Name Track by region/cell name issue

[guavadude]

I've imported a midi file. The region names are correct, the track names all are Steinway Grand as expected. When I use the Name Track by region/cell name command, the track names all still say Steinway until I double click on the track name. Then the correct region  names are shown as track name. I can't select all and do this once, I have to double click fifty midi tracks one at a time. 

[David Nahmani]

Press Option-T to customize the track headers and select the Additional Name Column so that you can try to determine what name is displayed where. 

The problem with track names in Logic Pro is that it has so many different automatic "smart" behaviors depending on what you're doing with the tracks that it can become a challenge to determine what name type you're actually looking at. 

[guavadude]

Omg how many times have we talked about this over the years. I'll try that. I never even use the alt name option and my life has been better for it!

 

So tell me again what is the purpose of having two different track names?

Why do I get the feeling this is some sort of revenge programming from a disgruntled coder. 

Edited September 19, 2022 by guavadude

[JakobP]

On 9/18/2022 at 8:44 PM, guavadude said:

When I use the Name Track by region/cell name command, the track names all still say Steinway until I double click on the track name.

Maybe reloading the screenset (Press "1") could update the names correctly ?

[polanoid]

On 9/19/2022 at 1:32 PM, guavadude said:

So tell me again what is the purpose of having two different track names?

 

Usually the name displayed in the track header is the name of the channel strip. As there can be two or more tracks referencing the same environment object (e.g. channel strip), there is *also* a name for the track itself (so you can distinguish between multiple track that reference the same environment object). The name of the track itself can only be edited as soon as there are more than one track pointing to the same environment object.

There is an additional name column in the right hand side of the track header which can display various things configurable in this menu 

[guavadude]

yeah, it's the additional name column that I don't really need to see. I use track alternatives a lot so that's where I have additional naming. I haven't had time to sort this midi rename issue yet but I'll circle back when I do. 

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by guavadude

[David Nahmani]

On 9/19/2022 at 1:32 PM, guavadude said:

So tell me again what is the purpose of having two different track names?

As @polanoid pointed out, in Logic Pro, a track is assigned to an object in the MIDI Environment. That object can be an audio channel strip such as an audio track channel strip, or a software instrument channel strip. It can also be an (external) MIDI instrument, or it can be a MIDI fader, a transformer, a chord object, a mapped instrument, a monitor... nearly anything you'd like. 

As Logic became more widely used, and acquired by Apple, there was a need for simplification. Most users simply have their tracks assigned to channel strips, either audio track channel strips, or software instrument channel strips. So by default, the track displays the name of the channel strip it's assigned to. 

However as @polanoid explained, you could have 8 tracks assigned to the same object. So there was a need for a track name, that is independent of the object name. 

Then there's the core audio channel name (is your "Guitar" audio track channel strip used on core audio channel 28? Then its core audio channel name is audio 28 - a.k.a. channel strip type and number). 

Then there's the patch name: Apple thought it would be smart, if you create an audio track that's just called "Audio 3", then load a patch named "Rock Guitar", to name the track after the patch name, and display "Rock Guitar on the track header. 

Or maybe you loaded an ES2 synth on a software instrument track, then inside the ES2 you chose a setting called "Ambient Waves"? Apple thought it would be smart to display "Ambient Waves" on the track header. 

The issue with all these automatic, smart naming behaviors is that sometimes you can get lost and you no longer know what kind of name you're looking at. Is it a channel strip name, a patch name, a track name, an instrument setting name? 

So sometimes it's useful to distinguish tracks using an additional name column that you can figure out what you're looking at exactly. 

On 9/19/2022 at 1:32 PM, guavadude said:

Why do I get the feeling this is some sort of revenge programming from a disgruntled coder. 

I think it's the result of a disagreement between some programmers wanting to keep things flexible and user customizable, and some Apple marketing people wanting things seemingly "simple" (=smart) for newbies (which can sometimes turn things into a nightmare for more advanced users). 

[guavadude]

Ok I tested importing a midi file and then using the Rename Tracks by Regions command. Still have to double click on each track to see the name. 

(Real quick, trying a different screen set made no difference. Good idea though)

Once I turned on the Additional Name column view, set to automatic, I could see the arrange ch still says the generic patch name, Steinway Pno and now I see the region names in the alt name column. Then if I choose the alt name to be Patch or Ch strip name, it then shows the region names correctly as the main name. But as soon as I turn off the alt name column it resets back to Steinway..patch name. 

The only way I can get the track names to be the same as the region names is to double click the track or use the rename track function. Both of those functions will have the track name match the region name. 

So, idk, seems a little wonky to me but at least I know the work around. Import midi, select all midi regions, use rename tracks as regions command and then double click each track. It's still a whole lot faster than retyping all the names in. 

Or I could view the alternate names column and see them but I prefer to just not use that at all, and now I remember why!

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by guavadude