaded into it.

When I add an instrument to the track, it's automatically placed into the third slot, so that I then have to drag it into the first position.

How can I leave an empty slot in the first fx slot to add an instrument to?
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Old 08-18-2021, 11:36 PM   #2
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You could always park some other FX as the first in your chain then when the time comes right click over it, choose Replace FX and select the one you want.

Or maybe someone will come up with a better suggestion?
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Old 08-19-2021, 03:38 AM   #3
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Drag and drop your instruments into the slot you wish to use instead of using the Add button.
Better solution - save all your instruments as Track Templates
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Old 08-19-2021, 01:28 PM   #4
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Thanks but I'm not looking for workarounds, I'm just asking how to do the thing I described above, which would allow me to insert an instrument into the top slot from the channel strip without extra clicks.

Sounds like it's not possible.
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Old 08-19-2021, 02:32 PM   #5
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Correct; it is not possible. But leaving slots empty has been requested.
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Old 08-19-2021, 02:33 PM   #6
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I don't think this is possible at the moment. See this Kenny Gioia video for more detail on what is possible in this regard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1RDUFxsz0Q
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Old 08-19-2021, 02:43 PM   #7
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Unfortunately it's not a possible. People have been asking it about for a long time (see links at the bottom of my post for some of the previous threads about this), but for now all we have are clumsy work arounds.

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?p=1786604
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=136152
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=192783
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=254772
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Old 08-21-2021, 09:42 AM   #8
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I`ve been dithering over whether to report this as a bug rather than just doing a feature request for years, as I find it very counter-intuitive AND irritating as hell.

Whilst it does seem a bit rude to call it a bug, to me it IS a flaw in the way the mixer functions, so it should really get more attention than "just a long-standing feature request.
I would be astounded if this was being ignored because it involves excessive amounts of coding, too.

(cue the naysayers)
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Old 08-22-2021, 06:03 PM   #9
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Many really want a 'Slot' system, I believe that Cockos has given us the ability to set up our own slot system, hence I don't think we would see it any time soon (Could be wrong)



Create with the number system and what Effects you want in what slot position, save as a template and your done.

Use the JS "-Blank- [LBX-Insertjsfx]


Robert

Last edited by rncwalker; 08-22-2021 at 06:09 PM.
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Old 08-23-2021, 01:45 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bodfum View Post
Drag and drop your instruments into the slot you wish to use instead of using the Add button.
Better solution - save all your instruments as Track Templates
Don't see anything wrong with this solution - click and drag instead of click 'Add'. Seems to be much more flexible than leaving an empty slot.
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Old 09-21-2021, 07:56 PM   #11
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Another reason why this is a useful functionality, and why the workarounds aren't good enough: I often want to insert an effect at the "end" of an FX chain that doesn't exist yet: i.e., I don't know what other FX will be loaded, but I know that I want this one at the end of the chain.


Before someone chimes in with "just drag every effect into the proper slot", I don't often use the "add FX" window, I more often use right click->"quick add FX" because I know where everything is there in my custom vst folders.

Coming over to Reaper from Logic, I was perplexed that the ability to add FX to arbitrary slots doesn't exist. It seems like such an obvious functionality that not having it is a head-scratcher for me. Perhaps someone else can explain what the coding difficulties are with this.
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Old 09-22-2021, 12:17 AM   #12
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Is it because they are not actually slots? It's just a way of visualising the fx chain.

It seems to me that having a "default track template with a ReaEQ and ReaComp loaded into it" is kind of upside down. If you add your instrument to a new track, and then right-click Add FX chain (where the chain is ReaEQ ReaComp), you've got a reasonable workflow.
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Old 09-22-2021, 01:48 PM   #13
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I don't really understand the responses pushing back on this—yes, there are time-consuming work arounds, but that's my point. There's a reason why other DAWs offer this functionality.

