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Old 11-16-2019, 11:57 PM   #1
Ski Spiggy
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Default Just some basic questions, coming from Digital Performer

Hi all. My first post.
I am a long time Digital Performer user. If Reaper can do the things I need from DP, I will be changing. Basically because there many things about DP that I don't like.

First, in track manager, can you disable tracks completely? Not just hide them, but turn them off, so there is 0 load from them on the CPU.

Second, how do you access different branches in undo history? I have it turned on in preferences. But when I click on the asterix, I have no different branches showing.

Third, how do you select a group of say volume points in automation?

Last for now, how do you make an automation like volume, separate again, once you have incorporated it into the main track?

I'm on a lap top just now, so maybe all these things require a left or right mouse click. Which I can't do on this lap top.

Thanks heaps,
Ski Spiggy
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Old 11-17-2019, 01:16 AM   #2
nait
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Re the CPU usage question....

You can mute the track in Track Manager, and any muted tracks will use 0 CPU (edit: correction, they reduce CPU usage). Just be sure that in Preferences->Audio->Mute/Solo, "Do not process muted tracks" is checked (default).
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Last edited by nait; 11-17-2019 at 11:27 AM.
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Old 11-17-2019, 01:43 AM   #3
Ski Spiggy
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Ah. That means that automated mute will not be instantaneous, if that is checked in preferences.
So the answer is probably, no.

In DP, the tracks can be disabled, separately, as a different function to mute. So mute automation on active tracks is not compromised.
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Old 11-17-2019, 02:07 AM   #4
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Sorry, after some experimentation, just as an FYI, muting looks like it *reduces* CPU usage, whereas, clicking the disable FX button on the track actually drops CPU usage for that track to 0. You mentioned "track manager" specifically, so that's why I mentioned the muting, but I thought it actually went to 0 when muted (again, it reduces, but not to 0).

I'm not sure if you're trying to drop the CPU usage on the fly during the song when certain tracks aren't being played to save CPU or if you're just doing it at the beginning of playback though.
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Old 11-17-2019, 02:09 AM   #5
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You can bypass/unbypass all FX on a track by clicking on the PDC row of the track manager (equivalent of clicking on the "FX enabled" icon in the track or mixer panels).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski Spiggy View Post
Third, how do you select a group of say volume points in automation?
Shift+Click or Right click+Drag (by default, can be customized in mouse modifiers setting).

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Originally Posted by Ski Spiggy View Post
Last for now, how do you make an automation like volume, separate again, once you have incorporated it into the main track?
Right click on the envelope > Show envelope in lane
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Old 11-17-2019, 02:11 AM   #6
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@Ski: There is a performance meter in Reaper, btw, where you can see all of this, if you are not aware. Also, Reaper is so friggen feature laden, it's unbelievable. I'd be willing to bet it does everything you are wanting, and then some. The biggest beef with Reaper is not that it is missing features (generally), it's more that it can be a little clunky at times, or hard to find things in the vast menu, and such.
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Old 11-17-2019, 02:36 AM   #7
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Thanks for all the answers so far. I think that the turning off of effects will do the trick. That is the only reason we disable tracks in DP anyway.
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Old 11-17-2019, 06:07 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski Spiggy View Post
Second, how do you access different branches in undo history? I have it turned on in preferences. But when I click on the asterix, I have no different branches showing.
If you right-click over the given state, you'll get a menu from where you can load that state with next or previous alternate redo history.

Tip; there are right-click menus with options all over the place in Reaper. So like the saying goes here, right-click over everything.
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Old 11-17-2019, 10:45 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski Spiggy View Post
Ah. That means that automated mute will not be instantaneous, if that is checked in preferences.
So the answer is probably, no.

In DP, the tracks can be disabled, separately, as a different function to mute. So mute automation on active tracks is not compromised.
If you have CPU processing of muted tracks disabled, the mutes act like channel on/off buttons. If you toggle a channel on/off like that, plugin delay compensation is re-calculated for the entire mixing board (as it would have to be).

If you want to mute/unmute channels while audio is playing and use automation with that... you can't very well have the mixer re-calculating the PDC without hearing mad clicks and pops as all the channel offsets are changed!

Does Digital Performer really have a feature that keeps PDC active for "off" channels while disabling all other CPU time for them? That's what it would have to have going on to pull that off. Not the most outrageous request I've heard to be fair. It's all or nothing in Reaper with that. No processing of "off" tracks and that includes being removed from the PDC calculations for the mixer.
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Old 11-17-2019, 12:04 PM   #10
Ski Spiggy
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To Serr.

