Track power button? [SOLVED]

How does the new power button on each track behave differently from mute?

I can't see any plugins turning off with the power.

Thanks

It's the new Track mute. The M button is the remote Channel Strip button.

 

So the power button saves ... both CPU power and data streaming. It takes a second to react.

 

The M button doesn't save anything but it's instantaneous.

The Power button is essentially the same functionality as Slow/CPU-saving mode in older versions of Logic. I'm glad it's now easier to access both methods at the same time. Before, we had to either disable the instrument plugins on the channel strip or mute regions if we were in Fast/Remote mode.

I agree, it's great to have both available at the same time! In LP9 I would mute the regions in fast-remote mode, which essentially does the same thing as Slow/CPU-Saving or the new power button, so I had access to both - but that didn't work for tracks that had muted regions obviously.

 

MUCH better now.

Great! thanks

Just to be clear, this does nothing to replace the slow response solo button, which was so crucial to so many of us.

Just to be clear, this does nothing to replace the slow response solo button, which was so crucial to so many of us.

You can use the solo mode for that.

What is the solo mode? Does it allow me to click a solo button on an Arrange window track associated with a multi-timbral channel strip without soloing the entire channel?

A mode that solos selected regions. So click a track header to select all the regions on that track and use the solo mode (Control-S), or even the solo-lock mode (control-click the button) if you want to be able to change the selection after soloing the desired regions.

 

 

Does it allow me to click a solo button on an Arrange window track associated with a multi-timbral channel strip without soloing the entire channel?

Yes, but first you'll have to select all the regions on that track by clicking the track header.

A mode that solos selected regions. So click a track header to select all the regions on that track and use the solo mode (Control-S), or even the solo-lock mode (control-click the button) if you want to be able to change the selection after soloing the desired regions.

 

[attachment=0]solo.png[/attachment]

[attachment=1]solo-lock.png[/attachment]

 

Thanks. That's not a new thing, is it? It just seems slightly more inconvenient than clicking all the solo buttons. It would be nice if the default of the solo button was to solo the track, not the channel. Or maybe that's just how I am used to working but it has a good flow for me.

The solo mode has been in Logic for as long as I can remember (I started in Logic 4). It is slightly more inconvenient than clicking solo buttons in CPU-Saving mode since it's a two step process and you need to change your region selection which may/may not be a problem.

 

The advantage is that you have access to both modes (CPU saving and Remote CS) at the same time.

 

For me it's not a problem since I had already developed a workflow where I wanted both available at the same time in Logic 9... (Remote CS mode, mute or solo regions with solo mode to save CPU and HD). So this only make things easier for me.

 

I can understand how it would require to change your workflow though...

i actually knew it was already a ting but I have always ignored it. When I want to hear how my violins are playing with my woodwinds or how three different tuned percussion instruments play together, maybe with one omnishphere behind them, it's so convenient just to hit those s buttons.

 

If I am in solo mode and lock it, I suppose I can just hit the track headers to select regions. It would be nice if they would add an s to the power button.

If I am in solo mode and lock it, I suppose I can just hit the track headers to select regions.

If you're in solo lock mode then what's soloed will no longer change when you change the selection. So:

 

- Select what you want to solo (click a track header then shift-click other track headers you also want to solo)

- Turn on solo lock

- Now you can deselect your regions and select other ones, you'll still hear what was selected at the time you turned on solo lock.

OK. that will work. I can get into that. Now, if they would only fix the way multi-timbral instruments work, I'll be set.

Am I being dumb? I can't find a key command option for toggling track power on/off.

It's Option-M, Toggle track on.

You da man!

You're welcome.

Here's another great reason for the Power button: when you use New Track With Same Channel, or unpack a Take Folder (which accomplishes the same thing) you have multiple tracks but only one channel strip. WIth the Track Power button you can toggle each of these tracks independently without using the Mute button (which would mute all tracks assigned to that channel strip).

WIth the Track Power button you can toggle each of these tracks independently without using the Mute button.

Yes:

 

LPX Track On/Off = LP9 CPU-saving (Slow Response) Mute

I noticed that when I turn off a software instrument track with the power button, the instrument plugin itself is still using up CPU power, even though it is not playing anything. Is there a good reason for this? I think it would be much nicer if everything was switched off when turning off the the power button, to really clear up CPU usage.

Which software instruments are you using which exhibit this behavior?

 

That certainly would seem to defeat the purpose of the Power button.

Is there at least a reduction of the CPU usage?

I have noticed the same thing with several 3rd party instruments. Deselecting the track in question helps. Bypassing the instrument will get rid of its processing altogether,

Which software instruments are you using which exhibit this behavior?

 

That certainly would seem to defeat the purpose of the Power button.

Is there at least a reduction of the CPU usage?

 

I did a test where I put Native Instruments Razor on 8 different tracks with a really CPU hungry patch on each. Then I turned off the power buttons on all tracks and noticed that the CPU meter went up pretty high, when I played the arrangement. I had nothing else than these tracks in the arrangement.

I don't think there was any difference between having the tracks turned on or off. However, if I put some effect plugins on each tracks, and turn off the tracks, then there is a decrease in the CPU load.

So, even though a track is muted, the track and its effects are still being processed by the CPU? And in order to prevent the processing use the Power button to turn off/quiet the track?

So, even though a track is muted, the track and its effects are still being processed by the CPU?

Yes: the Mute button on a track remote controls the Mute button on its channel strip, which mutes the audio output of the channel strip, after it's been generated by the instrument and processed by all the plug-ins on the channel strip. The instrument and effect plug-ins still use CPU resources.

 

And in order to prevent the processing use the Power button to turn off/quiet the track?

Correct.

I always had to remove plugins and software instruments in L9 in order to save CPU (but I always had it at Fast setting and I didn't even know about that option) so is this mean than I can only press POWER button now and its like I removed everything and freed CPU ?

I tried with 3rd party (Addictive drums 5 instances) and bunch of 3rd party plugins and it worked so-so. Not sure it affects full 3rd party.

Is this only for LX plugins and instruments or in general ?

 

Thank you

is this mean than I can only press POWER button now and its like I removed everything and freed CPU ?

Turning off a track is like muting all the regions on that track: you're not reading the audio data from the audio files, meaning you're freeing up all HD bandwidth normally used to stream audio from HD, and you're freeing up all CPU normally used to process that audio.

 

I tried with 3rd party (Addictive drums 5 instances) and bunch of 3rd party plugins and it worked so-so. Not sure it affects full 3rd party.

Is this only for LX plugins and instruments or in general ?

In general. You should get the same results as if you mute the regions on the track?

is this mean than I can only press POWER button now and its like I removed everything and freed CPU ?

Turning off a track is like muting all the regions on that track: you're not reading the audio data from the audio files, meaning you're freeing up all HD bandwidth normally used to stream audio from HD, and you're freeing up all CPU normally used to process that audio.

 

I tried with 3rd party (Addictive drums 5 instances) and bunch of 3rd party plugins and it worked so-so. Not sure it affects full 3rd party.

Is this only for LX plugins and instruments or in general ?

In general. You should get the same results as if you mute the regions on the track?

 

I see, ok thanks David. Yeah thats not gonna help me because in my productions if I get to the point of CPU struggling thats usually not because of midi regions or audio files streaming but because of mamy instances of virtual instruments and 3rd party plugins mixed with a lot of automation. Wish there was a button to just shut down all the plugins and VSTs so I dont have to delete them or bounce them down but at least for a second I can just free that CPU they are using. Maybe in Logic 11