The Kenny Gioia video posted above is the best argument I can possibly think of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1RDUFxsz0Q

Look at the lengths he's forced to go to in order to achieve a poor facsimile of slot ordering: adding multiple "dummy" fx, renaming them, etc. Is anyone actually prepared to argue that what Kenny is doing here is the ideal system?
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Old 09-22-2021, 02:07 PM   #14
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If you want software to do everything the way YOU want, then you'll probably have to write it yourself! I'm pretty sure that is how REAPER got started.

Use the tool(s) that best fit your needs, or start coding your DAW now, should only take ~5 years if you code 16 hours a day to get where REAPER is now.
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Old 09-22-2021, 06:31 PM   #15
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Why are so many of you making a big problem of this.

Reaper gives you many way to solve the problem with slots, Now!

My post #9 show one way it can be done.

Set up your templates and you done, just replace the FX into the slot you want!

No extra steps....

as Edgemeal said write your own DAW, but remember the years that you loose in writing the software you loose in Making music, time goes by too fast!

Robert
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Old 09-22-2021, 10:51 PM   #16
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you know that this site has an entire forum for feature requests, right? It's one thing to argue that a suggestion is misguided or counter-productive, but I don't agree with the notion that offering constructive suggestions on future improvements is a waste of time.
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Old 09-23-2021, 02:50 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shrubs View Post
you know that this site has an entire forum for feature requests, right? It's one thing to argue that a suggestion is misguided or counter-productive, but I don't agree with the notion that offering constructive suggestions on future improvements is a waste of time.
So use that forum then. You were offered workarounds and solutions,which you rejected as too long winded, even though solutions were set and forget with templates?!

Why did you continue the conversation on this forum?
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Old 09-23-2021, 11:33 AM   #18
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Sounds like you don't want any workarounds, but I will add that you can also use folders and sends to route audio in a way that enables you to put instruments in the first slot. Use prefader sends to comp and EQ or whatever, or even put those on a parent folder track, use a "blank" child track to add your instruments if and when...and still be able to add plugins at the "end" of the chain in the parent folder track. Save as project template.

What really boggles me though: why do you have comp and EQ on a track with no instrument (or assuming any signal)? If you already have a track template, why not modify it as already mentioned? Or, why not use Logic if it bothers you so much or use "every other daw that offers this functionality" as you said? Lots of us have come from other daws, sometimes there are workarounds, sometimes not.

Reaper isn't "every other DAW"....and for the record, every DAW forum HATES when people say that.
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Old 09-23-2021, 12:56 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poetnprophet View Post
What really boggles me though: why do you have comp and EQ on a track with no instrument (or assuming any signal)? If you already have a track template, why not modify it as already mentioned? Or, why not use Logic if it bothers you so much or use "every other daw that offers this functionality" as you said? Lots of us have come from other daws, sometimes there are workarounds, sometimes not.
You're quite right, I could modify my track templates. If it makes the discussion easier, we could imagine instead that it's a metering plugin that I want to keep at the end of a chain, or whatever works conceptually for you.

Nothing said here was meant to disparage Reaper. I think it's a tremendous program. If I didn't, or didn't have confidence in its devs and their interest in the community, I wouldn't be posting here. Nothing said here is meant to communicate entitledness or lack of gratitude for their work, only an interest in making it the best it can be.

Cheers

(PS I suggest moving further comments over to this thread in the feature requests forum rather than posting them here: https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=192783)

Last edited by Shrubs; 09-23-2021 at 01:19 PM.
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Old 09-23-2021, 01:22 PM   #20
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fair enough.

if it was me and this was my dilemma, I would make a parent track with the plugins I want to process with (eq, comp, etc), and the child track would be blank until I wanted to insert instruments, which would be in the first slot for the child track. The signal goes to the parent folder where it gets EQ, comp, etc. I would save the parent/child as a track template...called whatever. When I'm ready to insert the "last" plugin, I simply add to the end of the parent folder fx chain.

Either that or I would take the African Savage Guy approach and simply drag the VST where it needs to be (with subsequent arm gesture)
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