Old 08-16-2019, 11:06 AM   #1
J Riley Hill
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Default Ability to "Lock" Record state

--WHAT--

Sometimes it's useful to disable "Record Arm" for all tracks at once.
(such as by control clicking the record arm button of a track, or running an action)
It's also often useful to select a bunch of tracks and Record arm them all.

I think it would be a nice addition to include the ability to "Lock" the state of a tracks Record arm button, (either locked off or locked on) so a track could be immune to these sort of actions.

--IMPLEMENTATION--

I think it should go in the right click menu for the Record Arm button. And say
"Lock track Record state"


I think it should have the following behaviors:
- the track locking should be true for any actions that involve recording arming/disarming MULTIPLE tracks
- the lock should be automatically bypassed if you DIRECTLY click on the Record Arm button of a track which is record locked.
(this should ignore: click and swipe across multiple tracks or ctrl+click on the track, only disable when you click EXCLUSIVELY on the single track in question)
- This would make sure no one gets confused if they accidentally Record Arm Lock a track.
- It would also make sense and be efficient because the only reason to have record arming lock in this way is to make the track resistant to global or multi-track Record Arm changes.
- If you change your mind and want to arm/disarm the track, just click it.
- A new graphic state for the "Record Arm" button with an "L" could be a cool addition, but not totally necessary.

---------------------------------------------------
------------------ REASONS WHY --------------------
---------------------------------------------------

There is a number of reasons why I think this would be worthwhile....

REASON 01------------------------------------------
COMPATIBILITY FOR VARIOUS SCRIPTS -----------------

A number of scripts I've tried in the past year rely on having track set to "Record: disable: input monitoring only". These scripts REQUIRE this track to be record armed and the track is usually hidden.

If you ctrl-click to disable all record arms in the session, you will break the functionality of the scripts. If you run an action that involves disarming all tracks for recording... you also break the scripts. You need to find and un-hide the track and record arm it again.

Two amazing scripts I can think of that use this technique for receiving needed input:
LBX SRD Smart Knobs script (https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=204972)
(There are other ways with this particular script, but most users seem to use it with a record armed track as it's easiest)
Retrospective Record for REAPER (https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=168855)

I'm certain there is more scripts that rely on this. Please comment below if you know of any!

This reason alone I think is enough of a reason to implement this, but there are more reasons.....

REASON 02------------------------------------------
USING TRACKS AS A LISTEN MIC FOR RECORDING---------

Often when recording guitar tracks or drums tracks I need to talk to the musicians between takes. The studio I usually work at has the control room in a separate room than the tracking room, so in order to talk to people I need to hear them.

I dislike software mixers, and usually prefer to monitor from REAPER. I will set up a "Listen Mic" track, set too "Record: disable: input monitoring only". I don't ever want this track to stop monitoring, I always want to be able to listen to what people are saying. If I'm using a multi-mic set up, and want to switch instruments its fastest to do a "ctrl-click record arm" to disable all recording tracks, and then swipe the record arms on the new tracks. but this will disable my Listen Mic track!!!!

There is a handful of times when you could accidentally disable your listen track when working on a session, and when you are focused on something else, and trying to move fast its annoying. I'm forgetful.

It's especially annoying if the listen mic track is somewhere else in the session. I would really like to be able to "lock" the state of a track for this workflow!! It would be super nice.

REASON 03---------------------------------------
LOCK TRACKS YOU DON"T WANT TO TURN ON-----------

The current behavior when swiping:


I don't want those folder tracks record enabled.... I could set them as "Record: disable: input monitoring only" tracks, but that isn't actually what I want as is a little confusing visually.

If we could set tracks "locked off" we could do swiping gestures across folders like that for multi-mic setups, and not enable tracks we don't want to record.


--THATS IT--
Anyway, these are few ways I think this would be useful, but I think more ways would reveal them self if this was made an option. I think its a good idea because it fits with REAPER's general flow and ethos and it doesn't seem like it would be too hard to implement.

Please comment if you like this idea!
Also please comment if you are confused or have any additional thoughts/improvements!!

Last edited by J Riley Hill; 08-16-2019 at 11:52 AM.
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Old 08-16-2019, 01:39 PM   #2
lb0
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+1
Very useful!
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Old 08-17-2019, 10:16 AM   #3
deeb
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I don't think I'd need it but I can understand why it might be very useful. This seems scriptable at some extent: an arm action that keeps the lock/unlock state and then and then an action to arm all unlocked tracks
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Old 12-03-2019, 01:28 AM   #4
HurdyGuigui
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+1

I would use that a lot!
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Old 12-03-2019, 10:00 PM   #5
Joe90
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+1

I'm surprised there's not a script for 'unarm all visible tracks'. This would at least solve the issue of unarming hidden tracks that need to stay armed.
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Old 12-04-2019, 11:49 AM   #6
J Riley Hill
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deeb View Post
I don't think I'd need it but I can understand why it might be very useful. This seems scriptable at some extent: an arm action that keeps the lock/unlock state and then and then an action to arm all unlocked tracks
My thinking for suggesting a new feature is:
If there is multiple scripts that lots of people use that would benefit from this feature it probably makes sense for it to be implemented application level?

Writing scripts to fix problems with other scripts seems not ideal.
If someone wrote a script that could do it, I'd use it though.
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Old 12-04-2019, 05:15 PM   #7
Joe90
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This custom action solves the issue of hidden tracks unarming when you use 'unarm all tracks'.
Attached Images
File Type: png unarm all except hidden.png (11.3 KB, 152 views)
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Old 12-04-2019, 06:30 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe90 View Post
This custom action solves the issue of hidden tracks unarming when you use 'unarm all tracks'.
FYI, Instead of image, you can right click a custom action in Actions window > Copy selected as text, It will copy the name and all actions used in the custom action to multi-line text.
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Old 12-04-2019, 06:41 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Edgemeal View Post
FYI, Instead of image, you can right click a custom action in Actions window > Copy selected as text, It will copy the name and all actions used in the custom action to multi-line text.
Cool! Thanks for the tip.
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Old 12-20-2019, 12:43 PM   #10
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Yea I have hidden utility tracks I use for SmartKnobs etc that I need to stay armed at all times. Really wish locking the track didn't disable the arm state...
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Old 02-08-2022, 05:17 AM   #11
CLVMTT
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Default Workaround

Hi, I had the same needing for an Input Monitoring track, that I wanted ALWAYS record armed...
I found a workaround that involves ReaLearn and Cockos Midi CC LFO Generator, since you can't automate the record arm state directly in reaper, but you can control it in ReaLearn:

- In a new track (or in FX monitor, as I do) insert First the midi LFO Generator, and then ReaLearn
- In the MIDI LFO you can leave the defalut settings
- In ReaLearn you can select as "Target" Track Arm/disarm (on selected, or ID, as you like), and as Source: MIDI, CC value, <any>
- In tuning section, on "Target" set both fader on 100 (or anyway >0)

Now the Arm state will always remain On (or off if you need it), and you can even automate the bypass state of one of the two plugins to automate the Arm state
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