Collapse Mode as default?

If I open the Piano Roll, create some notes and then hit the Collapse Mode button to only show the lanes that are being used... is there a way to then all the new midi regions I create only show those lanes?

I noticed that if one region is using the Collapse Mode, the new region will show a shaded orange Collapse Mode button, but if I hit it, nothing happens.

I also tried selecting that one and the one that has those other notes, the button gets bright orange, but if I click it, the new region doesn't use the same collapsed lanes.

 

Other than copying-pasting a collapsed region and then deleting the notes, is there a way to do this?

Not exactly, as the Collapse mode shows you lanes only for existing notes in that region, so if the new region is empty, it cannot have notes inside. The shaded orange Collapse Mode button indicates that Collapse Mode is ON, however because the region is empty the Piano Roll still displays the grid. Enter a single note and you'll see the Collapse Mode in action.

 

So the only way I can think of to achieve what you want is to have at least one region with the few notes for which you want lanes in it, perhaps with those notes muted, so that you can get started with the new region displaying only the lanes you want.

My goal was to at least being able to select different regions and they would all mimic the one with the collapse mode ON, so I could start working on those notes right away. The issue now is that, if I copy - paste a region with notes so I can work on a new pattern/melody/chord progression, as soon as I delete those notes, it goes back to showing me all notes, making it hard to start working on it, focusing only on the notes I was previously using. I always need to leave at least one note there, otherwise the collapse will automatically turn off.

 

I think it should be ON, even without notes, until we click the button again to turn it OFF.

I think it should be ON, even without notes, until we click the button again to turn it OFF.

Then there should be a different method for determining which lanes are displayed... any suggestion?

The only way is to copy and paste a region with the desired lanes, then delete all notes, but one of them. Once you delete all of them, the collapse mode turns off.

I wish it would stay on until we turn it off, even if all notes are gone. That would make sense to me, especially because if you have 4 notes and delete 3 of them, those 3 lanes don't disappear, so Logic "remembers" what lanes were being used. Why not for all of them, right?

I see what you mean now. What you describe does make sense, it would still give the user the option to turn the Collapse mode off if they want to.

Moving this to New Feature Suggestions!

I see what you mean now. What you describe does make sense, it would still give the user the option to turn the Collapse mode off if they want to.

 

Yes, exactly.

Moving this to New Feature Suggestions!