Lock/Protect Plugin Configuration

[rosemae]

Hi!

Is there a way to lock the configuration of a plugin while I'm working on a project? I live in fear that I'll accidentally and drastically mess up a synth or sampler setting, then do a bunch of edits elsewhere and bury the problem too far back in my undo history to fix once I finally notice it. I investigated using the "protect" function on the track(s) in question, but it doesn't seem to do anything for protecting plugins.

ETA: I see that the "freeze" function does lock down the plugins, which is closer to what I'm looking for. Is there a way to lock the plugins while still allowing recording and editing of regions on the track?

Edited February 4 by rosemae

[David Nahmani]

When you save your project, the settings are saved with the project. If you make a bunch of edits, then reopen that plug-in and want to go back to the state of the plug-in of the last time you saved the project, click the "Compare" button in the plug-in header. 

[rosemae]

Is there any way to prevent accidental edits to plugin/sampler configurations instead of just reverting them after they happen? "Compare" only works if I catch the issue immediately, before I save again.

[rosemae]

Update: my solution is manually saving a backup of the plugin settings, putting the .pst into my project folder rather than the default location (so that my project-specific samplers aren't cluttering up my menus in future projects). It's not as quick as a "lock" button, but it does the job.

[des99]

Yes, this is what I'd recommend. You can also save the whole channelstrip setting per track if you want to, this will preserve the current channel strip state, including all plugins on that channelstrip - quicker if theres's a handful of plugins all with settings you want to backup.

Or you could save to the default location, but create song specific folders - eg folders like "Song Settings -> My Awesome Song" and put the settings for My Awesome Song in there. That way, you're not cluttering up the preset menu, you just have one top level "Song Settings" folder, which you can go into, see a list of folders, one per song, and recall that setting you need.

It's also handy if you find a sound you like and want to re-use in a different song, etc.

Edited February 4 by des99

[David Nahmani]

15 hours ago, rosemae said:

Update: my solution is manually saving a backup of the plugin settings, putting the .pst into my project folder rather than the default location (so that my project-specific samplers aren't cluttering up my menus in future projects). It's not as quick as a "lock" button, but it does the job.

Yes, that sounds like a good solution! 🙂