Arrange Window 'EUREKA' moment!

Hi, my first post here...

If everyone out there in LPH is already doing this, I apologise, but having been a die-hard Logic user for many, many years, this is an arrange window tip I just have to share, 'cos it's transformed the way I work overnight (for the better).

First, I always used to use an instance of the audio page of the environment window as my primary 'mixer' page. In the arrange window were all my tracks (used and unused) and when I ran out of, say, Audio Instrument tracks, I'd create a new one in the arrange and make a mental link between it and it's representation in the environment. An OK solution, but so much redundancy in both arrange and mixer panes. I never really got to grips with the Track Mixer, as it always seemed so 'fluid' -- always changing and updating. More fool me.

The new way involves two screensets and the track mixer (I've included 3 screenshots to make this clearer...):

Screenset 1:

Arrange Window with 'Hiding' set to 'on' (orange 'H')

Track mixer with 'global' off; all other filters active (blue) and 'Same Instruments', 'track numbers' deselected. Parameters hidden.

This is where you make the music.

Screenset 2:

Arrange Window with 'Hiding' set to 'off' (blue 'H')

In this window you create tracks for EVERYTHING in your environment. That is, ALL your Audio tracks; ALL your Audio Instruments; ALL your Busses, midi tracks, master outputs, auxes, etc etc etc. They may be more than a hundred tracks. Shrink them vertically to get them as small as possible. you won't need anything other than the hide buttons.

If you have multi-instruments, create tracks for all their sub-channels too (I like to have several instances of Stylus RMX ready to go).

The only thing you'll use this screenset for is to hide and unhide tracks. And that's the clever bit. Anything that's UNHIDDEN in screenset 2 will appear in the arrange window and the track mixer in screenset 1. And ONLY those things, so screenset 1 is simple and uncluttered — only containing the tracks your actually using. Likewise the track mixer.

As you need new tracks to work with in screenset 1, jump to screenset 2, unhide the track you want and return to screenset 1! Et voila.

Again, sorry if this is stating the obvious for some folks out there, but it was a revelation to me and I've been staring at this beast for years...

I see so many posts about creating new tracks and difficulties with organising a session, I thought this might help.

Cheers.

Clean, efficient, uncluttered, able-to-scale vertically. Nice.

Likewise - only showing what is being used in the arrange window work area (no redundancy)

The screenset where you turn tracks on or off using the blue hide buttons. This arrange window will have EVERYTHING in it that you might ever want to bring in to your working world...

Glad to be of help

I'm certainly very happy with the more structured workflow...

Until logic starts offering the ability to create track 'groups' (like DP has just introduced) we have to use our initiative... Wouldn't it be great to have a 'strings' group and a 'percussion' group etc that could be untwirled at will right in the arrange page.

My loyalty to Logic is strong, but there are so many little workflow features they could introduce to keep us workers happy...

Hi fiveshorts, thanks for the contribution!

However, I believe you should read my tip on creating tracks from the track mixer in Global Mode: http://www.logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=402. In my opinion, that makes it unnecessary to create an Arrange window that has all the objects in your environment.

Now you can use the Hide function for better purposes!

And folders work wonders to create groups of tracks. I have a main Arrange window with 3 strings track, 3 brass tracks... and so on, and I also have an Arrange window with my whole orchestra, an Arrange window with my strings only, one with my brass only.... and each one of those has its own Track Mixer of course!

David

I'm a folder lover too but freezing and unfreezing tracks completely ignores the organizing of folders.

FYI

Amin

This method also keeps the Behringer(in mackie mode) from working properly. I can't mix the four trcsk I see on the arrange pacge or in the track mixer. I like the idea but mixing is a beast. Any recommendations for using this method in the mixing stage?

thanks.

Does David's method preserve the ability to use a control surface track for track with what i see in the arrange window?

This method also keeps the Behringer(in mackie mode) from working properly. I can't mix the four trcsk I see on the arrange pacge or in the track mixer. I like the idea but mixing is a beast. Any recommendations for using this method in the mixing stage?

 

thanks.

 

 

Does David's method preserve the ability to use a control surface track for track with what i see in the arrange window?

If you're using folders you might have to double click on a folder to get your control surface to recongnize the contents. And then back up to get to another folder.