"Does Digital Performer really have a feature that keeps PDC active for "off" channels while disabling all other CPU time for them?"

No it doesn't. When as track is disabled, it's like the track is not there at all.
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Old 11-17-2019, 12:20 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski Spiggy View Post
To Serr.

"Does Digital Performer really have a feature that keeps PDC active for "off" channels while disabling all other CPU time for them?"

No it doesn't. When as track is disabled, it's like the track is not there at all.
So... When you toggle the mute on a track, you hear clicks and pops while DP is re-calculating PDC for the board just like Reaper then? It sounded like you were saying that you didn't and that you could work/automate mutes in DP with CPU disabled for muted tracks. PDC isn't magic. It's literally adding samples to offset tracks to line up with more latent tracks due to plugin latency (or doing it the other way around with look ahead - which is what Reaper does).

You can't nudge a track while it's playing without creating a dropout that makes a click. If DP lets you work mutes with CPU processing disabled without clicks, then they are in fact keeping PDC active for those tracks.

To answer the question then if Reaper can do this: No it can't. PDC is turned off for muted tracks along with CPU when that preference is set.


You're golden for everything else I think.

I don't know... If you're having to get crafty muting channels to disable CPU in a spot to let another channel use a plugin that would otherwise overload the CPU, things are getting pretty hairy! Just freeze (spot render) that bit of audio and move on for your sanity. Still a fair request though.
My 2c.


I used DP for remote recording around 2000. It came bundled with the first MOTU firewire interfaces. This was back when I/O for Protools was insanity expansive so you had your recording rig vs production rig. Was really solid for a good long spell! They struggled when Apple went from OS9 to OSX. Which led me to look for a new remote recording app which led to finding Reaper which led to running live sound with a computer and DAW in addition to merely remote recording which led to firing Protools when Reaper wiped the floor with them in the studio. I'm told some of the MIDI instrument stuff is on point in DP though.

Last edited by serr; 11-17-2019 at 12:35 PM.
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Old 11-17-2019, 01:29 PM   #12
toleolu
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Quote:
Originally Posted by serr View Post
So... When you toggle the mute on a track, you hear clicks and pops while DP is re-calculating PDC for the board just like Reaper then? It sounded like you were saying that you didn't and that you could work/automate mutes in DP with CPU disabled for muted tracks. PDC isn't magic. It's literally adding samples to offset tracks to line up with more latent tracks due to plugin latency (or doing it the other way around with look ahead - which is what Reaper does).

You can't nudge a track while it's playing without creating a dropout that makes a click. If DP lets you work mutes with CPU processing disabled without clicks, then they are in fact keeping PDC active for those tracks.

To answer the question then if Reaper can do this: No it can't. PDC is turned off for muted tracks along with CPU when that preference is set.


You're golden for everything else I think.

I don't know... If you're having to get crafty muting channels to disable CPU in a spot to let another channel use a plugin that would otherwise overload the CPU, things are getting pretty hairy! Just freeze (spot render) that bit of audio and move on for your sanity. Still a fair request though.
My 2c.


I used DP for remote recording around 2000. It came bundled with the first MOTU firewire interfaces. This was back when I/O for Protools was insanity expansive so you had your recording rig vs production rig. Was really solid for a good long spell! They struggled when Apple went from OS9 to OSX. Which led me to look for a new remote recording app which led to finding Reaper which led to running live sound with a computer and DAW in addition to merely remote recording which led to firing Protools when Reaper wiped the floor with them in the studio. I'm told some of the MIDI instrument stuff is on point in DP though.
Totally off topic here, but brother Serr, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the time and thoughtfulness you put into your posts. They're always well thought out, articulate, and informative. I've learned a ton from reading them.

Thanks.
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Old 11-17-2019, 03:47 PM   #13
Ski Spiggy
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Ahh no. Mute has nothing to do with disabling a track. They are totally independent functions. There are no clicks and pops when mute is automated.

Mute can me automated, enabling and disabling tracks is in global control and cannot be automated.
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Old 11-17-2019, 03:54 PM   #14
Judders
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For an equivalent in reaper you could create a custom action to mute and bypass fx of selected tracks, keeping "Do not process muted tracks" unchecked.

Not sure if that would work from the track manager though.
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Old 11-17-2019, 04:09 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toleolu View Post
Totally off topic here, but brother Serr, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the time and thoughtfulness you put into your posts. They're always well thought out, articulate, and informative. I've learned a ton from reading them.

Thanks.
+1 big time
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